Expression That Inspires

A unique way to capture the joys in a year

2012-01-22T03:41:00.000-08:00

Memories are so much easier to memorialise nowadays. All the technology that exists out there can arguably visually - be it still or live - document our every move. However, we tend to only take snapshots of our daily moments that have a certain perceived important entertainment value or important milestone (ie. place we visit, people we stay hang out with, etc.).

In 2011 a young lady called Madeline decided to document every day of her life in that year by shooting a minute segment of a fun moment of each day. The final edit has 365 one minute segements woven together in a beautiful montage of memories. What I truly love about this project is that it demonstrates how much fun we really can have in life, that even the most mundane things like eating a hot dog is a moment of pleasure that if we relish it (pardon the pun) can boost our daily outlook on life a great deal. Have a look at the video below. Enjoy.

2011 from hey_rabbit on Vimeo.

The rise of a new world order

2012-01-22T03:24:00.000-08:00

With the growth of systems thinking and being able to visually map them, a new stream of thought has emerged that beauty does not solely need to lie in simplicity and balance. Rather, the interconnectedness of dissorder has equal beauty in its power and dynamism. Taking this thought even further one could argue that seeing and feeling a system creates balance because your are very clear about your surroundings and the role that you play within them.

Manuel Lima, founder of data visualization portal Visual Complexity, and author of the information visualization bible of the same name, recently gave an excellent talk on the power of networks at the RSA. Using examples that span from the Dewey Decimal System to Wikipedia, Manuel explores the evolving organization of knowledge and information, and the shift from hierarchical structures to distributed lateral networks.

He shows how we may be on the cusp of a true global social movement that could have profound effects on our current way of life, not just individually but socially, politically, and culturally. The increased involvement in social media will only propel this reality forward because it starts to subconsciouly engrain system thinking and system receptiveness (both visually and emotionally). A fascinating topic told simply by a brilliant man. Have a look.

The next great leap in the Nike+ platform

2012-01-22T02:54:00.000-08:00

The Nike FuelBand has finally arrived - a sleek wristband that monitors all your daily activity so that you can push yourself with daily fitness goals without necessarily having to go and hit the gym or field. It is a brilliant idea based on a fundamental Nike belief that life is a sport. Therefore, they have found a way of helping the athlete in all of us to be the best they can be.

The band is beautifully designed so that it can be worn proudly as an accessory. I am eager to see how this technology links up socially and how it can blow out the Nike+ platform. What a brilliant innovation. I want one :)

You are what you say... literally

2012-01-22T02:15:00.000-08:00

"You are what you say" is a common saying. If you think about it much of what defines you and much of how you define yourself over time is how you choose to describe the realities around you and your emotions to things that affect you. Nowadays much of this writing goes into social forums. For some reason we feel more open with a keyboard and the knowledge that many people will read it rather than saying it directly. I digress.

The American Heritage Dictionary has found a clever way of visualizing this concept - that we are what we say. How? By engaging people to create a self-portrait in their own words. Visitors to YouAreYourWords.com can upload a photo or use their webcam to take a picture of themselves. They can then connect to Facebook or Twitter to pull in words from their social stream, or enter words that best define who they are. From there, a server-side application composites a user’s words with their photo, creating a unique word-based self portrait.

http://www.youareyourwords.com/

Enjoy

The solution to the constant downtime in live sporting events

2012-01-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

American sports viewing is very different than sports from other parts of the world because the entertainment equation plays such a critical role. As a result the actual game time is overshadowed by all the bells and whistles that make up the spectacle (and the opportunity for advertisment). A few students from the Miami Ad School have figured an ingenious way of tapping into this superficial part of the game within NBA Basketball.

To ensure that viewers maintain their competitive spirit and stay focused on the game of Basketball, these students developed an iPhone app that allows you to continue the play when the players on the court stop. Introducing Fast Break. It is socially-driven so that you can engage with others in the stadium. It is also synched with the game so that the game kicks-in when the real game breaks. Phenomenal.

The hidden New York diaries told by cultural figures across time

2012-01-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

New York City has such a powerful personality and spirit that it truly affects anyone who ventures into its building-choked streets. While the energy can be overwhelming to some, many find it enlivening and bring out a new aspect of yourself that you didn't know existed.

New York Diaries attempts to capture the different expressions of this New York City hypnotism over the past 400 years. The book is a remarkable feat of an anthology by Teresa Carpenter, culled from the archives of libraries, museums, and private collections to reveal a dimensional mosaic portrait of the city through the journal entries of the writers, artists, thinkers, and tourists, both famous and not. Some of the names are from people you have shaped cultural history like Andy Warhol and Mark Twain.

Carpenter arranges the entries by day of the year, rather than chronologically, which brings to the foreground certain common patterns of daily life that appear to shape our experience of the city, be it in 1697 or 1976. Here are a few excerpts from names you know that bring this pattern to life:

On May 20, 1948, Jack Kerouac reflects on a general sociocultural peculiarity of New York, folded into the particular peculiarity of the writer’s life:

''No word from Scribner’s. Their silence and businesslike judicious patience is driving me crazy with tension, worry, expectation, disappointment — everything. And the novel is yet unfinished, really, and the time has come to start typing it and straightening it out. What a job in this weary life of mine, this lazy life. But I’ll get down to it. The news that Jesse James is still alive is very thrilling news to me, and my mother too, but we’ve noticed that it doesn’t seem to impress the New York world at all — which does bear out, in its own way, what I say about New York, that it is a heaven for European culture and not American culture. I don’t get personally mad these things any more, because that is overdoing things in the name of culture and at the expense of general humanity, but still, I get personally mad at those who scoff at the significance of Jesse James, bandit or no, to the regular American with a sense of his nation’s past."

Just the previous year, on November 19, a wholly different, more private side of Kerouac emerges:

"Dark Eyes came to my house tonight and we danced all night long, and into the morning. We sat on the floor, on the beautiful rug my mother made for me, and listened to the royal wedding at six in the morning. My mother was charming when she got up and saw us there. I made Dark Eyes some crêpes suzette. We danced again, & sang."

On February 18, 1867, a 32-year-old Mark Twain paints a portrait in stark contrast with recent portrayals of the NYPD:

"The police of Broadway seem to have been selected with special reference to size. They are nearly all large, fine-looking men, and their blue uniforms, well studded with brass buttons, their jack boots and their batons worn like a dagger, give them an imposing military aspect. They are gentlemanly in appearance and conduct… I hear them praised on every hand for their efficiency, integrity and watchful attention to business. It seems like an extravagant compliment to pay a policeman, don’t it? I am charmed with the novelty of it."

On March 2, 1842, Charles Dickens writes:

"Once more in Broadway! Here are the same ladies in bright colours walking to and fro, in pairs and singly; yonder in the very same light blue parasol which passed and repassed the hotel-window twenty times while we were sitting there. We are going to cross here. Take care of the pigs. Two portly sows are trotting up behind this carriage, and a select part of half-a-dozen gentlemen-hogs have just now turned the corner…"

And who knew Thomas Edison had such a penchant for the poetic? On July 12, 1885, he captures beautifully a morning experience all too familiar:

"Awakened at 5:15 A.M. — My eyes were embarrassed by the sunbeams — turned my back to them and tried to take another dip into oblivion — succeeded — awakened at 7 A.M. Thought of Mina, Daisy, and Mamma G — Put all 3 in my mental kaleidoscope to obtain a new combination à la Galton. Took Mina as a basis, tried to improve her beauty by discarding and adding certain features borrowed from Daisy and Mamma G. A sort of Raphaelized beauty, got into it too deep, mind flew away and I went to sleep again."

This book is the ultimate manifestation of a New Yorker's love of New York and a celebration of passion, love, chaos, and cultural pioneering. Have a read and enjoy.

The human barcode

2012-01-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

Heineken have been doing innovative things at music festivals for a few years now. Each time the purpose is to make the festival experience more memorable and special. In Poland they found an interesting way to use mobile barcodes as conversation ice-breakers. Introduction the U-code: a barcode that you stick on your body that has a secret message that other people can read if they take a photo of it. The simple mobile tool became a massive hit at the festival making meeting new people more likely.

Successfully bringing humor to a traditionally serious category

2012-01-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

Who says that marketing a social service like the heart foundation needs to be serious and always pull on the emotional-response of concern or fear. Here we see that humor can have the same and even greater effect to bring to life the intended message. Absolutely brilliant.

Projection mapping taken to a whole new world

2012-01-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

We have all seen our fair share of projection mapping creative initiatives over the course of the last few years. As a result, I am less and less impressed with what I see. However, when I watched this video my jaw dropped. The film that you are about to see has no special FX, no post production, no cuts, so everything you see here is 100% for real.

The creator was given the task by Playstation "to make a series of movie-related videos using 'Immersive Imaging' which takes 3D projection mapping as its starting point, but gives the viewer a supercharged experience with the help of the PlayStation Move controller.

