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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.

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Posted in Fun | 143 Comments »

Pre-Flight Tension

September 23rd, 2010 by Julie Hill

So, apparently, in addition to having to watch out for actual medical issues, I have just discovered that I have a “Mild” case of PFT, or “Pre-Flight Tension Disorder” as told to me by the Sydney Airport’s PFT awareness website.

I understand that a lot of people are afraid of flying. I’m not one of them. I think flying rulez and not even jumping through security’s hoops or (always, ALWAYS!) forgetting my toothbrush can bum me out on it. But it seems to me like inventing a new disease, while cute and clever to daredevils (airdevils?) like myself, is only terror-fodder for the more hypochondriac among us. Perhaps a more ridiculous, wink-and-nudge treatment of the ‘disease’ would be more effective?

Although I must say that I do like the simplicity of the website, even though the Obsessive Passport Disorder video stresses me the eff out.

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Posted in Design, Thinking | 151 Comments »

Wired Magazine = Not Good Grim Reaper

September 14th, 2010 by Julie Hill

The Web is dead. Long live the Web!

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Posted in Design | 178 Comments »

The Tiger Oil Memo Odyssey

August 13th, 2010 by Julie Hill

And you thought YOUR boss was crazy. Read all the memos here.

Favorite quotes:
“Do not speak to me when you see me. If I want to speak to you, I will do so. I want to save my throat. I don’t want to ruin it by saying hello to all of you sons-of-bitches.”

“I suggest that you people buy enough cigarettes to keep here for yourselves to smoke because, by God, you will not go and buy them on my time”

“In case anyone does not know who owns Tiger Oil Company or Tiger Drilling Co., Inc., it is me – Edward Mike Davis. Do not let anyone think they are the owner but me.”

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Posted in Uncategorized | 9 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.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 154 Comments »

Trapper Keeper

August 11th, 2010 by Julie Hill

Let’s all take a nostalgic look back at the totally cracked-out things we looked at as children that led us to our respective creative professions, shall we? VIEW THE GALLERY

P.S. The Trapper Keeper brand still exists but it is like totally boring now. Mead needs to reconnect with Rad Dog, stat.

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Posted in Design | 171 Comments »

Swan Lake

August 2nd, 2010 by Julie Hill

Being both an artist and a girl, I’m pretty much pre-programmed to enjoy ballet. The artist side loves the movements, and the forms dancers make with their bodies. The girly side is pretty much just in it for the sequins, if we’re really being honest here. Anyway, this is one of the most amazing ballet performances I have ever seen. SPOILER: SHE DANCES ON HIS HEAD. Watch.

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Posted in Design | 173 Comments »

Are You Ready For Papercraft Cloning?

July 28th, 2010 by Chris Strong

So the issue of cloning has been a hot debate ever since the world’s most famous sheep, Dolly, hit the news media back in 1996 as the first mammal to be cloned.

Ever since then, people have been trying to clone everything. Heck, it seemed like everyone was obsessed with the topic so much so that many of us had to sit through horribly unfunny movies about cloning.

Well, fast-forward to 2010, and cloning has met design in a rather unique way, courtesy of a young man named Philipp Stolenmayer. What has Philipp done that is so great you want to know? Well, he cloned himself through the design of a life sized papercraft model.

Yes, I know it’s not a true ‘clone,’ but there is no doubt that it is quite awesome. Philipp outlines the steps to his project here if you are interested in giving it a go.

If that seems a bit ambitious for your first papercraft project, let us know. We might have something for you to practice with. We’ve been kind of obsessed with papercraft lately. If you’ve been following us on Twitter, you might know what we’re talking about…

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Posted in Design | 12 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.

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Posted in News | 121 Comments »

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