Again. From The Top

March 27th, 2012 by AJ Mercer

Forgive me if I sound a little rusty, but I’m working off no sleep. The red-eye back from San Fran was unkind. I was there doing things like this…

That being said — blog revamp. It’s happening. Right. Now.

After a couple of drinks, some spirited debate, and a few more drinks — we’ve decided the ol’ blog needed a little bit more focus.

The focus?

Well, here’s the thing, there is no real focus. It’s just an interesting, honest dialog between you, the reader, and the lovely folks that work here. So expect that from now on. Some posts will be funny, others will be serious, and some will be about the Hunger Games. Who knows what to expect — we sure don’t.

So, have fun and enjoy.

Posted in Design, Fun, Thinking | Comments Off

It’s Time For a Food Related Blog Post

February 18th, 2011 by Chris Strong

So I realized today that’s it has been more than a little while since I stumbled upon something truly glorious in the world of food and felt compelled to post about it here on the blog.

Well, for all of you out there who have felt neglected by this, this post is for you because I share with you now, from truffle truffle’s ‘Super Bowl Collection’ the Beer & Pretzel Marshmallow.

Mmmmmmmm...........

Now, these bad boys start with a homemade beer marshmallow. I’ve never had this concoction before, but I like marshmallows and I like beer, so as sure as 1 + 1 = 2, I’m bound to like this mash-up. From there, the marshmallows take a swim in some milk chocolate and then get topped with beer & pretzel brittle bits. If you are looking for over the top, you just found it.

The more I stumble upon these crazy chocolate combos, the more I feel compelled to do some experimentation in my kitchen. I just have a funny feeling that no matter what I end up mixing up, it will always end up having a heavy emphasis on chocolate and bacon. Not that, by any means, that would be a bad thing, but it’s probably best to leave this type of creative cooking to the pros. If it isn’t, there is no telling what might result.

Posted in Uncategorized | 178 Comments »

Can You Hear Me Now?

January 26th, 2011 by Chris Strong

Well, maybe I should say “Can you see me now?”

Consumers showing love and support for brands in odd ways is nothing new, but I have to say that I think I stumbled upon what might be the most committed fan of any brand to date.

Why? Well, in my opinion, if you get a brand’s logo tattooed on you, that’s one level of commitment. However, if you get it tattooed in a highly visible place and make it ridiculously large, that’s taking it to the next level. That is in fact just what a man named Daniel Carrion recently did.

Now, it’s important to point out that Daniel is apparently a tattoo artist and being a fan of ink myself, I can say that I’ve had discussions with tattoo artists about bad tattoos they have gotten in the past and have seen some first hand. Some artists seem to just do funny stuff to fill up space on empty skin, but this trumps every story I’ve ever heard with regards to that because Daniel had the logo tattooed smack dab on his left hand!

Why? Get ready….. He’s “just a really, really big fan of Verizon Wireless.”

That’s not all this uber-fan is getting ready to do…. The next phase of showing his love for Verizon is getting his forehead tattooed so “the logo will be in front of all my friends and anyone I run into on a daily basis.”

If you want proof that this is real, definitely check out the video below. You can read the full story here.

So all this raises a question. What’s next when it comes to showing love for your favorite brands? Well, the bar has been set, so start figuring out a new way to trump Mr. Carrion I guess.

Posted in Fun | 143 Comments »

The Evolution of NERF Continues

August 12th, 2010 by Chris Strong

Remember back in the 80′s when NERF toys were new, cool and for the most part just weird looking fluorescent colored toys that fired foam balls and darts with zero accuracy and control?

I’m talking about things like the Blast-A-Ball and the Bow-And-Arrow (I can still hear the music from that commercial in my head).

If you don’t for some reason, these pictures should help give you some sort of perspective on the evolution of this toy.

So here’s NERF back in the 80′s….

Probably the oddest toy in the NERF arsenal.

Hours and hours of fun can be had while foam fencing.

Well, fast forward to 2010 and you’ll see a whole new NERF. I never would’ve anticipated that the brand would’ve evolved to what is today, but thanks to a post on Uncrate.com I’ve come to find out that NERF has unleashed upon the world the NERF-N-Strike Longstrike CS-6 Dart Blaster. (Say that 3 times fast, right!)

To quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "Run Away!"

This thing is crazy. Not only does it shoot foam darts up to 35 feet (what do you need to shoot with a foam dart 35 feet away?), according to NERF even when your target is a moving one:

“You never have to worry about ammo, since your blaster can store two quick-reload clips. (One clip is included.) So grab your gear, steel your nerves and prepare to go long.”

I’ve never been in a position where I had to steel my nerves, but I’m tempted to buy one of these just to see what the experience is like.

Mostly though, I have to say that I am a bit worried as there are a few people here at HyperQuake that are big fans of the NERF line. I have no idea what might be lurking around the corner in the future, but I’m going to make sure I try to stay upwards of 36 feet away from a few people in particular.

