An Art Exhibit 100 Feet Below Sea Level. Life Below The Surface by Andreas Franke.

100 feet Below Sea level - The Exhibition
One Year after Andreas Franke's visit to the Vandenberg his images of the wreck were filled with charming stories and now they are exhibited on the most relevant place possible, where the project began.

Since August 4th 2011 divers can benefit from a very special experience and find a package of 12 images placed on the hulk of the artificial reef General Hoyt S. Vandenberg located 100 feet below sealevel and approximately seven miles south of Key West.

Andreas Franke's exhibition contains the twelve works below, showing everyday scenes from past times. The stage of those scenes is the very place the pictures are now exhibited, on the Vandenberg.

The 12 Photographs:













The images are encased between sheets of Plexiglas with a stainless steel frame. A silicone seal keeps out the water. The images are attached to the ship by strong magnets which grants a damage free removing after the end of the exhibition.



Andreas says that the images are "Mystified scenes of the past that play in a fictional space. Dreamworlds, where you can get lost or you can identify with. This makes a new and unexpected atmosphere."






Visiting the exhibition with chartered Boats is possible out of Key West.

About The Ship:
The Vandenberg - From Troop Transporter to Art Gallery

The ship later known as General Hoyt S. Vandenberg was launchend in 1943. Initially it was named USSGeneral Harry Tayler and acquired by US Navy as a troop transport ship for WW II.

In 1961 the ship was transferred to US Air Force, converted to a missile range instrumentation ship and renamed to Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg. In this function the Vandenberg served US Air Force and US Navy till its military retirement in 1983.

The Vandenberg Its second career started in 1998, when the ship became the stage for the science-fiction movie "Virus". It substituted the Russian vessel Akademik Vladislav Volkov. Some of the cyrillic lettering is still visible on the hull today.

In 2008 a group of investors auctioned the Vandenberg. The vessel was transferred to Key West to get sunk and convert to an artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. In 2009 all necessary preparations were done and finally the Vandenberg got sunk on 27th May 2009. The 523 feet long ship is the second largest artificial reef in the world. More information at www.bigshipwrecks.com

In 2010 was Andreas Frankes first visit to the Vandenberg. He did several dives and shot loads of pictures which should give new food to his thoughts. This was the beginning of "Life Below The Surface" and Vandenbergs last conversion so far, the conversion to an underwater art gallery.

About The Photographer:
 

Andreas Franke is in business for more than 20 years and nowadays one of worlds most respected advertising photographers. For Luerzer's Archive he is listed several times in "200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide" and his work is honoured with the most important awards in business. Andreas Franke in Key WestClienst like Ben&Jerry's, Coca Cola, Ford, Heineken, Visa or Nike are just a few of global brands which trust on his abilities.

Additionally to his commercial work Andreas worked on several personal projects. "Life Below The Surface" is his freshest and most sensational.

Andreas Franke on his work "In my photography I try to construct illusionistic worlds. I like to see things from a different angle and I try to create new kind of views. Thereby taking images of a sunk ship and bringing life back to the ship by filling these images with stories was always very interesting for me. By diving the Vandenberg I finally found the perfect stage and the last obstacle to realise my idea was removed.

My work is always based on a strict concept, which is photographically and technically perfectly implemented. Every little detail is part of a precisely arranged production. There is no space left for fortuity."

images and information courtesy of the artist and KeyNews

Prius Goes Plural and Creates A People Person To Introduce The New Models.

The original Toyota Prius, now in its third generation, is being joined by three new models; the Prius v coming in fall 2011, the Prius Plug-in and the Prius c Concept- both coming in spring 2012.



To introduce viewers to the growing Prius Family from Toyota, Saatchi LA devised an unusual effect for a television commerical, creating one metaphorical person by assembling 18 different human bodies - a unique way to communicate meeting the needs of multiple people.



The metaphor then unravels when the "people person" sees the new Toyota Prius models parked outside. The spot was directed by Mr. Hide (who directed the Prius Harmony spots in which the landscapes were created with people) and was mostly shot with live-action, large-scale props, and some green-screen help to create backgrounds. The spot is airing in both 60 second and 30 second versions.






The set, a suburban neighborhood, was shot using a miniature set. See how they did it in the video below.





It took a lot of people to bring this effect to life. Below is a list of the full credits.

