Bored Panda

15 Cool and Unusual Carpets, Rugs And DoorMats

Bored Panda — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:17:41 +0000

Almost all of us have carpets, rugs and doormats at home or office. When you look more attentively, they are everywhere – it’s just we don’t even notice them anymore. It may seem that it’s not even worth talking about them, however, there are some really interesting facts and cool carpet designs worth seeing.

Carpet history started a long long time ago – the oldest surviving carpet is over 2,000 years old. It was found in the 1949 in a Scythian tomb in southern Siberia where it had been preserved in ice. The origin of this carpet is attributed to either the Scythians or the Persian Achaemenids. For a long time, it was also believed that the borders of some oriental carpets were protecting those sitting within its magic confines.

Nowadays, nobody believes in magic carpets, but there are a lot of innovative, clever and even crazy carpet and doormat designs you should see! Which one do you like best?

1. The Doormat Scales

2. Dead Body Rug

3. Brush Patterns

4. Mini Lawn Carpet

5. Space Invaders

6. Puzzle Carpet

Designer: Nauris Kalinauskas

7. Bedside Slippers

8. Woody Wood Carpet

9. Egg Rug

10. Monster Skin Rug

11. Road Kill Carpet

12. Mario Rug

13. Sausage Rug

14. Carpet – Plaster

15. Recycled Rubber Doormat “Enter”/”Home” Key

+16. Flower Carpet

So, which one do you like best?

15 Cool and Unusual Carpets, Rugs And DoorMats originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 28, 2010.

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Ironius – The Coffee Mug Iron [Pic]

Bored Panda — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:38:11 +0000

In simple terms, the heat from your hot coffee-filled mug “Ironius” can be used to iron out a few creases of your shirt. Perfectly handy for those naughty ones who indulge in office romances. *Nina in her silky black bra is not included in the package.[1]

Ironius – The Coffee Mug Iron [Pic] originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 27, 2010.

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Women At Work In The 1940′s

Bored Panda — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:14:39 +0000

Before the WWII few women followed careers. Most jobs for women were ‘traditional’ roles such as nursing, secretarial or caring jobs.

Only when millions of men joined the armed forces, women took on an active role in World War II and took on many paid jobs that previously had been held by men – such as bank teller, shoe salesperson or aircraft mechanic. Woman started working in factories – this was called the “Rosie the Riveter” phenomenon.

As a way to lure young women into the factories, advertisers showed women workers as glamorous and even fashionable. They mentioned that women did not care much about their appearance while at work, but that they were still feminine underneath the dirt. [sources: 1 2 3]

It’s hard to believe but some of your grandmothers actually made WWII bombers! Scroll down through these amazing vintage women photos and maybe you’ll find yours.

Women are trained as engine mechanics in thorough Douglas training methods, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Part of the cowling for one of the motors for a B-25 bomber is assembled in the engine department of North American Aviation, Inc.'s Inglewood, Calif.1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Oyida Peaks riveting as part of her NYA training to become a mechanic at the Naval Air Base, Assembly and Repair Department, Corpus Christi, Texas 1942 August, photographer: Hollem Howard R.

This girl in a glass house is putting finishing touches on the bombardier nose section of a B-17F navy bomber, Long Beach, Calif. She's one of many capable women workers in the Douglas Aircraft Company plant. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Woman at work on motor, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Women at work on bomber, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Girl worker at lunch also absorbing California sunshine, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Women are trained to do precise and vital engine installation detail in Douglas Aircraft Company plants, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

American mothers and sisters, like these women at the Douglas Aircraft Company, give important help in producing dependable planes for their men at the front, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Woman working on an airplane motor at North American Aviation, Inc., plant in Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

"Rosie the Riveter", working on an A-31 "Vengeance" dive bomber. Operating a hand drill at Vultee-Nashville, Tennessee 1943 Feb. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Women workers install fixtures and assemblies to a tail fuselage section of a B-17 bomber at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Woman machinist, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Shown checking electrical assemblies 1942 June, photographer: Bransby, David

Lunchtime brings a few minutes of rest for these women workers of the assembly line at Douglas Aircraft Company's plant, Long Beach, Calif. Sand bags for protection against air raid form the background. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Riveting team working on the cockpit shell of a B-25 (i.e. C-47) bomber at the plant of North American Aviation, Inc., Inglewood (i.e. Douglas Aircraft Co., Long Beach), Calif. 1942 photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

An A-20 bomber being riveted by a woman worker at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant at Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Women at work on C-47 Douglas cargo transport, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. 1942 Oct. photographer: Palmer, Alfred T.

