Can we do it again?

If you are in the media world, please persuade your boss to enroll you on the Media Business Course. Hands down the best course I have participated in my life. I learned more in these 4 days than 6 months on the job. Held at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, and sponsored by the Advertising Association, it combined speakers from all walks of the media world, as well as a brief for the amazing new X-box Kinect!

Highlights from me were hearing the one and only Rory Sutherland speak and being introduced to each media by the most important people in their respected fields - Glen Wilson, Posterscope, Mike Gordan, Global Radio, Adam Freeman - Guardian News (who actually gave away an iPad!)...just to name a few!

When I started job hunting in the industry, my one and only objective was a creative agency, it was that or nothing. But media is so much more, and it really made me appreciate what my industry does and how lucky I am to be involved. Seriously, what other industry has nearly all its speakers swear on stage in a professional environment! Love it

Best of all, our syndicate won the course and an Xbox. But even better are the people I met and learning how to come up with a brilliant pitch in less than 48 hours!

But if you do go, make sure you get plenty of sleep before....

Augmented Reality

OK, I must admit, when augmented reality first game out I thought it was quite gimicky. The term was coined in 1993 by a man named Tom Caudell, but the concept didn't take off till 2003, when GeoVector teamed with Vodafone, HP, Microsoft, Virtual Spectator and Animation Showcase Ltd to produce an AR app for America's Cup Sailing Races in Auckland, New Zealand.
Personally I only came across it this year and with any new gadget, it tends to be quite clunky and uncertain. During the past month AR has seemed to explode and finally people know what to do with this new technology.

The Dutch are a very sneaky bunch when it comes to new technology....they tend to sit back, find the coolest new trends and put them to use. Take this AR application for example:



And here is one for the Londoners- who tend to be obsessed with their phones, how best to use the (shit) TFL system, and show off their city navigation skills:

Girls vs Boys Old Skool

Nike is a strong independent brand, it pushes you to the limit, inspires you to be competitive, and knows who to reach. Thats why, I think the Nike+ idea is brilliant. In 2006 Nike started making trainers with space for a Nike+ data chip. Information of the run is transmitted wirelessly to an ipod, which can then be downloaded to a computer. Nike+ online has set up an online competition of men vs women. If you are sporty, as I am, you'll no doubt be faced with a girls vs boys game, which the girls will probably anihilate the boys....

Men and Women around the world will compete online in three categories: total km, av km per runner, and most km run by an individual in a 24 hour period. I think this will work really well- as long as the right people are targetted. The super athletic, super competitive individuals.

Here is the ad for Men vs Women.

Bye Bye Banksy

This past Saturday in London, just off Oxford Street saw the last moments of a famous Banky. 'One Nation Under CCTV' was stenciled on a Royal Mail building in London's West End. Perhaps one of Banksy's most well known artworks, the Westminister Council just cannot seem to tell the difference between artwork and graffiti. Isn't artwork suppossed to elicit emotions, send a message, and create joy? And don't you sometimes feel these things when looking at well drawn graffiti? So would Banksy be classified as artwork or grafitti?

Luckily I found out Banksy's famous artwork/graffiti was being torn down through the Banksy fanpage on Facebook. My boyfriend was in the area and took some pictures of the 'demolition'. I was lucky enough to stumple upon it last week and witness it with no scaffolding. And I love Banksy's work so much, I was honoured to have just randomly run into it.

Fallon does it again

The newest ad for Cadbury is genius. Seems Fallon are back on track, after the miss of the airport one where trucks come to life. The Glass and a Half Full production definitely entertains with this one. Wonder what crazy planet these kids came from?

Cheat Sheet

I love "Making of" videos, I just can't seem to let an event just happen, I love knowing the details. So if you are like me, check out the making of the T mobile dance in Liverpool Street Station.

Funnies

Round up of some of the funniest ads I've seen in a while:

1. Durex, Get it On viral



2. Heineken, Walk in Closet



3. T-Mobile, Liverpool Station- Life is for sharing

New Beginnings

A new year, a new world leader, a new job, a new flat, and new financial problems for many. But with Mr W not having his little finger on the big red button anymore, the world seems like a better, safer place.

January 20, 2009 was a great day for the whole world. It will be one of those historical events, where one must remember where they were this great day. Apart from the emotional event itself, I was impressed with CNN and Facebook's partnership in streaming the speech live, as well as being able to see everyone's status worldwide on Facebook with up to the minute updates.

So if you were thinking the Aretha Franklin's crazy bow hat was ridiculous, someone else wrote it on their status. Or if you just couldn't understand the choice of that poet, there were also many others expressing their confusion on Facebook. Apart from the intrusion of privacy, tt made the world seem like a smaller, cozier, hopeful place.

Back from Brasil

After having spent Christmas and New Years in a tropic country with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius, no one deserves to come back to a 6 below zero freezing London, especially with no snow. But the lovely fact that my new flat is only around the corner from an off license that sells Brothers Pear Cider Festival Strength more than makes up for the shit weather.

Every now and then you read a text that makes you stop. This is a speech given by Paul McCartney on Jan 19 1994, inducting John Lennon into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. The original source is here: http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/pauljohn.htm


Dear John,

I remember when we first met, at Woolton, at the village fete. It was a beautiful summer day and I walked in there and saw you on stage. And you were singing "Come Go With Me," by the Dell Vikings, But you didn't know the words so you made them up. "Come go with me to the penitentiary." It's not in the lyrics.