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles
Client: Toyota
ECD: Margaret Keene
ECD: Chris Adams
ECD: Mike McKay
Creative Director: Ryan Jacobs
Creative Director: Jeff Church
ACD/Copywriter: Andy Kadin
ACD/Designer: Zach Richter
Copywriter: Kimberley Ragan
Art Director: Rebecca Johnson-Pond
Production Artist: Clint Hudspet
Director of Integrated Production/Multimedia: Tanya LeSieur
Broadcast Senior Producer: Jennifer Pearse
3D Producer: Carl Deo
Prod. Co.: The Sweet Shop
Exec. Producer: Philip Detchmendy
President of Prod. Co.: Paul Prince
President of Prod. Co.: Steve Dickstein
Director: Mr. Hide
Editing Company: Bikini Editorial
Exec. Producer: Gina Pagano
Editor: Avi Oron
Assistant Editor: Sterling Robertson
Finish/Special Effects: Eight VFX
VFX Supervisor: Jean Marc Demmer
Exec. Producer: Baptiste Andrieux
Exec. Producer: Shira Boardman
VFX Producer: Donna Langston
VFX Coordinator: Douglas Scruton
Roto & Paint: Marianne Magne
Roto & Paint: Chris Fregoso
Roto & Paint: Natalia Schkliar
3D Artist: Mathias Jourdes
3D Artist: Shuichi Nakahara
3D Artist: Jerome Platteaux
3D Artist: Kevin Culhane
3D Artist: Oliver Arnold
3D Supervisor: Giancarlo Lari
3D Supervisor: Vania Alba-Zapata
Compositor: Raphael Mosley
Compositor: Andy Davis
Compositor: Mathieu Caulet
Compositor: Yann Mallard
Compositor: Stephane Allender
Compositor: Marcelo Pasqualino
Compositor: Dave Stern
Compositor: Joe Chiao
Compositor: Tony Petitti
Compositor: Colleen Smith
Music/Supervisor: Agoraphone Music/ Beth Urdang
Music/Editor: Go Home Productions/ Mark Vodler
Sound Design/Mix: Lime/ Rohan Young

Rihanna For Emporio Armani's New Fall Underwear and Lingerie Ad Campaign.

Each year fashion brand Emporio Armani chooses a new celeb to be scantily clad in their black and white ad campaign for underwear and lingerie. Shot by Steven Klein, this year's sexy siren is Rihanna, replacing last year's Megan Fox and David and Victoria Beckham.



Taken in a black Lincoln Continental in New York, Rihanna's photos by Steven Klein (shown below) were just unveiled to the public.






Steven Klein

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott shot Megan Fox and Victoria and David Beckham for the brand's 201o underwear campaign:


Emporio Armani

UPDATED: Volvo Concept You Revealed. Scandinavian Luxury with Smart Pad Technology in a Sleek Sedan.

Concept You from Volvo Cars: Luxurious Scandinavian design with intuitive smart pad technology




Last week Volvo teased the public with this video:


Volvo now takes the next bold step in the evolution of the company’s next luxury car. The Concept You, revealed today at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, blends contemporary Scandinavian design and exquisite craftsmanship, with intuitive smart pad technology.



Concept You picks up where the Concept Universe, revealed at Auto Shanghai earlier this year, left off. With a full interior, Concept You gives the global car buying public an exciting glimpse of the craftsmanship and innovative technology that will be the hallmark of future Volvos.

Smart pad technology create an uncluttered interior
The Concept You explores new territories in Volvo’s search for the ultimate intuitive car. A number of touch screens are used to replace buttons and controls in order to make the driver totally connected, and in control. The technology also helps to create a refreshingly uncluttered interior.



The control centre in Concept You consists of four main areas; a digital Driver Information Monitor, a head-up display on the windscreen, a touch screen on the upper part of the centre console and a touch screen between the two individual rear seats. The wood/leather steering wheel has aluminium and glass paddles with integrated touch screens.





The touch screen in the upper part of the centre console remains in sleeping mode until the driver looks at it. A hidden infrared camera registers the eye movements and information is displayed on the screen. Another sensor registers hand movements and triggers the infotainment system’s control mode. The possibilities are different depending on if the screen is approached by the driver or by the front seat passenger. “Certain functions, such as surfing the web, are only accessible from the passenger side while the car is rolling. The technology knows who is the present operator and adapts itself automatically,” says Peter Horbury, Vice President Design at Volvo Car Corporation.

