Spotted in New York City: Final Exit

I recently gave a talk at the New York Public Library's Grand Central Branch and discovered this sign in a stairwell in the building. Needless to say I did not go through that door.

Spotted in LA: A Reason Not To Fill Up

I was walking by a gas station when I was in Los Angeles (yes, I realize the irony of that phrase) when I spotted a small video screen on the gas pump. I assume it was for advertising, and I'm not entirely surprised that it's gotten to that level, but I have to say they might need to screen the content better. Apocalyptic explosions? Not really the most appealing thing to see during a fill up. Perhaps it was to encourage fuel conservation?

EconoArts?

Is it just me, or is the logo for Center Stage, the new, controversial, arts center here in Richmond, VA remarkably similar to a well known hotel chain's logo? Just sayin...



p.s. I always thought that the EconoLodge logo looked like it was advertising that they had clean toilets.

Who's looking out for the Insurance Companies?

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

WWF : Act Now For The Planet

The Ogilvy agency created three humorous visuals for the WWF called Emergency; with some great photographs from the Romanian studio Carioca. The three themes are "Ambulance, Firemen & Boat".
The message is ’ÄúYou can’Äôt afford to be slow in an emergency’Äù



















































via.

DIY Artist

For those of you who can't afford an original Damien Hirst or Banksy piece, why not create your own? iArtistLondon has put together the tools you need to get started as an "artist" in handy kit form. There are several well known British artists to pick from, though the site doesn't make it clear if this is merely a parody or something they'll really sell you.

Got Humans ?

Do you have a lush green planet with a self sustaining ecosystem? Then you need humans! In just a few short years we will destroy it for you. [FYI contains Not Safe For Work language]

via

How To Greewash

A helpful cartoon from Lunchbreath...


via

Stay Free!: The Book

Ad Nauseum is a brand new book about consumer culture from my friends at the Stay Free!. It's a collection of new items along with material from their fantastic and sadly defunct Stay Free! Magazine, which was a consistently smart & funny critique of marketing/advertising. Find out more HERE.

Painfully Funny: Vendor/Client Relations in the Real World

This one pretty much speaks for itself if you're in this business (or a lot of others)...



Thanks Anne!

Linkage: Plastering Over Kids and Avoiding Gorilla Gazes

Freaky ads make a powerful statement about neglected children. (image shown)

A clever way to get people to see an art exhibition... pay them!

One zoo's solution to gorillas who don't like to be watched? Literal eye glasses. (image shown) via

Roughstock Studios helps you choose the right Green Certification.

New Japanese vending machines are dispensing free snacks during disasters. Thanks Carlos!

FEMA is no longer distributing their disaster coloring book (but you can still download it from the Smoking Gun).

The always dependable Onion explains how corporations are going green. via

Type is for the birds...literally. (image by swardraws shown) Thanks Juliette!

Has it come to this? Make your own money...

The always entertaining Atypyk has a new product appropriate for the current economy: Color-It-Yourself Money. Hopefully there are some people left who can actually afford to buy these.

Tribute to Obama

Mustafa Topaloglu is a Turkish folk song singer. He did this song as a tribute to U.S. President Barack Obama. The song is both in Turkish and in English, if you wait 'til the end you'll see subtitles. Enjoy :

Hope - Obama - Tbox

After this ad from the Turkish bank Garanti, it's now the turn of the Turkish clothing brand T-Box to copy Shepard Fairey's poster "Hope".

The ad says : "Hope Dedik". in Turkish, "hop dedik" means "we said : enough !", but with a word play it says "we said : hope". "Our only hope is T-Box".





















By the way, concerning the Garanti ad, President Obama was in Istanbul last week and he must have been surprised to see his portrait like that all over the city.

Linkage: From Self-Erasing Paper to Self-Imposed Homelessness

Xerox's answer to recycling: paper that erases itself! via

Innovative campaign makes you into a homeless person (image shown).

Disney may need to sue themselves for copyright infringement. via

One for the true design geeks: "Helveticaca" Onesies (image shown).

And a few longer articles worth reading...

Ode on the mainstreaming of social entrepreneurship.
and a medicine hunter's support of indigenous cultures.

Mother Jones on the future of sustainable food in the US, fake farmer's markets, and bio-fuels VS rainforests.

New York Comes Alive

A sweet little live-action animated film using actual interviews of New Yorkers...


The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

Thanks Carlos!

Linkage: Cooking with Blockbuster and Pimping the Homeless

Growing your own food and have too much, why not trade with fellow gardeners? Thanks Scott!

PimpThisBum.com written on homeless man's sign makes a real difference. (image shown) via Thanks Russ!

New label to look out for in the coming years: Water Stewardship. via

E-waste recycling done right, in pictures (image shown). Thanks Mim!

Improv Everywhere's April Fool's video ends fooling newscasters who don't do their research.

DIY stove made from Blockbuster drop box. (image shown)

Target Women's hilarious take on Carl's Jr. ads is not to be missed.

Target Women: Barbie

Yet another great entry in Sarah Haskin's Target Women series on Current, just in time for Barbie's 50th birthday...

