Oh, those cheeky Microsoft engineers …
Head over to Windows Live Translator (who knew there was a Windows Live Translator) and translate “Barack Obama” from English to German.
Worth a quick WTF
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// a tale of WTF, politics, the internet, web technology
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Naming a burger joint is a unique challenge — you’ve got to be honest and straightforward so as not to alienate your local and customers, but also cheeky and clever enough to woo outsiders. Fun, after all, is tied into that convoluted narrative of American fast food. But if you’re going with an über-gimmicky, straight-talk [...]

// a tale of WTF, brands & branding, national identities
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In case I’ve never said it officially, I think stadium naming is one of the most infectious scourges of our modern capitalist society. It’s become commonplace and we’ve all but accepted that the only way for sports teams to raise capital is to go with private corporate backers. (it’s all due to the massive cuts [...]

// a tale of New York, WTF, brands & branding, national identities, politics
// 4 Comments »

In the smartest advertising move in quite some time, Microsoft has put on hold its controversial Gates-Seinfeld campaign in favour of a safer, more familiar, less fucking random approach, initiated with this “I’m a PC” spot:

The line “I’m a PC” and the visual use of John Hodgeman against a white background are an obvious rebuff [...]

// a tale of WTF, advertising: tv/radio, brands & branding, computers & gadgets, video games
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In the same perverse vein as advertising on taxis, escalator handrails, and pizza boxes, comes the latest in blatant and gratuitous advertising on everyday objects. My seemingly ordinary Chinese food boxes are now 3-dimensional ads for … Spanish-language news on a local cable channel?
Chinese food box plastered on every surface with ads for Noticias on [...]

// a tale of China, New York, WTF, advertising: print, design: packaging
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This one happened to fall into my lap via the always-insightful Randy Ludacer. Randy has a knack for digging up interesting and forgotten packaging designs, but this one totally knocked me back.
Have you ever seen branded lip balm? I’m not talking about Barbie products aimed at girls, but lip balm minted in the image of [...]

// a tale of WTF, brands & branding, design: packaging
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Since this is the final WTF Wednesday before the Beijing Olympics kick-off on Friday, 08.08.2008, I figure I’d post my reaction to the oddity of Chinese cheerleaders for the Olympics.
I’m saddened to learn that we Americans are exporting this silly, and some would argue antiquated, tradition. In my mind, the notion of cheerleaders is tied [...]

// a tale of China, WTF
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