October 2010 Archives

October 30, 2010

Sleek Modern Lobby Error Messages

Hey...now here's a cool office building entrance with 9, count 'em, NINE slick flat panel monitors displaying bleeding edge messages about the hip business that are down with it and all that, er, all dat.
sudlerLobby1LG.jpg
But what's this over on the middle right?  Is that another cool company so totally down wiff it?
werror_LG.jpg
Hmm...maybe they're advertising that this company actually created the Windows Automatic Update Error Message.  That's some claim to fame...everybody sees that! 

werror_comp.jpg


October 27, 2010

In Finland, The Runways Are Paved with Neckties

Here a Metaphor Waaay Out on a Limb.  I think, not sure, this has something to do with the idea of how many cities the airline flies to.  But I'm trying to figure out if the ties match up with the culture of each city. 

ties_full_2.jpg

TIEScloseup3.jpg

I can accept that Copenhagen is polka dots,
copenhagen_tie.jpg
but I'm just not buying this blue & black number for Moscow.

Copy of moscowtie.jpg



October 24, 2010

They Could Just Say, "You'll Be Glad We Didn't Crash."

One of those attitudinal statement letting people know "The Brand" is there for them, even in these hard economic times. 

continental_SM.jpg

There's no easy way to say this.  "Business Is Terrible, But We're Still in Business."  Better you don't say it, than try to curve your way around the obvious.  Otherwise, you come out sounding like this.  "You're going to like that fact that we don't suck that much." 

October 21, 2010

Let's Keep It Simple. What Is The Product and Who Makes It?

schick_whatever_the_hell.jpg
The product designers had a field day taking a normal razor and morphing it into, I dunno, some kind of inverted lava lamp.  Looking at those festive shapes, you really aren't thinking "sharp metal blade to remove body hair." 

To further obfuscate the obvious, the Schick logo has been compressed and digitized beyond all comprehension.  Maybe those razors were hacking at it? 

Here's a normal Schick logo:
schick_logo_RIGHT.jpg


And here's that smudge of pixels in the upper left corner:
schick_wrong2.jpg

Which logo would you take to your face and shave with? 

October 19, 2010

Savings on Top of Savings = NONSENSE!!

savingsssvingsss.jpg

Savings divided by savings on top of savings multiplied by savings is still...SAVINGS damn it!!!

Another stellar example of copy for copy's sake.  Put something on a sign, insert buzzwords (savings, clearance, sale) hang it high and watch the magic happen. 

(from TJ Maxx)

October 18, 2010

Choice Is Being Able To Eat Fruit That Doesn't Exist

Sometimes creative cooks up a concept, foists it upon the brand and copywriters wind up building a bridge to nowhere. 

3 images, 3 statements...all united by the color blue.  But the third image didn't really have any blue.  So what!?  It's a blue apple! 

bluecrossdumbassshit.jpg

Yes, that's a blue apple. 
bluecrossshit2.jpg


October 14, 2010

Glamorous Suicide Bombers

Let's face it.  "Juicy Couture" makes about as much sense as any random combination of words thrown together.  "Empty Touniquet?"  "Hungry Clavicle?"  What about "Crumbly Windowshade?" 

So maybe we shouldn't be surprised that this season's look at Juicy is "Romantic Military."

Don't ask.  Don't Tell.  But look FABULOUS!!

romantic_military1.jpg


juicy_couture2.jpg



October 12, 2010

Five Reasons Your Feet Have Five Toes (not fingers)

Here are five (5) reasons your product is useless nonsense.

1. You need a poster that has 5 reasons explaining why people should use the product.
2. Most people look at your product and laugh or shake their head in disgust.
3. A small number of people think your product is so cool, nobody gets it; they are ahead of their time.  (just because they're ahead of their time doesn't mean they're ahead of anyone else's time.)
4. Your product takes a simple act and complicates it in unforeseen ways.  (walking requires stimulating "neural function important to balance and agility")
5. Your product is featured in The Museum of Marketing Madness!
fivetoes2.jpg



October 10, 2010

Life Is (not that) Good ®

I'll admit I don't like this brand. 

The message is too simple: Life is good.

But it's really: "Life is Good REGISTERED TRADEMARK WE CAN SAY IT'S GOOD BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS CIRCLE R AFTER OUR NAME." 
Life_good_comp.jpg


Here's the whole display in a store...all in your face about it.

Life_good_comp2.jpg
 

Life is not "good."  Life doesn't behave itself and be good.  Life can suck.  Be unfair.  Shitty.  Crazy.  Stink.  Be bloody awful.  Be Hell. 

It's "Good" for the guy who came up with this slogan, registered a trademark and sold millions of dollars of merch and now lives like a king.  Does that make the entire Life Experience Good.  I think not!

October 4, 2010

I'm The First of My Friends To Like The Two Dead Men


I'm so glad these Facebook tools are everywhere. 

I_like_the_2_Men_Shot_Dead2.jpg
I bet the 14 people who like this are not the 2 dead men.
`