The Who Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 When I first saw the pixels were bricks on the first few, I laughed a little, as it made sense with the slogan there. The ones that Bricks posted though, were not funny in any sense that I would laugh at. A few days ago, I saw a picure of naked women pixelized.They had the Lego Logo and a slogan : For adults. Were you looking for it? Nah, I'm sure you weren't. Quote
blueandwhite Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Honestly, as an AFOL I find some of these images quite compelling. Personally, I don't find these images to be offensive whatsoever. If anything, I find it flattering as a LEGO fan to see young artists and advertising students making use of the LEGO brand to offer social commentary. If you walk into any college with a graphic design course you're bound to see something similar. Sure, the brand might be BMW, Apple or IBM instead of LEGO, however this kind of imagry is hardly unique (or offensive). If anything, these images just go to show you how popular and iconic the LEGO brand is in contemporary society. Quote
Omicron Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Honestly, as an AFOL I find some of these images quite compelling. Personally, I don't find these images to be offensive whatsoever. If anything, I find it flattering as a LEGO fan to see young artists and advertising students making use of the LEGO brand to offer social commentary. If you walk into any college with a graphic design course you're bound to see something similar. Sure, the brand might be BMW, Apple or IBM instead of LEGO, however this kind of imagry is hardly unique (or offensive). If anything, these images just go to show you how popular and iconic the LEGO brand is in contemporary society. Agreed. -Omi Quote
Eilif Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Honestly, as an AFOL I find some of these images quite compelling. Personally, I don't find these images to be offensive whatsoever. If anything, I find it flattering as a LEGO fan to see young artists and advertising students making use of the LEGO brand to offer social commentary. Right there with you. I think that "Social Commentary" is the key phrase. We can argue forever about whether these were intended to be humorous or inflammatory, and whether the results were effective, or not. However, when we look at them as an attempt at social commentary. it can help us to reign in our inclinations towards being offended, and instead cause us to take a closer look at what these students might be attempting to say. Quote
CopMike Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Reported to TLG. I´ll keep this thread open in the mean time. CopMike Quote
Medievalego Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Reported to TLG. I´ll keep this thread open in the mean time.CopMike Oh no ... Now Imperial LEGO Storm Troopers are going to be breaking down our doors, seizing our computers, and throwing us in LEGO Gitmo. Dang it. ~M~ Quote
hewkii9 Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 (edited) Now Imperial LEGO Storm Troopers are going to be breaking down our doors, seizing our computers, and throwing us in LEGO Gitmo. Dang it. Why are we worrying, if Lego Storm Troopers are coming to get us? Those guys are a joke! Now if it were some badass Lego Clone Troopers we'd be in trouble. Also I believe that Guantanamo Bay doesn't exist in Star Wars land. Edited March 17, 2009 by hewkii9 Quote
Bobskink Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Reported to TLG. I´ll keep this thread open in the mean time.CopMike Come on, you really think Lego will put effort in this. It's not used for any commercial effort, so they probably don't care. If any company related to a country should be open for freedom of speach it should be Lego from Denmark... Quote
5150 Lego Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 I thinke we are doing a disservice to the artist to assume that the disaster pics are intended in a humorous way. The artist is using a non-humorous statement "rebuild it", and pictures of serious non-staged subject matter. Taken in that context, I don't find anything offensive in those pictures. Rather, I find them to be quite hopeful. There may have been some innapropriate comments, but we are capable of intelligent discourse, and I hope we can continue discussing without calling for closure of an interesting thread. Very well said Eilif. Come on, you really think Lego will put effort in this. It's not used for any commercial effort, so they probably don't care.If any company related to a country should be open for freedom of speach it should be Lego from Denmark... Not only that, but there isn't anything that TLC could do anyways. Enless they were using it for advertising purposes, then theres nothing legaly anyone can really do. Even if TLC did not approve of this, what is closing this going to do? Prevent people from seeing this or simular work? Hardly. I agree with those that said its intent is to be used as an art project of some kind. Thats the first thing that came to my mind when i first saw them. As for the last couple of the towns.... As someone who lost a friend to 9-11, i don't find these offensive in one bit. Yes it was a horrible tragedy. But the picture is absolutly right. We WILL rebuild. We WILL get through this. While i hate to say it, 9-11 brought the United States of America closer than ever. For those that were offended by any of the pictures, i don't believe your opinions are incorrect in any way. IMO, i think thats what art is about. Somtimes people will get the message the artist is trying to get out. Somtimes they won't. Even if these were meant as jokes, some people found a positive message in it. Even it that message was never intended in the first place. Quote
CopMike Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Come on, you really think Lego will put effort in this. It's not used for any commercial effort, so they probably don't care.If any company related to a country should be open for freedom of speach it should be Lego from Denmark... We´ll see how much energy TLG puts into it. The issue is about using their logo. You need written permission to use it, hence the disclaimers LEGO, the LEGO logo, DUPLO, BIONICLE, MINDSTORMS, the BELVILLE, KNIGHTS KINGDOM and EXO-FORCE logos, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. It´s like I were to write an article on a touchy subject, say making fun of Swedes because of their lack of intelligens, and sign it Bobskink. I´m not 100% sure you would appriciate that.As for the pictures themselves and the message, that´s another ballgame ! CopMike Quote
