Friday, October 31, 2008

Disaster Fashion Photography by Phillip Toledano

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I’ve recently featured the creative photography of New York artist Phillip Toledano (see here), but when I saw these disaster-themed fashion shots by him, I had to post them. There is something captivating about a model wearing an expensive stylish suite next to debris and damaged properties.

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My Brightest Diamond :: Inside a Boy

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Such a beautiful and creative music video for the song Inside a Boy by the band My Brightest Diamond. It starts mellow and slow then the monsters and bombs come. Brilliant art direction and illustration.

 

MP3 DOWNLOADS

>> My Brightest Diamond – Inside a Boy (via sterogum)

>> My Brightest Diamond – Inside a Boy (Son Lux Remix) (via music is art)

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Amnesty International ad :: Crazy Leaders

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Unlike their usual graphic and serious ads, this new spot from Amnesty International shows the “Crazy Leaders” of the world. Pretty funny and light hearted.

 

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Fashion Photography by Phillip Toledano



New York artist Phillip Toledano showcases fashion creations as true pieces of art in this creative fashion photography series. I love the attention to details and the art direction. See two more pictures from this series below.



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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Ad Shockvertising :: Trend Hunter TV Halloween Special


 

Shockvertising refers to shocking and controversial advertising. Shockvertising involves the use of blood, violence, and excessive sex. The approach has been overused but it still seems to work in grabbing the attention of viewers. In the end, a negative but viral ad is more effective in generating brand awareness than a boring safe ad.

 

The second official episode of Trend Hunter TV showcases ten of the most shocking advertising campaigns this past year and explores some of the current shockvertising techniques such as fake lesbians, fake murders, and even employees getting punched in the face to promote their agency!

 

Watch the episode above then click on the image below to browse the cluster of trends and posts that are featured in this episode.

 

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Shockingly Funny Ads :: DIY or Cheating Girlfriend

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Pretty witty print ads from Leroy Merlin (DIY and home improvement European company).Do you prefer to walk on the gardener or plumper doing your wife or would you rather Do It Yourself?

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Campaign by Leo Burnett, Sao Paulo. One more ad below.

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Friday, October 24, 2008

Statuesque in Wound Magazine



The recent issue of Wound magazine features an artistic editorial "Statuesque" with male model Chad White and a female model painted as a statue. The editorial was photographed by Paolo Zambaldi with art director Laurent Dombrowicz and fashion editor Matthiue Pabiot. See four more pictures below.








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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

My phone knows everything about me

Nice spot in the “Somebody Else's Phone” campaign for Nokia Supernova phones.

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MUSIC :: Robyn - Cobrastyle (Official Music Video)


Music video for Cobrastyle by Robyn.




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Monday, October 20, 2008

Trend Hunter TV :: Visual Explosion of Viral Videos

Trend Hunter Magazine has launched the new and exciting Trend Hunter TV which is a fast and fun visual exploration of viral and innovative trends. And to make things even more convenient, the episodes are hosted on YouTube, making them easy to share and view.

Watch the first episode above, which has a theme of "Viral Videos" and features the best viral videos of 2008.

You can also check out the episode's page to visit any of the trends and videos featured in this episode.


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Sunday, October 19, 2008

Adidas Ads : All Day I Dream About Sneakers

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“All Day I Dream About Sneakers” is a cool new Adidas ad campaign by Lifelounge, Melbourne, Australia.

 

Under art direction by Dimitri Kalagas and creative direction by Daniel Pollock, the print campaign consists of 8 fantasies about Adidas sneakers.

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Fashion Ads :: The Bargain Hunt

 

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We’ve all been there. You had your eye on that expensive piece, and when the crazy sales come, your hunter instinct kicks in and no one can stand in your way. That is the essence of these “Bargain Hunt” ads by Selmore, Amsterdam for De Bijenkorf.

 

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I like the execution of the idea. The ads show different variations and scenarios. Model wise I like the first ad with the Tarazan jumping girl, but the running shows look damn funny in the third ad below.

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Saturday, October 18, 2008

Music Video :: Human by The Killers



Here is the new music video for "Human", the great first single from the upcoming album "Day and Age" by The Killers.

Ps. If you missed my earlier post, check out a download of Human and a cool mix by Christian Vorbau here.

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Weird Ads :: Conserve Water by Peeing in Public!

 

 

Ogilvy Advertising London created this quirky PSA commercial for MTV Switch to encourage people to conserve water. How? By urinating in public places instead of the toilet. That way you don’t have to flush!

 

The unorthodox PSA will start running online and in cinemas across Europe soon.

 

In case you wonder about the beautiful song used as a soundtrack, the track is called “Miserere Mei” and is composed by Bouwe Dykstra.

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Ads :: Sony Bravia Commercial :: Domino City

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The new Sony Bravia video commercial is Like No Other. Brilliant!

