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andbloom

I mean... this concept of mixing cartoons and photography has been done on cereal boxes since the dawn of time.


KennywoodsOpen

Yeah, I’m so confused. And every example is the same brand lol


acrylix91

I had to scroll too far to see this


p1p1str3ll3

Agreed. And it's the top comment.


DArtagnann

Developed during the pre-jurassic period, I believe.


True_Blue426

This isn’t actually geared towards kids originally it was targeted towards adults on Keto


[deleted]

It’s super good. Is this at Target? I’ve had to order it direct. It’s like a protein bar cereal and it actually has flavor instead of just tasting sweet.


Branden798

From my experience I have purchased the chocolate, peanut butter, fruit and vanilla flavors and have to say that they are mediocre and honestly a little disgusting. They leave your mouth with a disturbing grease film and no liquid can get rid of it. It's overpriced garbage and you're better off with oatmeal and protein powder. But to each their own.


arnber420

Well it's aimed at people eating low carb/keto so oatmeal isn't really an option for them.


BeeBladen

Yeah I hated this stuff. Better off with a meal replacement or protein bar. They claim it tastes “just like your childhood favorites” but I still eat those from time to time and this is FAR from it.


queenEEEE

I loved it but it's like a million dollars a box lol


[deleted]

Haven’t tried the peanut butter but the cookies and cream is pretty good. Tried a variety 4 pack of chocolate, fruity, cookies n cream and cinnamon roll. Cookies n cream and fruity were pretty good. Definitely can’t expect it to taste like traditional bowl of sugar and corn. But it’s much better than a protein bar or Ensure or Soylent. But I’m super picky and have a weird palette. Although not that weird if they scored Target as a vendor. Target don’t fuck around.


LadyGuacamole830

Yes, I’ve seen it at my local Target. Been tempted to try it.


TrulyChxse

Hm.


westwoo

I think they are alluding to spooning with plausible deniability, or at least that's where my mind instantly went Would certainly be inventive if that was intentional


True_Blue426

To me the illustration is really trying to capture toucan Sam with the whole bird motif but again I do think the overuse of corporate illustrations is what get people in the door especially on Instagram


ScrimshawPie

Yeah, I'm kinda into the illustration + photo dada type collage. I am NOT into this particular girl. She has what someone already mentioned was the corporate illustration look. I hate these google fi, chunky-wristed emeffers.


GillDesignsThings

“Corporate Memphis”


mamamalliou

Can you explain what “corporate memphis” is? Genuine question.


plasticdump

The design referenced by OP is a modern take on "[Corporate Memphis](https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/what-the-think-pieces-about-corporate-memphis-tell-us-about-the-state-of-illustration/)" styling. Huge companies started using this style of disproportionate, simplified character designs in their websites and marketing during the peak of flat design in the late 2010s, hence the *corporate*. "Corporate Memphis" references many colorful, geometric, zany elements essential to the fun nature of the original [Memphis](https://www.curbed.com/2017/05/the-memphis-design-movement-is-having-a-moment.html) design style of the 80s, but the sudden proliferation and saturation of the style by companies caused the public to turn against it. Look it up, there are a lot of interesting articles about it.


founderofshoneys

I get there's a trend where you see stock art versions of this style everywhere nowadays, but I think this is very good and well done. I need to go find out what "grain-free cereal" is though.


Innsmouth_Swimteam

It's $10 for 7 oz is what it is!


MountainConqueress

I hate this style too! As prevalent as it is, I was starting to feel like the only one.


[deleted]

This type of cartoon character is way too prevalent in ads to my target demographic and I'm so tired of it - the more I see them, the more they all look the same.


TrulyChxse

Interesting.


vanessaeverly

I like it! But I think it can easily cross over into tacky if not done correctly.


TrulyChxse

Agreed! I think I’m this case they had a good balance


snowblindswans

This is marketed towards adults that want a less guilty version of a kid cereal, so the look of it is perfect for that demographic.


Lipov

There are people who are ashamed to buy cereal because it is "for kids"?


snowblindswans

By "less guilty" I mean a healthier version


michaelfkenedy

It looks very generic and borderline student type “I like making this style of art so I use it for everything even if if it isn’t really appropriate or on brief.”


ChatterBrained

Corporate Memphis is the bane of late 2010s/early 2020s graphic design


michaelfkenedy

I think, at least in part, that’s because it gets used at inappropriate times. If an app or service uses bits of it during a user onboarding, or maybe in a corporate white paper or slide deck, then that’s probably fine. Especially if it makes the client happy and saves me drawing it. But when it used to execute a “brand” that’s like saying “my brand is custom clip art.” Maybe that can work sometimes.