In the past, projection mapping worked only from a single, static view point, and thus was very limited. By attaching the PlayStation Move to the camera, you can track projections to screens in real time, enhancing the effect of spatial deformation and false perspective on the projections and allowing viewers to look round (virtual) corners, bend walls, create a hole in the wall, or remove the walls altogether to reveal vast expanses of virtual worlds."

Enjoy. You will be amazed!

The new expressions of the old arts

2012-01-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

Sculpture and painting are the foundations of artistic expression. We go to museums to appreciate the works of legendary art figures and to see newer artists share their contemporary approaches. While many of these works from new artists are fantastic I feel that they are just trying to reach the level of perfection of their idols versus finding completely new approaches to those artistic standards.

The following two works are examples of artists playing differently in these artistic spaces and as a result are bringing to life fantastic visual creations.

When it comes to painting, I am always amazed when artists find different ways to replace or enhance the traditional tool, good old fashion paint. Whether it is using scraps of discarded materials, I find a new level of creativity is unleashed when playing with materials that shouldn't belong on a canvas. The piece below by Joe Black uses plastic soldiers to create a huge image of what seems like a Chinese (I think it is Jay Chou) soldier. The work is breath-taking and the sheer effort in putting this together is mind-blowing.

The other form of traditional art that I feel could use a bit of fun and unique creativity is sculpture. There are great works from contemporary artists but many perfect technique or play overly artsy when all is needed is a different subject matter or purpose for sculpting. The following work from Christopher Locke is a lovely example of applying storytelling to sculpture. He has been able to succinctly with a great touch of humor say that many things in this day and age quickly become obsolete. Have a look.

The year that was and the year that will be

2012-01-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

2011 was a year of immense change. We saw great political change, passing of the guard in various sports, another nail-biting bend in the economic rollercoaster, the deaths of numerous icons some of which were legends and some foes, and above all we reached a population milestone that deserves our utmost attention given its implications for how we act moving forward to accommodate it.

To sum up the great moments that accentuate the highs and lows of 2011 Youtube has put together a brilliant 2 minute film. You will be surprised at how much actually happened last year.

Creatively 2011 was also very interesting. Brands and their agencies are truly starting to understand the new social landscape. There have been fantastic initiatives that you all likely already know about if you've been following this blog so I won't repeat them. There have also been some interesting inroads in mobile but there is still far to go. Clearly this is the next creative frontier.

To celebrate the power of creativity in 2011 I want to share an amazing page in Youtube called Rewind. Here you can view all the videos that defined the year based on peoples likes and comments. http://www.youtube.com/rewind

Musically there have also been some gems in 2011. For the more traditional top records Rolling Stone released its 50 best of 2011 - see here http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2011-20111207 I'm not convinced that some of the top 10 are deserving of their rank given that those in question only had a track that was good. You'll know which ones I mean. For those that are more into the mixing tracks Fact Mag has released two great lists - The 50 Top Tracks and the 50 Top Records of 2011. Have a look and enjoy. Here are the Top Tracks - http://www.factmag.com/2011/12/05/50-best-tracks-of-2011-50-41/, and here are the Top Records - http://www.factmag.com/2011/11/30/50-best-albums-of-2011-50-41/

With so much that went down in 2011, what on earth do we have in store next year? Well Trendwatching has put together a nice list. Their Top 12 Consumer Trends for 2012 are not all eye-opening since we will have seen several making trends list over the past few years. However, there are interesting new takes on existing "movements". Here they are:

Red Carpet: This trend is a move to cater to the ever-growing Chinese tourists that are now allowed to travel across the globe and have a decent amount of spending money. Years ago the China trend was more about "in China" but now the Chinese have come to the West and we had better be prepared.
DIY Health: Since so much is now online and the app landscape is littered with medical self-help tools, we can expect a huge rise in self-diagnosis which will have an interesting affect on the drug industry.
Dealer Chic: The hunt for bargains is no longer for the "less fortunate". Finding deals is now something to brag about so retailers and Brands better be more creative in how they serve up value if they want the attention, respect, and love of these consumers.
Eco-Cycology: Recylcing is no longer a ''nice'' part of a Brand's sustainability platform. Consumers are putting environmental demands as price-of-entry for consideration. Therefore, Brands will be doing a lot more to keep their customer base.
Cash-Less: With growing online purchase comfort and a streamlining banking industry, we can expect a rapid decrease in cash-driven purchase behaviour. Many countries such as the UK are already close.
Bottom of the Urban Pyramid: The makeup of the consumers that fuel the rural-urban migration of today are very different than the past. They are much more creative and much more innovative. As such creativity and innovation will certainly rise - not just by these people but by the Brands trying to court them.
Idle Sourcing: The love for "updates" and ''check-ins" is clearly not going away. We should expect a rise in these types of tools that allow consumer to instantly connect with information fueling the never-off conversation of their social circle. How Brands can be part of that conversation will likely be increasingly explored.
Flawsome: Since consumers can find out everything about a company (likely before the decision-makers in those companies even find out), it will be important for Brands to take on a more honest and transparent approach. There will be a growth in companies becoming more human and fessing up to their flaws and errors.
Screen Culture: There has been talk of an explosion in screens for many years. However, how we use these screens will start to become much more intimate. Screens will start to satiate the physical emotional needs of consumers. How Brands help enhance that experience and not disrupt it will likely be a source of much exploration in the coming year.
Recommerce: It has never been easier to resell stuff. Expect an explosion of cottage industries catering to this dynamic. Many Brands that are subject to reselling should seek to prepare their own platforms so that they don't lose out to a middle (pardon) end-man.
Emerging Maturialism: Cultural differences are indeed becoming more pronounced. Couple this with a growth in pride across many countries and we can expect that many Brands pushing these boundaries to win the hearts of many consumers
Point & Know: As smartphone penetration sky-rockets we can expect consumers to increasingly want visual information to their queries. The need for Brands to expect this dynamic and plan for it as part of their social (in the digital sense) strategy will grow.

If you want to read about these trends in greater detail please go to the Trendwatching website - see here http://www.trendwatching.com/briefing/

I hope you enjoyed this post and are as excited about 2012 as I am.

Sculpting brilliance

2011-12-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Adam Martinakis is a genius in the field of sculpting. His ability to toy with you understanding of logic and physics is bizarre yet so alluring. Have a look at some of his works.

The world's first pop-up Youtube theatre

2011-12-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

A theatre dedicated to online content? How about a pop-up theatre powered by the internet videos from users' phones? The answer is a resounding yes to both. Aaron Jones’ outdoor YouTube Theater is designed to capitalize on ever improving wireless coverage by playing internet videos from its users’ smartphones.

The theatre has become a permanent fixture on the site of an old garage in Detroit. Jones claims the 500sq foot cinema, built from shaped galvanized-steel fence pipes, “is based on the assumption that the Internet can potentially deliver entertainment and information into any place, even a neighborhood that may be overlooked or discounted.” Those wishing to view streamed footage within the structure simply plug their smartphone into a receiver which projects the image onto the display screen while audio is played out of the built-in sound system.

What I love about this idea is that it turns bedroom viewing into a real life party. In other words it adds another layer to "social" by making it real and thus adding a dimension of experience richness. Imagine pop-up Youtube parties!

Brilliant.

Helping memorialize a travellers trip

2011-12-30T10:23:00.000-08:00

KLM have been experimenting with social media to enhance customer loyalty for several years now. Last year over the holidays they intercepted random passengers waiting for their flight who had tweeted about flying KLM and handed them a small gift. The experiment was a hit.

This year they are helping their travellers have an even more memorable holiday by offering up a service that turns anyones pictures and videos into a movie. The service is delivered in the form of an app. It is super simple to use and very fun.

I really like this idea because it requires so little involvement from the user (unless he/she wants) but the reward is so high and the ability for the output to be shared and turned viral within the users social graph is high. Absolutely brilliant.

Heineken creates the world's first socially lit Christmas tree

2011-12-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

Heineken are the masters of the stunt. Every year they find new and interesting ways of creating social buzz through unique stunts. This year they leveraged their newly penned global partnership with Facebook and the Christmas holiday to make a social bang.

In Singapore Heineken found a unique way of making the traditional Christmas tree into a modern-day social tree (without losing all the symbolism that we all love about its tradition). Through a simple Facebook app and a beautifully designed LCD screen tree sculpture consumers could send greetings and touching thoughts in the forms of pictures and videos to the tree. Then you were invited to see your greeting come to life on the actual tree and online (if you happen to live a bit too far from Singapore where the LCD tree was constructed).

Have a look at the video that explains more. Simply beautiful.

Arcade Fire launch a new interactive music video experience... again

2011-12-30T05:48:00.000-08:00

Canadian band ‘Arcade Fire’ are having a ton of fun playing with technology again. If you can recall how they made waves a few years ago with their Chrome interactive video for Wilderness Downtown. Now they have relaunched their hit ‘Sprawl II’ with an interactive dance-in-front-of-your-webcam version. You display some moves and have them re-enacted by the band and actors in the video.

