Levis wants in on skateboarding. They’ve got a skateboarding collection, a collaboration with Thrasher, and a half baked campaign called Make Your Mark or possibly What’s your approach that features Natas Kaupas. I’ve got nothing against Levi’s. It’s a privately owned company that still makes (a small percentage) some clothing in the USA. Their sweatshop labor controversy is well behind them. They’ve used the Clash in commercials, why not Natas? OK, I do have a beef. If you’re going to post an “interview” with Natas, at least make sure it has a little substance. If you check out the accompanying video, it makes even less sense. I hear him talking, but it’s all chopped up, and in the end it’s like he’s not saying anything.

It’s a weird, weird world we live in, where Mercedes Benz thinks it advantageous to make “a beautifully filmed video pitting man against machine these unlikely four-wheeled allies tango at high-speed on the majestic Franschhoek Pass in the Western Cape.” Are they targeting the desire of older rich males to be associated with speed, youth and danger? It was filmed for Mercedes Benz South Africa, which might explain why there’s no “Do not try this” warning at the bottom of the screen for dumb Americans. There is a “filmed under controlled conditions” message at the end. The rider is Decio Lourenco, and you can read more on Mercedes Benz Life. Because apparently owning a Mercedes Benz is a lifestyle, and not a sport. – Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.

We passed Freestyle Pizza near Umatilla, Oregon on our road trip out east. It didn’t occur to us to actually eat there, but we did stop for pictures. We should have checked if they had custom take out boxes. Grover claims he sent me a shot of this last year, but I must have forgotten to post it. You can view larger versions after the jump. Those are some crazy Jetsons-looking trucks.

I made some 7 color, screen printed reproductions of an advert for Nash skateboards Park Rider model. These ads appeared in comic books around 1978. I thought I had posted my copy here, but I must have been thinking of this old Bullwinkle ad instead. The idea of printing these has been in the back of my mind for a long time. I went as far as working on the separation file before sitting on it for a year. Earlier this week I got it in my head that I should try to crank these out in time for the Above Coping art show benefit at Commonwealth Skateboarding in Portland tonight. On Tuesday I called RC Screen Shop, luckily they had four screens stretched that the original buyer never picked up. They were large enough that I could burn two colors side by side on one screen, so I decided to go for it. After a few sweaty late evenings (cutting it down to the wire) I have a finished print run. If you buy one at Commonwealth, all the proceeds will go directly to Above Coping. Original advert and more after the jump.

This is an advertisement for Jantzen swimwear published int the June, 1966 issue of the Life Magazine. It gives Further credence to the idea that skateboarding was not dead by the end of 1965. Granted, the submission deadline could have been a couple months in advance. Also of note, this advert features 3 future Hall of Fame professional athletes in 3 different disciplines. It has NFL football player Frank Gifford, NBA basketball player Jerry West and NHL hockey player Bobby Hull, all admiring the Jantzen “Chemstrand Sharkskin” fabric wrapped around a skateboard and surfboard.

Avril Lavigne skateboards in a Chinese advertisement for Nong Fu Spring iced tea. [Source: Slate.com] – Thanks to Eric Pitt for the tip.

Listen fellas, those things happen when you don’t use birth control. The Chicago Department of Public Health rolled out these billboards to let you guys know that pregnancy isn’t just a girl’s problem. I think they hired the photog from American Apparel for this one. Why is this kid skateboarding on a dirt road? I’m not sure. Maybe they explain it at this really awkward url: beyoubehealthy.org [Source: New Zealand Herald] – Thanks to Simon Liver for the tip.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new “car-as-skateboard” commercial.” What did people do before the 90’s? That was like the wild west of TV commercials. No, this isn’t a closed circuit, and these are not professional stunt drivers. Yes, your car is a skateboard! Yes, go try this at home! [Source: Motor Trend]

…for listening to Blink 182. Especially in 2012. As seen on Gigposters.com.

MC found this Nike SB outdoor advert that was produced in Brazil circa 2006, so don’t go looking for these here and now. There’s not much information from the source because you have to (pay) subscribe to actually read the content. It’s called Mub Skateboard, from a firm called F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi. It looks like an appendage they add to existing structures to make them skate able, like a skate-prosthesis. I don’t remember I we talked about this earlier or not, but Nike had plans to tear down the artificial barrier they erected between SB and the rest of the company, and looks like they’ve been absorbed at last, the old url redirects to the corporate site. Very sterile. [Source: Advertolog]