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Gatorade: Evolution of the G Series

June 7th, 2011 by Dan Barczak

Gatorade: Brand Videology (short) from Tether on Vimeo.

Since I can remember, I’ve been more attracted to how things get made, rather than the finished product. I loved watching Jerry Rice play as a kid (except for when he beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII in ’89), but love even more how he trained in the offseason, running more miles than most distance runners. Or how a Ferrari is meticulously crafted in Maranello, hand-stitched, etc…not just what the car looks like finished. That’s boring. The making of the Thriller video blew my mind as a kid. B-Sides. Movie deleted scenes. Behind the scenes at Pixar. How a novel was written. The making of the perfect sandwich.

I love the process. That’s why I love design. So when I stumbled upon a gorgeous stop-animation video by Tether (Seattle) which chronicles the Evolution of the Gatorade G Series over 16 months of Research, Concepts and Designs…well see for yourself. I love how other creative minds tackle problems…how they approach even the most mundane or minuscule tasks and turn them into something much larger.

Great work, Tether. (also came across it via Creative Bits)

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Posted in Design, Thinking | 134 Comments »

Have Tivo and the DVR Finally Met Their Match?

January 27th, 2011 by Chris Strong

No way I say!

Apparently, someone out there has come up with “a way” to trick people into hitting the play button early when they are fast forwarding through the commercials recorded content on their Tivo or cable company’s DVR. I guess not everyone out there fully believes that people don’t like to be force-fed commercials for stuff they don’t want or like, when they are watching TV…

(more…)

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Posted in News | 221 Comments »

Proof That Cellos Are Awesome

January 24th, 2011 by Chris Strong

So, I was stumbling around Devour last night and came upon an awesome video of two cellists doing an amazingly rocking cover of The King of Pop, Mr. Michael Jackson’s hit song, “Smooth Criminal.”

Now I have to admit, I was more than a bit skeptical when I read the brief intro to the post/video, but I clicked anyway and boy am I glad I did. Guitars are overrated, seriously. These guys are crazy! The intense looks on their faces throughout and the lightning fast strumming are all proof. Plus, you have to love the spinning of the cello numerous times as well. That is a testament to the rock they brought with this cover.

Some of you out there might be hard to convince and you might still be a little reluctant to hit play on the video below. If you feel you have been wronged in the past when it comes to cover songs by bands/artists/instruments/etc. that just plan let you down (yes, I’m talking about the CD “Chantmania” here and more specifically in relation to this post Alien Ant Farm’s waste of 4 minutes), I can sympathize.

However, when I say you will not be disappointed after you watch this, I mean it. Trust me, have I steered you wrong before?

So get going. Click play and rock out!

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Posted in Fun | 134 Comments »

The Car of Your Dreams – The 2011 Mediocrity

October 21st, 2010 by Chris Strong

So, Subaru doesn’t really make ‘mediocre‘ cars. Take the WRX for example, it’s pretty loud, pretty flashy and pretty darn fast.

Heck, the picture below just makes it look fast. If it wasn’t, why else would it need that big wing to keep it planted on the ground?

Fast!

Now, Subaru does make sedans and no offense to anyone that drives sedans, but the sedan market does tend to be a bit boring and seems to be getting even duller. Things tend to run together and styles tend to be a bit blah.

Well, Subaru apparently took note of this and recently decided that they’d mess with people a little bit and get some heads scratching via an uber-sneaky viral marketing campaign for a car dubbed the Mediocrity. To give you a better overview than I ever could, check out the video below.

The video had me laughing quite a bit after I stumbled onto it and after checking out the 2011 Mediocrity website I was only laughing that much more.

The car of your dreams

The Mediocrity site is a trip. From the descriptions of colors and interior appointments, to the shopping tools and mission statement, I enjoyed every bit of it and had a good laugh a few times. (I still laugh when I read ‘Inoffensive Steel Exhaust’ on the comparison page). I also love that one of the choices as you build your car is a wicker chair. Why? I don’t know, but wicker isn’t really offensive and that’s a good thing when it comes to mediocrity.

As a viral campaign, many have speculated as to whether it is a success or failure because the site itself and everything else around it points to Subaru from the start (check the redirect in the URL when you go to www.2011Mediocrity.com). I tend to lean towards this being a good campaign and one that obviously wasn’t trying to be super viral. It’s quirky and fun as a campaign and just a good time. As someone who isn’t in the market for a car, it got me to spend some time with the brand (even after I went to the Mediocrity site) and that’s certainly not bad.

