OK, I admit it, this post was inspired by the utterly hilarious Toys ‘R’ Us homage to James Cameron’s Titanic movie (above). But the rest of the ads are definitely worth a look (and a second look!) as examples of how expressive imagery can be.

A Selection of Perfect Ads –> [via kottke.org]

A highly impressive group of more than 100 Flickr sets by Maryellen McFadden, a retired graphic designer in Oregon, this is an excellent resource for graphic designers. Vintage photos, Pictorial Modernism, the graphic design history from Switzerland, Canada, Cuba, Japan and more, film posters, calligraphy – you name it, she’s got it, and it’s in spades and very high quality, at that.

It’ll take a long time to get through this, so make sure to bookmark it and use as part of your morgue files for reference whenever you need a boost.

Graphic Design Photosets on Flickr –> [via SwissMiss]

Donated by designers and artists around the globe, posters sold here raise funds for victims of the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties. All proceeds will be given to the Salvation Army, for the 2007 California Wildfire fund.

Beautiful, and poignant.

So-Cal Fire Poster Project –> [via DesignObserver]

These are really fascinating, and some require a second or third look before you really “get” what’s going on. The FedEx truck is possibly my favourite.

Creative Advertising –> [via NotCot]

Beautiful art, design, typography, illustration and photo manipulation by Nik Ainley. There are far more pieces than I could possibly show you here, so make sure to click the link and ogle!

Shiny Binary –>

Very interesting breakdown of the types of advertisements one could create. Make sure to view the slideshow at the end of the short article.

12 Kinds of Ads –> [via swissmiss]