united*: beyond the asterisk

donovan's cellar on gilt taste!

2012-01-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

Donovan's cellar is on gilt taste! Hats off to gilt for the beautiful photos, well done.

red bull supernatural

2012-01-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

feb 3-8, here we go.

united* hitting the shelves in 2012

2012-01-09T11:12:00.000-05:00

Hah! You thought we abandoned our blog (we kinda did, we were busy sorry!) Best to start off the new year with some of our brands hitting the shelves. You can see how Style Selections in bringing life to the shelves even on an iPhone shot. Stroll on down to your local Lowes and take a peek, it's pretty amazing.

Michael Bierut & Yale

2011-11-18T16:29:00.002-05:00

Oh man these Michael Bierut posters for Yale popped into my head today. Really awesome typography, why can't there be posters like this now. Cool shit getting lost in the sea of eye melting posters.



2011-10-06T10:36:00.006-04:00

More than a leading technology figure, Steve Jobs was the Edison of our lifetime. His touch on mankind has shifted the way we view life today. Our lives are enriched because of him, changed forever for the positive, and we are deeply saddened to hear of his passing.

Growing up today we take everything he invented as second nature:

The way we listen to music. The way we access it.

The way we watch an animated movie.

The way a leader presents a vision.

Working out of passion, and a $1 a year salary.

Design sensibility for everyone.

The mouse.

The way retail works, no cash registers and all.

Wireless technology.

The touch screen phone.

The computer. Its visual language, its simplicity.

The way we interact with each other and the way we interact with life.

There could not be a bigger influence than Steve Jobs on all of us as human beings. Rest in peace, Steve.

united*

beware: the copycat virus is still out there

2011-09-23T13:51:00.007-04:00

but fear not, our strategic guru, perry seelert, has identified the cure to this brand epidemic. the answer: "lead with your brand design instead of mindlessly following others."

read perry's full article via progressive grocer's store brands.

perry on private brands

2011-09-19T14:38:00.003-04:00

perry has written some words of wisdom for the preface of upcoming book grocery store brand design. read the first part on my p brand.

feature friday // artichoke pizza

2011-09-16T10:51:00.005-04:00

frozen pizza has never looked so ballsy. check out our latest project for a&p and legendary nyc pizzeria artichoke basille's. true new york pizza with real new york attitude, see telboy n kelli feed it to their face!

back for the future // mike j. fox edition

2011-09-09T17:11:00.008-04:00

after years of fanboy petitions, the much anticipated nike air mags (a.k.a. nike air mcflys), made popular via mike j. fox are now available...for a good cause. 1,500 pairs will be up for auction via eBay with 100% of the proceeds, supporting the michael j. fox foundation for parkinson's research. well done (again), nike. we can't wait for the self-tying edition.

the apple, indeed, does not fall far from the tree

2011-08-25T10:52:00.008-04:00

when a reporter asked what market research went into the iPad, mr. jobs replied: "none. it's not the consumers' job to know what they want." his design decisions, mr. jobs explained, were shaped by his understanding of both technology and popular culture. his own study and intuition (not focus groups) were his guide.

we, creatives, salute you, steve, on a "jobs" well done.

happy birthday diana!

2011-08-11T10:48:00.009-04:00

Yep, back to back Birthdays! Our young one is growing so fast. All of those Insanity™ workouts are really paying off D. I love the new bulked up look.

Happy birthday law!

2011-08-01T17:33:00.004-04:00

We know how much you love Eva Mendez!

art of flight trailer // metal version

2011-08-01T15:30:00.000-04:00

whip yo hair back n forth.

2011 surfrider foundation calendar

2011-07-29T10:02:00.003-04:00

ooh sexy. check out the rest here.

chillin at the standard

2011-07-22T17:07:00.004-04:00

baller status:

check out the bromance action between noah and tel even rockin the same pose:

united* keepin cool at the rooftop of the standard hotel in nyc with 30 mph winds. way to beat that 90+ heat.

VO5, ya'll need a throw back

2011-07-22T12:17:00.008-04:00

while doing some research, we came across this diamond in the rough. branding (now painfully) requires a gradient, drop shadow, and "there's an app for that" look. It didn't always use to be this crass. VO5 is a great example of what once was great but now is gradient as most brands-in-crisis go. Take a look at your past, it'll probably save you from the 99¢ stores liquidations.

VS.

andy as an old man

2011-07-22T10:46:00.001-04:00

keepin it real.

kelli g joins united!

