Link roundup

1. Funny headline: "Homeopathy's Ineffectiveness Saves Lives." (As a demonstration, people ingested what should have been massive overdoses of "medication." But since the "medications" were homeopathic, they contained no active ingredients and had no ill effects.)

2. Even funnier, Zach Galifianakis's latest Between Two Ferns.

3. Conan O'Brien aired hilariously offensive mock Groupon commercials.

Link roundup

1. Check out the remarkable face on this caterpillar. (I don't think it's photoshopped?)

2. Lady on a motorbike.

3. Anyone received a letter like this? Anthem Blue Cross sent us a letter that simply says, "Our records show that your child may not have received an immunization that is included in a recently updated shot schedule. We've included a postcard that serves as a reminder to schedule an appointment with your child's health care provider." The letter does not tell us which shot they think we might have missed. And the "postcard" is a promotional insert from Pfizer that emphasizes the importance of vaccines.

Link roundup

1. L.A. Scavenger Hunt, starting 2PM on December 4, sounds like a lot of fun.

2. "Unintentionally Hilarious Product Placement on Soap Operas." (This Chex Mix is so good. Oh no, I spilled it on you. Take off your shirt.) Via.

3. Destructoid gave Epic Mickey a lackluster review.

*Buy Oswald the Lucky Rabbit toys at eBay.

ADT invaded homes to try to sell alarms

How to convince apartment dwellers that their homes weren't safe and that they needed to pay for security systems? Why not slide a spring-loaded box under their door so they'd think their home had been invaded? Via these fine sites.

Ironically-carved ivory

Is this ad for the World Wildlife Fund supposed to discourage us from killing elephants for their ivory, or remind how beautiful carved ivory is?

*Buy scrimshaw collections at Amazon.

Racist Tide advertisement

The slogan for this Tide ad by Leo Burnett is "Don't let your colors mix." It's an anti-miscegenation message, right?

Examples of unbranding?

Unbranding is when you try to disassociate your brand with a particular celebrity - - for example, supposedly Coach doesn't want its upscale handbags associated with Jersey Shore's Snooki, so it sends her free purses made by rivals. The two commercials below, which are currently in very heavy rotation in Los Angeles, must be examples of unbranding, right?

The woman in this commercial for Lowe's looks like...well here's a few comments at Youtube:

only reason I searched this video is to say these two shouldnt commit incest, it could create problems for the future generations.

Am I the only one who thinks they look related?

if related you mean they are both inbred and thats the explanation for her forehead then yes.





And this commercial for Carl's Jr is so repulsive that I'm convinced it was paid for by Jack in the Box:

Zynga put faux bullet holes in cars to promote Mafia Wars?

Supposedly Zynga tagged all cars in the East Village with decals promoting Mafia Wars. Seems like tricking people into believing they've been the victim of a crime should be a crime. Via.

Fair use?

These book-cut illustrations are by Thomas Allen, one of my favorite artists:






Over the weekend, I spotted these ads at Ads of the World, and assumed they were by Thomas. They're not.




I contacted Thomas to ask about them. He was outraged and investigated. The responses from the advertising company, which claims fair use, and their "client" offer a fascinating look into the world of advertising competitions.

*Previously: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Thomas Allen.

*Buy Thomas Allen: Uncovered at Amazon.

George Washington dressed as Lady Gaga (link roundup)

Defaced money featuring Lady Gaga's fashions (site, including the header, features unpleasant imagery). Via these sites.

And a few more links:

1. Pretty exciting comic strip about folding laundry.

2. Silly animated gif about a prison visit.

3. During news broadcasts, KTLA 5 in Los Angeles ran a three-part series on how great Ford is doing. At the end of the newscasts, they ran a disclaimer saying that Ford had paid a "sponsorship fee" to KTLA "in connection" with the coverage. Via.

*Previously: Lady Gaga fashion cookies.

*Buy US President bobbleheads at eBay.

Golden Wookiee pelt, pehaps? (link roundup)

Golden pelt/chainmail - - part of a gallery featuring the latest in men's fashion, including Katie Eary's "visceral look at the human body."