The interactive producers AATOAA describe it the experience in the following way:
“The idea is to affect the pacing of the film with your movements. You are invited to dance in front of your webcam. There is no specific rules, no complicated “minority report” tricks. Just an invitation to move your arms or your butt on the music. The quicker you move, the faster the frames play. You slow down, the characters in the video slow down.”

Simply go to Arcade Fire's dedicated website for this song called Sprawl 2. Below is the regular music video to check out the original moves and just enjoy the song.

The best stories are real stories

2011-12-04T16:33:00.001-08:00

Delivering truly emotional advertising today is difficult. So many stories have been done, and so many techniques have been used. Viewers become very jaded. That is why the truth is often the richest sources for truly captivating and powerful storytelling.

Chevy true stories are tales of great relationships between man and machine. They really capture the love that people have with their cars which all the performance speak can't begin to bring to life. The reaction of the father when he is reunited with his beloved Impala is unbelievable. Have a look.

Art that challenges the eye forces storytelling

2011-12-04T16:09:00.001-08:00

Clever use of negative space can turn an expected image into a truly captivating piece of art. Malaysian illustrator Tang Yau Hoong is a master at this. As you will see with his work, the misdirection in all his pieces draws you into the painting and allows the story to come to life. It is as though the trickery sparks your imagination and thus compels you to create reason which forces you to digest the story. The ultimate storytelling technique if you will. Absolutely beautiful.

See his website here http://tangyauhoong.com/

If you can't solve a Rubik's Cube then create something with it

2011-12-04T15:56:00.001-08:00

Recently I've been stumbling on artists that use materials that conjure up a ton of nostalgia for me because they were core parts of my childhood. Just the other day I posted work from an artist using Lego in amazing ways. Now I will share the work of Pete Fecteau, who use Rubik's cubes in ways I wouldn't have dreamed about.

Pete uses the squares on the cubes like pixels, creating works of art the remind me of the poster of the Truman Show but a hell of a lot better. When you see the level of calculation that goes into his masterpieces, you can't help but be in awe. Have a look.

How to turn a text into the dream of a lifetime

2011-12-04T15:44:00.001-08:00

This is a fantastic promotion from South Africa where soccer fans were given the chance to become the coach of their favorite team for a day. Using simple text-based mechanics, fans were able to not only vote on the teams that would be part of the starting line-up, they were also able to make substitutions during the game. All you needed to do was grab a code from the cap of a Carling beer.

The work is genius not just because Carling was able to provide the ultimate reward for fan passion, it was central to the experience. I cannot believe that the teams and coaches played along. This is interactive excellence at its finest. Have a look.

SAB Carling Cup Case Study from Ogilvy South Africa on Vimeo.

A record-breaking street makeover

2011-12-04T15:35:00.001-08:00

I love 3D street art. It seems to have fallen out of trend recently but it can still turn a crowd. This amazing piece was done in London and became a Guinness Record for its never-done-before scale. I am not at all sure the relationship with Reebok Crossfit, but hey. The art from Joe Hill is stunning. Enjoy.

How to keep spirits at a fevered pitch through any sporting event

2011-11-21T15:25:00.001-08:00

The most rememorable thing about a live sports experience is often not the game but rather the fan vibe. A brand that can be central to creating that emotion will be able to have share of emotion love of that event.

Coke is a master at being part of these moments and they are increasingly finding simple ways of cementing their emotional connection to important cultural events. Here they have found a beautiful way of becoming central to the celebratory vibe of the Copa America.

They created the Alentometro (Encourage-meter), a screen disposed in Buenos Aires where fans could watch the football game of the Argentinean football team during the Copa America. As long as the crowd made enough noise, the image would stay on the screen. Brilliant.

Putting yourself in the shoes of a world class marathon runner

2011-11-21T15:11:00.001-08:00

I am sure many of us don't actually know the pace of a world class marathon runner. The speed is actually incredibly impressive, especially when you are thinking that this person has just clocked 20 plus miles. During marathon events in key cities these are the types of experiences, if shared, that make the spectacle all that more exciting.

In the recent New York City Marathon, Asics conceived a video installation wall that depicted long distance runner Ryan Hall sprinting at marathon speed across a tunnel in NYC’s Columbus Circle subway station. The wall featured a countdown, which allowed passersby to get in position and then see how they fared racing alongside the athlete. Simple, immersive, content generating, and just plain fun. Enjoy

Luggage like you've not seen it before

2011-11-21T14:49:00.001-08:00

There are a few categories of products that just have a core benefit that is itching to be creatively exploited. Luggage is just such a category. The core benefit is durability and strength. There are mountains of ways that this can be done creatively. However, few luggage brands have memorable creative.

For this reason I wanted to share these simple print pieces for American Tourister. They are simple, funny, and incredibly good at delivering the category benefit in a new way. It goes to show that if you think beyond the expected (in this case travelling) you can really nail your message in a way that will not only be credible but also memorable. Enjoy

Stunning natural speaker system design for your iPod

2011-11-21T14:36:00.001-08:00

We've seen a lot of highly creative iPod and iPhone speaker systems. I can still remember when the first Bose system was developed for the first and second generation iPods. Now you have some of the most compact and portable high performance speakers or elaborate and highly noticeable living room installations easily attainable in any electronics retail channel. However, the below speaker design is special. It uses horn amplification, not digital amplification to bring your iPhone or iPod to life. Visually stunning and audibly impressive. Have a look.

Megaphone.

Tim Burton movie celebration

2011-11-21T00:17:00.001-08:00

Tim Burton has created some of the most imaginary films. His perspective on the world around us has flowered filmic creativity that few have been able to match. This is a short celebration of 14 of his films. Enjoy

[the films of] Tim Burton from Kees van Dijkhuizen jr. on Vimeo.

Honda does the unthinkable to celebrate a huge consumer milestone

2011-11-13T15:27:00.001-08:00

Brands talk a lot about wanted to reward customer loyalty but take average steps to realize that promise. When consumers reach notable milestones few industries or Brands have a creative system in place to both recognize that customer and leverage the moment to created content for the Brand.

Honda has recently been able to take advantage of a record-breaking milestone achieved by one of its customers with modern-day communications mastery. The man drove his Accord past 1 million miles and got a celebration that he could never have imagined. The company decided to leverage the moment and create a docu-style film that would make Saturn in its glory days very proud. As a result, the company got a bucket of content and a huge PR story. Brilliant.

A design collective brings the Medusa back to life

2011-11-13T15:17:00.001-08:00

A stunning art installation by Truly Design that creates a 3D/ floating art piece by using walls, ceilings and floors at varying depths. The anamorphic Medusa used the same eye-deceiving technique called anamorphosis. Beyond being truly stunning that level of calculation and precision to create the perfect effect in remarkable. Have a look at the end piece from the various angles.

An experiment to see how many Brand taglines could be used for condoms

2011-11-13T15:06:00.001-08:00

This hilarious project by Max Wright demonstrates that a surprising number of Brands that we all know and love have a naughty side :) Why he didn't include Open Happiness is beyond me.

When Pixar tackles Hindu deities

2011-11-13T14:52:00.001-08:00

Have a look at this lovely side project of Pixar animator Sanjay Patel. It is a charming book of illustrations and stories of Indian mythology with a magical touch that only the creative sensibility of the Pixar crew can bring to life.

The book is called "The little book of Hindu deities: From the Goddess of wealth to the sacred cow". The stories range from petty quarrels and epic battles, love and betrayal, happiness and loss and are treated with a heartwarming humor. Beautiful. Have a look.

How to be a cultural leading Brand in challenging times

2011-11-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

The NBA lockout has been horrible for the game of basketball. The fans have been less than excited about the actions and decisions that have led to the season having such a beating. Moreover, the industry machine that is fed with the game has come to grinding halt. Brands that rely on the game for exposure are left with heartache and financial worry.

Nike is arguably one of those Brands that has most at stake. They have countless endorsements that are critical to pushing units. Without exposure, the allure of a new set of kicks slows. It is therefore Nike's business responsibility to remind people of their love of the game without reminding them of the greed and stubborness that has led to the frustrating lockout.

The result are two lovely films that lean into the timely topic but play heavily on the pure emotion of the game to ensure that viewer impression in mostly uplifting and positively energizing. Have a look and enjoy.

Amazing music videos that truly push creativity

2011-11-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

Have a look at these very creative music videos. The first is a video where the background scenes are made entirely with Jelly Beans. The animated music video used 288,000 jelly beans and 2,460 still frames. The project took 22 months to complete. It took 1,357 hours of hard work and a ‘jelly bean animation team’ that consisted of over 30 people. The film is for Kina Grannis, featuring her song ‘In Your Arms.’A truck load of jelly beans was donated by Jelly Belly.

The second video is for the Parenthetical Girls. It is called "I need nothing". While the song is average the video is an exploration of the history of album art. The lyrics of the song replace original names of actual album sleeves that have been created over the generations. It shows how beautiful this art has been and in my opinion the reason why it must be maintained. Art is such a related form of expression to music that we must continue nurturing it regardless of how the delivery of songs evolves through digital channels. Enjoy.

I Need Nothing - a nearly useless odyssey from Cãoceito on Vimeo.

