Pantone's Mugs: An Object Lesson in Great Design

We came across these mugs on Pantone's website and decided to feature them in a post.

After all, these products provide literally an object lesson in brand identity and design. Pantone's brand identity is so strong and so well designed that it effortlessly translates into gorgeous products for which Pantone can charge a hefty premium.

The mug sets go for $90, the boxed individual mugs, $25 (great holiday, Mother's or Father's Day gift, by the way).

We've all seen a slew of mugs over the years featuring some logo or another, yet let's face it, most would gather dust in the cupboard if they ended up in our possession.

Yet we can easily envision these mugs on the desk of the most discerning of designers or in the conference rooms of the coolest creatives, trotted out as part of a pitch to transfixed clients. It's the rare brand and product design that is that powerful and elegant.

We find this is a great litmus test for B2B creative: Would the target audience find the brand so appealing they'd pay for it? A nearly impossible-to-achieve standard, yet one for which more brands should strive.