I remember falling in love with some of French artist Felice Varini’s parking garage “paintings” when I was younger and really into photographing geometric shapes, angles, and concrete. My brain will always have an affinity toward that aesthetic, and to Varini’s “anamorphic illusions” on the whole. This is the newest implementation of his art at the Cardiff Bay barrage on the Bristol channel.
Art critic Joël Koskas once said that “A work of Varini is an anti-Mona Lisa.” I think I like that idea
These billboards are self-promo/anti-billboard-regulation boards done by Oggi, an outdoor marketing agency in New Zealand. Makes you think about what and where outdoor boards actually are. It’s something I’ve been thinking about and discussing with others lately, specifically with similar issues and the “large mural” rules and regulations in Portland, OR.
A friend sent me the link to the website Lost in Translation the other day, and I’m fascinated by it. It’s a basic engine that utilizes BabelFish to translate from English through five different languages and back to English. Interesting how much some things change. And if you pay enough attention, it almost turns into a lesson in grammar and sentence structure. Give it a try yourself… some interesting things may come up.
So I wrote about Get the Glass a few weeks ago, the interactive game with impressive animation and game play for a microsite for Milk. After spending the few minutes it took to complete the game at work a few weeks ago, it says you’ve won, and prompts you for name, address, etc., promising a prize. I disregarded and pretty much forgot about the game, until I got home yesterday to find a small package in my mailbox. I opened it, and to my surprise, none other than my glass.
I guess playing Get the Glass really does get you a glass. And a pretty nice one, at that, with a decent logo and fair volume. I’m impressed. And pleased, since I can always use another glass. Now if only I wasn’t lactose intolerant.
As much as I like urban/outdoor advertising, there’s a time and a place for it. And in some cases, it does get downright nauseating. The Pixelator a pretty fascinating interpretation of the digital signs, and makes for some visually captivating street art.
I personally find this more interesting, more appealing, and more subtly subversive than the last Anti-Advertising Agency “Light Criticism” project, which was interesting, but a bit blatant and direct, which seemed to decrease the thought involved. This Pixelator actually makes you think. which I’m always up for.
Ran across this today, and kinda like it. Seems interesting that it’s Ford that came up with something semi-different and semi-creative… it doesn’t really scream Ford, but it does pique my interest as a viewer/consumer, and come to think of it, it’ll probably work to make me associate “extendable beds” with Ford. So I guess it’s working.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you should really check out PSST! Pass it on. Organized and produced by Bran Dougherty-Johnson of Grow Design Work, PSST! showcases some impressive direction, animation work, and design. It’s much like the classic Surrealist game of Exquisite Corpse, but takes it leaps and bounds further. Three teams each create unique sections and join them together to create 30-second films. To get a quick taste of it, check out the trailer here. You can download all nine of the films from the main PSST site. Awe-inspiring and creativity sparking. Seriously. Take a look.
Nissan, in conjunction with The TRUE Agency in Los Angeles, is dropping 200,000 sets of the keyrings pictured above to promote the push-button ignition system on their new Altimas. The keychain tag reads:
If found, please do not return. My Next Generation Nissan Altima has Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, and I no longer need these.
I know some people are complaining about garbage, about the security issues it brings up, etc., but I think it’s a pretty good idea, particularly when the buzzword of the hour continues to be “underground” and “guerrilla” advertising. This is a bit different and just clever enough to make it stand out a bit. At a time when Nissan is desperately trying to separate itself from other Japanese manufacturers, executions like this certainly help. I’m curious to see the results of this project.
Flash animations always risk being gimmicky and animated just for the fact of animation - but this site from Nikon is anything but. Nikon’s Universcale beautifully places everything from groups of galaxies to protons and neutrons on a scale. It’s all done with silhouettes, making for an interesting visual dynamic and giving an interesting take on the size of things.