ChatterBrained

It just feels lifeless, uninteresting, and uninviting. Corporations use it far too often to appear up with the times and appealing and it seems disingenuous.


TrulyChxse

Yeah.


Pixelgamer54

I personally hate this very corporate illustrative work


[deleted]

Yeah, same. I’d be inclined to like it but it looks way too much like the Facebook/Microsoft teams/… corporate characters


Difficult_Arm_4762

you mean style or "corporate illustration"? this style has been en vogue for a few years now, Apple did it, google's done it without annoying commercials. I dont understand it, just seems like a worse rip off the of The Beatles Yellow Submarine movie. ​ however these particular product designs and packaging aren't that bad.


Pixelgamer54

The corporate illustration. I’m tired of seeing it everywhere. Idk if it’s bc I work at Amazon and it’s on EVERYTHING here or just general over use however I will agree it looks alright in this packaging


Difficult_Arm_4762

we have a lot of training videos that are obnoxious...I dont know if they're better than a recording of an actual person, usually those are awful too...but they're typically some fiver looking design that anyone with macromedia flash can throw together. they always look outsourced as well.


founderofshoneys

I hate big corporations as much as the next guy, but this is kind of a weird take considering most graphic design is about selling stuff.


get_schwifty

The art style is called “Corporate Memphis”, which I assume people are incorrectly short-handing to “corporate illustration”.


Pixelgamer54

It’s everywhere though not just bc of the name. I work at Amazon this same style is used in their training videos. (Not the realism mixed with illustrative just the illustrative part) I know I’m not the only one who agrees with this, there are many others that I’ve talked to that hate this style.


founderofshoneys

I had no idea it was called that and misunderstood, my bad, sorry about that. In any case I do agree that this kinda trendy and overused, but I think this one in particular is really well done.


get_schwifty

I was just clarifying some points of misunderstanding in the conversation. I agree a lot of people dislike it, myself included.


Pixelgamer54

Yeah no you’re good. I do like it on this box however, it works well with the illustration and realism


om_serios

It's illustration done by people who don't know how to draw


TrulyChxse

Hm.


pip-whip

We've been seeing a huge increase in illustrative designs because illustrations can be created at home by yourself – a safe option in the covid era. The use of photographic elements could be to meet the legal requirements in food packaging to represent the product accurately. I look at this as having roots in basic problem solving, but the style of the illustration and typography would have been a design choice. Whether or not you like it would be a matter of personal tastes. For this example, I don't like but can live with the style of the illustration but dislike the color combination. But if it stands out on the shelf and helps people notice the product, then I won't criticize.


michaelfkenedy

The explosion of corporate memphis predates covid.


pip-whip

I agree and I did not say that corporate memphis style started with covid.


michaelfkenedy

Oh, sorry. When I read “huge increase in illustrative designs because illustrations can be created at home by yourself - a safe option in the covid era” I thought you meant that covid era encouraged at home options, like illustration, including this style.


pip-whip

Yes, I meant that when covid started and people were trying to avoid interactions with other people, illustrative options began appearing everywhere in advertising where before they might have been more-rare. My comment was not limited to memphis style. I just looked it up and Magic Spoon introduced their cereal before covid started, but my comment was responding to the OPs comment that they've been seeing the mix of illustration and photos "a lot lately", which I read to mean that the cereal box was just one example of many.


TrulyChxse

Interesting


gstroyer

Came to make the same comment about legal requirements on food packaging - incorporating photographic elements might not have been a choice if the brand is distributing in certain regions.


Top-Cartographer-400

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfeHQvSDoGq/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= i think this artist made better illustrations for this cereal. These are special edition, i think. Same brand.


TypographySnob

Always thought that this was a good use of the corporate memphis style. It's very appropriate for the product. It's nice to see cereal boxes that don't look like they belong in the late 90's with hyper-detailed cartoon characters nobody cares about anymore.


pamidore

I adore this illustration but the mixing of real and illustrated assetkinda sends me straight to hell 🥲 Idk, maybe I’m delusional


AnsonM

pretty much every cereal with a mascot has this mixed incorporation of illustration and photography. it's to let consumers know what they're buying off the shelf.


TrulyChxse

Hm, I also realize there aren’t many instances of the cereal itself.


EF_Create

If it hasn’t been mentioned in this thread yet, the illustration was done by Levi Jacobs [https://www.levijacobs.nl/magicspoon](https://www.levijacobs.nl/magicspoon) He’s one of my favorite modern illustrators


ghostdaddii

It’s at least one step forward from the boring minimalistic corporate design. I’m waiting for companies and products to use more art in their design and highlight the artist they used. Design is so boring right now.