How to make your business trip more fun? Have a friend sit next to you

2011-11-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Who hasn't flown and wished that they knew who they were sitting next to? Sometimes the most interesting conversations occur if someone just breaks the ice. Granted sometimes if is nicest to be left in peace, which is why headphones and the iPod was invented!

The students from the Miami Ad School envisioned a simple social networking app that allowed passengers to get to know their "neighbors" prior to flying. The chosen brand was Virgin. This made a ton of sense given the Brand's affinity for attracting more creative and curious passengers. Simply add a few details about yourself and allow the person next to you to view your information. Common interests, business industries, schools, etc. then become immediate conversation starters. Who knows, you may reconnect with a lost friend. Have a look.

Lost luggage no more? It may be possible

2011-11-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

The Miami Ad School is pumping out loads of great innovations of late. What I find wonderful about their ideas is that they aren't mere entertainment. Instead they tend to be more purposeful, adding true value to a person's life. However, the entertainment comes in the form of the way the utility is presented. They are highly creative and unexpected which makes potentially dry benefits very cool and lively.

A recent example is the below GPS enabled idea for Samsonite. The chip and connected app allows you to track your luggage wherever it is in the world from your mobile phone. I would have assumed something like this already exists. If not, Tumi or Samsonite should truly jump on it. The user interface is so simple and visually appealing you almost want your luggage to get lost :) Have a look at the idea below.

The vision of the near future according to Xbox Kinect

2011-11-07T02:52:00.000-08:00

Any marketer would absolutely love to have a sense of what is going to happen in communications several years from now. It is for this reason that heaps of companies are making pilgrimages to Silicon Valley in hope of unlocking the secrets of code obsessed. Honestly, we only need to free our imaginations and the opportunities will reveal themselves.

This lovely piece of film from Xbox does exactly that - opens your imagination to the possibilities that the very near future will bring. It is an exciting collection of potential applications of Kinect. The challenge to marketers is going to be how to use these applications for the betterment of someone's everyday life, or the betterment of the world around us. It is a huge responsibility but one that consumer will not let marketers forget since there is increasing emotion around government and business lack of attention to the emotional and societal well-being of their consumers.

Anyway, have a look at this wonderful film. Enjoy.

New faces around town

2011-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Street art collective Mentalgassi who were the creative minds behind the Amnesty International project called "making the invisible visible" (see here) have launched another face-inspired project. They have found interesting objects around the city that are wonderful canvasses for bringing to life 3D recreations of people's expressions.

The works are both humorous and a bit eery in that the emotions captured in the art can be felt. Additionally, the works surprisingly add new and bright energy to their formerly dreary environments even if the facial expressions are a bit negative. Have a look below.

Guaranteed good weather on your next holiday? Yes you can

2011-10-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

The students from the Miami Ad School are consistently impressing me with their innovative thinking. It is great to see that ideas-based creativity is flourishing within the ranks of the next generation of marketing communications experts.

This app concept for Virgin allows you to book holidays based on the weather that you want. Basically the process works with users specifying the exact type of weather they want on a holiday, and what their maximum budget is, then the app scans a global weather data base to match the requirements. Finally the suggestions are sent to you a few days before your departure date with destinations that have perfect weather.

The idea is so simple and so perfect for the Virgin brand who is consistently trying to offer novel travel perks to its clientel. There are so many technologies readily available (or can be accessed through a few contacts) that so many seemingly impossible ideas can be realized. This idea created by students Otilia Dobrea and Glen Hansen is one of them. Brilliant.

Virgin Book by Weather from Otilia Dobrea on Vimeo.

Rotating architecture

2011-10-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

We all remember the incredibly cool landscape distortions in the movie Inception. A photographer out of San Francisco called Nicholas Kennedy Sitton has found another way of making landscapes curl in on themselves using concentric circles within a computer program and turning each slightly more than the other. The result is truly beautiful. See his different works below.

Stunning long exposure photos

2011-10-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Long exposure has long been a fun way to explore the functions of your camera. However, some photographers take it to very creative heights. I love how these artists see patterns that can only be unlocked with a peek through time. See the wonderful works below.

Red Bull music academy creates an epic piece of animation

2011-10-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

An unbelievable piece of animation that really captures the creativity and variety that surrounds music the world over. I'm not sure how this ladders back to the Brand's promise but hey.

Red Bull Music Academy World Tour 2011 from Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.

Great film from Canal+

2011-10-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

This TV spot for Canal+ in France is absolutely hilarious. Based on the Youtube comments, many feel that it is of poor taste but that's what makes good communications - creating something that will spark debate. Watch it all the way to the end. Enjoy

How to understand 4G? Try to move that fast in real life

2011-10-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Consumers today will tell you that a product message really needs to be experienced to be believed. They have too often been sold stories versus realities. However, sometimes the barrier to trial is too high, be it because the product is not sexy or the trial is simply hard to judge. 4G phone speed is one of those products.

Sonera in Finland found an ingenious idea that would allow consumers to actually feel their technology in a really fun way. How? Make it a game that brings to life the 4G speed and gives you the chance to actually win a 4G phone. The simplicity of the idea is what makes it so special. It is another example of how creativity can turn the mundane into the unexpected. Brilliant!

Take a virtual walk, help save a dog. Seriously

2011-10-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

Pedigree have realized that selling dog food is only half of their business. The other important piece is championing dog health and dog safety. As such they have creates multiple initiatives to help dogs in need. Great creative work has resulted in merchandizing these projects to the world.

A case in point is this beautiful digitally-driven donation drive. All you need to do is take a real dog on a virtual walk across several websites. Pedigree have found sites that were willing to donate money for each person that visits their site thanks to the Pedigree "walk''. The model is so simple yet so smart and pretty fun to do. The great thing is that the idea is truly win-win-win. The sites that donate are going to get better traffic and certainly more attentive traffic (since someone is likely to pay more attention to a site when they know that it is helping a good cause). Pedigree in turn also wins because the user spends a decent amount of active time with the Brand. Finally, the abandoned dogs win because they get money.

Beautiful. Have a look at the site and take the tour. You will visit 4 website and your time alone generates a 1 pound donation. http://uk.pedigree.com/pedigreeadoptiondrive/

Beware of Bubble Gum man!

2011-10-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

A lovely series of print ads that are both very telegraphic in their depiction of the product promise and bring to life the attitude and personality of the Brand. Beautiful!

Mentos lays down another great digital innovation

2011-10-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

To promote their new product called Up2U, a new line of gume with two flavors, Mentos launched a very cool site that allows you to choose between various film scenarios in one very engaging interface. The site is called chooseup2u.com. It has four pairs of films running parallel to each other. It’s your choice which one you want to take. In one scenario, visitors can decide between being a “Hip Hop Superstar” with Naughty by Nature, or an astronaut. In another, they can either take part in a Japanese Game Show or run from zombies. The unique interface allows users to toggle seamlessly between the two scenarios. A central menu holds all the different combinations of films, each representing one flavor of the Mentos gum. Enjoy

How Twitter would have played a role in 911

2011-10-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

For the anniversary of 911 FRANK Communication from Norway allowed us to see that fateful day in a whole new light. They gave Rudi Giuliani a Twitter account and had him recount that day via Twitter.

Since there is so much information in the public domain, the ability to recreate an accurate and unique account of the day is mind-blowing. As you experience the account you are truly transported to that time. There is little lapse in time or information. If any of you watched the film Senna, you'll get reminded of how first hand account combined with incredible footage can make a robust and powerful narrative.

Have a look at the video. Very impressive.

Who has the most creative postal service in the world? Sweden

2011-10-10T00:26:00.000-07:00

The Swedish Post have arguably the most creative marketing dept of any postal service around the world. Last year they launched a very cool social media campaign to help people better identify the different sizes of their iconic green packages (see campaign here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ickgRSC7gQw). Now they are using another cool social media and mobile idea to demonstrate their reliability to consumers.

The idea is called "Sweden's Safest Hands". The challenge is for people to virtually deliver one of 300 odd parcels in the fastest time, with the safest hands. People need to use an app that will utilise the compass, GPS and accelerometer to track and measure how stable and safe you actually are with your movements on the path to deliver that virtual parcel. Each day a number of new parcels become available to be delivered, with the first person to deliver that parcel safely, winning the contents of that virtual parcel, but in the real world.

Sure the treasure hunt mobile idea has been done before but this level of gaming where you actually become the Brand (ie the post delivery guy) is quite ingenious. Have a look.

How the Dutch are responsible for Facebook

2011-10-10T00:08:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love how traditional instutions such as museums have been leaning into pop-culture and technology to regain relevance and interest with the broader population. The Museum Of London in partnership with Brothers & Sisters has launched two very cool mobile apps that use AR to help you relive scenes from London's past (see Street Museum - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSfATEZiUYo; and Londinium).

Now The Dutch National Maritime Museum released this hilarious film that tries to credit the Dutch and its sea prowess with the creation of Facebook! In the account of the exaggerated story, the video manages to squeeze out a ton of interesting historic facts which should lure a few people into its doors. Very cool approach to gaining awareness and interest of its treasures.

