The Design Block
If you're looking for the latest in advertising and marketing, design related technology and lifestyle tips, and art or design highlights then you're in the right place. Find all this and more with the Design Block blog.
Humorous IKEA step-by-step manual poking fun at hoarders
IKEA is reminding customers to practice social distancing by staying at home at all times.
Old Spice Guy returns 10 years later as an uncool dad
Old Spice gets back on the horse to mark the 10 year anniversary of its “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign.
Provocative Cadbury Fingers ad raises eyebrows
Each Christmas, British discount chain finds a way to offend shoppers with its crude, sexual advertising.
Email phrases that seem polite, but have different meanings
We receive plenty of work #emails the begin with phrases that sound polite, but they often have a passive-aggressive tone.
BK uses actual photos of car crashes to encourage home delivery
Some people are so hungry for a Whopper that they don’t just go through the drive-thru, they go through the entire restaurant. And that’s what led Burger King to create this campaign by Lola MullenLowe, promoting home delivery with images of real car crashes that occurred…
Burger King’s AI-written ads prove tech can’t substitute great ideas
Using artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the future of marketing might be a threat to certain jobs, but Burger King isn’t buying into it yet.
Over-the-top Toyota ad replaces Chuck Norris with a truck
Chuck Norris is so tough that there’s no chin under his beard, only another fist. But this new commercial by Toyota sees the roundhouse kicking actor being replaced by a truck.
Fruit of the Loom has a message for shirtless selfie men on Instagram
For men on social media, the shirtless selfie has become a ubiquitous calling card, shamelessly saying, “Here I am! See me! Notice me! ‘Like’ me!” Clothing brand Fruit of the Loom has taken notice and are worried that men’s lower-quality shirts are being #ripped and #shredded.
Street artist leaves ironic messages all over the UK
Street artist Mobstr wanted to see how long it would take before city workers removed the poorly-painted word rats from a canal-side wall. He was shocked that it stayed up for 13 months; it was only removed when the wall in Stratford, east London, was demolished.
Funny typography puns to put a smile on your face
This series of typography puns is meant to lift the spirits of fellow designers; it’s a good way to start your week. In this DesignTAXI series created by Caisa Nilaseca, you’ll find yourself smiling at these funny typographic puns.
Company makes humorous soaps for all types of people
Do you still use bar soaps or do you use a body wash? If you still use bars, then these products might be just what you’re looking for. And while the soap industry may not be known for its sense of humour, an American company…
What if stock videos had subtitles telling a different story?
You know there are a lot of stock photos out there. They’re used when you either don’t have the time or budget to do your own photography. Did you know that stock videos exist as well with a similar purpose?
Twitter account pokes fun at disturbing stock imagery
Stock imagery is used by media outlets when they don’t have a photo to illustrate a particular story; or when art directors are putting together a concept. Either way, there is a disturbing amount of options available on stock websites like iStock or Shutterstock.
Illustrated charts visualize what an asshole client is
We all have them: the asshole client. There’s no getting around it; you’re going to encounter them from time to time working in design. And as much as we’d all like to believe that what goes around comes around, the reality is they don’t get what’s…
Smirnoff humorously trolls Trump with new transit ad
Whether you like your vodka straight, on the rocks or in your Bloody Mary, there’s a reason Smirnoff received a ton of buzz recently. In its new transit shelter ad campaign, Smirnoff takes a shot at President Donald Trump.
A brutally honest take on a graphic designer’s logic
The concept of the left and right brain has become a well-known part of human psychology. While we all use both sides of the brain, each of us has a dominant side; this dominant side makes up for a huge part of our personalities. For…
A new currency for people who don’t give zero fucks
Caring too much can be tortuous. For your own health, it’s good to not care what others say or how they feel about you. Professionally, that’s another matter. However, if you want to let people know that you give zero fucks, this Kickstarter project is…
McDonald’s dull new uniforms inspire online teasing
Last month, McDonald’s unveiled new uniforms for its U.S. locations in 2017. And with that release, the new uniforms are prompting some online teasing; with comments saying the grey-toned shirts and aprons make employees look like they’re part of totalitarian regimes.
Humorous illustration uses pirates to depict terrible clients
You can’t blame your clients for not knowing what is and isn’t good design – that’s your job to show them. You can’t, however, forgive them for assuming that your time is free.
Where do you fall in the 7 circles of developer Hell?
Unfortunately, like most jobs, the work of a developer isn’t all sunshine and lollipops. It’s filled with unique frustrations that only other developers would be able to relate to.
Instagram account pokes fun at fonts and typefaces
Instagram is a good resource when you’re looking for inspiration. It’s also a great place to find hilarious quotes and sayings.
IKEA renames products after frequently Googled problems their products solve
For those searching through endless pages on Google for relationship advice, be wary. IKEA may be using your search queries for inspiration in their new brand campaign, ‘Retail Therapy’.
How Art Directors and Copywriters can avoid annoying each other
If you’ve ever been part of a creative team, you know that partnerships in advertising are not unlike marriage. Once the Art Director and Copywriter pair up, it takes a serious commitment to avoid annoying each other. Deciding to officially tie your careers together means doing…
Clever campaign for erotic books gets around censorship
How can you create an advertising campaign for a series of erotic books without getting dealing with censorship? That was the challenge for Brussels-based communications agency Mortierbrigade.
