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Wants to show off your retro credentials as well as your knowledge of music? You need one of Elbow’s Penguin-inspired Seldom Seen Kid mugs.
As you can see, the mugs are inspired by the classic Penguin paperback book covers of the 1930s, but look closely and you’ll notice that the Penguin has been replaced by the cube on the album sleeve, the author and title obviously featuring the details of the Mercury Prize-winning album.
Pick one up online, priced at £4.89.
Find out more at the Elbow website
I think the ‘inspired by’ phrase should actually read “Penguin mug inspired by”. Art Meets Matter Ltd was the first company globally (other than Penguin itself) to officially explore the design history of the Penguin classics. It has lead to a number of ‘copycat’ designs not all flattering. I like the Elbow design but it’s a shame that the mug is so ugly and the design cropped short of the rim. I have a feeling that the ip police were advising on the ‘closeness’ of the artmeetsmatter.com designs.
The bestselling Penguin designs, always utilitarian, cross deckchairs, mugs and espresso and pencils. They have been sold all around the world non-stop since 2002. They were created out of a love for books and objects.
Dear Mr Davis,
you have to reckon the advantage the less creative has over the overly creative one: he/her, at least, added a handle to the mug before calling it a mug!
I like much better the original Penguin Classic Mug all the way but unfortunately that has nothing of the functional inspiration of the 50’s design ending being very little more that a fairly useless decoration.
So, assuming you are the Tony Davis designer of the original Penguin Classic mugs, I think a lot of people will appreciate if please you either add a handle to your design or call it something else leaving the Classic Penguin Mug copyright available.
Thanks.
My best regards.
Antonio Rotondi
P.S. I’ve not connection whatsoever with the seller of this mug and I bumped on this page only because I was looking for the original Penguin Classic mug’s handle.
Where can you buy these mugs?