The Sony Bravia (Domino City) commercial was shot in India by director Nic Finlayson for ad agency Bates141 Singapore.

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Check out a "making of" video to see how the commercial was shot with 100 giant pieces of domino.



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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Lady Gaga :: Beautiful Dirty Rich Video

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Lady Gaga ‘Beautiful Dirty Rich’ video is outrageous and brilliant. It's even better than hot sex. Wel... Almost. (if the YouTube video doesn't work, check it out here)


In fact, the song is so good, it was featured in a special promo for Season 2 of one of my favorite shows, "Dirty Sexy Money". How perfect!


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Paper is Evil

 

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Haha, these ads made me laugh out loud.

“Paper is Evil” is a campaign by DDB Canada for Snaptax.ca, an online service to do your taxes instead of using paper.

Such a naughty little paper monster!

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Music :: Boyfriend x 2

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Alphabeat currently is one of my favorite pop/dance groups, and Boyfriend is one of their really cool songs. Early on, Alphabeat made a quirky but cool video for Boyfriend. But after they became famous, their label decided on a “big budget” video. I have to say I much prefer the simple organic video. I also prefer the ‘slower’ version of the song that was used  in the first video. However, both videos and versions still rock. heck them out below!

 

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Funtography :: Blending Landmarks with Souvenirs

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Michael Hughes is a photography and tourism lover who likes photographing famous landmarks after replacing them with cheap souvenirs. After traveling to over 200 countries, he has accumulated over a hundred of these quirky photos. Check out 7 more examples of his creative photography in my post at Trend Hunter magazine.

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Beautiful Photography :: Angelina Jolie by Brad Pitt

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W Magazine has revealed some of the photos from the much hyped Angelina Jolie shoot by Brad Pitt. The full set can be seen in the November "Art Issue" of W Magazine, which hits newsstands on October 21. Check out 6 more images in my photo post at Trend Hunter magazine.

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Music :: The Killers >> Human



One of my favorite bands, The Killers, have a new album called "Day And Age" coming soon. The first single "Human" has already been released, and I love it. How can I not love a song with the line, "Are we human, or are we dancer?"
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Here are links to downloads of Human and a cool remix by Christian Vorbau.
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>> The Killers - Human via Indie Rocker

>> The Killers - Human (Christian Vorbau Remix) via Pretty Much Amazing
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PSA Ads :: Don't Vote





"Don't Vote" PSAs by Borders Perrin Norrander with Creative Director: Terry Schneider, Art Director: Jeremy Boland, Nick Kamei, Copywriter: John Heinsma, Bem Jimmerson, Illustrator: Eric Stevens, Jeremy Boland.
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Arab Aquarius Update :: Feedback Please!


Hi Everyone.

I made a little change to the blog's template. Now it has 3 columns instead of two. The size of the post area is now a little bit bigger, and the extra column gives me more space to organize my other content.

Also, since my blog has a rather 'open' vibe that includes fashion, music, fun advertising campaigns and design, I started adding an 'identifier' word to the titles of new posts to make it easier to tell what the post is about. So for example if you don't fancy a fashion post, you can tell from the title which starts with "Fashion ::" and just scroll to the next post without having to study the content of the post.

Ofcourse you can always use the labels I provide at the top of the right column to filter the content according to what you like.

I have also adjusted the posts to be expandable, so that I can have the post display a bit in the main blog, and if you want to see the rest of the content you click on the link to read the rest of the post.

I think this is better because some posts have too many images, so the reader has to scroll down for too long to get to the next post.

If you have an opinion or recommendation about these changes, or any other change you'd like to see, please leave a comment in this post or drop me an email.

I would love to hear from you.

Ayman (The Arab Aquarius)

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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Ads :: Pepsi :: Trade Off Campaign

I'll give you anything for a Pepsi, man!




French campaign by CLM BBDO with photographer Vincent Dixon, art director Cedric Moutaud, and creative directors Jean Francois Sacco, and Gilles Fichteberg. See one more shot below.



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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Fashion Photography :: Stranger in a Strange Land







'Stranger in a Strange Land' is a fantastic editorial from the October 2008 issue of Vogue Nippon with model Carmen Kas, photographer Yelena Yemchuk, and stylist Anastasia Barbieri. It's not just a fashion shoot, it's an artistic interpretation of feelings. Check out 7 more images of this beautiful editorial below.









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Ads :: Nike 'Fate' Commercial




Nike has released a cool 'dramatic' commercial directed by David Fincher that follows the life-journey of pro footballers LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu from their birth to their destined collision in an NFL football game.


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Music :: Britney Spears Womanizer Video



The much anticipated Britney Spears music video for new single, Womanizer. Nokia makes a superstar product placement with their new Nokia 5800 SpressMusic touch-phone making two big cameos in the video.




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Friday, October 10, 2008

Art :: W Magazine Angelina Jolie Cover Photo



Angelina Jolie looks beautiful on the W Magazine cover of the November issue. The photos were taken by Brad Pitt. Add excellent photographer to his CV!

