This is the first of an (I’m sure to be) recurring series of posts about agencies I think are doing amazing shit, and projects I find mind-blowing.
I have a list of agencies I’ll be starting with, (most are European, but that’s a different article completely…) the only prerequisite is that I find their work unexpected and exceptional.
And with that intro-blurb; the first Agency I want to highlight is Snask.
Photo Credit: Cowboyzoom.com
“Snask means candy in old Swedish, but it also means filth and gossip, which we find brilliant. Basically, from 0-12 years old, you’ll do anything for candy, and from 12-70 you’ll do anything for filth.”
Maybe it’s the European thing (Fredrik and Magnus?? DOPE-ass names. Again; a different topic for a different article), maybe it’s the fact that they have branched beyond typical agency capabilities with books, beer, and a record label, maybe it’s because this is their studio portrait, but something about Snask’s whole vibe just kicks a lot of ass.
The Snask manifesto is concise and irreverent and gives a sweet little glimpse into the minds at the agency:
01/ If you don’t like your job – quit.
02/ If you love someone – let it show.
03/ Generosity always pays itself back.
04/ Always achieve greatness yourself before pointing out the faults and mistakes of others.
05/ Bureaucracy is spelled Bureaucrazy.
06/ Talk with clients like you talk to your family, friends and pets.
07/ Social skills are as important as being good at setting type or knowing how to spell.
08/ See people as people, not as target groups.
09/ Just because you wear a black suit, doesn’t mean you’re a goddamn professional.
10/ Having enemies is a good thing. It proves that you stood up for something sometime in your life.
Check out the rest of the About section, all of it is super-well done, there is not a lot of information about the people themselves, but luckily, AIGA has a great interview here where you can learn more about this badass group of individuals.
Now let’s talk about Shower Beer.
Photo Credit: Snask
For the last 8 years or so I have been under the impression that a regular beer can become a shower beer depending on proximity to the shower, and I am a HUGE fan of shower beers.
(If you have never enjoyed the experience, I HIGHLY recommend it).
But Snask has proved me wrong with their hilarious and brilliant new self-initiated project: Shower Beer. The Shower Beer is simple: A tiny 18 centiliter, (3/4 cup for us on the other side of the pond) beer, brewed by PangPang brewery meant to be enjoyed in the shower.
Maybe I’m a little simple, but everything about this project is fuckin’ brilliant.
First: that serif is beautiful. I’m 99% sure it’s Value Sans from Colophon. (I notice their website uses Apercu, another Colophon face). When your lowercase E looks like that one does, you don’t need to add shit. No monoweight line illustrations, no floods of color, no Brothers thank God (don’t get me wrong, it’s nice, but played to DEATH. You heard it here like tenth: RIP Brothers). Nice typesetting goes SO far for me. You could just throw one lowercase E on that bottle and I’d probably love it.
Second: I am a SUCKER for concept (there will be more on that in another article) and the idea of having a mini beer for a shower is funny, clever, and just smart as hell.
When you add in the little pink cap (which Tom Swinnen on Brand New brilliantly pointed out becomes a shower cap for the bottle) and the suds as a graphic element, you get a project that uses a minimal amount of elements to create a beautiful solution. Pretty much all their projects are equally crispy.
So cheers to you Snask, you guys fuckin’ kill it!
Now if only I could get a case here in Denver…