So I loaded up O's site and was greeted to a picture of boardshorts being 'stretched' to the point of almost being ripped apart by various carbineer hooks. Just thought I'd inform everyone, the younger folks more or less, that the idea for this picture is stolen from the Hellraiser movies and the concept of hooks flying sadistically into people's skin and being ripped apart by Pinhead and the Cenobites. Theses are very gory and twisted movies, but are actually pretty good in terms of story, especially the earlier ones.

I just can't stand when I see marketing people stealing and applying ideas from older media concepts that are 10-20 years old and applying them to a new generation as if its their own original thing.

the picture you saw was to display the fact that the new board shorts will be more stretchy because of the ripstop o stretch material used. They will actually be using something similar on their displays in the stores.

Not too many other ways to display the 4-way stretch material in a lot of the new Board Shorts and Performance pieces.

By that standard couldnt it also be a Stretch Armstrong ripoff?

A lot of times good material is recycled because it worked both in the past successfully, and its revival is a welcome reminder in the industry...reaching a broader spectrum of the demographic.
I dont see Oakley tipping its creative hat to the Hellraiser movies...more so its a clever way to show the flexibility of the product.
If you think about it, you can draw parallels to almost anything you see or hear in design and entertainment...some can be direct rip-offs, some are more homage to the original. I dont see Oakley really needing to look at anyone else to borrow from, especially horror films.
Just my take on it.

I don't know that the Hell Razor reference was intentional. But I love the cultural reference there making with Plaintiff on the web site now.

"Kick the tires and light the fires"