Painting the American insignia on airplane wings is a job that Mrs. Irma Lee McElroy, a former office worker, does with precision and patriotic zeal. Mrs. McElroy is a civil service employee at the naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas. Her husband is a flight instructor 1942 August, photographer: Hollem, Howard R.

On July 1943 Transportation Magazine even published “11 Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees”, which were written for male supervisors of women during World War II.

P.S.: if you like what you’ve just seen – grab our RSS feed here.

Women At Work In The 1940′s originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 23, 2010.

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Breaking News In America [Pic]

Bored Panda — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:07:30 +0000

(Bamboos for David Dees | uploaded by: Dan)

Sometimes there are just more important news than some Oil Spill.

Breaking News In America [Pic] originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 21, 2010.

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25 Vintage Ads That Would Be Banned Today

Bored Panda — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:58:26 +0000

Even though you may deny it, it won’t change the fact that you are living in a world created by marketers. Advertising is a powerful force shaping attitudes and behavior since the beginning of the 20th century when it got into radio, and then into television in the late 1940s.

With great power comes great responsibility – but try telling it to someone working in advertising field in the early 20th Century. Even today, advertising is far away from being in conformity with high moral standards, but after looking back to some offensive, racist and sexist vintage ads – today’s ads are as good as gold.

Besides being discriminating, vintage ads were also full of lies. Interesting fact – the first American advertising to use a sexual sell was created by a woman – for a soap product.

Whether we like it or not, it is a piece of history worth seeing for everyone. Enjoy these 25 offensive vintage ads, and as always – don’t forget to tell us what you think.

1. The Harder A Wife Works, The Cuter She Looks!

2. Men Ask “Is She Pretty?” Not “Is She Clever?”

3. Doesn’t Your Mama Wash You With Fairy Soap?

4. Use “Chlorinol” And Be Like De White Nigger

5. Cocaine Toothache Drops

6. Keep Her Where She Belongs…

7. Cochon Prodigue

8. Show Her It’s A Man’s World

9. That’s What Wives Are For!

10. Youngest Customers In The Business

11. Start Cola Earlier!

(update: this ad is fake. Thanks Amy K.!)

12. Don’t Worry Darling, You Didn’t Burn The Beer!

13. Men Are Better Than Women!

14. If Your Husband Ever Finds Out..

15. More Doctors Smoke Camels

16. More Doctors Smoke Camels #2

17. Blow In Her Face

18. Begin Early.Shave Yourself

19. It’s Nice To Have A Girl Around The House

20. Because Innocence Is Sexier Than You Think

21. MOPC

22. Smoking Santa

23. Merry Christmas For Every Smoker!

24. StayDry Panties!

25. Is It Always Illegal To Kill A Woman?

Question: would you like seeing such ads in today’s television and press?

25 Vintage Ads That Would Be Banned Today originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 20, 2010.

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Top 20 Weirdest Cars Ever Made

Bored Panda — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:25:03 +0000

Most of us have very usual cars – maybe an old VW, or a red fancy Ferrari. Our roads are full of those, but they rarely catch our attention. While VW can mean, that you have some financial problems, Ferrari shows that you are a rich lucky bastard. But in the end, you still get lost in the ocean of similar cars.

However, if you really want to stand out of the crowd, and show not only your financial status, but also your personality – what you need is something that cannot be found in any auto store. Something crazy, strange and absolutely unique.

To give you some hints, we collected these 20 Weirdest and Most Unusual Cars Ever Made.

Enjoy, share and don’t forget to tell us which is your favorite one!

