the gas project

Another year, another big picture book from Peter Alsop. We designed, retouched and laid out this tome on the history of Whites Aviation, New Zealand’s pre-eminent aviation photographers, over a period of 6 months, and are pretty chuffed how it worked out. Available at most good bookshops (the ones that are left anyway, don’t get us started), or here.

Aro Cafe is a Wellington institution. Recognised as a highly creative community with a unique mix of students, professionals and goths, the cafe is a hub for the area. To coincide with a new dark interior, evening menu and a couple of Fiona Pardington prints, Gas dug out their black jeans and eye liner, played Cure records and crafted a series of icons for the cafe and associated coffee roasting business. Once you go black, you can’t go back.

We’ve just received these samples of L’affare’s new super premium coffee, in packaging we’d designed late last year. Design by Gas, illustration by the ever-clever Blair Sayer. Robin, fire up the Rocket!

Marcus King was an artist and pioneering New Zealand graphic designer. Together with author and collector Peter Alsop, Gas collaborated on the design of a book to commemorate this iconic figure. Available here, the book is a celebration of a widely viewed but little known New Zealander. Man, the guy could draw. And paint. And design.

We’re chuffed to announce a new and more formalized collaboration with Charlie of Nott Architects. Called Two Right Group, it’s a simple way for us to showcase our combined design talents. We first met Charlie Nott when starting concept work for Depot Oyster Bar, and have since become good friends. He shares a passion for great design, good wine, tasty food and craft beer. And fly fishing. But where our passion for trout is, for the moment, spent dreaming of getting some river time (and lessons), Charlie is a bit of a gun. Too bloody right.

Call it a dream brief. A group of young, (very) smart and talented people get together and decide to create a power company to take on the big boys by selling electricity in a completely new way. Then call it ‘Flick‘. Gas developed the brand strategy, created the identity and helped with rollout of stationery, T shirts and environmental graphics in their new offices. Good folks and clever flickers.

It was one of those projects that if you knew what was actually involved, you may not have said ‘yes’. The talented Ms Hunter from Transmit approached Gas to help create projections onto Wellington’s Carillon and the old Dominion Museum as part of the commemorations for WWI. How hard could it be?

See a small film here (also by Transmit) on the show. Big thanks to Ngataiharuru Taepa, Michel Tuffery, Laurence Aberhart, Bill Hammond, Component, Blair Sayer, Lisa Moes, Sarah, Daria Malesic, Dilys Grant (great client), the awesome guys from Storybox and Spyglass. Glad we said ‘yes’, and one to remember.

The Gas office has recently taken delivery of a frame by Dario Pegoretti. More soon of the final build, but in the meantime we just keep staring at the wonderful welds and paint. And yes, we are that sad.

We’re chuffed and stoked to have won (with Charlie Nott) an architectural award and colour award for Monica Loves. Details here if you’d like to find out more.

The regions deserve more love. While there’s a new bar opening in Auckland every week (and one closing down), Napier hasn’t seen a lot of action. That was until December when a new kid on the block opened (and created by) the good folk at Mister D on Tennyson St. Monica Loves is a grown-up sort of place for people who’ve travelled and love travelling. The name and interior were inspired by a graffiti wall in Verona, near the Romeo and Juliet balcony. As well as branding and graphics, Gas also worked on the interior design and found there’s no shortage of talent in ‘the Bay’. Another great reason to visit.