Above: An anonymous partygoer at The Rusty Knot shares his new issue of Topic with the camera.

The newest issue of Topic Magazine, Topic 11: Escape, launched this Tuesday night at The Rusty Knot in New York’s West Village. There was a tropical theme complete with a picture-perfect photo op and lots of festive drinks courtesy of Dewar’s. 48 friends shared their vacation photos to make custom postcards for the event. Ahoy!

Rob Giampietro is quoted in this week’s issue of BusinessWeek on the complex branding implications posed by the Delta/Northwest merger in an article by Matt Vella, who writes:

Even as the Delta name lives on, the company will have an opportunity to reshuffle the brand’s many graphic elements, including its logo, airport signage, tagline, and aircraft. According to Rob Giampietro, one of the founders of the New York design studio Giampietro+Smith, refreshing and blending key elements of both airlines’ identities could add “a dash of creative energy” to the brand. “Brandwise,” he says, “while it may not be the best time in the lives of either company, there is still a lot of brand equity and recognition.”

Read the entire article here. More thoughts on the merger here at Lined & Unlined.

Photo by Kiersten Rowland.

Well-rested from his gig at the AIGA Conference in Denver, Giampietro+Smith’s own Kevin Smith (aka DJ Chroma) was on hand to DJ Print Magazine’s 10th Anniversary New Visual Artists Party at Groupe 16/20 in Nolita. The party celebrated 10 years of Print’s “New Visual Artists,” a group that includes both Rob Giampietro and Kevin Smith. DJ Jane Lerner also did a booty-shakin’ set of her own.

Rob Giampietro is quoted in this week’s issue of New York Magazine on New York City’s new free condom campaign along with Paula Scher, Chip Kidd, Alice Twemlow, Steven Heller, and Brian Collins. Read Emma Pearse’s article here. More thoughts on the campaign here at Lined & Unlined.

Rob Giampietro is quoted in this week’s issue of BusinessWeek on Starbucks’ choice to temporarily return to their original 1971 logo in an article by David Kiley, who writes:

“Now that Howard Schultz is back at the helm, this is definitely a nostalgia effort and a strong push to get back to the core values of the company,” says Rob Giampietro of New York design firm Giampietro + Smith, referring to the reintroduction of an old icon. The tagline below the cup’s sleeve reads: “Roasting coffee since 1971.” Starbucks spokesperson Bridget Baker says, “It’s a good time to celebrate our heritage.”

Giampietro compares the move with those of baseball teams that have their players don throwback uniforms. The retro nods are meant to enliven the mood of patrons who, even while enjoying a visit to the ballpark, may resent paying $100 or more for a family of three to see a nine-inning game. “Old logos can engender a brand’s story and history, and spark or rekindle an emotional bond,” says independent Los Angeles-based marketing consultant Dennis Keene.

The article continues, discussing the shift from Starbucks’ iconic green to their original brown as part of the old logo’s revival:

It’s unlikely that Starbucks would ever consider going brown for good. The color is muddy and almost makes the cup look like it came from another company altogether. “As a color it’s so much less distinguished than the green, and the green conveys both a friendlier and more upscale image,” says Giampietro. “And it’s so Italian!” he adds, referring to Starbucks’ inspiration for the color, the Italian flag.

Read the entire article here.

Above: David Plazker addresses a group of Art/Walkers outside David Zwirner’s gallery on 19th Street. Photo by Kevin Smith.

This weekend we went on a tour of Chelsea’s galleries led by very special guide. David Platzker is the director of Specific Object, an innovative gallery, bookshop, and storehouse for a range of items from artist’s multiples to unique works of literature, music, and sound. Prior to founding Specific Object, Platzker was the executive director of Printed Matter, a non-profit institution dedicated to the promotion of artists’ publications from 1998 to 2004, and he has curated exhibitions for artists including John Baldessari, Marcel Duchamp, Ed Ruscha, and Claes Oldenburg. Rob Giampietro chaired the event for AIGA/NY.

Stops on the walk included David Zwirner, Alexander & Bonin, Murray Guy, Honey Space, Yvon Lambert, Gagosian Gallery, Luhring Augustine, Mary Boone, and Susan Inglett.

Tonight Rob Giampietro will take part in the second of SVA’s D-Crit Readings at KGB Bar, reading “Part Notes,” an essay on Estonian composer Arvo Pärt written for Dot Dot Dot #9. Fellow readers include Dot Dot Dot Editor Stuart Bailey and New Yorker Music Critic Sasha Frere-Jones. Come out and enjoy, it promises to be a great evening.

Details:
SVA MFA in Design Criticism Reading Night
Wednesday, January 23, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street, www.kgbbar.com
(Entrance is free)

Catch the press release after the jump.

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Above, from left to right: Troupe member of Mizero, Children of Rwanda; Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information; Asha Rose Migiro, Deputy-Secretary-General of the UN; and Jerry Robinson, the founding President of CartoonArts International (CAI).

“Sketching Human Rights,” an exhibit featuring a collection of thought-provoking cartoons on the subject of human rights, will be on display at the UN through mid-January 2008. Designed by Giampietro+Smith, the exhibition celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with contributions from artists from more than 30 countries in all regions of the world. The exhibition will travel in the new year to Jerusalem, Berlin, Istanbul, and New Zealand. More in this article from the CBC.

More photos after the jump.

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Author Daniel Mason has selected our GE Imagination Notebook for inclusion in his great new book, “Materials Process Print: Creative Solutions for Graphic Design.” The book offers an in-depth analysis of specific materials and key print and manufacturing processes combined with a series of case studies showcasing many of these materials in use by contemporary designers. We were thrilled to have our work featured in such a useful and timely project. Pick up a copy here.

Daniel’s full write-up of our project after the jump.

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The awards for Lauren Greenfield’s book Thin, designed by Giampietro+Smith for Melcher Media, have been coming in. The book has won an IPA/Lucie Award and a PDN Best of Photojournalism Award.

Greenfield’s documentary film has also garnered several awards, including an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming as well as recognition from International Health and Medical Media’s FREDDIE Awards.