The power of curiosity

2011-10-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

More times than not it is a small project for an eager and open client that produces great work. The weight of alignment and research aren't present allowing for a more fluid expression of creativity. A case in point is this wonderful animation short by Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town for the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB). The message of the video reflects the goal that we should all remember: curiosity will grow with new discoveries. In other words, don't allow that curiosity to be muted by forces that are adverse to curiosity.

Now you never have to waste any part of your Oreo

2011-10-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

Product innovation is a staple strategy within the marketing handbook. Marketers look for big wins and thus usually go for big bets. However, it is the smaller and more creative undertakings that can often bring the desired news to a Brand even if the actual innovation won't be the money train.

The following innovation from some students for Oreo looks to combine two guarantees: Oreo crumbs that are always left at the bottom of a pack and the amazing taste of cold milk with an Oreo cookie. The cool idea is that dunking your cookie in milk is a bit of a game, therefore why not continue in that vibe with the "left overs".

Very smart and very cool.

How to bring people together at a music festival? Give them the means to make music

2011-10-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

The lovely thing about hosting your own festival is that you get to green light some really cool installations. Virgin did exactly that at their Virgin Mobile Free Fest. Through the help of Kyocera they constructed an amazing installation that allowed users to play virtual instruments and create music by moving their body in front of motion-tracking cameras.

The installation was so interactive that you could literally become the music - body movements, fans, bizarre printed codes, all served to create unique sounds, volumes and tones. The following video shows how involved the festival-goers became. The installation truly created a party within the party just by releasing some props that sparked peoples imagination and creative mojo. Brilliant.

The Echo Temple from MPC on Vimeo.

Eskimo luxury: The modern-day igloo

2011-10-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

This incredible hotel made of glass inglos is found in Kakslauttanen Finland. The main attraction of this hotel is the aurora borealis. Leaning into eskimo heritage, the hotel complex looks more like a science station found in a film series than a weekend getaway. The pods look stunning and I can only imagine how relaxing the stay would be. Enjoy the photos.

Taking the case study to the next level

2011-10-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Almost daily you can find brilliant creative works from individuals and brands the world over. Many pride themselves on their ingenuity and merchandise their accomplishments through polished case study videos. Many follow the same format. An ad firm in Toronto Canada decided it was time to poke fun at the modern-day case study film. The result is a great piece of entertainment. Enjoy.

If you do stunts well, they will never get boring. Carlsberg show us how

2011-09-26T02:34:00.000-07:00

Online stunts that bring to life the POV of a Brand have been all the rage for a little while now. However, only a few Brands have pulled off great ideas. T-mobile started it all off with their flash mob series, Heineken did a great one around their Champions League sponsorship, and Coke did a nice idea called the Happiness Machine that sparked many copycats in other markets. Now Carlsberg enters the mix.

To "weed out" the real men (and women) from the rest, Carlsberg set up a stunt in a theatre to see who would not feel intimidated. Those that didn't got a great reward. While the setting resembles that of the Heineken stunt, the idea is very different and is truly entertaining. Moreover, the POV of the Brand and the role of the product is really good. Well done.

The ultimate retail space for men

2011-09-26T02:21:00.000-07:00

Ikea has been innovating in retail design for decades. They have found ways of making consumers want to wander through their entire stores, they have found ways to make people want to stop and eat at their cafeterias, and they have found ways to make kids want to go just to play in their spaces (making parents like to shop at their stores). Now they have done it again, this time with a really funny twist.

Now men with short retail attention span and shopping-averse men in Australia have a solution to escape the pains of weekend shopping at Ikea. It's called Manland and it’s a day-care for husbands and boyfriends who want to take a break from the shopping. The space works exactly like the play-space for kids, with a dedicated area in the store offering free hot dogs, Xbox consoles, pinball machines and nonstop sports action on TV. There is even a buzzer to remind girls to stop buy to pick-up their men!

Have a look at the video that brings the idea to life. Brilliant. With the popularity of this video, I'm sure Ikea will roll out this idea beyond Australia.

The most creative coat hooks

2011-09-26T02:13:00.000-07:00

Who knew that hanging your coat could be so much fun. Creativity truly is rampant across every aspect of our lives. No touchpoint, not even the most mundane will be left unchallenged. Enjoy. I personally really like the one where you have to climb the wall to get your clothes :)

How Twitter will change sports tournaments: Powerade shows us in Latin America

2011-09-26T01:40:00.000-07:00

Watching football on TV is no longer just an experience to enjoy with the friends that are physically in the same room or bar as you are. There is the natural desire to connect, communicate, and have fun with all your friends who care as much as you do about the match being broadcast. Twitter is the go-to social media platform for events so “Twittercasting” sport events is a natural outcome.

Powerade took advantage of the growth in Twittercasting but added an additional layer that a lot of people like nowadays: infographics. So during the recent Copa America they created a microsite on which every tweet about every game was aggregated and compiled into an interactive infographic style interface. The video case study is pretty sweet and definitely shows the strong connection between tweets and actions on pitch.

The challenge with this execution is that the product plays an endorser role so the consumer is left with little idea of what Powerade actually stands for, let alone what the liquid in the bottle can actually do. The service definitely enhances the entertainment experience of the tournament but this territory is more where beers play. A really nice idea nonetheless.

Live a language, don't learn it

2011-09-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Language comes alive in the environments in which it stems. Any language book or audio course cannot bring to life the power of a language in the same way as true immersion. The richness of how the language is used, how it adapts to its environments, how it makes everyday acts more fun is why we seek to learn new tongues. A language school has realized this true desire and has tried to bring it to life through a series of films that taunt the viewer with his/her ultimate desire. Have a look. Very cool.

EF - Live The Language - Sydney from Gustav Johansson on Vimeo.

EF - Live The Language - LA from Gustav Johansson on Vimeo.

The creative power in lamps? Oh yes

2011-09-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

If someone were to ask me "give me 10 industries that you find very creative", there is a good chance that lamp-making would not fall into that list. However, this business is frequently a breeding ground for stunning works of art. You need only go to your local craft market or hipster neighborhood and there is likely to be a maker of very cool lamps.

A case in point is this unique designer from Poland called Przemek, also known as Calabarte. Przemek studied building engineering at a technical university and even worked in an architectural studio for 3 years. However, after 7 years of studies he decided that making lamps was his real passion, so he quit both his job and his studies. He traveled far away to Senegal and brought back some of the African gourds which he used as his main material to create his fascinating lamps.

Have a look at his gems. Enjoy.

The beauty in brand rivalries

2011-09-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Rivalries are normally seen as being destructive. However, the power of competition can actually spark a great deal of creativity. There have been, and still are, some epic rivalries. We appreciate them from the sidelines and swirm when one has gone a bit too far. This art project attempts to beautifully show how these epic rivalries actually are in-of-themselves very beautiful.

The Romanian artist Stefan Asafti who designed these posters writes “There have always existed disputes among the competing parties, divergent opinions, while the fans of each brand were convinced that theirs was the best product. Last, but not least, the rivals have even conducted ad campaigns against the competing brands. This project mostly approaches the visual “conversations” between the company logos and the ways that they influence each other, hence the name of the project, Brandversations. It is a parallel between the modern and the old, some of the slogans dating back to the 40s and 50s.” Which one wins?

Cool music videos of the week - Jane's Addiction, Cold Mailman, Malta, Androp

2011-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Jane's Addiction "Irresistable Force"

Cold Mailman "Time is of the essence"

Cold mailman - Time is of the essence from André Chocron on Vimeo.

Malta

Malta from superhumanoids on Vimeo.

Androp "Bright Siren"

Inspiring poster

2011-09-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

A powerful picture to inspire a moment of reflection of what 911 has sparked over the past 10 years. Really smart, really bold.

The creative richness in beer packaging

2011-09-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

Packaging is such a fun way to tell the story of your Brand. It is important that design thinking is used to ensure that you set yourself up for an architecture that can evolve as you do. However, it is equally important to let loose and be playful. Too often Brands get caught in overanalyzing their packaging messages and images that they end up losing the opportunity to not only really break some rules, but more importantly they miss the opportunity to really tell their story in the most compelling and authentic way.

This is why I absolutely love this exploratory of beer packaging done by one of the Tasteologie guys (see http://tasteologie.notcot.org). A simple stroll down the aisles of Whole Foods and the creativity of this sector comes to life. However, many of these players aren't caught by the pressures of multiple management layers, or multiple countries waying in to ensure that their consumer is considered. Instead, these Brands lean into their own essense, their own personality, and express that to the world at large. The result: probably some haters, but certainly some real lovers. And arguably you want to stand for something and have people that truly like you for what you are (not what you want everyone to think you are). Enjoy the photos.

The technique trap: a storyteller's worst enemy

2011-09-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

Many creatives today love to approach stories through technique. I understand the temptation, after all there is so much possibility out there that one is naturally drawn to chance to use a technique that has never been done before. The trap that comes with this is that technique trumps story. The winning formula is when you have a simple story (or in this case universally known story) that is enhanced through technique. When this is done, you create a bit of magic.

