Nice Blow Out

Bazooka Joe Still Rules!

Agency: Duval Guillaume, Brussels.
Creative Director: Katrien Bottez, Peter Ampe
Art Director: Christian Loos
Copywriter: Raoul Maris
Photographer: Marcel Veelo


Now that's good comedy!

That's Right,

HMK

Hip Options for the Armchair Traveler

I'm always a sucker for a hip chair like the Bibliochaise I featured back in August.

The above shot is another variation, the Bookinist, designed by Nils Holger Moormann complete with a wheel to move around and take advantage of the right light. Go to the site and you can check out the smart hidden compartments under the armrest.

There's something exciting and mysterious about the Time Machine/Library look of these creations that, for me any way, seem to reinforce and enhance the notion of escapism that comes with reading a good book.


This chair is an in-progress shot from industrious That's Right reader and teacher Shaun who just completed his very own Bibliochaise for his classroom. You can view the finished project and then some over here.

Thanks for sharing Shaun.

That's Right,

HMK

Human Locator

This crappy still image grab does absolutely no justice to Human Locator's awesome interactive visual system developed by Freeset and designed expressly for advertising.

Drawing on cutting edge computer visualization techniques to track full body movement in real time, it allows consumers to actively participate in and interact with the images.

This would be an amazing way to display a menu in a restaurant or as a map for an information kiosk- check out the demos over HERE!

Have a great weekend.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Swiss Miss.

Uplifting Soundtracks

I'm really digging one of flickr's newest co-op partners, Zazzle.

Whether you're looking for custom short run items from your photos or shopping for some fresh, hip & unique gifts, do yourself a favor and check out Zazzle next time you want to suprise someone with a totally cool and virtually one of a kind gift.

The above is one of my illustrations, "Uplifting Soundtracks" on a smart looking coffee mug.

That's Right,

HMK

Hello Applebucks!

Lots of iPod news today - upgrades and improvements abound!

And I got my wish - an iPhone without the phone! So as of today, I can surf the internet with my iPod!

I'm also digging the fact that the new touch screen wi-fi iPod, dubbed The iPod Touch, enables shopping for songs using Apple's iTunes service wirelessly in Starbucks stores.

And according to the Keynote today, the wi-fi at Starbucks is now free with the iPod Touch and iPhones.

Sweet!

The service starts in New York and Seattle on Oct. 2 (my birthday!), and will be rolled out in other cities later.

That's Right,

HMK

These Times They Are A-Changin'

In anticipation of tomorrow's Apple event, The Beat Goes On, here's a little dweebie designer Apple news.

Going sans 3-D and replacing the old school Garamond with the new iPod era and easier-on-the-eyes font Myriad, check out this flickr pool of signs fresh from the Apple campus in Cupertino.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
It's September again

And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' now
What it's name is.
For the video now
Will be even more thin

For the times they are a-changin'.

That's Right,

HMK

Big thanks to Bob Dylan for the song and Morgan for the nice shots.

Zune Spelled Backwards

Wow - it's amazing how the graphic reinforces the type - Brilliant!

Reminds me alot of the cool merch concept over at the brand spanking new National Lampoon Hoax site.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Leander Kahney over at Cult Of Mac.

Book Trade Labels

Anyone who handles old books will have come across these small and sometimes beautiful labels pasted more or less discreetly into the endpapers.


Publishers, printers, binders, importers, distributors and sellers of books -- new, second-hand and antiquarian -- used to advertise in this way their contribution to bringing the book to market.


Grab some fresh coffee and check out the gallery over at Seven Roads.

Have a great weekend!

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks over at Design Observer.

NFL Logo Revamp

The National Football League is launching a makeover of its red, white and blue "NFL Shield" logo that adorns everything from player jerseys to fan T-shirts and hats.

The league is creating a leaner, meaner version of the iconic logo that will debut at the NFL draft in April, 2008. The revamped shield will be slightly taller and thinner, with a new football, fewer stars and darker colors, says Lisa Baird, the NFL's senior vice president of marketing. The redesign marks the first changes to the shield since 1980.

At the NFL's annual meeting this spring, commissioner Roger Goodell talked about the NFL Shield as the "envy of the sports world." The league has been careful to make an "evolutionary, not a radical change," says Baird.

Whhew. That's actually pretty sweet, Thank God! And exactly what it needed, an evolutionary update.

More over at USAToday.

That's Right,

HMK

Hip To Be Square

As much as I dig my moleskin notebooks for on-the-fly quick sketches and note taking, I'm always on the look out and kind of a freak when it comes to nice, small squared graph paper. Which, it turns out, can be hard to find.

Thanks to the cool folks over at Incompetec, my search is over.

These guys graciously offer a multitude of custom graph paper options ranging from Semi-bisected Trapezoids, Chinese Character Guides to Guitar/Bass Fretboard Diagrams and even advertising Storyboards - whatever your sketch book needs, these guys have got you covered - and dig this, it's totally free.

Downloadable and very printable. Now, go create your own custom Graph Paper!

That's Right,

HMK

Perfect 10!

Click here and listen to Miss Teenage South Carolina waxing on maps...

Huh?

This girl's IQ is a perfect 10!

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Amelia for this one!

One More Reason To Love France

According to this chart from the New York Times, these are the legally required paid annual leave days from countries around the world.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the New York Times and Charles m. Blow for the graphic.
Source: Center for Economic and Policy Research, May 2007.

Virgin Atlantic

Nice full page ad for Virgin Atlanitic's in-flight movie offerings.

