Stuff White People Like

So this blog has been discussed and linked to a ton already, but its hilarity is worth the hype. Onion-grade humor applied ad infinitum to one topic ripe for parody. Check it out.

Stuff White People Like Keep reading...

More NY Times Goodness

The Times employs some pretty skilled chart-makers. It takes some ingenuity to show dry data in an engaging and logical way, but the Times regularly publishes well-researched, well-designed visual representations of otherwise mind-numbing numbers and statistics. Here are two examples, with more likely to follow.

The Ebb and Flow of Movies: Box Office Receipts 1986 - 2007


How Generation Influences Party Affiliation

UPDATE: MoMA in New York currently has an exhibititon called "Design and the Elastic Mind" that includes a discussion of the visualization of mass quantities of data. Keep reading...

Google sees the future

Wonkette finds that Googling "NY State" shows that Lt. Governor David Paterson has already assumed his boss's job in the wake of Spitzer's embarrassing prostitution scandal.

Keep reading...

Taco Bell + Swimsuit Models = Excellent advertising

On impulse (aka compelled by male hormones), I recently purchased the 2008 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. The spreads were nice of course, but it was a Taco Bell ad that really caught my attention. Most swimsuit issue ads are what you'd expect: sexual innuendos and girls in bikinis. Few brands take any sort of creative risk, which basically ensures very few ads stand out to the reader. The Taco Bell ad, on the other hand, takes a totally different tack. The reader first sees this page:

Man, that's lame, you think. Nice job thinking outside the bun, Taco Bell. Then you turn the page and find this ad:


Using the "We're so hip by acknowledging this is an ad" technique, eh? So what's the catch?



The last page is a little confusing. The art direction is terrible; there is no transition between the "Haha, there's no hot girl here" voice to the "We need a photographer" voice. Reading it, you'd think you now actually have a chance to go on a photo shoot with Daniella. So you go to the site.

Direct Daniella

In fact, it's not actually a chance to spend some quality time with a Brazilian supermodel. It's actually way better (strategically). Visitors to the site are able to take snapshots of Daniella, as if she's really posing for them, using a prerecorded video of a mock shoot. Each visitor's shots are unique and completely realistic; bad timing, and you'll end up with quite a few of Daniella looking drowsy or drunk. At the end of the shoot you have the option to save as many of your shots as you want to your own computer. It's a creative way to engage the consumer and get many (extended) page views on the site.

Overall, I'd give the campaign an A-. It hits its target audience perfectly, as Taco Bell consumers and swimsuit-issue-buyers are heavily overlapping demographics. This integrated campaign is a whole new twist on user-generated content. It allows each individual to experience the site in his (or her) own way, while still maintaining the integrity of the brand. Keep reading...