Have a look at this nice piece for Billboard Magazine that accounts the story of Michael Jackson in a way that makes you smile, even if you are very familiar with his life. Enjoy.

LEGO and the power of imagination

2011-09-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

We all equate LEGO with imagination and creativity. Here is a beautiful piece of creative that totally brings that to life. Absolutely lovely.

The power of a simple apology

2011-09-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes marketers should relish in a moment to spread good sentiments without linking the initiative to a sale. Sure this defies investment strategy 101 but the residual value can have significant upside, and perhaps not even in the long-term. Consumers today are looking for groups (among which Brands can and should play a leadership role) to force change in societal paradigms since decades of capitalism has brought a lot of individual and selfish sentiments that are showing their side-effects on regular basis (we need only look at the London riots).

This is why I really love the initiative from DiGi Telecommunications in Malaysia. They are running a campaign called “Dear Malaysians”, a social initiative encouraging people to come together with apology and forgiveness in the spirit of Hari Raya (end of Ramadan), Hari Merdeka (31 August) and 1Malaysia (September 16). A three minute online video shows people holding signs with their apologies for past mistakes.

Yes the campaign does have a good role-of-product whereby Malaysians are invited to send a picture or video of their own apologies via the dearmalaysians Facebook page. The best submissions overall will be compiled into a video to be uploaded on Malaysia Day. Beautiful. Have a look at the video and arm yourself with a tissue.

Creativity in business cards

2011-08-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Who says your calling card cannot be beautiful, well designed, and totally reflective of your profession and skill. The days of the perfect, yet dull, business card precision so wonderfully brought to life in "American Psycho" are over. Thank goodness. The examples below are a testament to this. Have a look.

Business card for group of editors working in film

Business card for furniture store in Brazil

Business card for sunglass brand

Business card for architecture company

Business card for Pilates instructors

Business card for grill company

Business card for hairdresser (these are hilarious)

Business card for Yoga studio

Business card for bakery

Business card for bike mechanic

Business card for underwear brand

Excellence in illustration

2011-08-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

A beautiful piece of work that was an entry of the annual Society Of Illustrators book. The design has a 70s feel with an Oriental touch. The balance is perfect and I really love how the colors compliment eachother. Enjoy

The magic when Scrabble meets search

2011-08-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

We have seen traditional boardgame companies such as Hasbro develop really innovative interactive versions of their games by finding interesting online platforms that can enhance the original game experience. The following example from Mexico for Scrabble does just that.

The old gaming brand figured that it could actually leverage search in not just driving awareness of its game, but actually allowing people to experience the actual game in a way never done before. Enter Scrabble Search. The video says it all, but in short for select words searched, Scrabble used paid search to give the user points for that word, ultimately prompting the person to keep searching on to get more points.

The idea is genius and so simple. All you need to do is see parallel usages of your game online and the chances are that you can provide an experience that not only creates reassessment of the game but also reassessment of the usage of that platform.

Cool music videos of the weekend: Seeed; Jeez Louise; Matthew Dear

2011-08-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

Seeed "Wonderful Life"

Jeez Louise "Secret Skwirl"

JEEZ LOUISE - SECRET SKWIRL from maxime bruneel on Vimeo.

Matthew Dear "Slowdance"

Matthew Dear - "Slowdance" by Charles Bergquist from Ghostly International on Vimeo.

Do you remember who your first Facebook friends were?

2011-08-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

With so many apps out today, the ability to get quick interaction is to ensure quick access and a simple promised output. Additionally, the world seems to be so preoccupied with collecting new friends and fans on Facebook that we are forgetting about the friends and fans that have been with us for a while, those that started it all off for us.

Orangina figured that is would be a nice touch to look back for a moment vs forging ahead to appreciate those original people that started your social media life. Their cool Facebook app helps you remember who your first Original Facebook friends have been. The application creates a list of your top 10 Facebook friends who gave you your first likes, posts and comments, sorted by date. And, as a souvenir, you can save a picture of these friends in your photo album.

This idea is great because it has a huge potential in terms of word of mouth since it taps into the kind of curiosity a lot of applications are proving successful to trigger. It would be nice to see whether Orangina blow the idea out a bit by encouraging you to reconnect with some of your "original" social buddies in some creative way.

Some great stickers to pimp up your Macbook

2011-08-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

Its hard to make a nice piece of equipment look even better with a few stickers. These do. Enjoy

Ikea discounts showrooms based on how many people "like" them on Facebook

2011-08-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

What I really love about Ikea's approach to social media is that they seem to be avid believers of constantly driving conversations. Whether it was the Malmo store Facebook page or the After Hours Cats piece, they love peppering the virtual world with bits of content that people will talk about.

Two young advertising students Jeena and John from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam have come up with another simple Ikea social media gem focusing on the shopping experience. They have taken the simple notion of utilising Facebook “Like” buttons across all the products on the website, in order to mine the data, to create the world’s most “liked” showroom. Customers can gain specific social shopping discounts based on what the community currently thinks the most popular products from IKEA. Very cool.

IKEA "The world's most liked showroom" from Jeena van der Heul on Vimeo.

When art and actions sports collide

2011-08-23T00:35:00.000-07:00

Action sports have always been intimately related to art. The sports themselves are more about expression and creativity than brute power, although that is frequently needed as well. However, the art that has historically surrounded these sports has been gritty and rebellious. It is therefore refreshing to see how the level of sophistication in respect to artistic taste has evolved as action sports have evolved. While there is and will always be the Monster, Mtn Dew, etc. raw part of the action sports culture, a more refined culture manifestation will now blossom. These two videos are a testament to that. Have a look.

5BORO FALL '11 CLIP from 5BORO on Vimeo.

Cool music videos of the weekend: Tahiti 80; The Naked And Famous; Ed Sheeran

2011-08-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

Tahiti 80 - "Easy"

Tahiti 80 "Easy" from Tahiti 80 on Vimeo.

The Naked And Famous - "The Sun"

The Naked And Famous - The Sun from The Naked And Famous on Vimeo.

Ed Sheeran - "You Need Me, I Don't Need You"

New Balance shows us how mobile app development is becoming a key tool in local marketing

2011-08-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

It is truly amazing at how app creation has developed to a level where it is considered effective from an ROI point of view to create very local apps that have a very short shelf-life. We have seen countless examples of these: Mini Getaway Stockholm Challenge (see link here), Vodafone Buffer Busters (see link here), Levi's Catch Me If You can (see link here), Nike Japan 90 AR campaign (see link here), Nike Grid (see link here), and more.

Now New Balance in New York City has created an interesting "treasure hunt" type AR game to help drive traffic to their flagship store. The New Balance’s Urban Dash app asks New Yorker’s to grab and run with virtual batons, with the option of teaming up to be more effective. The aim is to redeem the batons for a pair of exclusive ‘NYC 574′ at their flagship store on 5th Avenue. Collect the most and win a baton of solid gold. Very cool.

Enjoy

The new era of Brand-building: the creation of super strong local relationships

2011-08-21T03:50:00.000-07:00

Great marketing really is being unleashed at the local level. Brands seem to have realized that creating potent local connections is what will build the kind of evangelism that is critical to the establishment of a long-lasting Brand. If you think about it, strong relationships are always created at a more intimate level, where you have the ability to use common topics for conversations, topics that only are appreciated within a given community.

Many Brands are diving into this reality, thinking that its better to create real and strong relationships (even if that means that the amount will be less) rather than build a broad but weak pool of acquaintances. The video below is an example of great local relationship-building: The intiative is a one-off, in a select location, using local artists, inspiring the creative community. Absolutely beautiful.

Enjoy

The most obscure but effective product demonstration in quite a while

2011-08-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing to do in a piece of communication is make a product demonstration that is so cool that the viewer does not mind that they are being overtly marketed to. This little gem from Adidas is a perfect example.

The imagination they used to get a powerful performance message that resonates perfectly but surprisingly with an easily-distracted male audience is noteworthy. It may be a bit off-center but there is genius in it. Only in Japan, only in Japan. Enjoy.

LG shows us how we can become the lead singer in any of our favorite bands on any of the albums!

2011-08-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Local market activation ideas are where you really can have a ton of fun in marketing. You have the benefit of global platforms and assets but can apply them how you see fit based on your market environment and business needs. Latin American markets have a tendency to excel at these initiatives, partly because of their commitment to local work, partly because of their loose legal systems that allow for wild ideas :)

LG took advantage of this situation in Brazil to do a low-key program with 6 record stores to launch their new "voice remover" system. In essence this system is the ultimate karaoke tool (or sampling equipment). Therefore, they figured that using CD covers as media space was perfect by suggesting you could be the singer of your favorite band.

A hidden camera in the record stores not only brought to life the idea but made for some fantastic content that could be used for PR, online media, internal collateral, etc. Brilliant.

The t-shirt test

2011-08-15T02:09:00.000-07:00

A great judge of powerful creativity and executional excellence is when you would proudly wear an ad on a t-shirt. When a product and art merge seemlessly together. When the emotional response to a piece of work is strong without you knowing why.

