130. (A) Ronseal / (AA) Sherwin Diversified Brands
As much as I love Mugspotting, let’s face it, it’s a landscape overrun by the likes of the common or garden ‘Cambridge’ & white bread ‘Sparta’. They’re 10 a penny.
It’s not often then that we can unveil a new (to us) mug design but today is such a day and it’s with immense pride we bring you…
‘The Corporate’.
This one could divide opinion. Mugspotters HQ was split 50/50.
Once the euphoria had faded it was time to behold it’s rarefied form. It’s a mash-up between the Marrows slender, plunging body and the Sparta’s angular, jutting handle. Maybe there was some inbreeding on the potters wheel?
Personally, I may just be stuck in my ways but the Spartan handle is best suited to a body with a low centre of gravity and for me, doesn’t sit well astride the top-half of the svelte Marrow.
Branding wise, we have what most of us oldies call a “Double “A” Side” Once upon a time when music singles were available on 7″ vinyl, that spun at 45 R.P.M. a band would occasionally be torn as to which track would take the lead, so as opposed to the single having the traditional ‘A’ & ‘B’ side, they’d plump for a “Double A.”
Pop history is littered with examples but a couple of my favourite examples are:
The Beatles: “(A) We Can Work It Out” / (AA) “Day Tripper” (1965)
The Jam: ” (A) Going Underground” / (AA) “Dreams Of Children” (1980) That was a classic that went straight in at No.1!!
This Corporate sports a “Double A” side of “Ronseal” / “Sherwin Diversified Brands”.
Most of our demographic should be familiar with Ronseal and their famous ‘It Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin’ slogan. In short, they manufacture high quality woodcare products, paints & DIY gear for both inside and outside the home.
Sherwin Williams Europe (actually based in Cleveland, Ohio) own the Ronseal brand. It may have made more sense having both logos feature on the same elevation and then repeat this doubled up motif on it’s rear. However both brands are kept apart, each having it’s own important identity, thus making this debut Corporate a perfect Mug-Spotting, chart-topping, “Double A”.
Mugspotters 