Unfortunate news for the world of advertising: The creative mind behind McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It"  ad and the "Dude, You're Gettin' a Dell" campaign  committed suicide this week at age 40:

As the top creative executive at advertising agency DDB's Chicago office, Paul L. Tilley oversaw commercials and campaigns for marquee clients such as Budweiser and McDonald's.

Mr. Tilley was named managing director of creative at DDB in September 2006, nine years after he joined the shop. Over those years, he led creative teams that came up with Dell's "Dude, You're Gettin' a Dell" campaign and advertising in McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" effort.

Mr. Tilley, 40, died on Friday, Feb. 22. The Wilmette resident apparently jumped from an upper floor of the Fairmont Chicago Hotel Friday, and his death was ruled a suicide by the Cook County medical examiner's office.

"Life is complicated, and Paul was a complicated man," said Mr. Tilley's  wife, Cristina.

Always tragic when someone this young and creative offs himself . . .

>

Source:
Dude, You're Gettin' a Dell   
Trevor Jensen
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORTER, February 26, 2008 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-hed_tilley_26feb26,1,2832015.story

~~~

Posted at 10:05 AM in Art & Design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Here are the best Web sites to learn about car safety.

• www.iihs.org Crash test data from insurance industry researchers
• www.safercar.gov Five-star crash rating system from government tests
• www.consumerreports.org Fee-based site with independent safety data

The WSJ:

Car accidents are one of the biggest health risks we face, and this week that risk jumps higher. July Fourth is typically one of the worst days of the year for traffic fatalities.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself in a car is to wear a seatbelt, obey traffic laws and don't drink and drive. What you drive can also make a difference. Now there are a number of Web sites that show just how well your car held up in a crash.

Last fall, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) showed that safety improvements in the design of passenger vehicles -- not safer drivers -- are the reason motor vehicle death rates have been improving for the past decade. The study found an "increasingly dangerous traffic environment," and that drivers are actually getting more careless about seatbelts, speeding and driving while intoxicated. In fact, the study showed that if vehicle designs hadn't improved since 1985, traffic death rates would be on the rise.

Although most cars now come with airbags and anti-lock brakes, crash test studies show there's a big difference in safety among cars today. One of the best places to check out your car is www.iihs.org4. Click on "Vehicle Ratings." The IIHS is supported by auto insurers and is viewed as one of the most credible sources for research on car safety. The group publicizes the best performers in crash tests, but many consumers don't know the safety data is free online.

The IIHS vehicle ratings page lists its top picks for 2007, the first year the institute has rated cars for electronic stability control, which helps drivers maintain control in an emergency. Research has shown that ESC features significantly reduce the risk of dying in a car accident.

Source:
Finding Out How Your Car Will Hold Up in a Crash
TARA PARKER-POPE
WSJ, July 3, 2007; Page D1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118340771329055676.html

Posted at 06:50 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Amusing:

AOL News Presents… Where Are They Now? - video powered by Metacafe

via Club Nosebleed   

Posted at 04:30 PM in Humor, Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Anesthesiologist business card:
When you care enough to sleep with the very best.

Sign over a Gynecologist's Office:
"Dr. Jones, at your cervix."

In a Podiatrist's office:
"Time wounds all heels."

At a Proctologist's door:
"To expedite your visit, please back in."

On a Plumber's truck:
"We repair what your husband fixed"

On another Plumber's truck:
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.."

On a Church's Billboard:
"7 days without God makes one weak."

At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee:
"Invite us to your next blowout…"

At a Towing company:
"We don't charge an arm and a leg...We want tows."

On an Electrician's truck:
"Let us remove your shorts."

In a Nonsmoking Area:
"If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."

On a Maternity Room door:
"Push. Push. Push."

At an Optometrist's Office:
"If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."

On a Taxidermist's window:
"We really know our stuff"

On a Fence:
"Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!"

At a Car Dealership:
"The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."

Outside a Muffler Shop:
"No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."

In a Veterinarian's waiting room:
"Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"

At the Electric Company:
"We would be delighted if you send in your payment. However, if you don't,  you will be."

In a Restaurant window:
"Don't stand there and be hungry, Come on in and get fed up."

In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
"Drive carefully. We'll wait."

At a Propane Filling Station:
"Thank heaven for little grills."

And don't forget the sign at a Chicago Radiator Shop:
"Best place in town to take a leak"

~~~

Posted at 05:58 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Today's amusing musical moment:

Posted at 07:54 PM in Humor, Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

READ CAREFULLY. By reading this blog, you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS") that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer.

Posted at 06:11 AM in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, who is dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium.

Posted at 06:19 AM in Philosophy | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Surprisingly explicit print ads from fashion designer Tom Ford:

click for full story on each

Sources:

Tom Fords A Valley
Copyranter
http://copyranter.blogspot.com/2007/09/tom-fords-valley.html


What A Dildo: Designer Tom Ford's Phallic Fragrance   
Jezebel
http://jezebel.com/gossip/rag-trade/what-a-dildo-designer-tom-fords-phallic-fragrance-291216.php

Through advertising, Tom Ford continues to inform heterosexual men that he doesn't want them buying his products.   
Copyranter
http://copyranter.blogspot.com/2008/02/through-advertising-tom-ford-continues.html

Posted at 06:05 AM in Current Affairs, Media, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This one takes us back in time to a milestone moment in rock history: the day Bob Dylan first smoked up the Beatles. It got weird in that room.

Posted at 09:03 AM in Humor, The Beatles, Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"More than any time in history, mankind faces a crossroad. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly."

-- Woody Allen

Posted at 06:02 AM in Film | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack