TNO and Unilever announced that they have entered into a three year collaboration to explore the links between diet and health. Unilever’s wealth of scientific knowledge in nutrition and health, and in depth understanding of consumer behavior will be combined with TNO’s innovative approaches in human health research. The collaboration has received a grant from the Dutch governmental innovation program Food and Nutrition Delta.

Casa Rex, one of Brazil’s most creative and renowned design agencies with operational bases in São Paulo and London, has just won a Pentaward — the biggest global on-line award exclusively dedicated to excellence in packaging design.
For the second consecutive year, the Pentawards has selected a packaging design developed by Casa Rex (following on from the Lux Soft Skin Global platform last year), which was amongst 854 entries received from 39 countries. This time, the design created for the Skip Perfect Black I Skip Perfect White range for Unilever Argentina, was chosen.

Hershey’s Bliss Chocolates kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month as the presenting sponsor of the seventh annual YSC Tour de Pink—a four-day, 220-mile bike ride benefiting Young Survival Coalition (YSC). On October 1, more than 200 breast cancer survivors and supporters began pedaling from Hershey, Pennsylvania, to New York City, raising funds and awareness for YSC—the premier international organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women and breast cancer.

Diet Coke Great Britain is joining forces with cult celebrity jewellery designer Johnny Rocket, and the world’s best department store Selfridges, to bring the limited edition ‘Diet Coke Crystal Collection’ made with Swarovski Elements. In a fashion first, Diet Coke fans and fashionistas alike will be able to create their own bespoke crystal bottle in Johnny’s pop up workshop—‘the Diet Coke Crystal Customisation Boudoir’ at Selfridges’ London flagship store this October.

Starbucks is investing into the future of the company through providing professional training opportunities to its staff. In partnership with Ashridge Business School, the British division of the global coffee chain is to offer its employees a range of training opportunities for amplifying their working experience and earning a range of NVQ qualifications as well as management skills to be further used in their work at Starbucks.

London based brand design consultancy, Ziggurat Brands is in the final stages of a significant two year packaging redesign project for Tetley tea, which concludes with a new brand architecture and unified brand identity that will be introduced to Tetley’s international markets, commencing in September 2010. The first territories in which the new branding will appear are the UK, USA, Australia and India.

McDonald’s Germany kicked off a retro styled campaign to promote its new 1955 Burger. The recipe of the recently launched addition, which is made of bacon, barbecue sauce and caramelized onions, was ‘devised’ back in middle of the last century—at least, the promotion, which includes a TV-spot and the 1955 Burger section on the corporate website, is assuring this fast-food product has a 55-year history.

International brand design agency, Design Bridge, has received the special Agency of the Year Pentaward, as well as picking up three Silver awards for its designs for Marqués de Riscal, Kapiti and Sominex, and a Bronze award for Vitalis. The Agency of the Year honour is awarded to Design Bridge for having won the largest number of Pentawards in three consecutive years, placing it well ahead of its competitors.

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Lee Jeans are encouraging public from around the globe to demonstrate various ways to resist some of the most unpleasant aspects of our world. The brands have teamed up to launch an online project, “100 Days of Active Resistance,” to invite people from different parts of the world to share photos, which mirror the core concept of the initiative—demonstration of the ability to see below the surface, understand what’s going around and face up to problems.