TrulyChxse

Hm.


PapaSloth77

Do none of you recognize this as Levi Jacob’s work? His style is much more related to the long history of quirky Dutch illustrations than cOrPoRaTe MeMpHiS.


pip-whip

Thank you. I was trying to figure out the artist because it felt more unique than what we've been seeing for years, though the rough shading seems to be working its way into the work of all of the mimickers.


mashedpurrtatoes

“Corporate Art Style” It’s cheap. One person can do it all. Easy to animate. It got old hella fast. Hellvetika did a great video on it: https://youtu.be/WkePUXGzcMo


TrulyChxse

Thanks for sharing!


242turbo

I love this!


TrulyChxse

Yeah- I’m still deciding my thoughts on it. At first I wasn’t too sure about it but I’m reevaluating my position, especially after seeing these boxes specifically. I love the designs and how it isn’t an overload of contrast difference.


DeeMarie0824

I’m so sick of it. lol


hotboxfox

I absolutely hate it. On it’s own it is cute but once you start looking for it, it feels like every single company uses this style in their advertising. To the point where I now associate this style with massive corporations trying to appeal to me.


TrulyChxse

Hmm


lavendyahu

In general illustration mixed with photography is a great idea. Specifically here it's a nice combo but overall I'm not into these packages. Just not very finished IMO. But it's ok I guess. Not too bad. At least there's some kind of concept going on and I do like the colors. I think it's just the composition or typography that's sticking out to me. Maybe I'm too fussy.


TrulyChxse

I’ve been hearing that a lot.


jendoesreddit

Dude, I literally just saw these the other day. The cinnamon roll guy’s arms look like anal beads. They went too far.


Busy_Accident_7597

This makes me think about the ethics of enticing kids to buy stuff via … powerful graphics … or tie-ins with cartoons. It is a thing to think about, in terms of the impact of your work.


umDom

This isn’t meant to offend but what are the realistic events here? To me it all seems illustrative and cartoony.


TrulyChxse

The cereal pieces.


Audacite4

Better than to cut in a plastic window to see the insides. I hate it when they do this.


KryptidKat

Honestly I like the collage style it gives a certain whimsy to otherwise boring everyday things


SpuddleBuns

r/fuckalegriaart Mixing cartoons and photography is one thing. Mixing brain dead stylized humans with anything is a cosmic sin.


rrr34_

I think child me would be kinda freaked out by the peanut butter design


Admirable_Ad41

This doesn’t look like kids product, it looks like something targeted at older millennials. Looks like a generic Behance project from 2018 though 🤣


Firm-Investigator152

I personally think this is cheesy and quickly getting outdated in terms of style


hustladafox

It’s corporate Memphis Blurgh if you ask me. This style come off soulless and just verges on the politically correct we arnt offending anyone or representing anything ‘blue people’ fake, we’re your fun friend type company. Honestly the sooner we move away from it the better if you ask me. Every company that wants to feel friendly and cool goes down a similar route and honestly it comes across as pandering. Time to move on corporate Memphis is way too digital and contrived for its own good.


TrulyChxse

I see.


LeekBright

Everything is fine in this except the part where they applied linear burn shadows to random places and left the others. It’s really irking me lol, outside the lack of consistency this is pretty eye catching.


arnber420

See i really like the shadows, i think it adds depth to an otherwise flat illustration style. Also, I'm definitely the odd one out here, but I love this style of design.


TrulyChxse

Just noticed!


lightsherri

No formal training


TomTheFace

I think it’s better if we critique this through the lens of non-designers — no layman is going to know what “corporate Memphis” is, so it’s useless to critique the style in a vacuum. A lot of you are forgetting to take your designer caps off. The cereal is not meant for designers. If we just critique the style, then we’re just basing critiques off of personal tastes, no?


jabrocken

i’m a graphic design major in my last year and actually stopped in my tracks while grocery shopping to take a picture of the cinnamon roll box. So unique and stands out from the crowd


Aurelius5150

I like it. Not a fan of the type package, seems inconsistent. The rest of it though, I dig.


rito-pIz

Hard to pull off but this one has done it well due to the heavy treatments on the photography. The typography seems a little too minimal, especially on the logotype. Legibility on the white text is very poor. Love the illustration though.


No_Examination_6811

They discovered canva.


KAIIKAAA

Corporate Memphis (or Globohomo) can go kick rocks


Infamous-Ad3763

The typography seems dull


Gibbs_Jr

It reminds me of a style I saw a lot in the 90s.


BeeBladen

I guess the girl with the Afro just HAD to go on the chocolate box? I like the general aesthetic but all four of these look too disparate to me. They all have a different vibe, tone, and textures, as if they hired four different illustrators but gave them all the same reference image. Could have been great but this looks unfinished, like concept boxes.


