Today’s era of fast fads and quick trends in everything from fashion to food, means that companies are churning out products at unbelievable rates.  In this hyper-competitive marketplace, brand compete for our attention, but in doing so create a rich history of design that spans hundreds of years.

Robert Opie noticed that at the tender age of sixteen.  He was eating a British Munchies candy bar when the unique design of the wrapper caught his fancy.  Then it dawned on him.  He should never throw anything away.

Thank heavens. Today his collection is over 500,000 items and many of them are on display at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising. They hark back to a simpler time in our collective consumer history…

Like the era when Heinz canned virtually anything…including Turtles:

Photo by danielweir.esq

Before wrigley’s decided that scary gnome-like men, weren’t as inviting as doublemint twins (can’t see why):

Photo by I Like

And when Kelloggs Rice Crispy’s were called “Sugar Ricicles.”

Photo by danielweir.esq

While many of the objects in the Museum are specifically British products and might not be recognized stateside, they do lend themselves to a fascinating study of consumer history.   The collection spans over 100 years and is a must see destination for any history lover, quirky facts aficionado, or marketeer.

Star war yogurt anyone? (they’ve got that too!)

Museum of Brands Packaging and Advertising
2 Colville Mews, off Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 2AR
Online at www.museumofbrands.com

This week saw artist Richard Wright win the Turner Prize for his giant gold leaf frescos. Wright was an unusually conservative choice for Britain’s most controversial art prize, his work is intricate and delicate, doesn’t pander to outraged tabloid journalists and at 49, he is only months below the Turner’s maximum age limit.

If you’re in London between now and January you can see all the nominated pieces at Tate Britain. I definitely recommend a visit to see if this is truly ‘the future of Brit art’ or, as Minister of Culture Kim Howells so charmingly called it: ‘a load of conceptual bulls**t’. Due to this year’s unusual absence of sex dolls, condom strewn beds and ‘Arsewoman in Wonderland’, you can even take your little darlings along with you.

Not that I am a massive fan of little darlings in galleries. I visited The Museum of Everything on Saturday and the place was overrun by noisy mini people. Nevertheless, I still recommend a visit to this fascinating gallery of outsider art. Miniature fairgrounds, bonkers religious paintings, twenty foot biro sketches and creepy dolls (to name but a few gems) all housed in the most fantastic secret labyrinth of a gallery in Primrose Hill. Oh, and they have a great little café with home made cakes and proper tealady in a tabard to serve you too!

- Anya Driscoll, contributing editor

Photo by Art Comments used under a Creative Commons License

Slap on some peppermint flavored chapstick, spray some binaca and pucker up.

The world’s largest sprig of mistletoe was unveiled today at British Airways Terminal 5 in London.  How large is large?  It’s 8 x 10 ft  and took designers and engineers three weeks to construct it.  It weighs in at 95lbs and includes more than 50 feet of steel tubing and 25 stainless steel balls. The giant mistletoe hangs just under 10 feet from the ground.

It’s expected that one million passengers will fly through Terminal 5 this month.  Officials are saying that nearly two million holiday kisses will take place under the mistletoe before the New Year.  Just so that no one misses out, giant mistletoe will also hang in each of Heathrow’s other terminals.