Musician Trent Reznor shares details about his creative process, and Maru the cat celebrates his seventh. Also: vintage ads for Mad Men; the U.S. military’s canine troops and their handlers; why TV classics disappear from streaming services; and charting the vocal ranges of notable singers. ★
• Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor talks about using sobriety and discomfort to his creative advantage and about his latest projects, including 2013’s Hesitation Marks album, film soundtracks, and the Beats Music subscription service. [Fast Company]
• National Geographic’s June 2014 cover story focuses on the U.S. military’s combat canines and their handlers. You can also read it for free – and watch supplemental videos – via their site. (Make sure you have tissues handy!) [National Geographic]
• As a marketing nerd, I LOVE when there’s organic synergy between awesome creative and what it’s promoting – and get a little frustrated when it doesn’t happen more often.
This award season “For Your Consideration” ad campaign on behalf of the Mad Men TV series is a fantastic example of getting it right – using vintage-style ads to tout the show, which is set in and around a 1960s-era advertising agency. [The Hollywood Reporter via Adweek]
• Why your favorite older TV series may have disappeared (or has the potential to disappear) from Netflix and a blog that chronicles which TV episodes you can easily skip during your binge-viewing sessions. [Adweek, Fast Company Co.Create]
• Curious about the vocal ranges of popular singers and how they compare to each other? You’ll be surprised at who has the most extensive range…. [Concert Hotels via Fast Company Co.Create]
• The owner human of the Internet’s most famous Scottish Fold celebrated his seventh birthday with a funny hat and a new compilation video (also below). Wonder if anyone got him this as a gift? [This Is Maru, mugomogu on YouTube, Kittyo featured on Laughing Squid]