If J.R.R Tolkien Worked In Advertising…

‘One Ad to Rule Them All’ is a witty Tumblr blog started by advertising student Valerio Amaro, in which it imagines English writer J.R.R Tolkien working in the advertising industry.



The blog takes famous quotes from Tolkien’s books—such as ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’—and pairs them with unlikely brands, using the quotes as slogans.



Check them out below:











































[via One Ad to Rule Them All]

Captivating Portraits Of Nude Female Figures That Blend Ink And Water

Artist Alberto Seveso, whom we have previously featured here and here, has a new series of captivating double exposure portraits created by blending ink and water.



Titled Trivial Expose, his images of colorful ink and water swirls blend beautifully to form enchanting nude female figures that exude a dreamy surrealness.



Scroll down to view the rest of his photos.





































[via Faith Is Torment, images via Alberto Seveso]

‘Controversial’ Coca-Cola Ad Salutes All Americans In Different Languages

[Click here to view the video in this article]







Coca-Cola’s all-American spot for the Super Bowl has sparked controversy.



The 60-second ad by Wieden + Kennedy Portland features Americans of many races going about their day, while the song “America Is Beautiful” is sung in different languages in the background.



Viewers were also encouraged to take “selfies”, using the #AmericaIsBeautiful hashtag to submit them to a Tumblr gallery called “America’s Selfie”. Some of these images will be displayed on the Coca-Cola digital billboard in Times Square.



This ad has received backlash on Twitter, with many users using the #SpeakAmerican hashtag to complain that the language in the spot should have been English as everyone in the country speaks the language.



Yet, others have responded to the negativity, stating that the commercial was supposed to be about celebrating the melting pot of cultures in the country, and that many people have missed the point.



What do you think—do the criticisms of this ad overshadow its underlying message?



Watch the spot below, and take a look behind the scenes.











































[via Market Watch, Update Or Die and E Online]

What If The World's Largest Companies Were Countries On A Map?

Slovakian artist Martin Vargic has created a map of the world that portrays the largest companies in the world as countries.



Using information from Alexa, the site information tracker, Vargic places the top 500 websites on a vintage National Geographic map.



This hobby project was completed in Vargic’s spare time and he adds that this poster is a “full map of the internet, 4 minimaps showcasing NSA surveillance, most used social networks, most used internet browser, and worldwide internet penetration, list of Alexa Top 500 websites, quick timeline of the Internet History, top software companies and much more.”



The print is currently available for purchase here, and Vargic is still improving on the map and planning to release newer and more detailed versions of the map in time to come.







Click to enlarge



Click to enlarge



[via PSFK]

This New Research By Esquire USA Charts The 'Normal' Behavior Of American Men

In the name of research, US-based mens’ magazine, Esquire, has created a survey that polled a thousand American men about their beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes that they count as ‘normal’.



This survey asks questions such as “do you like your job?”, “how much would you enjoy going to a strip club?”, “how often do you have sexual intercourse?” and many more.



These surveys aim to help one measure if their behaviors and beliefs are considered the norm in US society.



You can also participate in the quiz through this link, helping you see how ‘normal’ you are.



Click to enlarge



Click to enlarge



[via Esquire]

This Site Lets You Generate A Kick-Ass Sounding Bio For Your Twitter Page

Digital media content website Digiday has created wherethefuckismytwitterbio, a website that generates self-important twitter biographies.



Mocking the advertising, marketing and digital media professionals who add fancy descriptions of their jobs in their Twitter biographies, this site generates one that you might take a liking to, if you work in any of these industries.



To generate one for yourself, visit the site here.











[via wherethefuckismytwitterbio]

The Truth Of The Scrupulous Industry Behind 'Extra Virgin' Olive Oil

An illustrator and art director of the New York Times Book Review, Nicholas Blechman, has created an interactive infographic titled ‘Extra Virgin Suicide’.



In ‘Extra Virgin Suicide’, he discusses ‘the adulteration of Italian olive oil’.



Using minimal graphics and animations, Blechman explains that most of the ‘Italian’ olive oil does not come from Italy, but from other countries including Spain, Morocco and Tunisia.



The entire process is not as transparent as it is thought to be, as some shipments of olive oil are even be mixed with cheaper oils and colored to appear like olive oil.



An estimated 69% of ‘extra virgin’ olive oil imported to the United States could be fake, and that has resulted in a drop in olive oil prices, causing corrupt producers to face the consequences of their own doing.



Who would have known that the olive oil we have in our kitchens could come from such troubling backgrounds?



Click here to visit the interactive infographic.











[via New York Times]