The following posters for guitar brand Carlino. The bold guitar designs combine perfectly with the art to say a great deal about the personality of the guitar and thus the user. The simple pencil approach allows the strong guitar shapes to bounce off the page and be supported by the emotions buried in the illustrations. I'm not too fond of the copy but hey :)

The universal power of emotion-based storytelling

2011-08-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

It is amazing what happens to a creative idea when you tap into universal human values. Whether you are in Asia or North America, these values strike a chord. The result is emotion-based storytelling at its best. So, regardless of the product being advertised, the idea will come through loud and clear. An example is this billboard idea for a local baseball team in the US. Sweet, simple, but powerful. Enjoy

The best football fan club of all time

2011-08-13T02:23:00.000-07:00

The best way to enjoy a football/soccer match is by becoming a committed follower and living and breathing the spirit and energy of the club. Every club has its peculiarities and a unique DNA of its followers. When these followers apply their creativity to enhance the match experience its a beautiful thing. This is exactly what happened with the fans from FC St. Pauli, a Hamburg football team which recently moved up to the Bundesliga (the highest league in German football).

The St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg known for its punk followers and therefore they built a football supporters box with a difference. With a low budget and a fan base well known for its non-conformist attitude, it made sense to create the Gegenpol (Counterpole or Anti Box), made of three container boxes placed on a steel scaffold between the north stand and the back straight.

The inside of St. Pauli's Gegenpol was a footballer fans' dream. The first cool feature was a Spiegelsaal (Mirror hall), a visual homage to the club and district with thousands of newspaper clippings, autographs, posters. The terrace was equally cool, with 26 seats was installed on the outside of the upper container with the best view of the pitch. Each seat had a beer barrel under it and a television screen for replays of crucial scenes. The tip of the iceberg was its food catering service: yes Currywurst sausage was delivered using an electric railway! Brilliant.

The power of creativity to transform societal paradigms of disadvantaged people

2011-08-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

Great creativity is about seeing what others don't in everyday objects, situations, dynamics. Well, this philosophy can apply to many aspects of society. How about disabled people? If the philosophy of creativity was applied to the societal paradigms that frequently wrap these people, what could be the result? The answer is something very beautiful.

The Al Noor Training Centre that helps disabled children in Dubai is using the globally recognised disability sign in very creative ways to skake the paradigms surrounding kids with special needs. Vinyl stickers turn the disability logo (person in a wheelchair) into magicians, basketball players, singers or chefs, etc. They have transformed hundreds of “mini-billboards” across the city.

A simple act of creativity can apply the philosophy of creativity to the perception of these people. Absolutely brilliant, hearth-warming, and just so simply powerful. Well done!

Blink-182 rewards its fans for stealing their music

2011-08-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

The music industry has another high-profile cool digital gem: The Blink-182 illegal fan mashup. For the release of their new single, Blink-182 used a very unique approach to re-engage their fan base. They decided to scour YouTube for every uploaded video that used their music without permission and then set about cutting it into their very own music video.

The unique approach was not intended to celebrate track stealing, rather to spark a re-energised community to talk abut the new single since the band hadn't released a song in 8 years. With this new single and clever marketing idea, their fans will become the unassuming stars of the new music video. To get the video right, it took a lot of editing the hundreds of videos found on Youtube and selecting the best ones. The approach is great because it is a beautiful demonstration of how to ignite chatter on a forum where this chatter occurs with content that is already generating chatter. Nice one.

Coke helps kids take their entire social networks to cool live events

2011-08-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

Creative innovation in Israel keeps on pushing out great work year in year out. Once again it is Coca-Cola who is leading the charge. The brand has brought together thousands of young Israelis across the country to enjoy activities including a movie marathon, day at a water park, rock concert and parties, etc.

In order to make all these more social Coke figured out an ingenious way to integrate people's online experience with their real life. This led to the introduction of FaceLook - a real life posting application based on Face.com face recognition technology, enabling participants to post comments and pictures to their Facebook wall using only their faces as identification.

At any one of the venues of Coca-Cola Summer Love in Israel, participants could post experiences on their Facebook wall, just by looking at the FaceLook machine. The application recognised the person and posted an automatic comment, relevant to the attraction closest to where the machine was located. What a great way of allowing your friends to live your experiences and be part of the conversation.

The best taxi ride of all time

2011-08-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

One of my guilty pleasures in Canada and New York City was watching the Cash Cab on cable television. This is a show where you can win money in an actual cab on your way to your desired destination. I would never think of applying that to a marketing initiative but the team at Living Social have done so brilliantly.

In the hope of creating some buzz and showcasing the many great discounted things you can get from LivingSocial, the team decided to deck out a cab with a mystery take-it-or-leave-it challenge. The idea was that once you are in the cab, the driver presents you with a challenge. Continue on your way or take the mystery LivingSocial experience. People would touch the screen in the taxi to activate a random prize draw, which the driver would immediately take you to, to complete the experience. Some prizes include a chef masterclass, chess boxing, and a speed boat tour down the Thames.

The idea does a great job at showcasing all the services that Living Social can offer. However, I think that this can be much more than a marketing initiative but rather could turn into a TV property. It takes the Cash Cab concept and adds an "Amazing Race" component. This would be great entertainment! Great job from the guys at Next Web.

An amazing art and design talent from the UK: Olly Moss

2011-08-07T02:02:00.000-07:00

A great artist can find simple yet unexpected ways of communicating an idea. Olly Moss is one of them. I was forwarded his link the other day and wanted to share it. He has an uncanny ability of layering images to form simple but comprehensive stories. His movie poster exploration and random ideas (at the bottom of his site) are great examples of this. Have a look and enjoy.

Here is his website - http://ollymoss.com/

Cool music videos of the weekend: Baby Monster and Fulton Lights

2011-08-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

The second video by Fulton Lights could spook you a bit but its just so peculiar that I had to share.

Baby Monster - "The Fear Of Charlie Sunrise"

Fulton Lights - "Staring Out The Window"

"Staring Out The Window" - Fulton Lights from Ninian Doff on Vimeo.

The foundation of creativity is imitation: the video that proves it

2011-08-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

Many debate whether imitation can be a form of creativity. The following video argues that it can. The main reason is that imitation is the foundation of the creative mind because without imitation you have no base off of which to explore and play. Once you do play, chances are that you will be imitating is some fashion or another because you are a product of your memories and experiences. However, combining elements, which is an output of imitation, is arguably the main vehicle to true innovation.

In a nutshell, imitation is not only a form of creativity, it is the foundation of creativity. Enjoy the video. It is a bit long but incredibly fun and entertaining so watch it to the end.

Everything is a Remix Part 3 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Beer pack influenced by the NYC squat scene

2011-08-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

Much like design and medicine get influenced by real processes and real biology in nature, packaging design can get influenced by behaviours among humans with corresponding objects and shapes in society. To illustrate this point, I recently stumbled on a beer Brand from Australia whose packaging was influenced by the squatter scene in NYC.

The "hobo-influenced" packaging is produced by Melbourne-based East Ninth Brewing Company. The lager’s appearance is designed to evoke an underground sub-culture of art, music and partying. As such, each bottle comes wrapped in a brown paper bag (traditionally used to hide a bottle’s alcoholic contents from the police), and the name “Doss Blockos” is a reference to the Dos Blockos building in New York, which was a focal point for the New York squat scene in the 90’s. The lager’s flavor is also meant to be reminiscent of the stripped-back approach to brewing that was prevalent in the squats, with a malty flavor, all natural ingredients and 4.6% ABV.

I love this type of creativity in pack-design because it gives the Brand an immediate strong and defined personality and also has incredible talk-value. Granted this approach has massive limitations and carries huge risk. However, for small Brands whose ambition is a very defined audience this can be the perfect approach, or for limited-time packs this can also be a very fun approach to inject an authentic and interesting perspective to a Brand. Have a look at their website - http://e9thbrewing.com/

The miracles that happen when passion meets vision and is mixed with a whole lot of drive

2011-08-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

I regularly am impressed by people who have commited their lives to their passions and in doing so have birthed some of the most innovative and creative undertakings in those respective passions. Pierre Andre Senizergues is one of these characters. He is a former freestyle skateboarder that I used to read about in magazines many years ago when I was immersed in the sport. Since then Pierre Andre has created a skate empire. Most know of his shoe brand Etnies, but that brand is just the tip of the iceberg. He has contributed so much to the sport that politicians in California praise him. Now he is making another creative leap for the sport by merging it with architecture.

The Pierre Andre Senizergues (PAS) House Pierre is the ultimate dream for generations of skateboarders who wanted to bring their practice into their home. The PAS House is the project of a private residence, to be built in Malibu, California. In this house you will be able to skate any areas and surfaces, indoor and outdoor.

The PAS house is the first house designed to be entirely used for skateboarding as well as being a traditional dwelling. The prototype of PAS House was recently presented at La Gaite Lyrique museum in Paris.