2011-07-18T10:35:00.002-04:00

meet our our new production manager kelli garnett! she enjoys bright colors, hugs, and everything awesome. don't let the photo fool you, her mechanicals are on point! asterisk hand, no big deal!

feature friday: novum mag

2011-07-08T10:06:00.003-04:00

novum magazine, the oldest design magazine with the largest circulation in europe has featured us in their magazine! check out them spreads! man, we're huge overseas.

who's gonna save the world?

2011-07-05T11:32:00.002-04:00

doggies in slow-mo, that's who!

cosmoprof confirmed

2011-06-27T14:57:00.002-04:00

get your mascara on and slip on your stilettos because united* will be in sin city august 1. yep, ole' andy is heading to vegas to shred cosmoprof a new one - watch out, ladies. also, andy is going to be in his infamous perry costume, according to this cosmoprof website.

method x virgin america video

2011-06-17T14:46:00.001-04:00

going beyond the packaging, the collab in-flight video on virgin america!

feature fizzy // 2dot

2011-06-10T15:49:00.003-04:00

what if? pepsi changed how you thought about soda? here's one from our pepsi archives, pepsi 2dot. more goodies on our pepsi page.

method x virgin america

2011-06-10T14:12:00.004-04:00

now that is how credible co-branding is done. well done method.

feature frilby!

2011-06-03T15:13:00.002-04:00

it's friday, gotta get featured on friday! this one is the identity we created for the trilby, a bar and restaurant at the swank cooper square hotel. don't ask us about that weird scary mural guy though, we had nothing to do with THAT.

united* 5k nypd run

2011-05-31T10:03:00.003-04:00

Dusting off our running shoes, Terrence shining his, we went out for little run up the westside highway for our NYPD folks. Terrence for the win (pink NY yankees cap) and the rest of the crew as his backup. Good times and sore ligaments!

future friday

2011-05-13T17:45:00.003-04:00

united* dipping our foot into electronics! It's scary so we only did a dip ( logo! ) and man, it's a cold cold beast. But anywho, look at our logo all grown up in the world!

backwards brand redesign

2011-05-13T14:58:00.004-04:00

is it backwards day and no one told us? recently we've been finding examples of redesigns stepping into the past! check out the terrible epson paper redesign, 'new' pack on the right! are the 90's back? then saw the 'redesign' for honeydrop, bevelled bee you guys! man, did we miss something here? what is happening??

un-featured friday!

2011-05-06T17:08:00.003-04:00

With every great design comes one's less traveled. This Friday we decided to feature something that was never featured besides to us and the client. Maybe it was too good, maybe his spirit animal feng shui was off, who knows. Anywho here's the B-side of Veloce Pizzeria.

nike swooshes the awards

2011-05-06T16:28:00.004-04:00

they pretty much won it all, including BEST IDEA IN THE WORLD, for their write the future campaign. man that's a lot of balls.
view all the new york festival winners here.

and one for the ladies?

2011-05-06T16:13:00.002-04:00

when regular pool just doesn't cut it anymore

2011-05-06T15:52:00.002-04:00

are you tired of those long cumbersome cigar looking spears? or the 90 degree body contortions more conducive for twister?

say no more...and welcome poolball into your gamut of drinking games.

Budweiser Poolball from magicgarden on Vimeo.

more winners

2011-05-06T14:19:00.002-04:00

here's some more winners in the dudes category, andes beer's teletransporter, axe premature perspiration and land rover sword guy.

penises ftw

2011-05-06T10:54:00.002-04:00

so there were some really great winners at new york festivals' advertising shindig last night. we'll be posting our faves. let's start with the theme of cocks. penis drawings, yes. justing long with cock surfboard, yes. clearly, these did not air in america. so thank you youtube.

stan the man

2011-05-05T17:31:00.003-04:00

united* would like to give a big shout out to stan church, being recognized by the AIGA friday may 6th for his contributions to the design community for over four decades. damn that's putting in some time.

bring on the party. big respect from the united* crew. check out the deets here. now give us a hug!

insane in the memcrane

2011-05-05T14:37:00.007-04:00

Who would have thunk that our very own senior account manager, jessica “the claw” roppa, would be the best skills crane champion east of the mississippi?

four attempts later, she's swimming in stuffed animals (five to be exact)!
beware carnival operators, jessica is coming to a skill crane near you!

storycorps

2011-05-05T11:06:00.005-04:00

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

i know we usually post videos for the lulz on our blog, but today i've come across a wonderfully moving set of videos of amazing storytelling with fantastic animation. these are real people interviewed and recorded with really amazing anecdotes and made into an animated short. thanks for making these storycorps. watch them all.

happy birthday andy!