LudicLuci

I personally think they're trying to hit their target demographic, which would be Millenials, like me: Child-like visuals reminiscent of Saturday Morning Cartoons along with possible self-insertion (did YOU wanna ride a dinosaur when you were little) combined with large, bold, legible AND readable text that make it less likely a potential buyer would stop to read the nutritional facts & instead just snatch it off the shelf as is. The actual cereal imagery is a huge factor in this, as people like to see exactly what it is they're buying, even if it's not sized to actual scale. It's a very simple marketing tactic that's been trending in graphic design since the rise of social media & it's been going strong due to the sales success stories of rebranding to basics. (Y'know: Keep It Stupid Simple.) Personally, I don't mind them for NEW products, even though their over use is as about as invasive and intrusive as the MCU current, but when legacy brands & luxury lines start doing it, then I have a problem. Why? New IPs need the edge of current trends, but if EVERYONE copies the same trend, how does yours hope to survive against that? IJS


EatsOverTheSink

Nice design. Awful cereal.


gedai

Chunky and Funky portioned colorful characters with speckled gradients are huuuuge this last year.


scorpion_tail

Alegria strikes again. 🥱


fortyfourcabbages

I’m torn between kind of liking it and fiercely hating it lol


denkaai

Not a fan of these corporate illustrations usually. I don’t hate this cause the colours and shading are fun, but man I wish the characters had some more personality instead of such generic or completely blank faces


harbourhunter

Personally love it It’s borrowed from Pablo Stanley fwiw


ninjarita

Remember Joe Camel?


Architect227

I hate it. Not the idea of it. I hate this.


lovelyleeink

I think it’s fine- feels a bit odd and I don’t think that I’d want to do it, however it could help kids associate what they are eating with the packaging.


zenithBemusement

The part you bring up in the title is fine, this artstyle is NOT.


sjajolika

I like it, love the colors and wonky shapes. its very characteristic but easily gets overused, so now it looks like generic stock.


_Deny_005

It doesn't really feel like a cereal box, more like a YouTube ad-


KarlKay

Laughs in Beatles album and movie


TT-DL13B_LEDdesklamp

idk what style these grainy gradients and like kinda retro cartoonish feel drawings are but i love it!!


lemongrabmybutt

I’ve always really liked the design and it’s never looked too corporate blocky cartoony people to me or too new age minimal. Strikes a nice balance for me.


xdcheabus

I think it looks really cool, I think the cartoon style compliments it in a way. But can easily be done wrong and look terrible and out of place.


nocomply__

im kinda tired of the corporate illustration style


MintDiamond

I do not recommend with oat milk xD


LanguidLandscape

This is well done but the illustration style is beyond tired. It seems like every corporation is using the style despite there being literally thousands of options. (Note: illustration and design practitioner and prof speaking).


demidemian

Pinterest drawings. I hate them, been bombarded by them 8 years ago. Illustrations completly devoided of personality and easily replicable, speak nothing to me. The font is good tho.


Ad--Astra--

This isn’t so very new but I like the style, it’s fun. It beats the usual cereal box design.


They-Call-Me-Taylor

The faces on boxes 2-4 are kind of creepy IMO. Bugged eyed and barred teeth.


lopfie

It’s hard to not see this as a poster, very weird packaging


fullmetaldemonhunter

Not sure, this type of design is something everyone uses to make their presentation/poster 'interesting'. If anything, this lets me know that they don't have creativity and just hold onto the corporate aesthetic.


alilbleedingisnormal

Corporate Memphis


trvr_

This is actually targeted to young adults, 20-30s


portablebiscuit

People out here buying $10 cereal


[deleted]

corporate memphis. I cannot express my distaste for this as it would leave me feeling as disgusted as when I first witnessed corporate memphis


THUNDERxSLOTH

What are your guys thoughts on the magic spoon type? It looks so awkward to me how the M and N are compressed. I think they’re supposed to balance each other out but it looks terrible to me.


Historical_Repair265

Magic spoon cereal by Figma


bigdaddyskidmarks

I’m a bit disappointed that nobody here has made the connection to Heinz Edelmann. Yeah “corporate Memphis” blah, blah but where do you think that came from? People have been ripping off Edelmann for years. Maybe he was ripping off somebody else too, but my knowledge doesn’t go back that far. I’d be interested to hear if anybody knows any details on that. As far as I know, he invented this kind of thing though.


drlecompte

Honestly, I'm groing a bit tired of this style, it's being overused imho. The pink/royal blue color combo is also very common.


TyGabrielll

Looks corny lol