Bulldog gets a facelift

AUCKLAND, Thursday: Phantom Billstickers is celebrating 40 years in business with a new T-shirt, designed by Harry A’Court of Wellington-based Inject Design.

“We wanted to use this anniversary to celebrate the youthful energy that drives the street poster business, so we commissioned a team of young guns to take a fresh look at our brand.” said Phantom Billstickers ceo Robin McDonnell.

“We’ve long admired the work of Inject Design, so we asked Harry A’Court to re-imagine the Phantom brand for 2022.”

A’Court said: “Creatively, this was possibly the most free-flowing project I’ve worked on in my 20-plus-year career.

“We wanted to pay homage to Raymond Louis, Phantom’s gruff but lovable bulldog.”

“I’ve been aware of Phantom since I was a teenager, seeing the crew pasting up all over town and brightening up the streets of Wellington. Their work has always inspired me to attend gigs and events or buy that new craft beer.

“When it came time to design a 40-year campaign, I had all the inspiration I needed.

“We wanted to pay homage to Raymond Louis, Phantom’s gruff but lovable bulldog.

“His determination, tenacity and street savviness have helped make Phantom who they are today. The goal was to bring this iconic character to life through illustration and animation.

“Californian surf and skate graphic artist Jim Phillips’s distinct design style informed our approach.

“This inspiration fed into the cartoon style of the typography and character design. We arrived at a modern vintage look as a nod to Phantom’s brand aesthetic that has stood the test of time.”

• Buy here ($ 30): t-shirts@0800PHANTOM.co.nz