So a friend of mine from the UK (Bob Davies of PicWorkflow) was shopping in a local bookstore.  He was waiting in line near the check out register, and suddenly glanced over at this end cap display of ridiculousness.  After bursting out in laughter, and getting a bunch of crazy stares from everyone else in the store, he had to explain to the strangers around him, “I know that guy on the box there.”  Yet another funny example of how you just never know where, when, or how certain stock photos might get used, and might turn up.  It seems that this man flu gag gift set has been sold out everywhere online, including amazon UK.  If I could get my hands on one, I probably would.  Thanks again to Bob for finding this; more importantly, snapping a camera phone pic and sending it to me

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“The thing about internet quotes is that it’s pretty hard to verify their authenticity.”

– Abraham Lincoln

Someone was either really clever, or really bored.  They turned a regular blue public city waste receptacle into our favorite blue cookie eating monster from Sesame Street!  Either way, a very creative use of converting something normal or everyday into something funny.

Print advertisements really have come a long way over the years.  Here are a bunch that I’ve found recently that are very inspirational.  Some of these even have an inspirational message, in addition to being visually inspiring.

How true is this?  We need to choose our words very wisely when speaking to children; especially our own kids.  Sticks and stones break bones, but you can stifle a child with harsh words.

Got fish breath?  Then you need some Clorets!  This is such a great ad, with lots of copy space. Read the rest of this entry »

Graphic design has undergone a lot of change in the last 100 years.  They only just started using computers in design back in the late 80s, or early 90s.  But besides the technical side of things, society has changed a lot over the years as well.  We have had endless technological advances in product design, health standards, science, and even general common knowledge.  We’re living in an informed generation, where you can learn anything in a matter of a minute spent searching Google.  Here are 15 retro / vintage print ads that might come across the wrong way by today’s standards.  I hope you get a kick out of these flashbacks from the dark ages.  Some of them are hilarious, others quite offensive by today’s standards.

That’s definitely a realistic reenactment of what happens after blowing tabacco smoke into a pretty woman’s face.  About 5 Tipalets for 25 cents.  Not 5, but about 5.  Just in case we throw in an extra half, or 4, or 6, or 3.  Read the rest of this entry »