I have to admit, when I first saw the More4 rebrand visuals a few weeks ago I wasn’t overly excited – a nice enough visual mark with some obvious potential for TV and animation.

But having seen the rebrand fully developed to TV graphics and idents I’ve changed my mind. I expected to see clunky old train station style flip animation, but the final execution is beautifully fluid, and much more flexible. The programme info pages are clean and functional, but the identity really comes alive when the hand-built ‘flippers’ inhabit real-world scenarios, such as this lovely abandoned fishing boat.

See more visuals and idents on IdentityDesigned.com

As a big comics fan – I found it interesting to see that Landor have recently rebranded DC Comics as part of their current shake up to attract new readers. My first thoughts are that it’s nice to see some good design in a field that is usually filled with some terrible graphic design (with noteable exceptions), surrounding often stunning artwork. Although I am getting bored by identity systems that are so flexible that the logo can be ‘anything you want it to be’ (Aol comes to mind recently), seeing this in the context of a company that is no longer just about comics but is a huge entertainment industry makes sense to me.

Here’s some more examples of it in action – I think the page turn device for the ‘D’ in ingenious, and reflects the history of the company in relation to what’s beyond it – now a much more interactive and multimedia space… I’d be interested to see how other, non-comic readers view it…

I received the Sainsburys Own Brand book for Xmas and it’s a fascinating journey of the output of the Sainsbury’s design studio from 1962-1977. As well as being an exercise in nostalgia, it’s shows just how cutting-edge the design work was and how it set the Sainsburys own brand products apart from the competition. It also speaks volumes for the Sainsbury family in that they saw the value in letting Peter Dixon and his team push a striking modern aesthetic for such a long time. Click here to find out more.

T-Mobile’s royal wedding spoof viral video was YouTube’s most viewed UK TV advert of 2011.

More than 24 million YouTube visitors worldwide have watched Prince Harry dancing down the Westminster Abbey aisle, before William and Kate make an entrance with their own outlandish routine.

Brands are increasingly recognising the power of social media to create campaigns that reach a global audience and can be shared, liked and commented on.

Imagine how much it would cost to run the two-minute royal wedding spoof on TV. And only events like the royal wedding itself would attract an audience of 24 million. In fact, wouldn’t it have been great for the ad to have been screened prior to or immediately after the real event? A case of art imitating life that would have caught out some viewers.

Of course, there’s a chance ads like these are too edgy to make it to primetime TV. That’s another example of the beauty of social media – you can be edgier.

Click on the image above for the royal wedding video and share your links to your favourite viral videos of 2011.

Oh, and for what it’s worth, that John Lewis advert featuring the insipid version of a classic Smiths tune is at number seven in the top 10 UK TV ads viewed on YouTube and Vernon Kay’s mum is at number 10.

Linney Group worked with the marketing team of West Nottinghamshire College on a new name and full rebrand for the college which launched to the public recently. This is just the start of an exciting journey for the college, following the opening of a £5 million brand new creative arts centre. This short film gives a taste of the journey we embarked upon.

For more information about the college click here

We’ve all seen the domino metaphor used many a time in advertising (remember the excellent Honda Accord advert, which created a domino sequence using various parts of the car?), but this ad for Fedex has a particularly lovely tone. It doesn’t rely solely on the domino idea for visual effect (although it’s strong enough to keep the viewer engaged); it’s a great concept which is right for the message. It’s also got a great soundtrack, timed to perfection, and the sign-off – “We make less urgent shipping to the US awesome” – is brilliant.

It’s either an inspired piece of tactical marketing – or the conclusion of a clever campaign constructed by some canny strategic marketeers.

Unilever has released a video of glamour model Lucy Pinder apologising for the offence apparently caused by her internet campaign for Lynx deodorant during the summer. The original campaign featured Pinder in various scenarios (and in various states of undress) – such as jogging, applying lip gloss and licking whipped cream off a finger.

Following 15 complaints, the Advertising Standards Authority banned the ads. Now Pinder is back in a new video packing away her provocative props, appearing suitably contrite and uncharacteristically dressed in a high-necked pullover.

This new film has been viewed almost 45,000 times on YouTube, attracting more than 100 comments.

Perhaps it’s too cynical to suggest that all the videos were filmed at the same time as part of a long term strategic campaign. Whatever the story, I think it’s a brand having a bit of fun – turning what is, on the face of it, a negative decision into positive promotional activity.

The image above is from the original campaign – but if you click on it, you can watch Lucy’s apology.

Nice use of typography to mimic the shape of a xmas decoration.  Love the warm and glamorous colour palette in this window and the over sized decorations.

Great referencing to the animal kingdom which follows the recent trend of using animal shapes within knitwear designs and t-shirt graphics. The animal masks, fur cones, scarves and bare twigs represent Autumn perfectly!

Zara had focused on stars as shapes to use. The black dresses along with the gold & silver typography echoed style and sophistication.

Next weekend I’m going to the Clothes Show at the NEC so I’ll be on the lookout for the catwalk scenery and graphics … Any excuse to go shopping!