Artist helps friends bar with creative chalk signs
The Spirits Tavern in Dahlonega, Georgia had been seeing a decline in patrons. That’s when owner Sabrina Walker had the idea to recruit local artists to design chalk signs for her business. She managed to get a friend of hers, Ollie Wolff Pruitt, aka littlewolff, to take on the…
Bathroom spray uses real gold particles to remove odour
If a unicorn farted golden rainbows into a bottle, would you buy it? Even if it’s guaranteed to give you “the best-smelling poop of your life” or your money back? And no, you’re not having a scatological acid trip… but it might be the closest you’ll get.
Funny holiday cards based on popular Twitter topics
After a not-so-great 2016, website Roasted Nuts decided to lighten things up with a collection of testy holiday cards. In an attempt to unite the world, they searched out their favourite Twitter topics and turned them into cards.
Art Director comically photobombs stock images
Most Art Directors find that stock images are mundane and feel kind of fake. Unfortunately, we often need to use them to complete our tasks. After viewing thousands of stock images for work, Art Director Matthew Vescovo decided to inject a dose of reality into them by injecting himself.
10 differences between designers and clients
From the most seasoned Creative Director to a Graphic Design graduate all know that creatives and clients don’t always see eye-to-eye. Besides having contrasting roles, their perceptions on colours differences, typeface and image source also vary. While designers might value creative ideas, they’re worth nothing to a…
Artist leaves humorous signs around the city
In parks, streets, and industrial zones across Sydney, Australia, you’re likely to encounter quite a few signs and placards. However, you should take a closer look at some of these signs. Michael Pederson‘s quirky street art is so subtle that it’s easy to walk past it…
Cute offensive animal greeting cards
Are you one of those people who love to hand out greeting cards? Well, I’m not. There’s nothing as impersonal and insincere that you can receive on a special occasion. If you’re going to give a greeting card, make sure it says how you really feel. So…
Burger King becomes McDonald’s ghost for Halloween
Talk about being burned. A Burger King location in Queens, New York, has taken a jab at McDonald’s for Halloween. In the amusing prank, a BK restaurant was transformed into the ghost of its famous rival. The entire building was draped in white sheets, accompanied by a sign that…
From the creators of ‘Exploding Kittens’ comes ‘Bears VS Babies’
Matthew Inman may not be a household name, but you might know The Oatmeal, a webcomic that he created. Last year, he teamed up with game designer Elan Lee to create Exploding Kittens; a card game that became the most backed Kickstarter campaign ever. Well, they’re back with a brand new…
Life in an ad agency shown through stock photos
Stock photos get a lot of hate. And most of time, the annoyance makes sense. We’ve all seen our share of cliché images, and there are lots of weird, creepy ones that leave you wondering who would want to use them. Then you see them thrown in…
Artist creates monsters next to subway passengers
If commute on the subway, you either stare at your phone, the floor, or enjoy the pleasures of people watching. It can be interesting to observe people’s emotions and expressions. And the New York subway can be a pretty strange place, even at the best of times. Sometimes the expressions of these strange…
Ad agency immortalizes funny quotes from a client
Have you had a client that said funny things or asked stupid questions over the course of a project? For example, there are things clients say when wanting cheaper work and their ridiculous demands. A project team at ad agency Strategy Creative in New Zealand has definitely heard some humorous things. While working…
Instagram account shares funny memes for creatives
Creatives, do you enjoy memes about your industry? If you do, you should definitely follow @screensaviors on Instagram.
The unintentional exercises designers do while working
It takes a lot of work to get a chiselled look and rock-hard abs. The way I see it though, who needs a six-pack when you have a keg. That being said, physical activity has a positive impact on brain health.
Advertising agency life roasted like BBQ items
If industry talk is to be believed, job-seekers should run for the hills rather than risk their sanity on ad agency life.
Fake animal facts left all over Los Angeles Zoo
If you recently visited the Los Angeles Zoo, you may have spotted some rather unusual animal facts.
People react to ridiculous client demands
We’ve all had them at one time or another. No, not the clap; I’m talking about the ridiculous client demands. Terrible clients come in all shapes, but in the following video, it comes in the form of a suit-wearing businessman called Matt.
Life’s realities summed up in humorously honest illustrations
Mexican illustrator Eduardo Salles pokes fun at the realities of modern lives with brutally honest illustrations.
Ad spoof features Ryan Reynolds hanging off a helicopter
The spoof ad parodies the creative process of the ad industry by giving viewers a behind the camera look.
Memes that highlight the real struggles of designers
Working as a designer isn’t as glorified as many of us like to make it out to be. Sure we sit behind our fancy computers with huge screens, designing pretty images; however working in design can also be one of the most stressful, involving and cutting edge…
Illustrations portray the death of unlucky cartoons
Dark humour or black comedy makes light of serious, disturbing and/or taboo subject matter. And it also happens to be the subject of some of Illustrator Ben Chen’s work.
The Handy Awards celebrates advertising’s biggest wankers
Any adman can earn some glory whether they’re in the privacy of their own office or chilling at home.
Creative’s life summed up in 8 hilarious GIFs
If your a creative professional, like a graphic designer, copywriter, art director, etc., you’re part of a global community where you all can relate to each others trials and tributes. Mumbai-based entrepreneur and product marketer Abhilash Krishnan, has created a hilarious collection of GIFs that creative professionals the world…
Renaissance art reimagined as Instagram posts
Imagine what these Renaissance artworks would be like today if they appeared in our modern world.
Brutally honest parody of makeup ads
YouTube comedy channel Cracked shows us their brutally honest parody of makeup ads.
What if common design terms were taken literally?
For those of us who do understand common design terms, this series of illustrations gives them a literal spin.