Archive for the ‘products’ Category
Los Angeles-based photographer Lorena Turner is a self-described “social scientist with a camera.” Her series Made in China is an examination of consumerism in the United States. Turner purchases products, dusts them for fingerprints and then photographs the object under a black light to try and tell a story about its creation. Above are a tape measure, two rubik’s cubes and the back of a clock. Here’s why:
It goes without saying that we love this project. I remember visiting our factories in China for the first time and being amazed by the number of people that are responsible for making just one of our products. I realized then that even though I’m in this business of producing, I’d never considered what goes into the creation of the things I buy. It’s an interesting dichotomy, and one that has certainly changed my views on consumerism, commercialism and my own personal desire to own “stuff.” I’ve contemplated adopting a minimalist lifestyle, but for the time being I’ve simply settled on getting rid of something I own everything I buy something new. And that feels good so far. Check out the rest of Made in China here.
The shopping bag is free, mobile advertising for every company that sells goods that must be transported from one place to another. (Which is still plenty, regardless of the growth of online shopping.) Yet here in the US, I feel like it’s underutilized, existing as just another space where said company can slap their logo without giving much thought as to who’s seeing it and what, if any, impression it’s having on passersby. Enter these walk-stopping European bag advertisements, used by ad-agencies to promote products from companies like Greenpeace, Volkswagen, Red Cross and many others. This is guerrilla marketing at its finest and would do wonders for brands looking to catch peoples’ eyes and start the conversation, on the street and in real time. For once, it might be what’s on the outside that counts. Check out our favorites after the jump, and head over to Bored Panda to see the rest.
Zach Klein is a freak. He knows it. I know it. And after you watch the absurd, brilliantly self-promotional video above, you too will know it. Fitting then that Klein is the creative brains behind Freakers USA, a Wilmington, North Carolina-based company that hand-makes one-size-fits-all bottle cooling sleeves. (The coolest ones I’ve ever seen.) Freakers already surpassed its Kickstarter goal, but there are about two hours remaining to pledge and a bunch of great swag still up for grabs. I’m most interested in the $2,000 level: a grilled cheese party that Klein will throw for you and your friends from the back of his tricked-out boxcar. How can you not love this guy? Check out three more hilarious videos after the jump. (via Okay Great)
In a pop-up installation last week, British designer Lulu Guinness turned that classic stalwart of desktop novelties, pin art, into a life-size, interactive contest. The event marked the release of a pin-studded, mouth-shaped handbag called The Clerkenwell Lips Clutch. People who showed up and created an impression have been encouraged to submit their photos to Lulu’s Facebook gallery. The best impression (as decided by number of “likes” per photo) wins The Clerkenwell Lips Clutch (ÂŁ450). As you might expect, the images run the gamut from kisses to headstands to pole-dance maneuvers to Charlie’s Angels to “bring out the gimp”. Click through for the shots that left an impression on us.
The only nostalgia I have for childhood is Little League Baseball and nap time. August’s Little League World Series quells the former’s, but at this point it’s almost surreal to think that every afternoon we were obligated to sleep for somewhere between 30 minutes and one hour. Sure, in other parts of the world this luxury has translated into adulthood (see the siesta), but for us here in the USA, it’s work, work, work, and nap when you’re dead. And you know what? I think there’s something incredibly unjust about that. Enter architecture/design firm Studio KG, inventors of the OSTRICH — a portable and comfortable- (if not mildly claustrophobic-) looking “micro-environment” meant to both encourage and facilitate impromptu desk-dozes at any point during the day — who are attempting a solution to this problem. In their words:
Consider me (via Gizmodo)
If garden gnomes were magically brought to life, this is precisely the first and most-often-repeated hand gesture I imagine they would make. Designed by German artist Ottmar Hörl, the Non-Conformist Gnome is available in a variety of colors through Garden Life or directly from Hörl himself. (They’re pretty expensive though: $125 from the former and $80 from the latter, especially considering they’re made from [albeit "break-proof"] plastic.) [via Incredible Things]
These are Pick up (with chopsticks, obviously) the four pack for $23.00 from Scope Japan.
This is one of the smartest novelty products I’ve ever seen. Says Think Geek, the creator & exclusive distributor of the new Organ Transplant Lunch Cooler:
Until now, decorative candles had never really done it for me. It always seemed wasteful to melt down something an artisan had ostensibly hand-shaped. But Kirkebrann changes all that. The name of the “True Norwegian Black Candle” translates to “church fire,” and Google gives a handy assist with the product description too: “Now you can make your great black metal dream come true and burn a church in the comfort of your own home.” I can’t even tell you how helpful this is as church burning has been stagnating on my bucket list since American Airlines changed its frequent flier miles policy. The Kirkebrann candles are handmade in Bergen, Norway, a place that my black metal-listening friend referred to as having been “huge” in the black metal community. Adding further authenticity to the candle is its edition size: 666, of course. The cost in Kroner works out to about ~$30 USD per Kirkebrann. The cost for staying out of jail? Priceless. More photos after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
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