First-class craftsmanship and hand tufted wool carpets from Kasthall:


With a striking interior, Concept You offers luxury customers to experience true craftsmanship and Scandinavian design at its best.




The wooden floor, that echoes Scandinavian homes, is covered with a specially designed, hand tufted carpet from the world-famous Swedish brand Kasthall. Just like the rest of the interior it fades from dark in the front to light in the rear. The front texture has a sporty firmness, while the rear part of the carpet is luxuriously soft.



The four individual seats, blend chrome-free leather from Bridge of Wear with Dinamica ecological suede. The interior also integrates the luxury qualities of a tailor made suit into the car.



The back of the front seats and the door panels feature exclusive Italian fabric and designs from the Swedish fashion house Oscar Jacobson. “The interior is full of classic forms, materials and textures, used with a twist to create a special contemporary luxury experience. It is exceptionally refined, yet with all the simplistic assets that makes Volvo champions of the uncomplicated,” explains Peter Horbury.

Inspiration from Georg Jensen
The Concept You is Volvo’s largest and most luxurious sedan ever. Its fast and sculptural silhouette is emphasised by the liquid metal paint, and the 21-inch polished aluminium wheels with tyres from Pirelli. Up front, the grille – which has a more classic appearance than the Concept Universe – features details with the same, beautifully polished craftsmanship.



“The design of the wheels, the grille and details in the innovative headlamps has been inspired by the exquisite works of the world-famous Danish design house Georg Jensen. Their precious items capture the essence of Scandinavian design. Uncluttered, organic surfaces and superb craftsmanship that radiate timeless luxury. This design should feel handcrafted and durable enough to stand the test of time,” says Peter Horbury.

images and info courtesy of Volvo New updated photos courtesy of Pocket-Lint.

You can see a live unveiling of the car today at the Frankfurt Auto Show on Volvo's facebook page here.

Kmart Hips Up Their Image and Asks You to Show Us What You Got In A New Campaign.

Seems that Kmart has finally killed off that terrible talking blue lightbulb- or at least I hope so. Their big new fashion marketing effort created in conjunction with Minnesota based Peterson Milla Hooks, "Money Can't Buy Style," is complete with new logo, a new attitude, new music and a new blog.





Debuting in the fall of 2011, the new campaign is aimed at empowering customers to embrace their individualism when approaching fashion. Rather than focusing on brand names or even trends, the ads will emphasize self-expression in fashion by featuring real people in Kmart looks they've created themselves.




The series of digital spots created for the web range from 6 seconds to a minute and invite people to "show us what you got" and will include 20 real people in a variety of pieces from the fall 2011 Kmart collections, selected and styled by each individual. The Kmart team spent three weeks hitting the streets across the country to find real people who reveled in their individual style and brought it to life in incredibly unique ways.



"Our goal is to get people to look at Kmart apparel differently," said Tara Poseley, president of Apparel at Kmart. "We took a fresh approach in our campaign with a message that truly embodies what Kmart does best -- making the aspirational attainable. We have great fashion that we're not getting credit for today. We hope the campaign will get people to consider us for what is a very compelling brand portfolio."

When it came time to shoot the campaign, the creative team wanted to ensure a casual, upbeat atmosphere where everyone could feel at ease and comfortable in letting their style shine through. Each look was shot privately with the talent and photographer only for enhanced intimacy. As is typical in fashion shoots, surround sound music was blasted throughout the sessions to create a high-energy environment that kept participants energized throughout the day. Authenticity was essential: to capture the true essence of each participant, and encourage him or her to be both spontaneous and natural in their self-expression, the photographer asked fun and unconventional questions. The end result was a series of genuine responses and expressions captured on film.



"Our new campaign is a disruptive break from fashion advertising clutter," said Robin Creen, chief marketing officer of Apparel at Kmart. "It truly hits the mark in conveying how fun and accessible fashion can be, by capturing the essence of real people who know how to put it all together."

In addition to highlighting the true style of everyday people and the attainability of great fashion, the campaign is designed to convey the insignificance of money in making a statement. With new brands and a new approach to style, Kmart hopes its accessible fashion environment will also excite the senses and inspire unique, personal style through mixing and matching.

The new campaign will launch in September with an assortment of print, digital and outdoor advertising.

You can see all of the "Money Can't Buy Style" Kmart spots here