Check out previous features from W Magazine on The Arab Aquarius: Love/Hate by Calvin Klein; Cairo by Philip Lorca DiCorcia; and Kiss The Sky by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott featuring Giesel.

Click each picture for the full set.


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Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The Economist - Oh Fuck!


The cover of the September 27th issue of The Economist eloquently captures the current state of the economy and awful credit crisis.
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Oh Fuck indeed!!!
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Check out more unusual and offensive magazine cover stories I wrote about at Trend Hunter magazine below.




Political Magazine Satire - Sarah Palin Parodied on New Yorker Cover (GALLERY)

(TREND HUNTER) VP candidate Sarah Palin is being roasted once again for her rather silly claim that Alaska’s proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy experience. Following the Tina Fey SNL skit which made fun of… [More]




Offensive New Yorker Covers - Obama Loves Osama (GALLERY)

(TREND HUNTER) Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama and his wife are featured on an extremely controversial and bigoted cover on the new issue of the New Yorker magazine. Where do I begin? Everything about the cover screams… [More]




Racist Obama Magazine Covers - Vanity Fair Parodies New Yorker

(TREND HUNTER) Vanity Fair has parodied the now infamous August 2008 New Yorker magazine cover which depicted presidential hopeful, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama under many racist and bigoted misconceptions.… [More]
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Monday, October 6, 2008

Declare Yourself

Declare Yourself >> Register To Vote Online





Photographed by David LaChapelle. Click read more for 5 more pictures.







Register to vote online here.
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Sunday, October 5, 2008

Ads :: Are You Ready To Be Reborn?



Harvey Nichols ad campaigns are always creative and unusual. These ads by Concept, Turkey continue the strike with a clever concept of showing shoppers as newborns with the delivery doctor holding them upsidedown. The ads use the tagline, "Are you ready to be reborn?"




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Saturday, October 4, 2008

What iPhone? Here is Nokia 5800 XpressMusic


Nokia has finally released its first ever touchscreen phone (aka iPhone killer). The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has a competetive price of $400 without any subsidizes or contracts (and free with a contract) and packs powerful punches. See a video demo and detailed info in my post here.






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Political Fashion :: Paris Says YES to Obama


Obama made a fashionable debut on the catwalks of Paris during the Jean-Charles de Castelbajac Spring 2009 show. See more of this political fashion suport here.

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Political Assvertising


Guess which musician posed as an ass in a very sly and clever effort to promote Obama? See here.

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Weight Fashion



If you've got it, flaunt it!




A fun belt that shows your waist size (in centimeter).

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Split Personality Furniture


This Bedside Lamp by LifeGoods doubles as a cool lamp and a handy bowl to put your glasses, pens, papers and such when you sleep.
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Simple and practical.

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Controversial Ads - Women Should Serve Men

Is it just me or are these ads extremely sexist and misogonystic? I mean, yeah, I get the "pretty women in sexy clothes" bit, but do they have to be as small as a brush while they polish the man's shoe???!!!




The ads are from a new campaign for Kiwi Shoe Polish by Grey ad agency Hong Kong. Needless to say, the whole creative team in male...

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Fashionable Spam - Hot Fashion Acessories


I usually hate spam, but I was pleasantly surprised with this spam mail that ended up in my blog's email account. It is an ad for Alex & Chloe launching their hot hot hot collection at Cloette Paris and Cloette x Gap NY stores.
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I don't get much spam because I have the email as an image and not text, and this one was sent from their official AlexAndChloe.com email, so I think their marketing department is targeting fashion blogs (I know my blog isn't a typical fashion blog, but I do feature fashion posts each now and then).
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Regardless, I have already seen the hot melting accessories in fashion blogs before, but seeing the ad made them look all too nice not to feature. Check out their complete range in their online catalog.
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Friday, October 3, 2008

D&G Fall/Winter 2008-9 Ads



Dolce & Gabbana gave us a glimpse in their D&G pre-fall ads, and here we have the Fall/Winter 2008-2009 campaign for the D&G collection goes for a Scottish family portrait vibe, as opposed to the Dolce & Gabbana New York gangster themed campaign. The D&G campaign was shot by Mario Testino.






Models: Alice Burdeu, Aline Weber, Iris Strubegger, Laura Blokhina, Martha Streck, Olga Sherer, Jesper Lund,Erin Heatherton, Milagros Schmoll, Guy Robinson, Eddie Klint, Eugen Bauder, Malte Heininger and Hampus Ahlquist.


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Thursday, October 2, 2008

Please Do Not Vote

Very cheeky and clever celebrity video to encourage voting

Song of Choice

>> A Perfect Circle - Freedom of Choice

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Video of The Moment

 

Minibox 3 Column Blogger Template by James William at 2600 Degrees