ZONKS! Topsy Turvy - which side is up?

photo credit: unknown

Ya just gotta put the picture first on these kinds of things. It's the only correct way to announce crazy cool projects such as the Topsy-Turvy Bus created by art car artist Tom Kennedy from Oakland, CA with a team of ten other artists.

The idea for Topsy-Turvy came from Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s and president of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities and artist Stefan Sagmeister.

Tom and Haideen Anderson are currently driving the bus around the US, blogging about their adventures, with stops planned in the same places, dates and times as the presidential primaries.

The Topsy-Turvy, painted in all it's yellow glory with a twin welded upside down to the roof was commissioned by Ben & Jerry's to protest U.S. military spending. Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities is a non profit organization made up of 700 business leaders who want to reduce U.S. military spending.

"Essentially this is a marketing technique that I started doing at Ben and Jerry's," Cohen said.

"We find that dollar for dollar, it's more effective than run-of-the-mill TV advertising. Seeing this weird vehicle in three dimensions makes more of a lasting impression."

Lead art car builder Tom Kennedy said

“It's under the 13.6-foot height limit and within the weight limit for noncommercial vehicles.”

With rare exception, most police officers who pull him over just want a picture to show their families.

Photo credit: Ken Duffy