Linkage: Organic Hamsters and Heartwarming Graffiti

Heartwarming graffiti that no one will complain about. via

Do you trust a bank whose logo looks like underpants? Thanks Sherry & John!

Ant-consumerist Rev. Billy is running for Mayor of New York. via

Nature's Revenge graffiti (image shown) via

"Available Online For Free" the sticker (image shown) via

Biodegradable bag lasts just 60 days via

How green is your toilet paper? via

Hamsters prefer organic food, or at least this one does. via

Spotted in LA: Another Reason

I guess this artist didn't think damaging the ocean's flora & fauna was reason enough for some people to stop dumping waste in the sewers...

Linkage: From Green Screams to Green Goodbyes.

How strong are your state's gun laws? Virginia, where I live only got 18 out of 100 points!

Artist Linda Hesh helps you make a statement with where you put your butt (image shown) via

The Yes Men Fix The World in a new documentary.

House your computer in recycled cardboard...maybe one day. Thanks Leah!

Raising Awareness vs. Direct Action a guide for donors. Thanks Mim!

Green frights on a pedal powered roller coaster (image shown) Thanks Justin!

Edible diapers are the greener choice (and happily not real). via

Dust to human powder Dust: The greenest form of burial? Thanks Robert!

Bush Sings!

This delightful accompaniment to Bush's farewell address by Henry Hey is all the more enjoyable knowing he's no longer president...

Target Women

My sister recently turned me on to the excellent Current TV segment Target Women in which Sarah Haskins comments on advertising that focuses on women in her own special way...



Watch more episodes HERE.

Green Christmas

MC Lars wishes you a Green Christmas...



Thanks Mica!

Prop 8 : The Musical

Created and written, six weeks later than he should have been, by-Marc Shaiman Directed and Staged by: Adam Shankman; Produced by Adam Shankman, Marc Shaiman and Mike Farah. Starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, Andy Richter, Neil Patrick Harris and many more.

Found here.

Blog Roll: Urban Prankster

Interested in keeping up on the latest in "pranks, hacks, participatory art, flash mobs, and other creative endeavors" the Urban Prankster blog, edited by Charlie Todd of the infamous Improv Everywhere, is the place to go. Recent posts include Iraqi War Veterans Raiding a Gas Station, Welcoming Home Strangers At JFK, and The Fake NY Times on CNN.

CheatNeutral

CheatNeutral allows you to offset your infidelities by funding others to be faithful. Sounds ridiculous? That's the point. The creators of the site want to point up the problems with the idea of carbon offsets by parodying it with an analogue that easier for most people to understand:

Jealousy and heartbreak are a natural part of modern life. And sometimes, no matter how hard we try, it's just not possible to be faithful.

At Cheatneutral, we believe that we should all try to reduce the amount we cheat on our partners, but we also realise that fidelity isn't always possible.

That's why we help you neutralise your cheating. Your actions are offset by a global network of fidelity, developed by us. By paying Cheatneutral, you're funding monogamy-boosting offset projects - we simply invest the money you give us in monogamous, faithful or just plain single people, to encourage them to stay that way.

This video tells more of their story and response to their business idea...


What's your take on carbon offset/carbon credits: An effective tool for environmental change or a way to feel less guilty about business as usual?

Stephen Speilberg and Friends on Voting

And the get out the vote videos just keep coming. This one by Stephen Spielberg and MySpace is theoretically non-partisan which makes it less appealing to me (You really don't care how people vote, just that they do? I think not.)


If you missed the register to vote version (that this one references) you can see it HERE.


From 5 More Friends
Thanks Julien!

Vote Wassup '08

The popular commercial from 1999/2000 gets an excellent modern day update (by the original performers) with a political twist...



from 60 Frames
via Boing Boing

Happy Days Are Here Again

Ron Howard (and friends) are willing to go to great lengths to get you to vote for Obama this year...



from Funny or Die!

via BoingBoing

It's not my fault!

The folks at MoveOn.org have created a great little customizable parody news video to remind you that your vote is important this election. Here are a few screen shots from the one I got from them.

Make one for your friends HERE.

Beware of 9/11

A recent episode of Current's SuperNews reminds us of what we really have to fear...



Thanks Leah!

Naomi Klein on Colbert Report

Author Naomi Klein (No Logo) talks about her recent book The Shock Doctrine with Stephen Colbert...



Thanks Jeff!

At least it's not Freedom Fries...

If you needed confirmation of how the rest of the world perceives America, this cookie from France may help. My friend brought back these "international" treats from Paris that feature a series of stereotypical images for all of the countries included (samurai for Japan, ice fisherman for Greenland, etc.). So what's chosen to represent the good 'ol US of A? Some cracked out fast food of course!

Make your toilet into Art

The clever folks at Atypyk have taken Duchamp's classic subversion of modern art "Fountain" to the next logical level by making his signature into a sticker to add to your own toilet! I'm actually kinda surprised it's taken this long for it to happen.

This interview is brought to you by...

