Good design vs. not-so-good design

Good design vs. not-so-good design

The first thing I noticed about this label design was it's universal recognition. This label represents quality and stability. One thing that amazed me as I began studying this design was how little it has changed in over the one hundred and ten years since the company began using it. This is what the can label design looks like today:

This is what this label looked like in the year 1900: 

As you can easily see, the design has changed very little over the last 100 years. This adds a stability to the product. Not only does the design suggest class, the fact it's been around for so long virtually unchanged suggests a quality product, and quality does last. Let's face it, if this design wasn't effective, Campbell's wouldn't be using it one hundred and thirteen years later.

The colors add to the stability of the design. The red and white provide a pleasing, balanced contrast. The lines are straight, the design is simple. In fact, simplicity seems to be the ruling principle here, except for the seal. Seals are never simple; they are in fact rather busy. Yet the golden seal placed in middle adds not only to the balance,  but also gives it a "royal" flavor as well, which adds to the classy feel. The various kinds of soup listed on the 1900 label follow the law of continuity as the list begins with a shorted name, then uses a slightly longer name, until it crescendos where the red background turns to white, then names gradually become smaller. This provides an excellent balance.

Normally a cursive font would be a bad idea--they're just too hard to read--yet the cursive "Campbell's" works well and has become part of their trademark. Of course, they were wise enough to use block letters for everything else. 

The following design is not so impressive when compared to the Campbell's design.

First, the color scheme doesn't work for me. In fact, I find the yellow against the red to be quite unappetizing. The lower third of the label depicts a bowl of tomato soup, which I find likewise unappealing, though the depiction of the bowl of soup is a good example of the Gestalt law of closure.  Though we only see part of the bowl, we instantly recognize that we are looking down upon a full, round bowl of soap. The red background around the brand name balances with the bowl of soup at the bottom on the label, though this doesn't make it look any better to me.

I think the font works well, though it's nothing special. One thing I notice, though, is the brand name, "Shur Saving," takes second place to what the product is. With Campbell's, you see the brand name first, with this brand, it's almost an after thought.

One flaw in my analysis, however, is the intended market. When I first decided to use tomato soup as my subject for this post, I thought both companies were targeting the same market--people who wanted to buy soup. After analyzing it though, I've decided the Campbell's brand is marketing to people who want good, quality soup, and are willing to pay a little more for it. Conversely, the Shur Saving brand is marketing to people who are looking to buy tomato soup, but want to buy it at the cheapest price possible, even if they need to sacrifice a little quality to do so.

On a side note, I chose to analyze a Campbell soup can as a little "nod" to the 1960's art work of Andy Warhol. In 1962 he painted his first infamous "can of Campbell's," which simultaneously delighted and confused people everywhere.

Andy Warhol, circa 1962

As one art gallery presented his work, another nearby gallery offered Campbell soup by stacking real cans in their window along with a sign that read, "Get the real thing for only 29 cents." Since then it seems that everyone has gotten involved in the discourse at one time or another. In the one-woman play, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," Lilly Tomlin even got into the act as her character expressed confusion over what is "art," and what is "food." And it didn't end there. Last year (2012) the retailer "Target" tipped their hat to the artwork of Warhol as they offered a limited addition of Campbell soup with Warhol designed labels in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Warhol's work.

Who knows...this may never end. Maybe we should check back here in one hundred years and see if Campbell's soup--and Warhol's paintings--are still around.

Contrast, Balance, and Harmony

Though this image was obviously taken by an amateur (that would be me) with an obviously inexpensive (cheap) camera (pocket camera costing less than two "benny's"), I think it's a good example of the principles of contrast, balance, and harmony.

The contrast works on several different levels. First is the contrast of the snow covered mountain with the green palm tree in the foreground, (more on this in a moment). Next is the contrast of the sharp palm fronds and the rugged mountain versus the fluffy white clouds and soft blue sky. Personally, I find the contrast of these textures to be stunning.  The contrast between snow capped mountain and palm tree  works not just on a visual level, but also on a cultural and psychological level. Palm trees are associated with deserts and beaches, where people go to be warm and to enjoy the sun. Conversely, snow on the mountains brings thoughts of cold and winter to mind, and could include activities such as skiing and snowmobiling. Enjoyable activities to be sure, but completely different from what we'd expect to do at the beach as we relax under the shade of a palm tree.

The balance works for me as far as the rule of thirds applies to the x axis, though perhaps it would be better balanced along the y axis if there was more lead room between the mountain peak and the top of the picture. The tree on the right third of the image makes this picture asymmetrical, which in this case works well. I also think the tree in the foreground and the mountain as the backdrop provides a good balance.

Regarding harmony, I'm taken by the obvious incongruence between the palm tree and the snow covered mountain. You don't expect to see both in the same picture, yet it is this very lack of harmony that makes the picture so interesting. At least, that's how I see it.