Quickie #2: A good change from boring fruit shots

I really like the package design of Sunblast fruit juice! Found at a petrol station mart.
The typography is out there, the playfulness of the transparent package is pretty cool.

5 Reasons why Manal Al Alem is Awsome

Manal Al Alem is a notoriously famous TV chef with bestselling books and a successful path that only seems to be going forward. Manal studied Psychology at Cairo University but her passion for cooking had taken her away from her original field - only to make her beyond popular. Here's why I personally think she's great:

Manal is friendly-looking. She has the Arab girl-next-door looks. She looks like your regular neighbour or family friend.

Your average middle-class Arab women feel like she's one of them, her kitchen is not much fancier than theirs. She addresses food-related topics and recipes that a housewife in the Arab world, not in Alaska or Madagascar, faces and is interested in.

Manal is one of the first, if not THE first Arab female chef to become super popular.

Manal knows the whereabouts of marketing herself. Afterall, she had started an advertising agency in Kuwait in 2000. Apart from her popular Abu Dhabi TV show, her official Facebook page has over 200,000 fans. Her website is pretty rich in content and nicely designed. She is an active tweep, has a bestselling book, a Youtube channel and even has an iPhone app.

Manal's ingredients are simple. You can find most of them at  any home. Unlike some other sophisticated male Arab chefs, you won't expect her to mention no foie gras sauce or gruyere cheese - keeping it plain and simple with a touch of creativity.

Illustrated Recipes - More Appealing, More Appetizing

I'm really lousy in the kitchen department. In fact, I keep teasing my mum by telling her that all my friends cook well except for me (not true). But I have always had a fascination with magazine/online recipes and cooking books. I would pay attention to how certain chefs demonstrate their recipes well and how others use great visuals. However, most, if not all, magazines or cooking books in the Arab world use photography and a standard way of displaying a list of the ingredients and steps.

These are much more interesting, although I have to admit some are not detailed enough.

You can view some more on this really cool website www.theydrawandcook.com

Mouth-Watering Desserts

Light Snacks (or not so light)

Around The World with a Few Dishes

Speaking of cooking, I found this kinda-funny Kharabeesh video

Click to go to youtube

Fancy a Cup of Tea? Great Branding Practices

Kusmi Tea


Kusmi Tea enjoys an eye-catching colorful pattern and an exotic look and feel.

Lov Organic


Nothing has 'Organic' written all over it like a minimal design with soft tones.

Isst Organic

Minimal design and soft tones - check. Very refreshing, very organic.

Mallard

I am a sucker for icons, and vintage patterns.

Basanti

High end tea. Well, it looks pretty elegant. Using the color black is absolutely unconventional for tea branding.

Whittard of Chelsea

I'm not sure if a cup of tea would make me feel 'beautiful' but I like the 'mood' idea.

Al Wezzah Tea

Just kidding.

Chilli Disappointment

Two days ago i was at Hardee's, I decided to try the Chilli Lava...

Perception:

'Juicy-looking, humongous, spicy and yummy' How could anyone resist it?

Reality:

As small as a 5-dirham Mac cheeseburger, the Chilli Lava looks nothing similar to the one in the ad, NOTHING.

I thought this fast-food visual deception trick is old, turns out it's still trendy.