WebUrbanist » Guerilla Marketing & Ads

Flying People Zoom Through the Sky in Manhattan

Steph — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:00:07 +0000

If you saw human figures zooming through the sky – just flying on their own, with no parachutes or jet packs apparent – what would go through your mind? Would you think you were losing it? Believe that superheroes really do exist? Fear that it was part of some kind of bizarre terrorist attack, give the location near the Statue of Liberty in New York City?

The Manhattanites who witnessed the display of flying people might have thought any one of those things. Or, they might have realized that the figures aren’t real, and that they must be part of some kind of art project.

In fact, they’re human-shaped RC planes, and the stunt is a viral marketing effort for the upcoming superhero movie, ‘Chronicle.’ Marketing or not, the video is incredible, and it would have been amazing to see it in person.

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Fluffy Firearms? 12 Hilarious Non-Violent Weapons

Delana — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:00:51 +0000

Implements of war and destruction are often seen as fascinating objects in themselves, for a variety of reasons. British designer and artist Kyle Bean created a series of harmless weapons that celebrate the beauty of their form without promoting the violence with which their real-world counterparts are associated.

(images via: Kyle Bean)

The suite of “soft guerrilla” weapons was created for a magazine article all about guerrilla gardening and other “soft” forms of rebellion.

By keeping the forms but changing the materials, the weapons lose all of their perceived power. Dynamite made of ice cream bars, bullets made of birthday candles and a machine gun made of clay simply don’t have the intimidation power of the real articles.

These non-weapons are equal parts serious statement and tongue-in-cheek fun. They are, of course, entirely harmless – and so any guilt that one might feel at admiring their graceful forms is handily dispatched.

(image via: Bryan Ku)

In a similar vein is this group of pillow fight weapons from Bryan Ku. Modeled after some wickedly dangerous objects like a double-sided Viking axe and a pair of nunchucks, the fluffy pillows could make pillow fights way more interesting. In fact, your opponents might simply surrender when they see you coming at them with a ninja throwing star.

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Flash on the Way Out? 21 Flash Sites That Are Staying Strong

Marc — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:00:04 +0000

Flash sites were once the epitome of technology and creativity, and despite being much maligned by Apple in recent years, there is still plenty of life left in a high quality flash site. Whether they were created to entertain, educate, or promote a product, classic examples of flash sites can still steal hours from one’s day.

Music

(Images via burn-studios, incredibox)

Hardcore musicians will love Burn Studios, a site that allows one to have their own digital recording studio. The beautifully rendered buttons and dials lend a highly realistic feel to the entire process. For a more laid back and fun music-making session, it’s fun to try out Incredibox, a beat boxing simulator full of French charicatures.

For the Kids!

(Images via hasbro, buildyourwildself)

Most sites are not incredibly kid friendly, but Hasbro and Build Your Wild Self are exceptions. The first site lets one play classic board games on the computer, while the second allows a kid to express their creativity while learning about animals at the zoo.

Games

(Images via cdx-thegame, gettheglass)

Flash games aren’t all shooting spaceships and racing cars. CDX is a dark point and click that starts one out in a room with no apparent exit… while Get the Glass is a thinly veiled sponsorship for milk that has some surprisingly quality art.

Making Faces

(Images via flashface, mono-1)

If one fancies themselves a great portrait artist, these may be the sites for you. Flash Face is an incredibly robust face creation tool that allows one to come up with a funny portrait within minutes, or an eerily realistic one over a longer time period. Monoface is just plain fun. Created by an agency, this face shuffle mixes different parts of the agency’s employees faces into a million hilarious combinations.

Educational

(Images via wechoosethemoon, history)

Want a little more substance while browsing the internet at work? We Choose the Moon is an immersive experience that carries one through the entire moon launch process from lift off to landing. Civil War 150 celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with clean style and interestingly interactive infographics.

Decorating Help

(Images via colorschemedesigner, idecorabili)

Not many people know their way around a color wheel anymore, and now there’s no need! With the help of Color Scheme Designer, one can simply pick a color they like, and they’re presented with an entire color scheme that is perfectly complimentary. Idecorabili is a fun way to choose the color of one’s cabinet from home, before ordering it from the company. If only every online retailer made choosing colors this much fun!

Color Fun

(Images via weavesilk, flashmonkey, wonderfl, koalastothemax)

Bored for a moment, and want to add some color to the day? Try out Weave Silk, a pretty and easy way to fool around with beautiful light. Flash Monkey’s Colorwall is of an equal bent, while Wonderfl allows one to swirl colors into beautiful formations, and Koalas to the Max creates an oddly enjoyable experience that involves hovering over different circles and watching them split into a million more.

Artistic Tendencies?

(Images via jacksonpollock, zefrank, sketchswap)

In the mood to share art with the world? If one wants to splash paint around without the mess, Jackson Pollock is a great destination. In the mood to draw, but don’t have the time or the talent? Ze Frank’s Scribbler has the hook up. Sketchswap is a really fun idea – make a sketch and click submit, and someone else will receive your image, as you receive one from another random stranger.

Virtual Travel

(Images via pixelcase, theircircularlife)

Want to explore a European city without leaving the cubicle? Their Circular Life is the site for you. It allows one to watch the day go by in several spots throughout the world. If one would prefer staying in the US, take a high flying tour of New York City with the help of Pixelcase.

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8 On Demand Social Shopping Sites You Need to Share

Marc — Tue, 17 May 2011 17:00:06 +0000

Social media has sprung into the public consciousness like a bat out of a hell, and with it, has brought sweeping changes in the way people operate online. Social shopping, online marketplaces that revolve around innovative communities, and merchandise created on demand, is one of the greatest developments spawned by the social media revolution.

Threadless

(Images via threadless, 2, 3)

One of the biggest breakout success stories in social shopping is the tee shirt community Threadless. Founded in Chicago, the company has evolved around the community creating the shirts, and voting for their favorites. Only when a certain design has hit a tipping point, is it actually printed.

Storenvy

(Images via storenvy, cherry sauce)

Storenvy has created an innovative approach that provides small sellers with free online stores and easy ways for site visitors to share their favorite items with their social group. Storenvy is a great way for shoppers to browse, and a fantastic way to publicize and sell one’s wares.

Cafepress

(Images via cafepress, 2)

Cafepress doesn’t have as classy an image as the Threadless and Etsy’s of the world, but it certainly serves a purpose. Cafepress is notable for allowing you to slap an image or design across every conceivable surface, from tee shirts and calendars to coffee cups and mouse pads.

Society6

(Images via society6, alvarotapia)

Society6 occupies a niche for on demand publishing of high quality artwork at affordable prices. It’s as close as most artists are able to get to cutting out the middle-man between them and their customers. Society6 is able to bring a slew of creativity to the marketplace that would otherwise be a struggle to sell in mainstream galleries.

Lulu

(Images via lulu, 2, 3)

Lulu allows authors to publish their own books and ebooks at a low cost that allows any writer to get their novel out there. By allowing books to be published as they’re purchased, the power is in the hands of the author rather than gigantic publishing companies.

Kickstarter

(Images via kickstarter, wileywiggins)

Kickstarter is one of the most innovative sites to harness the community, as it allows homespun entrepreneurs to seek funding from a bunch of small investors rather than hunting down investors who only have millions to give. The entrepreneur is able to give their elevator speech in a short video, and in exchange for slapping some money on the table, they lay out prizes to help compensate you for helping their cause.

DeviantART

(Images via deviantart, maskqueraide)

DeviantART leans heavily toward the community side of the spectrum, with almost all of the site’s emphasis being on sharing and commenting on other’s art. The artwork is easy to browse and ranges from crude doodles to fine photography.

Etsy

(Images via etsy, 2, 3)

Etsy is the undeniable King of shops for small crafters. Allowing everyone to create their own virtual shop with all of the security and amenities of their own store has fostered a creative explosion. When scale no longer bars a crafter from selling their wares, quality tends to go up. Etsy has a devoted community, and innovative search functionality, including a “search by color” page.

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History’s Hooligans: Three Bad Boys Driving Up Museum Visits

Delana — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:00:02 +0000

There is no denying that some historical figures have been so completely awesome that modern “celebrities” can’t begin to touch them. Art student Jenny Burrows and copywriter Matt Kappler put together a hilarious and unquestionably awesome fictional ad campaign showcasing some of these historical badasses.

The ads each compare a contemporary celebrity with a historical figure, pointing out how “hardcore” the famous people of the past really were. As much as we idolize celebrities today, most of them don’t even come close to the total dominating awesomeness of the ones who rule our history books.

“Historically Hardcore” is the type of campaign that could definitely drum up some interest in history. Do your kids think a day at the history museum is boring? Fill them in on a few facts about just how tough those “boring” people of the past were and chances are they’ll be begging to learn more.

Originally created as a fake campaign for the artist’s portfolio, the ads featured the name and logo of a real museum at first. But after the ads started circulating online, the museum requested their name be removed. It is hard to understand why, since it seems that these fun ads could only improve the image of any museum.