Obamicon

ObamiconNope, that’s not a dinosaur. It’s a new site that lets you, in the spirit of SimpsonizeMe.com, make yourself look like Shepard Fairey‘s iconic Barack Obama poster / TIME magazine cover.

Since moving to NYC, I’ve been fascinated by Mr. Fairey’s career. Most notably, his OBEY campaign which any New Yorker can’t miss (and which Katherine bought me a cool AndrĂ© face belt from the shop at Fairey’s alma mater, RISD). And his work with various magazines (TIME), campaigns (Obama) and movies (Walk the Line).

He’s fasinating, mostly, because he’s different. He’s part Charles Spencer Anderson of French Paper Company fame because of the clip art stylings and rough edges. He’s part Paul Rand because of the iconographic feel of his work. He’s part Keith Harring because of the graffiti/guerilla nature of his early work. But to my knowledge, there’s really no one that has been like him in the design world. Go create your own Obamicon and think about the above. Let me know if I’m wrong.

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That’s the ironic message boldly written at the top of the Dell Live Chat support page, next to the quirky speech bubbles and positioned over the “Feedback” link with the rotating +/- icon.

At the bottom of the screen, users can view their number in the queue waiting for assistance. I’m currently number 75. Read more

AdRants: ERA404 Viral Ad “Hottest of 2008”

This week, AdRants posted their annual “Hottest Ads” of the year, listing ERA404’s viral marketing video for author Charles Bock’s Beautiful Chidren (www.beautifulchildren.net) as one of this year’s best:
slinkyfoxvideo.jpgWatching this SlinkyFox video will toy with your emotions. First you’ll be wowed by Landie, a girl-next-door hottie who looks like she’s getting ready to shoot a porn video. Then you’ll be skeeved by the sliminess of the director, who intones cheesy, increasingly creepy questions at Landie.

Oddly, you might even marvel at Landie’s acting abilities as she reacts to the director’s pointed questions. But you will most definitely experience surprise when you find out what the whole thing is for.

Some marketers love to test the limits of what’s acceptable and tactics vary widely from country to country. But it’s a safe bet to assume actual porn is something we’re not likely to see very often in advertising. In any country.