THIS IS AMAZING how accurate this is. CRAZY AMAZING!

Believe it or not, you need ample sleep to be creative. Read this excellent NY Times article about the relationship between sleep and creativity.

David Lynch has one of the most unique visions in all of American cinema. But how does he come up with ideas? One technique he uses is transcendental meditation. He has even published a book on the subject.

Slingshot was one of the first agencies to use online testing to refine its creative. Now this idea is catching on. Read the following NY Times article to see how clients such as Vespa are testing creative online to produce sharper, more relevant messages.

Nick isn’t a very smart guy. At a time in history when the print industry is pouncing from one space-age technological advancement to the next, Nick has decided to take a giant leap backwards into the industrial revolution.

KLUGE from Northern Lights on Vimeo.

Once in a while, we Americans can get away with a good visual solve, as this ad from Grey’s NY office shows. Why are there so few purely visual ads running in the U.S? Because we often feel the need to tell our audience every little thing about our products.

Visual solves force the agency and client to agree on the single most important message they’d like the ad to convey.  In an age when we’re bombarded with thousands of messages each day, few realize the value of simplicity in drive home a message.

In “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This,” Luke Sullivan mentions his admiration for Gary Larson’s “Far Side” comics. Like any good cartoons, they’re simple, visually arresting, and get this–they showcase intelligent humor. In short, they’re everything a great ad should be. Does our work hold up to this? It’s a good question to ask before showing work to clients. Check out this collection of political cartoons satirizing the current Swine Flu hysteria, via MSNBC.  (Look about halfway down the page, then click on “start slideshow.”)

Firekites – AUTUMN STORY – chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

This year, former jockey-turned-painter Tom Chapman was commissioned to do the artwork for Woodford Reserve’s commemorative Kentucky Derby bottle. Even if you aren’t going to the big race, the artist’s site is definitely worth a look.