1. Grass Car

(Bamboos for: dipfan)

2. Double Car

(Bamboos for: Michael (mx5tx))

3. Duck Car

(Bamboos for:David M*)

4. Floppy-Disk Car

(Bamboos for: photophonic)

5. House Car

(Bamboos for: drewdomkus)

6. Art Car

(Bamboos for: Archie McPhee Seattle)

7. Ladyâ€™s Shoe Car

(Bamboos for: Tom Harpel)

8. Cat Car

(Bamboos for: Dunk the Funk)

9. Divorced

(Bamboos for: mintlipgloss)

10. Ugly Monster Car

(Bamboos for: groovehouse)

11. Mouse Car

(Bamboos for: yeoh_ts)

12. Phantom’s Car

(Bamboos for: Rodny Dioxin)

13. Post-It Jaguar

(Bamboos for: Scott Ableman)

14. Telephone Car

(Bamboos for: Mr. Kimberly)

15. Tubular Car

(Bamboos for: Mr. Kimberly)

16. UFO Car

(Bamboos for: Avi_Abrams)

17. Wooden Car

(Bamboos for: gocarts)

18. Zoo Car

(Bamboos for: djwudi)

19. Bath Car

(Bamboos for: Yaya Dada)

20. Photo Camera Car

(Bamboos for: jc/pics & manueb)

P.S: if you like what you’ve just seen – you should definitely subscribe!

Top 20 Weirdest Cars Ever Made originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 16, 2010.

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15 Cool And Unusual Magnets For Your Fridge

Bored Panda — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:10:16 +0000

Did you know that the first refrigerator magnet patent was obtained by William Zimmerman of St. Louis, Missouri, only in the early 1970s’ [1] Zimmerman patented the idea of small, colored, cartoon magnets to be used for decorative display and convenience. Not so much time ago, nobody even knew such thing, and now it can be found in everyone’s home!

Used to post items or simply as decoration, refrigerator magnets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and are popular among collectors – for example Louise J. Greenfarb of Henderson, Nevada, has over 32,000 different refrigerator magnets!

Refrigerator magnets are also useful in an advertising world. It is estimated that magnets are used on at least 80% of household refrigerators and most households view their fridge door over 40 times per day. Keep it in mind when planning your next ad campaign!

Now it’s time for some scrolling down through the list of Creative And Unusual Magnets For Your Fridge. Enjoy and don’t forget to comment!

1. Water Droplets

(Designer: Sangwoo Nam)

2. Bacon

(Link)

3. Small Tree-buttons

(Link)

4. Guitar Magnet Set

(Link)

5. Shelves

(Designer: Henry Julier)

6. Rock Magnets

(Designer: Shaw Quan)

7. Hands

(Link)

8. Photoshop Kit

(Link)

9. iMagnets

(Link)

10. Tetris

(Designer: unknown)

11. Wooden Magnets

(Link)

12. Bottle Opener

(Designer: unknown)

13. LOL Magnetz

(Link)

14. Leaves by Rochard Hutten

(Link)

15. Calendar

P.S: if you like what you’ve just seen – you should definitely subscribe!

15 Cool And Unusual Magnets For Your Fridge originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 15, 2010.

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20+ Creative Elevator Ads

Bored Panda — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:48:35 +0000

Our world is so saturated with logos, ads and brands that it is really difficult to show anything new, especially in advertising. People are becoming more and more indifferent to marketing messages. Advertisers are left with two choices: push the boundaries with even stronger messages, and probably get banned, or come up with some new ground-breaking ideas. A good way to start is to find original places for adverting – like.. elevator.

Elevator? Yes, according to statistics the average number of riders in a high-rise building is 500 people per day[1]. These ads cannot be turned off like tv ads, and by some people are viewed more than once a day. Some experts even say that elevator advertising reduces vandalism in elevators by giving riders something to do between floors.

However, let’s put the theory aside, and jump straight to the 20 creative elevator ad examples. Let the inspiration be with you panda friends!