Posted in Uncategorized | 154 Comments »

Consumers showing brands new levels of love in 2010 – Chapter 2

July 22nd, 2010 by Chris Strong

So, you may remember a few weeks back when we posted about a fictitious story that caught my eye on The Onion. In said story, a man supposedly proclaimed his ‘devotion and love’ for the Pepsi brand during ceremony at a convenience store where he was surrounded by a small group of friends and employees.

In all seriousness, consumers are proclaiming their love for brands more and more these days and in very unique ways. From tattoos, to ‘Liking’ a brand on Facebook, brands mean more to consumers today than ever before.

All that said, I’m not so sure that The Onion story was all that far-fetched because late last week I stumbled upon an article on USAToday.com about retail wedding trends…

So, it appears that more and more, people are pledging their “I do’s” to their significant others, while in a retail establishment. You won’t believe this, but this includes having weddings at places like T.J. Maxx and Taco Bell. That’s not all though…. Include Home Depot and Cold Stone Creamery on that list too! It’s pretty unbelievable to me, but hey, I only got married at The Cincinnati Nature Center’s Krippendorf Lodge (which I highly recommend by the way!).

Be it brand loyalty, saving money, or the desire to be a little different, people are actually going through with this, so there’s not telling what’s next. Is it good for the brand? I can’t see how it could possibly hurt. Is it good for the bride or groom? Well, if you are “self proclaimed Maxxinista” (make sure you read the USA Today story relative to this comment) or a Chalupa fanatic, perhaps you can shop or get your Mexican food fix on before/after the ceremony. If you bring a whole wedding party, they can join in on the fun too. I’m sure these brands won’t complain about anyone spending a little money before or afterward the ceremony, so I’d say it’s a win-win.

Again, for the whole story, visit this link.

Posted in News | 121 Comments »

Run and Jump!

July 9th, 2010 by Julie Hill

After much extensive research (exhaustive, really) I’ve decided that run-and-jump games are my favorite. They are easy, they are addicting, and they tend to have a wicked sense of humor. It’s Friday, enjoy:

Canabalt has you running and leaping off of rooftops to avoid imminent apocalyptic demise. Run away! Watch out for those boxes!

An old one that I am surprised is still around, is Drop Kick the Faint. Take your punk aggressions out on those Saddle Creek weenies!

But perhaps my most favorite of them all is Robot Unicorn Attack, featuring robotic unicorns, stars, sparkledolphins, making dreams come true and perhaps the most perfect soundtrack of them all, the tune “Always” by Erasure.

Posted in Design, Technology | 186 Comments »

Happy Friday

June 11th, 2010 by Julie Hill

Happy Friday!

Here at HQ HQ we have a very likable fellow typically manning the building’s front desk in the mornings named Zack, and every Friday he greets every person with a sunny “Happy Friday!”

I like to think this is why he’s so cheerful.

Happy Friday!

Posted in Uncategorized | 181 Comments »

Itty Bitty Horse

May 13th, 2010 by Katie Winkler

What’s cuter than taking something that is normally big, strong and massive and making it tiny and adorable?  Einstein, who is likely to be the tiniest horse in the world, was born April 26th… and, while I really don’t understand the point and think it’s a little “wrong,”  he is freaking cute. Oh, and just a warning, apart form the super cute horse, the video is pretty lame.

Read more about Einstein.

Posted in Uncategorized | 148 Comments »

Cheese or Font?

May 10th, 2010 by Katie Winkler

Out to Launch, a blog I subscribe to, posts a Random iPhone App of the week. This week: Cheese or Font? The game presents the player with a word, say “Tetilla,” and the player is to guess if the word is type of cheese or a type of font. It’s a cheese, by the way.

You can download the app for free at the APP Store, and, lucky for me and all of the other iPhone-less people in the world, you can also play the game online. None the less, it’s a great game for foodies and font-ies (?) alike.

Enjoy :)

Posted in Technology, Uncategorized | 147 Comments »

Personalized Burgers – Literally?!

March 31st, 2010 by Chris Strong

Everyone knows that at Burger King, you can “Have It Your Way” way when it comes to the flame-broiled goodness that is your hamburger. The King and his team of merry men have worked extremely hard to instill this message in the minds of beef eaters and fast food lovers everywhere, but for all that work, there was always one part missing.

Sure, you could get your burger without mayo, or with 4 extra patties of meat, or with 2.5 slices of smaller tomatoes instead of 1, but there was always something missing, it just never really was “your” burger.

Well, BK and the King have changed that, at least they did for a little bit (in Brazil), by embarking on a unique little campaign where they show customers what ‘Made to Order’ really means.

As someone who isn’t a huge fast food eater/supporter, even I thought this a unique way of personalizing the dining experience and building some additional brand affinity. You can already see from the video that camera phones were a-snappin’ which inevitably means Twitter posts and Facebook status updates that probably generated some positive chatter about the brand.

All in all, a unique and quirky idea, that showed a true connection of the dots when it comes to the idea of “Have It Your Way.” Not sure how much longevity it has after the initial novelty would wear off, but it’s still a rather cool and smart approach on a one-off level.

Posted in Technology, Thinking | 154 Comments »