Everything but the kitchen sink...

There's something curiously charming about the work of Illustrator Mikela Prevost. Not too many people work in mixed media anymore, and as a graphic designer I've always found it to be the most interesting since I hardly ever get to create textural work. She's currently working on a remake of Little Red Riding Hood so check out her schtüff and hope to see more of her work in the future.

What Be Yer Favorite Caarrr?

In lieu of their new XC90 V8 and the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Volvo came up with the brilliant scheme of making a worldwide treasure hunt out of it. It's genius in a marketing sense since it's never been done before. And from as long as I can remember, no other car company has gone to great lengths to create an interactive game this huge for their consumers and potential future customers. It'll get people talking, consumers interested in the product, and future potential advertisers.

The game is along the lines of this summer's Lost Experience. For those of you not familiar with the hit TV show Lost, the fated flight Oceanic 815 crashed upon a mysterious island where as episodes progressed more secrets about the island arose. Perhaps a psychological experiment? The fictional Hanso Foundation and Dharma Initiative might be able to unlock these secrets. So what the producers of the show and ABC have done is created an interactive "experience" where viewers can watch for strategically placed numbers and websites to visit or call giving more information about these fake companies.

Anyway, back to Volvo and their ingenious marketing strategy. You begin by visiting your local Volvo dealership and receiving a treasure map in return for viewing the cars they have and possibly even taking a test drive. It's win-win for both the dealer and the consumer. After logging online, you have the chance to solve a series of puzzles which ultimately leads to finalists brought to the hidden location and going on a mad dash for the buried prize. More details at the official website.