Cheryl Hunter (shelflife at marklives.com)’s weekly pick of all things new — product, packaging, design, insight, food, décor and more!
Construction concept coup for Inhouse
Consol keeps active with new range
Martell Cognac comes to SA
Concrete designs
Inhouse Brand Architects has constructed a sleek, masculine image for the corporate offices of Cape Town property-development firm, Berman Brothers Group (BBG), transforming raw construction materials into signature elements reflecting the cornerstones of BBG’s success in the building industry.
Inhouse creative director, Aidan Hart, says basic construction elements such as reinforced steel, exposed concrete and rebars were all reimagined into iconic statements in a decidedly masculine space: “The client’s brief was to develop a world-class interior that both reflected the BBG brand and accommodated the company’s various needs. The wish list included well-appointed private offices for the owners, a large, open-plan seating area for staff, informal meeting spaces, private meeting rooms and business lounge arrangements.”
For Hart, the project was an exciting challenge, not only because of the design input but also because the client was extremely discerning: “BBG elected to occupy two floors in the same building linked by an internal stairwell and it was important that there be visual connectivity between the two areas.
“This was achieved by cutting several circular sections, or ‘portholes’, through the concrete floor slab to expose both the reinforced steel structure supporting the floor and the workings of lower level beneath. Toughened glass finishes off these round windows to the worlds above and below.”
Inhouse also deconstructed the stairwell between the two floors. The cantilevered, floating staircase boasts an exposed reinforced substructure that carries glass treads that connect two concrete spiral sections. The large curved wall behind the stairwell stretches between the levels — again, reinforcing the connection between them — and houses a photographic display of BBG projects.
The reception desk itself is moulded from concrete, complimented by a raw marble-sheeted back wall featuring diagonal sections.
According to Inhouse designer, Jenine Bruce, “everything was custom-designed, from the doors to the boardroom table. And that’s such a feature of the space”.
inhouse.ws • Twitter • Facebook
Glass gets active
Consol has launched a new Grip & Go Active sports bottle range with a BPA-free flip-top lid, targeted at the active market who need to keep hydrated while on the run.
Available in four colours — black, dark blue, pink and green — the bottles are easy to open and close; the spout has a spill safe-opening and has been designed for easy drinking on the go.
The messaging to this market is clear and focuses upon the health advantages of glass, encouraging active people to drink from packaging that is equally healthy: where traditional gym bottles may quickly start to taint the flavour of the liquids they carry, the purity of glass allows it to naturally preserve flavours, even special sports drinks and protein shakes; glass is free of contaminants and doesn’t leach harmful chemicals; and living a healthy lifestyle includes eating clean, drinking water, and staying active.
Further, glass neither deteriorates, corrodes, stains nor fades and the bottles are functional because the silicone grips make them easy to hold.
Buy them individually from R27 at The Consol Shop in Woodmead and Stellenbosch, as well as other retailers nationwide.
www.consol.co.za • Twitter • Facebook
Martell launches in SA
2015 marks the 300th anniversary of the world’s oldest great cognac house, Martell. It is also the year that this brand has brought its cognac expertise to South Africa for the first time, launching in Johannesburg at “1715 by Martell Cognac”, a concept bar in Sandton where the public is invited to savour “life’s true pleasures” until 21 November 2015.
The goal of the marketing drive is to position 1715 by Martell Cognac as the pop-up venue experience of the year and to offer discerning cognac lovers the chance to experience cognac at a one-of-a-kind concept bar that embodies the spirit of French ‘‘art de vivre’’ — and of Martell Cognac.
Integrated agency Publicis Machine and Northltd — a Cape-based agency that specialises in brand identity and spatial design — have jointly designed the décor elements, spaces, installations and sensory journey of 1715 by Martell to transport guests into the ‘illustrious history’ of the brand.
Publicis Machine’s executive creative director, Jake Bester, says digital installations have been created to engage guests with the Martell Cognac experience through design features where the golden liquid is pivotal. In particular, in the dining area, the design feature is a piano and droplets of real cognac fall onto a futuristic piano to create a melody that builds one drop at a time.
Bester says the idea behind 1715 by Martell Cognac is to amplify the experience with unexpected and entrancing installation pieces. The illusory and transient quality of these, as part of an opulent sensory journey, elevates this venue/concept into the realm of the extraordinary, while effectively getting the core message across — Martell Cognac, the oldest of the world’s great cognac houses, has arrived in SA.
Available at major retailers across the country, the Martell Cognac product range includes Caractère, Noblige, Martell XO and Cordon Bleu.
www.1715.co.za • Twitter • Facebook
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Cheryl Hunter (@cherylhunter) has written for the South African media, marketing and advertising industries for more than 15 years. A former editor of M&M in Independent Newspapers and contributor to Bizcommunity, AdFocus, AdReview and the Ad Annual, she has also produced for various television networks and currently consults on communication strategy and media liaison.
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