2011-05-04T18:22:00.002-04:00

It's like a shammy, it's like a towel, it's like a sponge, it's Andy. Always keeping it clean. Happy birthday ole buck from all of us at united*

spread the squeeze

2011-04-29T16:12:00.002-04:00

It's so natural you just squeeze it! No you can, really.

royal wedding invites

2011-04-28T18:19:00.001-04:00

man the english are snooze. and by boring i mean, proper. check out the invites and programme for prince william and soon to be princess kate. i think the only thing they had goin for em was that unicorn.

we got the new carson mag

2011-04-27T16:37:00.002-04:00

I'm not really good at first impressions. Carson mag isn't good at them as well. I'm going to let it grow on us by give it a few more issues and just judge this mag by it's cover, really.

virgin in a battle royale

2011-04-25T14:47:00.004-04:00

If you didn't know already Virgin Airlines is kicking some ass in the flying category. Help support them in Chicago so we all can party from city to city!

feature friday thursday!

2011-04-21T18:06:00.003-04:00

It's pretty much Friday for us (bunnies and stuff, you know.)

super fun travel machine

2011-04-20T11:38:00.001-04:00

feature jelday!

2011-04-15T17:55:00.001-04:00

Todays feature: Andy with that fresh windswept look, stay classy son. Pocono misses you.

best dino puppet ever

2011-04-15T12:19:00.002-04:00

for you know, that jurassic park lesson.

this is how we get down

2011-04-13T11:13:00.001-04:00

all day, everyday.

friday, featured again

2011-04-08T16:37:00.002-04:00

Ever wonder how much of your drink is gone? Say no more Flav has you covered with the clear can. Ever wonder what air, water, and fruit tasted like all at once? Yet again say no more, Flav has got you covered. Now run along and purchase these by the case loads young ones!

akira joins united*!

2011-04-06T14:19:00.008-04:00

we are super stoked to have akira yasuda joining the team! he happens to share the same name as this guy. as far as we know, our akira hasn't worked on street fighter. anyway let's apply the cyan magenta united* gradient filter, and voilà! welcome to united*!

upping the ladder

2011-04-05T16:20:00.004-04:00

united* coming up, or going down. Depends on what your watching. Is that a Haiku?

tgif–thank goodness its featured

2011-04-01T11:53:00.003-04:00

See what I did there with the title? That's the kind of quintessential copywriting you'll see from united*. Oh and here's a sneaky of the Wholesome Goodness line of 50/50 juices with loads of fruity goodness (did it again, man we're good.)

feature friday!

2011-03-25T15:12:00.003-04:00

We have so many new projects we decided to start feature Friday and show what's up!

This week we are proud to show you Donovans Cellar pickled products. Snatch them up as soon as you can, the Nanas B&B pickles help you rethink life they are that good.

organic products retailer

2011-03-24T10:19:00.001-04:00

mmhmm perry IS right. read the article here.

adidas 3d mapping action

2011-03-23T10:00:00.003-04:00

oh yes. very nice.

a couple of things to hit your eyes

2011-03-22T14:22:00.004-04:00

Adidas little advert is quite nice. Adrenaline, hype, fame, and katy perry? I guess that's what they mean by all in.

This stuff should not get clumped with longboarders. Speeding skating makes hill bombing look like a driveway. Too bad it doesn't get enough hype but i guess crashing into haigh isn't that touch unless it's made of metal.

this is spring

2011-03-21T16:59:00.001-04:00

in tahoe. damnnnn west coast.

via @snowboardermag

the moving pictures

2011-03-18T16:09:00.002-04:00

an excellent selection of awesome title designs.

new age guerilla advertising

2011-03-16T11:45:00.003-04:00

Wheat paste posters, yawn. Sidewalk stencils, boooring. Monster truck handing out drinks, lame. Hacking a time square billboard, AWESOME.

tribeca's 56 leonard

2011-03-09T13:48:00.004-05:00

takin real estate vids to the inception level. nice one, tronic studio.

two worlds just collided.

2011-03-08T12:24:00.002-05:00

tel boy

2011-03-04T10:36:00.002-05:00

our very fashion forward terrence modeling a very fierce, very functional man-toolbelt-skirt.

Wholesome Goodies in Package Design Magazine

2011-02-28T16:45:00.003-05:00

Throw out that Big Mac and crack open some sour rasins Wholesome Goodness is on Package Design Magazine. It hurts to be so famous.

the art of flight

2011-02-23T14:24:00.001-05:00

epic slow mo sexiness. a proper trailer. so sick.

perry in a magazine, hes a big deal.

