If you think that Africa is a wild land of pirates and tyrants, take a look at this:
Mama Hope’s motto is,”Stop the Pity. Unlock the Potential”–we couldn’t have said it better. Consider yourself schooled!
Galleries
Nah Fique Triste, Brazil
Brazil is not having a good week. After a humiliating defeat at the hands feet of Germany, Brazilians are left to pick up the tab for the big party. The World Cup brought tens of thousands of tourists to Brazil, but with a price tag over 11 billion dollars, persistent protests, rampant sexual harassment in the streets and now an L before the finals, no wonder fans look like this.
Perhaps Brazilians designer Carol Rosetti could make them feel a bit better. Carol has been inking some great illustrations that aim to help people feel less funky about themselves.
These delightful drawings go beyond assuring women that they are okay. Her clever script reminds us not to overlook but embrace all the parts of who we are.
The positive messages may help sad Brazilians feel a bit better, and maybe help remind their fellow countrymen that a woman’s body is not your blank canvas.
I Scream for Direct Marketing!
Marketing is everywhere, from the label inside your panties to the 1600+ ads you see–or barely notice–each day. To break through the clutter, advertisers have found new and even more invasive ways to market to us. But every once in a while, an ad gets it right.
These guys, Good Humor guys complete with red bow ties, walked up and down the beach on this blisteringly hot weekend with armloads of product giving out free ice cream! Yes, Good Humor, I do now have a positive impression of your company, and an ice cream stain on my shorts. Well played, ice cream guys.
The Real Tamron is OK!
NBC correspondent Tamron Hall has skills to pay bills, showing up each morning on the today Show and each afternoon on her own one hour news slot on MSNBC. This week for the first time ever, she showed up with a natural!
Judging by the twitterverse, it was a big hit. So save yourself some sleep girl, and keep it natural!
Pretty…Smart
Verizon is at it again this week with an interesting ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP3cyRRAfX0
While Girls in elementary school like math and science at rates close to their male counterparts, by the time girls reach collage the gap has widened considerably. Encouraging girls to focus on outside appearance instead of intellectual pursuits not only affects the girls themselves, but all of us–you, me and your kids, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKAQDLdGLEE
Anyone that watched the wonder that was Cosmos learned that there were lots of women in the sciences that made discoveries critical to our understanding of the world. Diversity of gender–or race for that matter–isn’t just nice, it ensures that our best and brightest get the support they need build us all a better future.
I Got Time!
It’s summer, and that means every weekend there are dozens of people in my town who drag all the stuff they don’t want outside towards the street to see if they can convince hapless passers-by to pay for it. Yard sales pop up like weeds in the driveways all around town, and more prolific than the sales themselves are the signs on every telephone pole and street sign. Most signs are lackluster at best, utterly ignore-able most of the time….until–this!
Clever, funny, well drawn with a solid understanding of pop culture and advertising appeal! I may not want to buy the dusty crap from your basement, but you win the award for Best Yard Sale Sign of 2014!
Limited Potential
This Verizon ad has been running widely lately, featuring some fine young black artists. The ad was originally developed as part of a black history month celebration.
Extended interaction online and at live events include a health challenge, several videos, and events; though it looks like it hasn’t updated since it’s limited launch in February, while ads are still in heavy rotation. The whole campaign is aimed at inspiring young people to reach their potential–great job!–by buying their products. #thisisanadnotacharity
Art for Ears
The Roots, for the uninitiated, is a live hip hop band that has been challenging the status quo of Hip Hop for more than 25 years. You may know them from their most recent gig as Jimmy Fallon’s house band on his show and the new Tonight Show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHogg7pJI_M
With skits like these, it’s easy to see The Roots are more than just a backing band, they’re an intricate part of the show. Likewise, they are more than a Hip Hop act, they have been an intricate part of the Hip Hop landscape for decades. Sadly, if you are using wikipedia to see if I’m right, you will miss out on some of their oldest, amazing work on Do You Want More and Illadephia Half-life .
This week, The Roots release their 17th album, …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin. Once again, they ask us to reconsider what Hip Hop is, and can be. The album is by turns deeply emotional, unexpected, and solid head-nod-inducing. Well worth a listen. Check out their live performance of the operatic …And then You Shoot Your Cousin, from their NYC Public Theater performance below.
Peep That: Better Than Egg Whites!
To celebrate Easter and Help you with that lent promise, Dunkin Donuts has introduced the peep donut, a little processed pastel piece of heaven, topped with the icon spun sugar sweet chick peep.
People have a bizzare if loving relationship with the peep. Someone took the time to make this:
and this:
along with a million other little scenes made of/with peeps
So sticking a peep on a donut seems like it should have happened sooner. With recent news that obesity among young people is down, you may be thinking the peeps donut is just glazed devil, but hold on! Eat your peeps donut with abandon! The peeps donut, weighing in with 310 calories has less calories than several of the healthy eating options:
Kultured Kleenex
While literally keeping my nose clean the other day, I happened to notice there on the back of my pack of Kleenex a design description that caught my eye.
Irie Yellow? Irie is a patois word that originated in Jamaica meaning alright, but also cool, and an adjective for everything superlative. So then I started to look for the description on the back of the other packs that came together and found a whole island theme going on here: Irie Yellow, Marley Green, and Calypso Blue
The bold geometric designs are attractive, reflect design often found in the Caribbean and avoid typical exotic tropes like palm trees and jungle scenes. All in all, well played, Kleenex. Way to give a design nod to the islands without turning the theme into Margarittaville on a tissue.
You almost got two thumbs totally up for avoiding stereotypes altogether but……Marley green?…Okay, I get it. Still, well played.
Susan X Jane 
