Almost a month ago, we launched our new identity: new logo, new website and blog, door sign, nice t-shirts and jackets, a big paaarty….and when you think it’s all over, here it comes: an amazingly long list of financial documents and internal forms that must be re-branded too. Welcome to the wonderful world of Excel and Word! As a designer and used to a friendly Adobe-Mac interface, that was tough. I may have been brainwashed by Adobe, but these softwares just don’t make any sense to me.
Then I found that: the world’s first music video in an Excel spreadsheet!  An AC/DC video — Black ice — converted into ASCII format. Wow Excel rocks!
You can watch it here or if you don’t have excel (shame on you) watch it on youtube.

I don’t usually re-post from Gizmodo since so many of you are already following that blog, but since today is Halloween and this kid’s mech costume is so freakin’ cool, I couldn’t resist.

This costume would probably get him enough cool-factor points to last well into junior high. Unfortunately, after that, no matter how much work you put into it, guys in costumes like this never get laid.

Happy Halloween.

With the recent fad of celebrities using their status to get the American people to vote, here’s one PSA directed towards the Jews of America.

Side note: Jimmy Kimmel’s an idiot for letting this funny lady go.

This came in today via LiquidTreat. It’s a documentary called Died Young, Stayed Pretty which is billed as a candid look at the underground poster culture in North America. These artists dig deep into the culture of our times, and past times, in an ever increasing effort to stand out amongst the clutter that surrounds us.

Along the way, they manage to create posters that are strikingly obscene, unflinchingly blasphemous and often quite beautiful.

At Industrial Brand, we have more than a tiertiary interest in this subject ever since we worked with Bob Masse on a project for Hemlock Printer’s Metal FX campaign. There is certainly a contrast between Bob’s classic work and that of these new renegades, yet, perhaps a level of eccentricity is mandatory for anyone venturing into the craft. From what we’ve seen, it seems to require a sense of adventure and willingness to experiment. And for sure these days, mischieviousness.

I hope one day I am invited back to my high school or university to give a commencement speech like Patton Oswalt. Simply put, he rules.

Keeping up with the craze over the new Batman movie, I thought I’d add to the hype by posting this nicely designed poster. The chorus of ‘hahaha’s’ written to form the bat symbol is a neat detail.

Props to Warner Bros. for the guerrilla-like advertising.

For years, British graffiti / guerrilla artist has operated in anonymity. With “art” like spreading doctored versions of Paris Hilton’s album in UK music stores, erecting a life size sculpture of a Guantanamo Bay Prisoner at Disneyland and ongoing graffiti art campaigns, anonymity ensures his survival. However now The Mail on Sunday claims to have discovered the real identity of Banksy. Read more about this story on CBC.ca, check out our affinity with Bansky, or if he’s new go you, go get your introduction!

Apparently this has been going around for a little while, but the sheer effort, not to mention volume of paint, of this street art (I hesitate to call it grafitti) is impressive. Muto is “an ambiguous animation painted on public walls” according to Blu, the Italian artist behind this. Blu is known for the political and social messages in his work and I’m sure you can easily draw connections to another well-known artist, Banksy. Check out the rest of Blu’s site. The sketchbook is amazing. (via Gizmodo)

What do Nigeria, Algeria, Isreal, India, Brazil, and Russia have in common?

They all have active space programs. For real.