Agency: NetWork BBDO
Creative Director: Julian Watt
Art Directors: Brent Singer, Mariana O’Kelly
Executive Creative Director: Julian Watt
Copywriter: Gary du Toit

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the good folks atAd Goodness.

TypeTester

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Typetester lacus felis, euismod at, pulvinar sit amet, dapibus eu, eros. Etiam tellus. Nam vestibulum porttitor urna. Phasellus aliquet pretium quam. Proin pharetra, wisi nec tristique accumsan, magna sapien pulvinar purus, vel hendrerit ipsum tellus at ante.

Typetester is an online application for comparison of the fonts for the screen, specifically designed to make the life of any web designer easier.

So, if you have anything to do with designing for the web you'll appreciate Typetester.

That's Right,

HMK

Copywriting At It's Finest

The Bum.

I found this in the September issue of an old Sunset magazine from 1964, page 206 to be exact.

I just totally dig the copy for this BBQ ad from the Columbus Iron Works Company.

Now that's copywriting at it's finest.

That's Right,

HMK

Get It Going!

Here's to getting things done.

I've always believed that the best way to get something done, regardless of the task at hand, is to simply begin. This goes for just about everything from mowing the lawn or exercising to billing clients or just getting out of bed. (With that said, I also believe that if it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done!)

When it comes to exercise, the hardest part about running, for me anyway, is putting on my shoes. It's always that first step that always the seems the hardest. Then, once I get past the shoes and some light stretching, I'm out there and feeling better just to be moving. This same first step concept also works nicely for work as well. After a couple of cups of coffee and checking the news feeds and email, I get away from the computer, pull out the pen and paper, and the true work finally begins.

If you can relate to any of the above, and even if you're not a designer, you might want to check out the Tutorial Blog, and get some motivation in the form of productivity tips over at their excellent post: 30 Productivity Tips For Designers.

That's Right,

HMK

The Flap

I'm totally digging this storage unit, The Flap Designed by Massimo Bonetti.

Check out more over at Lago.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the cool kids over atDesign Milk.

Supernatural Bologna

Did you know that each week's HMK Mystery Stream comes with it's own custom, hi-rez cover that LOOKS, by design of course, alot like it SOUNDS?

Now you do!

Tune In: HEAR!

Click Hear and you'll be taken directly to the HMK Mystery Stream in iTunes!
That's Right,

HMK

Cool Shit

Monster Fetish.

That's Right,

HMK

All Hail the Goof!

EA Games to Incorporate Real-Time Weather

At the click of a button, the video game screen shows current weather conditions for the real-world stadium, giving gameplay some extra realism.

Get the full scoop over at Wired.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Electronic Arts and Wired for the Screenshot.

Conservatives and Creativity

A recent study published in "Personality and Individual Differences" claims that conservatives are less creative than liberals.

The creativity of 422 American college students was measured with questionnaires and exercises such as drawing and photo essays. The findings appear in an article by Stephen J. Dollinger and cites many previous suspicions for the same conclusions-here are three of them from G.D. Wilson:

First, individuals who are threatened by uncertainty may be disposed to focus on lower order needs to increase their safety and security.

Second, conformity to what is conventionally accepted focuses the individual on traditions (what is old), whereas all definitions of creativity include a focus on what is new.

Third, the authoritarian and anti-hedonistic elements of the construct would lead conservatives to devalue imagination.

Devalue the imagination?! Maybe that's why our clients hesitate when we ask them to join us outside of the box. And then again, isn't their hesitation a part of what drives creativity in the first place?

In my experience, the extent of ones creativity is almost always in direct proportion to their personality or lack there of. The more outgoing, curious and passionate one is about life in general the more interesting, creative and comfortable they seem.

It's really a matter of self confidence and self esteem. When you're confident and comfortable with yourself and your capabilities, you're less likely to feel threatened or be insecure about sharing your thoughts and ideas.

But be careful. This can be dangerous. Especially when the higher ups feel threatened by your creativity and self confidence. Once they realize that you in fact have true talent and question their half ass attempt at being creative, your days are numbered.

But, when you really think about it, they're the real losers. Because life must really suck when, after they've spent their lives faking it, living the lie and convincing everyone that they're something they're not, only to find themselves in a position where they actually have to perform and there's no one to blame but themselves when they eventually and inevidably fail.

Then what are they going to do, fire themselves?

Anyway, unfortunately, the entire article is not yet available online. But the abstract is here, and if you want more you'll have to take it up with your local librarian.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Xanthe Matychak over at Core 77

Right Now in San Antonio

That's Right,

HMK

A Skull A Day

The above Skull of the day comes complete with a downloadable template so you can make your very own.

Dig: Skull A Day.

That's Right,

HMK

Simply Brilliant Spot

Now this is a smart ad.

This spot just gets better every time I watch it! Excellent work.

Le Vent. Simplement Brillant.

C'est Exact.

HMK

Hand Painted Type

The above is one of my contributions, a dentista sign I shot in beautiful Cuernavaca, Mexico.

I'm a member of a few groups over at flickr that share the desire to share. I've recently joined a new group that I've got to pass along - check out this awesome, ever-growing, slide show entitled Signpaintr.

If you're into hand painted signs you 'll love it - and if you'ld like to share some shots of your own, please join the group!.

Take me to: Signpaintr!

And if you're looking for more eye candy and type related stimuli, check out this older post: Inspirational Slide Shows!

Enjoy!

That's Right,

HMK