2011-02-11T10:39:00.002-05:00

Check out Private Label Magazine for a little excerpt on the most wholesome brand you can buy on the market right now. Magazine signings by Perry will be appointment based only. Please don't break the door down again, thanks!

united* top secret conditioning video

2011-02-08T10:30:00.003-05:00

Yes we are finally revealing it. Our winter tryout video for becoming an intern. It's a little harsh yes but have you been here in the winter? This is pretty much what you see walking down 23rd street (granted it's flying rats bathing in street water but you get the idea.)

make it better

2011-02-07T16:04:00.001-05:00

Make it better from Sebastianbap on Vimeo.

haven't seen nice kinetic type in a while. this one's lovely.

kanye spits money

2011-02-04T16:35:00.002-05:00

VMAN 21 ASSEMBLY LINE from V Magazine on Vimeo.

nicely executed concept 'money talks' for vman. real dollar billz ya'll.

twinkletoes tel

2011-02-01T11:51:00.001-05:00

tel boy definitely brings something to the table.

this is us, everyday.

2011-01-20T14:12:00.001-05:00

new feats in product design

2011-01-19T10:03:00.004-05:00

"man I really want to sink this putt in but I have to wizz."

No problem, they got you covered small bladdered golf players.

trick brits

2011-01-19T09:43:00.003-05:00

You know how you learn to ride a bike then start to do small jumps off the curb? This guy kept doing that and now his sponsored by Redbull. Never give up your childhood dreams kids, never.

a proper evolution

2011-01-13T17:10:00.003-05:00

After the initial shock subsided we tipped our hats to the Starbucks logo evolution. Now joining the ranks of nameless brands like Nike, Apple, Lacoste, and Toyota, you can now have a wordmark free venti triple half soy double pump skim latte. Nice one, guys - you did yourselves proud!

Magenta* Holiday

2010-12-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone for coming out to celebrate the Holidays with us! The patented Asterisk Luge™ was a huge success to most and dangerous to some. Here's a recap of the night:

Proofing the magenta glow to our pantone books.

Andy brushing up lawrence on some DJ skillz.

The view from the street...wonder where the party is?

Steve making sure he can get nuts.

Andy getting giddy!

The Asterisk Luge™ Arrives and Andy sees the danger ahead.

Beautiful!

Aaaand the christening of the luge!

Beer cart? Check!

Fuck me I didn't know bono came!?

Then it got weird real fast

Steve luging himself, no big deal.

Thanks everyone for showing up and having an awesome time. Expect next year to be bigger and better! Happy holidays and a wonderful new year.

Love,

united*

Christmas is comin' in cold

2010-12-09T11:17:00.001-05:00

Better get warm!

December sixteenth, two thousand and ten

2010-12-03T15:51:00.001-05:00

be there. rsvp on facebook if that's more your style...

tel boy: a saint, scholar, and pun-writer

2010-12-03T10:06:00.008-05:00

Coming from the depths of Seattle we would like to welcome Terrence as one of our new account managers. He loves long brushes through his hair and likes to talk about feelings. He revamped his style since this photo but Jessica is forcing him to bring it back. Welcome to the team!

Burton and Adidas sittin' in a tree...

2010-11-23T09:45:00.003-05:00

If you woke up early to go to the farmers market it wouldn't even come close to the freshness of this collaboration. Better gear up because Winters right around the corner!

air max 1 a day

2010-11-22T10:14:00.002-05:00

this project by matt stevens is absolutely brilliant. view them all on his blog.

Wholesome Goodness now on Store Brand Decisions

2010-11-19T12:45:00.002-05:00

Wholesome Goodness killin' it once again on Store Brand Decisions.

wholesome goodness on sn (again)

2010-11-17T10:33:00.006-05:00

wholesome goodness gets another shout-out on the supermarket news article, private affair. read it in all its glory here. and then pick some wholesome g at walmart canada.

skateistan

2010-11-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

nicely done.

Wholesome Goodness on Supermarket News

2010-11-11T11:31:00.002-05:00

Quoted from Supermarket News–

"MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — A line of nutritious foods with simple ingredients called 'Wholesome Goodness' was introduced here Thursday by its exclusive distributor, Wal-Mart Canada.

Wal-Mart Canada debuts Wholesome Goodness line.
The brand was designed by United, a design-branding firm based in New York and San Francisco. United also worked on A&P's Via Roma, Green Way and Hartford Reserve lines.

“We are very excited to now offer up to 80 Wholesome Goodness products made with natural ingredients and ranging from snack foods, to hot and cold cereal, to salad dressings and pasta sauces at select supercentre locations across the country,' said Les Mann, senior vice president of food and consumers for Wal-Mart Canada, in a prepared statement.

