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    Proof That Photoshop Is Killing Creativity

    Today's art directors/designers need to shut-off their fucking computers, and turn on their unused brains.

    1.

    Yes, that's a photo mash-up of Hitler and James Dean. Because CNA, a South African entertainment retail chain, wanted to show you that they've got whatever you're looking for.

    Makes perfect fucking sense.

    2. Yes, he must be put in this position, quickly and badly, via Photoshop.

    3. Come ON, PETA. You couldn't even make Pam a real lettuce bikini?

    4.

    Recently, you saw some great Amnesty International ads.

    This one, via Spain, is not one those.

    We'll digitally cross-eye W, add a little logo, DONE.

    Means nothing. Does nothing.

    5. Ad for a Vancouver retoucher, The Orange Apple. "No I wasn't watching porn, why do you ask?"

    6.

    This hackneyed Island of Dr. Moreau hybrid animal idea is very popular with today's slick designers. The thought process here took about as long as it takes a cheetah to reach full speed (3 seconds). The layout took about 30 seconds to finish.

    Here's a 2nd ad for your campaign, it took me about ten seconds to think up:

    a combo armadillo and dragonfly — safe and speedy. A little harder to comp, but that's what Photoshop is for.

    Another Island of Dr. Moreau example below.

    7.

    I initially thought the strategy for this ad via Turkey for Witte-Molen bird food was to try to get dog owners to buy birds, and then buy some of their bird food. But the copy reads: "Our newly enriched formula with millet branch. So delicious, you may see new signs of loyalty." So, no, they're targeting current bird owners. Or, actually, they're insulting current bird owners by insinuating that birds are inferior pets.

    Really, what probably happened here is a stoned Turkish AD was playing around, said "cool," and then turned to the copywriter and said, "make it work, jerk."

    8. Just, horrible ads for Virgin Radio via France. Why think of a fresh idea when you can just do some digital face dragging?

    9. Uruguayan Lohan ad for some publication called Gossip News Magazine.

    10. Silence of the Lambs-vertising via South Korea. How this ad sells that product, I have no idea. Wonder how they got that visual idea?

    11. Via Germany. At least this makes some sense.

    12. Via Bahrain. "Wonderful" idea, cat lovers will love the Photoshop abuse.

    13. African product...spicy...BANG! here's your idea, boss. I'm be at Flashdancers the rest of the afternoon ( ad via Germany).

    14. Ad for a pain balm, via Dubai. He's got a BITCH of a headache.

    15.

    South African ad.

    This is not how to sell ultra thin panty liners to women.

    What happened here was a male art director wanted to jerk off, so he went through a photographer's portfolio, found some hotties (two more ads here), masturbated, and then digitally painted some clothing on them.

    16. Senseless ad for a Swiss vegan restaurant that took a total of 53 second to think of and comp. Translation: "Sure to make everyone enjoy vegetarian food"

    17. Maybe the most tortuous Photoshopped ad I've ever seen. For a Portuguese bookseller.

    18. Jesus. Via Saudi Arabia.

    19. Dolphin sex to sell rum? Sure, why the Hell not, we gots Photoshop!

    20. This Photoshopped, amazingly sexist scam ad won a Gold Lion at Cannes five years ago, and perfectly represents everything that is wrong with advertising today.

    Photoshop has helped create a culture of non-creativity.

    Instead of truly creating, we re-create. We riff. We re-hash. We re-imagine. We update. We edit. We add things. We take away things. We do what you call "hacks" (that's ironic). We move things to different time periods, digitally, to create something "new."

    Sorry, it's very hard to make something that's actually new.

    But, it's very much worth it.

    Use your brain and a pencil and paper and nothing else first.

    Do that for many hours.

    Then turn on your machine.