1. Great Lakes Science Center

Advertising Agency: Brokaw, Cleveland, USA

2. Durex: Better Shape, Better Sex

3. Hairy elevator

Advertising Agency: Ponto de Criacao, Brazil

4. Superman, The Movie

Advertising Agency: JWT, Brazil

5. Folliderm: Bald man

Advertising Agency: Sorento Healthcare Communications, Mumbai, India

6. Fiat Punto: Elevator parking sensor

Advertising Agency: Giovanni + DraftFcb S?o Paulo, Brazil

7. Gold’s Gym

Advertising Agency: Quadrant Communications ltd

8. Swiss Skydive: Free fall

Advertising Agency: Wirz/BBDO, Switzerland

9. Bacel: Take Action. Love Your Heart

Advertising Agency: Lowe, Istanbul, Turkey

10. Snuff Clothing

Advertising Agency: Uncle Grey, Oslo, Norway

11. Sabina Stobrawe: Divorce Lift

Advertising Agency: g k k DialogGroup, Frankfurt, Germany

12. Shams Taekwondo School

Advertising Agency: JWT, Manama, Bahrain

13. Fitness Company

Credits: Publicis

14. Plastic Surgery Clinic: Be Born Again

15. Maxwell House: Wake Up

16. Gold’s Gym: Overweight

Advertising Agency: PragmaDDB

17. Witness Against Torture

Advertising Agency: TBWA\RAAD, Dubai, UAEAdvertising

18. Consol Energy

Agency: Blattner Brunner, Pittsburgh, USA

19. Coca-Cola Zero

Advertising Agency: DCS/Porto Alegre, Brazil

20. Fifa World

21. Sport Batel Gym

Advertising Agency: Fuego Comunicao Criativa, Brazil

20+ Creative Elevator Ads originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 9, 2010.

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Violent Plush Toys by Patricia Waller

Bored Panda — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:39:37 +0000

You probably think of a plush toy as something very cute and soft you go to sleep with. Well, at least until you get to know Patricia Waller, a German based artist, born in Chile whose toys are a little bit different.

“Due to the technique of crocheting – all my works are produced by myself in handicraft – and the selection of the subject-matter, my works seem harmless at first sight. But if you take a closer look, you will discover biting irony and a strong dose of nastiness.” says Patricia.

The artist is interested in our fears and our ability to suppress them – that’s why Patricia plays with various themes that we usually ignore like fears of aging, illness and disability.

When looking at the pictures, many people don’t realize that these toys are really huge - for instance the shark is almost 6.5ft (2 meters) long!

Now only proceed if you have nerves of steel and some sense of humor. Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe!

Website: patriciawaller.com

Bambi

Squirrel

Unicorn

“Protect your child’s room from violence. Media tips for parents: www.caritas.de”

Bicycle Accident

Cat

Crocodile

Rabbit

Hands

Miss Piggy

Bunny

Shark

Teeth

Tiger

P.S.: no, really – we don’t sell these plush toys, so don’t send us emails asking where to get those

Violent Plush Toys by Patricia Waller originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 7, 2010.

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25 Super Creative Product Packaging Designs

Bored Panda — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:39:54 +0000

According to Wikipedia, packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use.[1].

However, we are so used to the common every day’s packaging designs, that we don’t even notice all the hard work put in creating them. I bet that even the simplest milk package standing in your fridge took many hours or even days to get its final shape.

Strangely enough, because most people judge a product by its packaging, the packaging can cost even more than the product itself. In the end, almost any mediocre product packed in a fancy package would win against the best product in a lame package.

Here are 25 creative packaging design examples that would definitely make you want to buy these products. Which one is your favorite?

1. Vagina Can

2. Caffeinated Energy Drink

3. Kitchen Sponge

4. Nike Stadium Shoe Box

Advertising Agency: Publicis, Singapore

5. Six Feet Under DVD Box

6. Fruit Juice Packaging

7. Milk Carton

8. Anti-Theft Lunch Bags

9. Spooning The Yogurt

10. Tea Hangers

11. Expiry Date Milk Cartons

12. Flower Pills

13. Coconut Water

14. Royal Tea Bags

Company: Donkey Products

15. Juice Queen Condoms

16. Fresh Label

This food label changes its color by reacting to ammonia given off by food when it is becoming spoiled.

Concept by To-Genkyo

18. Anti-Smoking Pack

19. Nouvelle Peau Cream

20. CD Bakery

21. Spark Laundry Detergent

22. Colorful and White Laundry Detergent

23. Help Remedies

24. (No) More Sex

25. Rellana Wool

Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Germany

P.S.: we got some of these pictures through E-mail – that’s why some of the credits are missing. If you know anything – please let us know by leaving a comment.

25 Super Creative Product Packaging Designs originally appeared on Bored Panda on July 1, 2010.

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