Yogurt Covered Dried Tart Cherries, Cranberry Orange Flavored Dressing, Pomegranate Blueberry & Acai Juice and Apples with Cinnamon Multigrain Instant Hot Cereal are included in line. A website dedicated to Wholesome Goodness can be found at www.wholesome-goodness.com."

You can find the article here.

hey there guy

2010-11-10T13:49:00.002-05:00

Hmm do I want a crusty 80's brand seltzer or refreshing crisp beverage? Ole seltzer killin' it self-wise.

Wholesome Goodness sighting on My Private Brand

2010-11-08T17:15:00.003-05:00

Wholesome Goodness has been sighted on My Private Brand! Have you see it?

slater gets 10

2010-11-08T17:01:00.001-05:00

A true legend on his 10th world title, Kelly Slater does it again. Respect to ya mate!

wholesome goodness in canada launches!

2010-11-05T09:57:00.009-04:00

We are proud to announce our wholesome goodness work is hitting Walmart Canada today! These products are better for you and are at affordable prices too, eh!

Walmart press release here.Oh and this awesome website, here if you didn't click it yet.

RIP Andy Irons 1978—2010

2010-11-03T11:41:00.008-04:00

Andy Irons 1978 - 2010

rest in piece mate, you will be missed by all of us.

fear the beard!

2010-11-03T11:16:00.004-04:00

The ole SF office is goin' nuts. Come hang out at the parade at 11 on Market! Go Giants!

TGIF and Halloween!

2010-10-29T16:01:00.006-04:00

The best hands down the the moonwalker car push. Be sure to thank us if you're any of these people for halloween.

dj hero 2 ad

2010-10-21T14:04:00.002-04:00

people remixin', i see what you did there!

the pinnacle of logo design

2010-10-08T17:24:00.007-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen we are are the cusp of a new era in logo design. There are some logos that have defiantly, uh, pushed? Yeah pushed. The boundaries of the way logos should be made from now on. The reviews from the public have been hands down...umm well you can check it out here, here, this place, and here. Don't forget to follow the twitter. This logo is so good the president of gap is even seeing if you can top this design excellence.

Going forward united* is now going to change there logo to keep up with the current trends. Welcome to the new united*:

Thankfully we can all be apart of the trend*

oldie goodies

2010-10-06T17:04:00.003-04:00

As we all know, type is lovely and sometimes you just need to show it. I mean shoot, look what they were doing back in the day and look at what we are doing now! Its just a simple typeface, no fun pictures, drop shadows, gradients, laser beams, han solo holographs, or secret cameras.

More delish oldie typography packing here.

noah love officially joins united* crew

2010-09-29T12:07:00.004-04:00

new blood, you guys! some big ups and big hugs to our newest designer, hailing from the west coast: mr noah paul love! NPL recently graduated from san fran's academy of art college, had a killer portfolio and started interning at both our offices. he passed the very elaborate united* design test (with full american gladiator-style obstacle course) and is now our full time coffee runner. check out his full portfolio on his website.

happiest dj

2010-09-15T09:46:00.002-04:00

fuck being too cool and smug behind the tables, this guy knows what i'm talkin about!

Designing motos

2010-09-13T11:42:00.005-04:00

shinya kimura @ chabott engineering from Henrik Hansen on Vimeo.

It's amazing what you can do with your hands. Kimura at Chabott Engineering has been designing these gundam (nerd reference!) motorcycle thingies which are total beasts. The mini documentary that exposes his love for motorcycles is truly an inspiration to the process of design and engineering. Watch it in full screen...you wont be disappointed.

nike sportswear burrito

2010-09-10T12:15:00.006-04:00

nike sportswear teamed up with koi fusion food truck and gave out their secret menu item, the destroyer burrito. free jacket wrapped like a burrito! jealous.

Life in the fat lane

2010-09-10T10:11:00.003-04:00

Info graphics are really pretty. GOOD magazine came up with this lovely graphic about fat collating with daily commute. Don't be a fatty–drive less walk more.

double rainbow goes mainstream

2010-09-09T14:39:00.004-04:00

the double rainbow internet meme has inspired a new company today. first windows, now even disney is on board, promoting the rapunzel flick, tangled. where's my homeboy antoine dodson at?

via videogum

Starship Freighters

2010-09-08T14:50:00.002-04:00

Starship by Bernard Gigounon from bernard gigounon on Vimeo.

The internet has so many wonderful things to offer i.e. this rad video that was done with such simple effects. Kids these days.

a hunter blanks a bear

2010-09-02T18:25:00.002-04:00

a creative and interactive youtube ad for correction ink. no dirty stuff, bears ain't down with that. check it out here.
never heard of this brand, but surely is buzzing now!