Now, if I can just get my wife on board with me getting that WRX STi I’ve always wanted…

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Posted in Design | 186 Comments »

Banksy + The Simpsons

October 14th, 2010 by Julie Hill

You guys, I swear I’m not as obsessed with Banksy as my post history might suggest. But SERIOUSLY his work is so interesting! Here is the Simpsons opening he wrote and directed. It’s pretty epic.

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Posted in Design | 120 Comments »

I Choose You

September 24th, 2010 by Julie Hill

Did you ever start watching a dumb TV show for a laugh, ha ha this show is so stupid, who would ever watch this, and eventually end up genuinely becoming a fan and/or regular non-mocking viewer? I have. I have indeed, and my show was Pokémon.

Recently, some similarly-aged fans created a spectacular fan-trailer for their not-real dramatic big-screen fandaptation of Pokémon. I present to you: Pokémon Apokélypse

Don’t try to tell me that wasn’t totally awesome. Read an interview with the trailer’s creators here.

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Posted in Design | 146 Comments »

iPad Light Drawing – Making Future Magic

September 17th, 2010 by Dan Barczak

Making Future Magic: iPad light painting from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

I came across this link from Today and Tomorrow (a blog I check out now and then), and thought of our Technology and Dev team and the continued integration with Design: yet another dynamic use for the iPad…but much more than that – Dentsu London, a creative communications agency, collaborated with BERG to visualize their “Making Future Magic” strategy in a movie. They decided to make a stop motion animation with light drawings made with an iPad. The result is amazing! At the beginning they explain the process, but the real video starts at 1:40. Charlie, here ya go.

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Posted in Design, Technology | 182 Comments »

Let’s Do Some Shredding!

September 3rd, 2010 by Chris Strong

Well, if you are thinking snowboarding or some other extreme sport, we might not be on the same page right now.

That’s because the type of shredding I’m talking about involves paper and making sure your confidential information is safely destroyed.

Normally shredding wouldn’t be cool or that much fun, but when you do it with The Papervore shredding goes to a whole new level.


Let’s shred!

Created by Pigeontail Design, not only is the shredder, well a shredder, it’s also a really sweet modern style coffee table to top it off.

A cross functional, coffee table shredder where the shredded junk mail becomes a cornucopia of colors that only enhances the design of the table…. I’ll take 2!

If you don’t believe me when I say this thing is pretty cool, just check out the awesome video they made:

The Papervore from Pigeontail Design on Vimeo.

The company makes some great stuff so go visit them online and @Pigeontail on Twitter. And if you are looking for a new site to help you find ways/things to spend all your paycheck on, definitely go check out The Swag Mag and at @TheSwagMag where I found out about the shredder.

You can thank us later for helping you find some cool new stuff.

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Posted in Design | 145 Comments »

The Wilderness Downtown

September 1st, 2010 by Julie Hill

Another awesome Arcade Fire experiment, this time paired up with Google.
The Wilderness Downtown

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Posted in Design, Technology | 145 Comments »

Zombie Takes Over Newest Starburst Commercial

August 27th, 2010 by Chris Strong

I like Starburst. All the chewy goodness they pack into those little squares of fruit candy help take me to a different place.

They’re actually kinda like my personal version of a York Peppermint Patty, (think back to the commercials in the 80′s) except I don’t end up on top of a mountain with heavy snowfall coming down. Instead I end up in the tropics somewhere.

I also like zombies. Zombies pretty much rule because they are the most versatile monster in all of the horror movie genre. Sometimes they move slow and aren’t too smart. Other times they move fast and are smarter than the human beings that are trying to outrun them. (Side-note: If you want my personal list of best Zombie flicks, or want to dispute Zombie flick greatness, email me or hit us up on Twitter. Alright, back to the point of the post now.)

So when you take Starburst, the brands bagpipe-toting spokesperson and a zombie commuter riding a city bus who continues to contradict the Starburst guy, it makes for a fun commercial.

Best quote from the Zombie to the Starburst guy: “You are boring me to death, and I’m already dead.”

So, have some fun and check out the spot.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 190 Comments »

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