Asuka Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) We´ll see how much energy TLG puts into it. The issue is about using their logo. You need written permission to use it, (...) As for the pictures themselves and the message, that´s another ballgame ! Um... welcome to the wonderful world of trademarks, copyrights, fair use and art (if this probably is what we´re talking about here)... I´ll keep this thread open in the mean time. Well... um. That´s fine, thanks for your generosity, my dear fellow... but I´m still hoping for the sake of the separation of powers that no ambassadors´re ever in a tight spot of making such decisions for us here in our News & General Discussion forum... or anywhere else beyond The Embassy... there´s a certain clash of interests occasionally and it seems a little like you´re caught between two stools in that case... What would you want to do if LEGO doesn´t like these pics... closing the topic? On EB? That's a bit thick, we´re not solely responsible to TLC, and there´re no legal steps we would´ve to fear from TLC for deep linking them. We shouldn´t sacrifice our autonomy just to break a butterfly on a wheel. However, I don´t really care on what some corporate lawyers´re wasting their time. I´m not working for The Man, and I don´t think that these pics´re able to hurt the credibility of LEGO, at least not in the presumed context or by their appraisable promulgation. But I also think that we´ve an interesting and mature discussion going on here, and if your brick cop work allows you a little spare time it would be nice if you could decide to let us know what you´re actually thinking about that 'ballgame', beside the obvious fact that it´s somehow important for you to show these pics to TLC... Are these pics a bad joke? Some student´s marketing or graphic homework? An attempt at art? Is there a message written in the cornfield? Don´t feel forced to answer, though. I´m only curious if you see room herein for some interesting interpretations or thoughts. Seriously, whatever floats your boat is completely alright with me. Edited March 18, 2009 by Asuka Quote
Clone OPatra Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 I like that the message that these ads convey, but perhaps the use of the copyrighted logo is a problem. If you look closely, the pixel "bricks" do not even look too much like LEGO pieces, they are far too large and stretched out. @ Asuka, what does that Cambell's soup can have to do with the discussion? Are you referencing Andy Warhol's use of the soup can in his artwork? If so, I suppose a connection can be drawn between that art and this art. However, Andy Warhol's use of the soup can in his painting was strictly art, taken by anyone to be just art. These ads, on the other hand, would be convincing to someone who is not an avid LEGO fan that they are official messages from LEGO. These are too much on the imitation ad side of things, not strictly art. Quote
Asuka Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) However, Andy Warhol's use of the soup can in his painting was strictly art, taken by anyone to be just art. These ads, on the other hand, would be convincing to someone who is not an avid LEGO fan that they are official messages from LEGO. These are too much on the imitation ad side of things, not strictly art. I don´t have any insider informations about the intentions behind these two different sets of pics we´re talking bout here. I don´t know if it´s supposed to be art, some graphic finger exercise or whatever. But it made me think a little, especially that TV thing... hmm. For that pic of Warhol´s tomato soup screenprint... it´s all about the definition of what is art and what not, as well as about the problematics of art that contains copyrighted material. Lawsuits in that department can last for several years... Beside that, Warhol´s work was not always widely appreciated as art, and if said soup can can become a subject to art, a mocked advert can can too... everything´s able to become a subject to art. It´s complicated, and sometimes it just makes you wonder; or hungry... are we already sure that this is more than a simple can of soup? I better should go and look for the tin opener... being prepared is everything. Move on, history of art, and pick you another victim. Edited March 18, 2009 by Asuka Quote
CopMike Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 But I also think that we´ve an interesting and mature discussion going on here, and if your brick cop work allows you a little spare timeit would be nice if you could decide to let us know what you´re actually thinking about that 'ballgame', beside the obvious fact that it´s somehow important for you to show these pics to TLC... Are these pics a bad joke? Some student´s marketing or graphic homework? An attempt at art? Is there a message written in the cornfield? Don´t feel forced to answer, though. I´m only curious if you see room herein for some interesting interpretations or thoughts. Seriously, whatever floats your boat is completely alright with me. Hi Asuka!Well I agree, it wasn´t the best to write that about keeping the thread open - I won´t close it because of the pics but if the discussion wnet overboard and people went bitching at eachother ... As for the pictures I think they are very cool, the reason I´ve brought them to TLG is the logo thing. As for the pictures, I think it´s art. You can find more here. CopMike Quote
eti Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 The 9/11 pictures would be very inappropriate if they were actual Lego ads. But as a clever and artistically comment on recent events, commercializiation, globalization etc. it's not so bad. To me it's like the artist wants to say 'We now live in a society where such an ad would have been possible'. Quote