And a few more links:

1. Wizard of Oz-themed Fairy Tale Fiascos poster.

2. Bizarre banner ad model. (Can't say I've ever noticed them on a site.)

3. Party Food Recipes Roundup, including BBQ Jalapeño Poppers.

*Previously: Monster pelt rug.

*Buy Wizard of Oz toys at eBay.

Origami Krampus (link roundup)

Origami Krampus by Joseph Wu. See also: Origami monkey.

And a few more links:

1. Woman with raven mask by Helen Rusovich.

2. Ads apparently pop up after nearly every play in the latest version of Madden football.

3. Comment and win a bobblehead.

*Previously: Origami frog creatures.

*Buy masks at Amazon.

Local news billboard FAIL

A billboard for a news station in Alabama unfortunately juxtaposes a photo of the three anchors with the headline, "3 Accused of Gang Rape in Monroeville." Via.

*Previously: Transforming Decepticon billboard.

*Buy Fail Nation: A Visual Romp Through the World of Epic Fails at Amazon.

Sugar Skull paper toy (link roundup)

Download the sugar skull here.

And a few more links:

1. The fat lady sings.

2. Weird: A woman is suing Toyota for convincing her that she was being stalked - - part of a promotion for the Matrix.

3. Psychonauts fanart.

*Previously: Valkyrie amigurumi.

*Buy Day of the Dead Crafts: More than 24 Projects that Celebrate Dia de los Muertos at Amazon.

Skinny mirrors

This is just asking for trouble - - Coca-Cola vending machines with mirrored exteriors. The mirrors are curved to make you look thinner. I'm guessing/hoping this is unauthorized spec work by someone who will one day get his client in trouble. Via.

By comparison - - mirrors set up to show you how you'd look in certain clothing:



Those ads are by Dragster. Via.

*Previously: Boost your self esteem with the thumbs up mirror.

*Buy compacts at Amazon.

These Playstation ads are a little too high concept for me

Rommel gives blood and Joan of Arc donates her heart to gamers...I guess? Because getting a Nazi's blood would make you a totally awesome gamer? Or maybe BBDO views him as a good Nazi? Via.

*Previously: BBDO gang recruiting ad.

*Buy Joan of Arc toys at eBay.

Star Wars book covers (link roundup)

Go here to download various Star Wars book covers.

And a few more links:

1. Gawker criticizes the slimy AdSense ads (and the company behind them) that they extensively ran on their sites.

2. A disturbing description of the way IBM aggressively outsources jobs (and the way every other business will eliminate jobs).

3. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nominated Ahmad Vahidi to serve as defense minister. Vahidi is wanted by Interpol in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires. Thomas Barnett explains why this is actually good news.

*Previously: Download some Star Wars Clone Wars masks.

*Buy Polish Star Wars posters at eBay.

Jar-Jar stars in a Microsoft ad

OK, for those of you who missed it, here's a typically bland Microsoft print ad, featuring a beautiful cultural rainbow (and what looks suspiciously like a MacBook).



The Polish apparently aren't as enthusiastic about the colors of the rainbow, and the ad was slightly modified for that market:



TechCrunch invited parodies, and received a huge number. My favorites star Jar-Jar and the blue screen of death:



I mean this sincerely, the Clone Wars episodes featuring Jar-Jar were so funny that I've become quite fond of him.

*Previously: If Jar-Jar became Dr. Manhattan.

*Buy Jar-Jar Binks toys at eBay.

Amanda Visell's Skunk King (link roundup)

Amanda Visell's Skunk King wooden sculpture. More photos here.

And a few more links:

1. Just assume everything you put on a computer will eventually be public knowledge - - the iPhone and iPod Touch’s Mail app doesn’t properly delete email.

2. Is this how Gizmodo advertises the Slanket?

3. McDonald's Japan has a new ad campaign mocking white foreigners.

*Previously: McDonald's Japan hired 1,000 actors to line up in front of its new minimalist store.

*Buy Amanda Visell toys at eBay.

Nissan Goatse?

Spotted here, and as far as I can tell, a real Nissan ad. (Don't look up goatse if you don't know what it is.)

*Previously: Nissan paper toys.

*Buy vintage car posters at eBay.