Maximum Security Apartments

Maximum security apartments?

The name “Iron Gate” sounds secure. Too secure. Suspiciously secure. I am curious, does this apartment complex have electric fence and gun towers as well?

How it appears:
1. Good name for state penitentiary facility. For example: Iron Gate maximum security prison (like Pelican Bay, San Quentin, Corcoran, Folsom, etc).
2. Surrounding neighborhood safety sucks

California Disaster Potato Chips

California disaster chips

I bought this bag of potato chips at a nearby gas station just because of it’s brand name.
Wow! Let me take it from here. Here is an idea for the company to expand product line with the following:

• “New Orleans Chips: Mama of all Floods”
• “Southern California Chips: Wildfire on 1000 acres”
• “San Francisco Chips: #1 Earthquake and now Final”
• “Texas Chips: Hurricane Ike”

Possible initial Design idea: “The Earthquake taste of our chips will knock you down”.

Where the Fail is: In California, the word “earthquake” means “disaster“. However this is good name for a first aid and survival kits.

What is the fun to play with McDonald’s food?

McDonald's Toys

The McDonald’s marketers’ idea is obvious: they want kids to start learning what McDonald’s is from the early age. Once kids grow up they will start playing with the real McDonald’s food, gaining weight themselves and letting McDonald’s gain some hefty profits.

And what is the fun to play with food anyway? Like Tom Hanks’s character in the movie “Big” asks: “What’s the fun to play with buildings?”

What is the fun to play with McDonald's food?

‘Bad Ass’ Advertisement

Bad Ass Advertisement

I took this picture at Lahaina, Hawaii. This is one of many gift stores with huge variety of made-in-china kinda crap like ‘Aloha’ fridge door magnets, cheap shell necklaces, post cards and macadamia nuts.
The idea to put used (yes, they are quite used!) “Bad Ass” shorts on display is funny but from marketing perspective it seems that it isn’t. I was hanging out nearby for an hour or so watching how this works on shoppers. Most of the vacationers definitely noticed the shorts (a few of them even took pictures) and then proceeded to do their shopping elsewhere.

Conclusion: Good idea for an alternative art gallery or a night club.

Just Say Yes!

Just Say Yes!

This Usability Fail exhibit found at one of San Francisco Bay Area supermarkets. Looks like the store runs out of cash to order “big-red-YES-button” device and make themselves and customers happy campers.

Or may be their customers are just simply dumb.

Yet another Apple iPod killer

Yet another Apple iPod Killer

..this time – once and forever. This made-in-china gadget available at Walgreen’s stores.

Vomit cleaning for living

vomit cleaning for living

It seems this is somebody’s major income.
If I quit my web developer career and apply as a cab driver, first thing I do is to buy a stack of barf bags and charge extra couple of bucks for the use. Instead of having $80 (for cleaning) and driving in a vomit bowl on a full time.
Took this picture at San Francisco International airport area.