Tag: automobiles

Jun82007 by Chris Holmes7 Comments
Posters of the WPA

Posters of the WPA

Ephemera
Back in the day (1935 to be precise), President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration (WPA), an enormous government program aimed at providing employment for millions of Americans affected by the Great Depression. The legacy of the WPA is a host of public works (bridges, roads, etc.) and cultural projects. That's all well and good obviously, but what I really care about are the cool posters designed to promote many of the WPA's programs. All of these images and hundreds more are available as part of the Library of Congress's "Posters of the WPA" collection. I've simply picked what I feel are some of the most visually appealing and added my usual pithy commentary. As you'll see, these great images are very much of their time and most display an Art Deco sensibili...
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Mar262007 by Chris Holmes12 Comments
No-Go Logos

No-Go Logos

Advertising
I've always considered myself an armchair graphic designer, particularly when it comes to logos. A logo is a really easy and effective way to convey an image about your business/club/whatever. And while I'm all for modern styling, logos are one area where I'm old-fashioned. Too often, companies will update their logo for seemingly no good reason, and it's usually for the worse. So let's take a look at a sampling of logos and emblems, both old and new, and see if my stodgy views are justified. Burger King The original BK logo was simple, yet effective. A nice, quirky little font and the bun halves got the point across. Not as iconic as the golden arches, but still good. The font on the logo was made blander in 1994, then five years later BK unveiled a SLAMMIN' new look: Yeah...
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Mar232007 by Chris Holmes15 Comments
Mysteries of the universe

Mysteries of the universe

Rants
*Why do ads for workout equipment always feature people who obviously don't need the equipment in the first place? I'd gladly buy the first workout machine that showed a realistic ad - a clumsy, sweaty fat guy struggling on Level 1, and eventually giving up altogether. *Am I the only person left who has not been to the Outer Banks, North Carolina? It would seem so, based on the fact that every other car in the free world has one of those stupid OBX stickers on it. *Wouldn't it be easier at this point to list the comedians that Carlos Mencia hasn't stolen material from? *Do car companies intentionally design hybrids to look like weenie-mobiles so people won't buy them, thereby giving them an excuse to produce more ridiculously oversized SUVs? *Why do people insist on writing...
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