Lundgren+Lindqvist ...

To launch the company, we art directed a campaign for which we shot geometrical objects – ranging from fine marble to powder coated aluminum sheets – alluding to Markus Form’s forthcoming products, in different settings. The images were used in press send-outs and for a range of printed marketing material. We also shot a comprehensive range of different materials, from stone and wood to metal, felt and leather, which were printed on cards and hangtags that were included with the products. When printed, each material was carefully treated with different kinds of varning, from coarse to high gloss, to mimic the materials' natural texture.

Markus Form's signature product is Buddy. Buddy is a small and useful piece of furniture that could be placed anywhere within a space and in many different environments. A little helper, which could act as an occasional object besides a sofa, but also as a free standing, solitary piece in a hallway. Its high edge to the surface of the top, resulting in a bowl-like shape, makes all the difference. It gives the opportunity to not only place things on top, but also to keep items inside, which makes the object multi­functional, thereby establishing a new typology. The solid wood base contrasts with the cold metal surface of the aluminium bowl, adding a warm filigree character to the object and creates an iconic and graceful appearance.

The stationery and printed matter is printed on fine quality, Italian paper stock from Fedrigoni, with subtle yet effective high-end print finishes, such as duplexing, foil blocking and various varnishes. The correspondence cards and product swingtags, featuring a range of macro shot material samples, have been treated with appropriate varnishes to effectively physically imitate the depicted materials.

For the marketing of Buddy, the occasional table, we have Art Directed an extensive and diverse range of images, shot on numerous different locations. For a number of years, we photographed a range of places, including the home of a Gothenburg based architect, the rainforest of a theme park, a Gunnar Asplund designed courthouse and at a fish monger's in Gothenburg's famous Feskekôrka. As Buddy is hard to place in one of the traditional furniture groups, the images aim to illustrate and celebrate its versatility, showing how it fits seamlessly in many different situations and contexts. From high-end contexts to more gritty environments, Buddy feels right at home.

As a teaser campaign for Markus Form’s new table series, the U-Table, we created a series of images showing the table in different settings. With a solid yet incredibly thin slice of reinforced Carrara Marble as its table top, framed by an elegant wooden edge, the table is surprisingly lightweight, making it easy to move. As part of the campaign, we also art directed a video showing the assembling of the product, which is one of its unique features. Through a highly complex manufacturing process, Markus Form has manage to eliminate all hardware, such as nuts and bolts, from the assembly. Wood is seamlessly screwed into wood, with extreme precision.

As the company had used the first round of business cards, we updated the design of the cards for the reprint. The company's founder has an idea of making printed matter that people would want to collect, much like he himself would collect catalogues of furniture companies, on his constant travels throughout Europe.

The design of the card places emphasis on the fact that the ‘Form’, making up the second half of the company name, can be many different things, outlining the furniture typologies in which Markus Form is looking to develop products in the future. One side of the card features titles in English, while the other side, also containing the contact details, subtly includes titles in Swedish, through a precise transparent foil embossing.

The cards were printed by By Wind (then Göteborgstryckeriet) on exclusive and fine-textured, Japanese Takeo paper.

As we expanded the photographic essay on Buddy, we visited a range of new locations, including the workshop of Nudie Jeans, KKV – The Artist's Collective Workshop and Universeum, where we shot the occasional table in the home of the Toucans. Curiously, the day after our visit, one of the toucans mysteriously disappeared. For the longest, we were expecting a call from the police, as our activities in the zoo must have seemed suspicious. The toucan was found a few weeks later, in the bathroom in an apartment in the outskirts of Gothenburg. Apparently, whoever stole it had failed to find a buyer for the precious bird. After a few days in quarantine, the bird could finally be reunited with its friends at Universeum.