Author Lucas Conley "discusses" branding with Stephen Colbert on a recent episode...



via The Anti-Advertising Agency

Did you eat your Raisin Brhams today?

Love this commercial parody promoting arts education from Americans for the Arts...



via Osocio

Cancer Isn't Cool

Apparently it is possible for cancer to be funny after all. The massive Stand Up To Cancer research campaign, which has coordinated an awareness event with all three major US television networks on September 5th, has enlisted some familiar faces to help get the word out in surprisingly amusing ways...






via Micawaves

Become The Media

Italian art activist group Les Liens Invisible has created A Fake is a Fake as tool for parodying corporate websites. They provide free hosting space and WordPress templates that allow anyone to quickly and easily create their own alternate version of popular news destinations, the White House site, the Beijing 2008 Olympics site, and more. These sites can then be populated with whatever content you like and used as tools to educate, confuse, or amuse the unsuspecting. Find out more or start making your own Yes Men style detournement HERE.

Ms. Pac-Man: Feminist Hero?

Ms. Pac-Man: Feminist Hero is a short film by Mark & Ari...


Thanks Mica!

In the ideal world...

The Job is award winning short film from Screaming Frog Productions...



Thanks Chris!

Spotted in NYC: Relax

I love this unintentional phrase created by a partially removed sign on an empty store front in Manhattan. It's definitely something we could all use.

Bollywood Style Safe Sex Video

The "Condom Song" in Telugu from the Nrityanjali Academy, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India...



Thanks John!

RIP George Carlin

George Carlin was a great satirist whose dirty mouth will be missed. Here's some of his very NOT safe for work Seven Dirty Words routine...





Thanks Mica!

F*&@# Planet Earth!

A funny take on the truly lovely Planet Earth series (warning: contains NSFW language!)...


Thanks Leah! Via Current

Richie Bush

If you haven't read a copy of artist/activist Peter Kuper's depressingly funny parody of a Richie Rich comic book featuring George W. you can watch an animated version HERE.

Flying Spaghetti Monster Billboard in Maryland

While I'm generally not a fan of billboards there are a few I admire, including this one on the side of a house in Baltimore, Maryland featuring the infamous response to creationists in Kansas: the Flying Spaghetti Monster! Get the story behind the billboard at the Baltimore Sun.

Thanks Mica!

Read A !#&% Book!

This is the controversial parody PSA rap video "Read A Book" which has been running on BET recently... NOTE: This is really, really not work safe (language-wise).

Sign of the Times

Via Crooks and Liars.
Thanks Jessica!

Whose Fault?

I just spotted this ad on an environmental website and had to laugh at the audacity. Gee, thanks for letting us take care of your waste problem.

The Yes Men do it again!

Oh if only I could've been at the Gas and Oil Exposition 2007 in Alberta earlier this month where the collected audience of fossil fuel bigwigs were treated (unknowingly) to another brilliant prank by the Yes Men. Despite the fact that they're much more recognizable after the major release of a documentary chronicling their previous stunts (including announcing the closure of the World Trade Organization) the Yes Men still managed to make a major presentation about turning dead bodies into a new fuel source called Vivoleum and distributing candles supposedly made from a dead Exxon employee before finally being escorted off by security.

Read more of the story on Wired's Blog and also on the Yes Men's site as well.

via Boing Boing

Spotted in Washington, DC: Rap Snacks

I went up to DC last week to attend the Socially Responsible Business of Washington (SBNOW) 2007 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Symposium. On my way back to the train station I spotted this bag of "Honey Dew" flavored Rap Snacks at a street vendor.
From the bag I learned that:
A. Rap Snacks are "The Official snack of Hip Hop"
B. Rappers don't like Trans Fats (though are apparently fine with a host of preservatives, artificial colors and MSG.)
and
C. Reading is fundamental (though there was no elaboration on this point).

File Under Irony: Fakes Are Never In Fashion

Harper's Bazaar has decided to tackle the issue of counterfeit goods with a new campaign: Fakes Are Never In Fashion. And how do they plan to let folks know that it's not OK for people to make money off of something they didn't pay for or create themselves? They're having a T-shirt design competition! That's right, they've asked people to create art for them without getting paid. And the "winners"? Well according to the site they get...nothing! OK I guess they get the honor of seeing their work used by a corporation (after assigning all copyrights to them) for limited-edition T-shirts, limited-edition boxed sets, featured in upcoming issues of Harper's Bazaar, posted online, and downloadable into desktop wallpaper.

In the spirit of the competition I've decided to create my own design (shown right), but rather than submit it to them I've gone ahead and made a Cafe Press store to sell them myself HERE. Any profits will be donated to Creative Commons.

Thanks Mica!

Gap's "For Kids By Kids" on Onion News Network

Gap Unveils New 'For Kids By Kids' Clothing Line

Bill Hicks on Marketing

As usual a comedian has to say for us, what many of us just think about the field of marketing. Ah Bill Hicks, we miss you...



via Word Soup

Steven Colbert on rBGH

Steven Colbert's take on the recent flap over labeling of products using Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is, as usual, right on target...



via Treehugger, thanks Melinda!