October 27, 2009

Craftsman Labs

Tool companies are always cranking out micro sites. Here's one for our new 12-volt line...here's one for our new glass cutter...and another one for the glass cutting blades! We tend to like them because they're usually made with a little more pizazz and creativity than the company's corporate site. But as far as we know, until now, no one has ever made a micro site dedicated to the straight-up abuse of their tools.

Craftsman's new Craftsman Lab is just that. The site showcases a number of movies of these three dudes (Kenny, Matt, and Sam) unleashing all sorts of interesting mayhem on a wide variety of Craftsman tools. At the moment there are videos of them beating on a drill, a socket set, a hammer, a vacuum, a radio, and a tool box.

Without question, the best video is the one with the drill. The videos are shot in this really stylized Michael Bay kind of way, but that's all quickly forgotten once you see the guys attach a mannequin to a bike, duct tape a drill to its hand and launch it off a rooftop. It's great entertainment, there's no question about it.

They're pretty cool videos and worth a look. There's also a place where you can suggest a tool for their next test, as well as the testing method.

If you just want a taste, above is a trailer for the series. For more mannequin action, check out Craftsman Labs.