SuvieD Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 I have done LEGO art myself in college. We had an assignment to create an object that conveys a negative or opposite interaction with medium that are generally very friendly. There was a Barbie doll covered in broken mirror bits and other pretty good pieces. Mine was a gun built out of LEGO set on a pedestal. The gun got a very large reaction, first for being a gun (some people actually thought it was a real gun until they inspected it for themselves) and second for being made of LEGO, a childs toy. I still have it on a shelf in my LEGO room. I even had a friend who hunts and collects firearms look it over and he was impressed with the attention to detail and how it looked and felt like holding a real gun. I think these pictures are a good use of a brand logo. LEGO remains a powerful and primarily innocent image of childhood, creativity, and safety. I do not think they are funny or vulgar. Just something to think about, and that is the sign of good art. Or so I am told Quote
MightySlickPancake Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 Hi Asuka!Well I agree, it wasn´t the best to write that about keeping the thread open - I won´t close it because of the pics but if the discussion wnet overboard and people went bitching at eachother ... As for the pictures I think they are very cool, the reason I´ve brought them to TLG is the logo thing. As for the pictures, I think it´s art. You can find more here. CopMike whooow i dont think kids should look at those last ones( if yo uscroll down). absolutaly not no way no how realy not a good idea. i think they are cool and i dont think 'bricks' was wrong to post them they werent funny put where resonable. cb Quote
Bobskink Posted March 18, 2009 Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) We´ll see how much energy TLG puts into it. The issue is about using their logo. You need written permission to use it, hence the disclaimers LEGO, the LEGO logo, DUPLO, BIONICLE, MINDSTORMS, the BELVILLE, KNIGHTS KINGDOM and EXO-FORCE logos, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. It´s like I were to write an article on a touchy subject, say making fun of Swedes because of their lack of intelligens, and sign it Bobskink. I´m not 100% sure you would appriciate that.As for the pictures themselves and the message, that´s another ballgame ! CopMike I think that when used under these circumstanses it's allowed to use the logo. There are no commercial intentions, this is a parady or some attempt at art (which is an other discussion). Strange that this doesn't bother me at al, but the thing about the new space police does. We all have different vieuws. Edited March 18, 2009 by Bobskink Quote
CopMike Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 I think that when used under these circumstanses it's allowed to use the logo. There are no commercial intentions, this is a parady or some attempt at art (which is an other discussion).No, it´s not. ANY use of a companys logo outside the company itself needs permission. The company owns the right of the logo and therefore the use of it. It doesn´t matter if it´s commercial or not. is used by permission of TLG .CopMike Quote
Oky Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 (edited) The gun got a very large reaction, first for being a gun (some people actually thought it was a real gun until they inspected it for themselves) and second for being made of LEGO, a childs toy. I still have it on a shelf in my LEGO room. I even had a friend who hunts and collects firearms look it over and he was impressed with the attention to detail and how it looked and felt like holding a real gun. Sounds like a good MOC! Mind posting it? (in its own thread of course) No, it´s not. ANY use of a company's logo outside the company itself needs permission. The company owns the right of the logo and therefore the use of it. It doesn't Edited March 19, 2009 by Oky Wan Kenobi Quote
mechamike Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 (edited) CopMike said: No, it´s not. ANY use of a companys logo outside the company itself needs permission. The company owns the right of the logo and therefore the use of it. It doesn´t matter if it´s commercial or not. is used by permission of TLG . CopMike I have a faint voice in my head that says that You are allowed in copyright law and by some "Bern convension" to use company logotypes in for example in a article, on a critical webpage as satire and so on. As long as You dont use the trademark on "products" or try to decive the consumer.. Clearly these pics are not official or related to Lego and hence should be ok. Natuarally Lego , (child friendly, cuddly, fussy and pink) dont want to be connected with the "adult lego pics (mental note:need to find high res of those ) but In legal ways I think their chances are slim. But then again I could be wrong.. ps as a "cop" I can understand Your eager to report them ;-) even if You enjoy them.. :-) Cheers!! Edited June 29, 2018 by mechamike Quote
Natman8000 Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 a53201, you better hope you didnt make that, because that is really stupid and uncalled for here. Also, why brutalize our dear friend Copmike? Quote
mechamike Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 (edited) Nope, I did not make that.. I'ts perhaps not politiacly correct, and it surely offends some (Im beeing a white hetrosexual middleaged prothestant male is used to be tampled on like a doormat since Im the root of all evil (slavery , prostitution and so on) and acording to the law I cant never ever can get discriminated :-) so I might as well do some of the things the left lesbian coloured women rights movements in wheelchairs accuse me for:-) anyhow Eurobrick's is for adults and this thread is about fake ads and there is a warning on the tread. And if the mods think its tooo bad Im sure they slap me and Ill edit it away. Second, I have no intention to "brutalize" Copmike who seems to be a really nice guy. And I dont think Copmike is so easily offended. I put smiles beside my comment to make myself a bit more clear from the beginning. But If he gets upset Im sure he will come down on me hard (with a retactable baton) :-) Peace ! /M Here are some other really old stuff with some background info. Edited March 19, 2009 by a53021 Quote
Nikola Bathory Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 No idea, but the last one is lame, who would choose lego over a hot chick. That chick is not that hot actually. Quote
hewkii9 Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 a53201, you better hope you didnt make that, because that is really stupid and uncalled for here. There's no need to react like that - it's just as likely to offend as the pictures that started this thread. That chick is not that hot actually. Thanks for bringing us all back down to earth on this topic. Quote
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