The house is divided into three separate spaces. The first one includes the living room, dining area and kitchen, the second one includes a bedroom and bathroom and the third one is a skateboard practice area. The furniture is also skateable, whether it is integrated in the curve like the sitting area, the kitchen or the bathroom or just as a standing object like the dining table, the kitchen Island or the bed.

These types of initiatives that are truly creative and will inspire others in very different fields would never be possible if those leading them aren't completely immersed in their passion. Only then can you see connections that others don't, only then can you push the boundaries that you know exist, only then can you have the bravery to try it because you long for great fulfillment in the passion that has defined your life. Absolutely beautiful.

The next music video gem from OK Go plays with Google Chrome

2011-08-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past 12 months we have seen some pretty cool experiments from musicians in the creation of their music videos. Arguably the most popular one has been the Google Chrome experiment for the song ''The Wilderness'' by Arcade Fire. However, a pioneer in music videos that go viral is the band OK Go. Over the last few years their music videos have been a foundational ingredient to the rise of their popularity. Every single video attempts to one-up itself in sheer creativity and outlandishness.

For their most recent song “All Is Not Lost”, OK Go teamed up with director Trish Sie and Google to create a spandex-heavy video clip. The video alone plays tricks with your eyes and is visually gripping. However, they have also made it interactive so that their fans can truly appreciate and contribute to the Band's already high creativity. Fans need only go to All Is Not Lo.st to be able to add copy that will appear in the actual video. However, like the Arcade Fire video, it is only accessible through the Chrome browser. Using HTML5’s canvas technology you can marvel at browser windows resizing and milling about.

The future of grocery shopping: virtual mobile shopping

2011-08-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

Grocery shopping has evolved a great deal since the day of the lone neighborhood grocery. You now have stores of all sizes and all specialties. You even can order your food online. The only service that seems to be missing is a grocery store coming to you. Now that is available too, but you'll have to visit Korea to take advantage of it.

Tesco had great ambitions in Korea but had to beat a rival with significantly more stores and thus greater access to the public. The solution was to bring the store to the people and do so on their commute. Therefore Tesco created virtual shopping isles in subway stations and gave each item a mobile bar code that was easily scanned with a quickly downloaded app. The items looked incredibly real making the virtual shopping more appealing and more engaging.

The idea of virtual shopping is not that strange and could become quite widespread as more and more people migrate to cities and with them the growth in desire for convenience. Add smells to that experience which should not be too difficult and all of a sudden hanging out on the platform as you are waiting for a subway or tube doesn't seem to tedious anymore.

Pimp out your Billy: Ikea furniture customization like you've never seen

2011-08-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

Ikea furniture can be found in households in every major city. The pieces are really nice and incredibly affordable. For these reasons they are favorites of parents for their kid's room or favorites of students. The problem is that with such a concentration of Ikea furniture with certain groups, dialing up the uniqueness factor becomes a bit challenging. This is why I thought that this website I stumbled upon was so cool.

MyIkea is a destination where you can pimp-out some of the most common Ikea furniture pieces. Their products are super simple: graphic stick-ons. All you need to do is pick the design that matches your furniture, paste in on, and voila - a unique Ikea piece. All of a sudden that blain Billy bookcase of Malm bed becomes an eye-opening piece you can arrange your room around. The designs have a broad range to cater to different ages and tastes.

This kind of service reflects the flourishing DIY trend that will likely only become more prevalent as the economy stagnates but hunger for style and differentiation does not. Have a look at some of the designs below and check out their website at http://www.thisismykea.com/. Enjoy

The next Banksy? D*Face from London

2011-07-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

The past few years has created a few celebrity street artists. Two have risen above all others: Shepard Fairey and Banksy. Now a third is bubbling to those ranks. His name is D*Face. He is a young guy from London whose passions in skateboarding and graffitti have propelled him to a point where is now doing cover pictures for huge pop-stars and is hosting sold out exhibitions of his work. There is a good chance that you have seen his works.

Recently D*Face has caught the attention of people with a bold art experiment that allowed skateboarders to create graffitti-style art using just their wheels and an emptied swimming pool. Painting different colored lines in an empty pool using a skateboard seems like a pretty simple concept but actually is not at all. It took D*Face almost a year to develop the function on the skateboard. Even though it doesn’t look like it, his art skills are really brought to life with this project.

What makes D*Face good and maybe actually better as an artist is his “all-round” abilities. It doesn’t seem like he’s restricted to any sort of street art. He can turn skateboarding in a pool into art, he can do regular exhibitions and do them good enough for them to sell out, he can do album covers and regular street art. Have a look at some of his other works and you be the judge. Enjoy

Cool music video of the weekend: Buck 65 "Superstars Don't Love"

2011-07-31T00:24:00.000-07:00

As a musician technology can be a real blessing. Not only because technology can allow you to connect with your fans in ways that weren't possible before, but also because your fans can do things for you that you would never imagine being done before. A case in point is this unofficial unofficial music video for the song “Superstars Don’t Love” by Buck 65. In 90 seconds, corresponding to the track’s first verse, it features over sixty fictional movie title cards inspired by the lyrics of the song. Absolutely amazing. Enjoy.

BUCK 65 "Superstars Don't Love" from Travis Hopkins on Vimeo.

How good are you as a musician? The Black Cab Sessions will help you decide

2011-07-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was fortunate to attend a very cool music get together hosted by Oscar Mike, Human, and The Black Cab Sessions. I had never heard of the Black Cab Sessions before but once I was told about their concept and had the chance to scour their website, I was hooked.

In essence the Black Cab Sessions is a music platform where artists sing 1 of their songs in one take in the back of a real London black cab. The task is challenging for the artist but also incredibly novel and a whole lot of fun. The result is some of the rawest but most riveting recordings being done. Think about MTV unplugged on steriods. The pure music coupled with the intimacy of the environment creates some of the most powerful sounds but also can stiffle some of the world's great musicians.

This experiment is a testament to the appeal of a unique task that forces creative beings to bring out their best game. Who would have thought that such a random idea would be so massively embraced by musicians the world over. Artists like Brian Wilson, Death Cab For Cutie, Flaming Lips, The National, Weezer, and the list goes on. Well done. Thanks Ben from Oscar Mike for the intro. I'm an instant fan.

Check out the site here - http://www.blackcabsessions.com/

Brian Wilson from Black Cab Sessions on Vimeo.

Lianne La Havas from Black Cab Sessions on Vimeo.

The importance of nurturing creative movements around the world

2011-07-29T01:39:00.000-07:00

As the importance of creativity grows as a fundamental driver of innovation, companies and their Brands have a responsibility to nurture the forefront of creative exploration. The reality is that few want to do that because they seek high awareness and broad impact. Fortunately there are some companies that go for true credibility. Beck's is one of them.

Beck’s Green Box Project is an example of a Brand supporting and nurturing grassroots and fringe creative movements. The Green Box Project is the world’s largest cultural commissioning program of its kind. Where it attempts to connect various creative projects across the globe that desparately need funding to see the light of day and prosper. Eventually the works will be assembled in the world’s first networked Augmented Reality Gallery. Have a look at the video and visit their site - http://www.becks.com/#/en/introduction.

If done credibly and that the intent is to truly help a community grow then such initiatives can be hugely valuable for companies and Brands. Not only do they provide a deep cauldron of content in a world that is feeding more ferociously on creative stimulus than ever before, but they provide a foundation of evangelists that can help a Brand stay pertinent for several generations.

Beck's Green Box Project - Overview from Beck's Green Box Project on Vimeo.

How to get creative ideas with a simple click

2011-07-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

A few creatives from Brazil who won Lions at Cannes this year that got their awards pulled because the work was scam. Since the hunger to get noticed is rising as creativity is becoming more desired, we can expect some creatives looking for shortcuts to get to that next level of recognition.

The question quickly surfaces that if these guys were working on scam ads, where did they find the time to do work for their paying clients? I think that I have found the resource. It is called The Wheel Of Concept. An ingenious tool to quickly turn around funky ideas that will make clients ouuuu and awwww. Just type in the Brand name and out pops concept boards that you can print and quickly take to your meeting. Enjoy. Hilarious!

Here is the website - http://wheelofconcept.com/

How can data visualization can step change creativity? Here's a peek

2011-07-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

Data visualization is a growing area for the creative community. The sheer volume of information allows for interesting patterns to truly inspire both design and strategy. How rich this area is has yet to be truly defined but it is definitely going to be huge and very impactful. No longer is this a fringe area of research. Proper departments at Universities are emerging that pursue this area of research.

An interesting department at the University of Chicago is diving into data visualization called the Electronic Visualization Laboratory. They are looking at multiple applications of this exciting technology space ranging from gaming to medecine to film to training, etc. One such experiment is called Fleet Commander. It is the result of a 3 year project that turns a 20 foot multitouch screen into a huge strategy game using Star Wars ships. Imagine the storytelling narratives that can be imagined with this technology paving the way!

A slight warning that the videos are a bit geeky but the applications that can be imagined should truly inspire. Therefore, please plow through the quiet VO and poorly edited sequences :)