-- Alexander Lyubimov, executive director at Russia's Rossiya TV station, talking about former Soviet dictator/mass murderer Joseph Stalin, who is the early leader in an Internet poll to name Russia's greatest hero
Source: Boston Globe
My husband and I spent Sunday going through our house, gathering up all the stuff we no longer need and packing it up for Goodwill. Somewhere in the back of an upstairs closet, my husband found some of my stepdaughter's old Barbie dolls.
As would be the case with almost any woman of my generation, there was a moment of temptation, a longing to comb each doll's hair and redress it in something pretty. Then reality set in and I saw Barbie for what she has become: tarted-up trailer trash in cheap synthetic clothing.
It made me sad. And mad. Mad as hell, in fact, that Mattel destroyed what was once a beloved brand.
Unless you're a boomer, you never played with Barbie when she was a stylish, sophisticated, impeccably dressed woman. Her hairdos were smart bobs, pageboys and those bubble cuts that Barbie somehow made look chic. Her clothes were tailored, the seams finished. The Barbie I grew up with wore dresses and heels. And when we stopped playing with her, it was because we were too old and not because she looked tattered, used and ready to turn a few more tricks on the seedy side of town.
When I was young, getting a new Barbie was a big deal. We may have inherited Barbies from relatives (thank you, Dora!) but most of us received only two or three brand-new Barbies in our entire childhoods. Mattel hadn't yet started making that loathesome cheap-o line of Barbies you can get for a few bucks at season's end at the drug store. As a result, today's little girls, even those with miserly parents, still end up with dozens of Barbies. And we all know what happens when a kid gets a lot of anything; the kid gets quickly bored and wants something else.
I've no doubt that recreating the quality of vintage Barbie clothes would be cost-prohibitive in today's world, but why did Mattel change Barbie's clothing style from fashion-forward glamor to toddler-iffic neon and stretch nylon? Watch a little girl dress a Barbie today. She tugs and pulls so hard on the clothing you can hear the threads ripping. And why should she bother to take care with Barbie's clothes? They're cheap. And they're plentiful. What was I just saying about children's attitude toward abundance?
Then there's the hair. The combing and styling of Barbie's hair was one of the most enjoyable ways to kill an hour when I was a child. So Mattel went and gave all Barbies the same ankle-length hair. I can understand why they thought that would make Barbie more fun. What I can't understand is why they didn't quickly realize that freakishly long doll hair is perpetually unkempt hair, making today's Barbie look a mess 24/7.
Mattel took away everything that was special and magical about the Barbie doll and turned it into just another of the ratty toys that sit discarded and forgotten at the bottom of a box in the back of a closet.
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If I've made you sad, too, allow me to make it up to you. Here are a few paintings by Judy Ragagli, an artist known for her amazing oil paintings of Barbies from 1959 - 1971. All but the first image are available for purchase at Picasso Mio. Enjoy.
Game Suppli are vitamin supplements specifically formulated to improve one's gaming prowess.
According to CScout Japan, "There are two varieties, one designed for long play with blueberry to improve eye stamina and one for improved concentration with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid."
One more thing. This spot was cheap as all hell to produce.
Well, the Democrats are learning. This TV spot is from the Campaign to Defend America -- an organization with the kind of name Republicans usually co-opt in their 'moral high-ground' branding messages.
Flying home from Chicago yesterday, I found this ad in Spirit, the Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine.
Click image to enlarge.
I don't know where to begin. Seriously. What am I supposed to look at first?
There is so much stuff in this ad . . . A branding headline . . . Call-to-action headline . . . Product description and sweepstakes description -- neither of which is as large or as detailed as the legal text . . .
There are three logos, one for the shoemaker, one for the co-branding retailer and one for the Smart comfort system which is not explained anywhere in the ad so we can only guess what it is or how important it is.
I know the dotted line represents the reader tearing out the ad, but people tear out ads in a relatively straight line along the magazine's spine, not in amoeba shapes.
And the ad boasts two arrows that betray a complete lack of faith in both the copy and graphics.
Now my eyes hurt.
Modern Toilet is a new chain of restaurants in Taiwan. Restaurant patrons sit on chairs made from real toilets, the tables look to be repurposed sinks and instead of napkins, the restaurant's patrons wipe their mouthes with toilet paper.
One more thing -- much of the food is made to look like human waste.
Source: Ananova
Most companies are very narrow-minded about branding their products. They don't like unusual brand names. Or product packaging which is new to consumers. And no matter what their advertising/marketing agencies tell them, most companies are loathe to be different from the norm. Which is why it's so amazing these products ever made it to market.
Anti Monkey Butt powder, for relief from motorcycle riding and other "butt busting activities."
Organic Batter Blaster, pancake and waffle batter in a can.
Last, Momspit , a gentle no-rinse cleanser for hands and face.
Brand Noise explains how the colorful Lilly Pulitzer brand came into being:
Bored Palm Beach socialite Lilly Pulitzer opened a juice stand in 1959 to pass the time, but she found one drawback: The citrus concoctions discolored her clothes.
She instructed her dressmaker to create a uniform that would camouflage the bright stains, and the "Lilly" design -- sleeveless cotton shifts in vibrant prints -- was born. The style was an instant hit with customers, who soon began placing more orders for dresses than juice.