I remember writing our first songs together. We used to go to my house, my Dad's home, and we used to smoke Ty-Phoo tea with the pipe my dad kept in a drawer. It didn't do much for us but it got us on the road.

We wanted to be famous.

I remember the visits to your mum's house. Julia was a very handsome woman, very beautiful woman. She had long, red hair and she played a ukulele. I'd never seen a woman that could do that. And I remember to having to tell you the guitar chords because you used to play the ukulele chords.

And then on your 21st birthday you got 100 pounds off one of your rich relatives up in Edinburgh, so we decided we'd go to Spain. So we hitch-hiked out of Liverpool, got as far as Paris, and decided to stop there, for a week. And eventually got our haircut, by a fellow named Jurgen, and that ended up being the "Beatle haircut."

I remember introducing you to my mate George, my schoolmate, and getting him into the band by playing "Raunchy" on the top deck of a bus. You were impressed. And we met Ringo who'd been working the whole season at Butlin's camp - he was a seasoned professional - but the beard had to go, and it did.

Later on we got a gig at the Cavern Club in Liverpool which was officially a blues club. We didn't really know any blues numbers. We loved the blues but we didn't know any blues numbers, so we had announcements like "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a great Big Bill Broonzy number called "Wake Up Little Suzie." And they kept passing up little notes - "This is not the blues, this is not the blues. This is pop." But we kept going.

And then we ended up touring. It was a bloke called Larry Parnes who gave us our first tour. I remember we all changed names for that tour. I changed mine to Paul Ramon, George became Carl Harrison and, although people think you didn't really change your name, I seem to remember you were Long John Silver for the duration of that tour. (Bang goes another myth.)

We'd been on a van touring later and we'd have the kind of night where the windsceen would break. We would be on the motorway going back up to Liverpool. It was freezing so we had to lie on top of each other in the back of the van creating a Beatle sandwich. We got to know each other. These were the ways we got to know each other.

We got to Hamburg and met the likes of Little Richard, Gene Vincent...I remember Little Richard inviting us back to his hotel. He was looking at Ringo's ring and said, "I love that ring." He said, "I've got a ring like that. I could give you a ring like that." So we all went back to the hotel with him. (We never got a ring.)

We went back with Gene Vincent to his hotel room once. It was all going fine until he reached in his bedside drawer and pulled out a gun. We' said "Er, we've got to go, Gene, we've got to go..." We got out quick!

And then came the USA -- New York City -- where we met up with Phil Spector, the Ronettes, Supremes, our heroes, our heroines. And then later in L.A., we met up with Elvis Presley for one great evening. We saw the boy on his home territory. He was the first person I ever saw with a remote control on a TV. Boy! He was a hero, man.

And then later, Ed Sullivan. We'd wanted to be famous, now we were getting really famous. I mean imagine meeting Mitzi Gaynor in Miami!

Later, after that, recording at Abbey Road. I still remember doing "Love Me Do." You officially had the vocal "love me do" but because you played the harmonica, George Martin suddenly said in the middle is the session, "Will Paul sing the line "love me do?", the crucial line. I can still hear it to this day - you would go "Whaaa whaa," and I'd go "loove me doo-oo." Nerves, man.

I remember doing the vocal to "Kansas City" -- well I couldn't quite get it, because it's hard to do that stuff. You know, screaming out the top of your head. You came down from the control room and took me to one side and said "You can do it, you've just got to scream, you can do it." So, thank you. Thank you for that. I did it.

I remember writing "A Day in the Life" with you, and the little look we gave each other when we wrote the line "I'd love to turn you on." We kinda knew what we were doing, you know. A sneaky little look.

After that there was this girl called Yoko. Yoko Ono. She showed up at my house one day. It was John Cage's birthday and she said she wanted to get hold of manuscripts of various composers to give to him, and she wanted one from me and you. So I said," Well it's ok by me. but you'll have to go to John."

And she did...

After that I set up a couple of Brennell recording machines we used to have and you stayed up all night and recorded "Two Virgins." But you took the cover yourselves -- nothing to do with me.

And then, after that there were the phone calls to you. The joy for me after all the business shit that we'd gone through was that we were actually getting back together and communicating once again. And the joy as you told me about how you were baking bread now. And how you were playing with your little baby, Sean. That was great for me because it gave me something to hold on to.

So now, years on, here we are. All these people. Here we are, assembled, to thank you for everything that you mean to all of us.

This letter comes with love, from your friend Paul.

John Lennon, you've made it. Tonight you are in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

God bless you.

Paul

Sporty London

So, here I am still applying and applying to grad schemes and one question came up in the Engine graduate application about London 2012:
The government has budgeted £9.3 billion for London 2012. Do you think it will be worth it?

Totally being cheeky, I kind of turned it around and used it write about the Brits and their identity issues.

Answer:
It is interesting to examine how ‘worth’ is defined in this case. On a certain Anglo-French rivalry level, the triumph of hosting the Olympics 2012 in London over Paris is already a success. But would the French also draft such a generous budget? Part of the absurd amount of money being spent on these Olympics comes subconsciously from the need to prove to the world the English truly are patriotic. The Brits have been criticised for losing their sense of identity. This opportunity can be seen as a chance to show the world who Britain really is.

Yes, I believe the budget for the London games will be worth it from an infrastructural point of view. More jobs will be created, as well as an attempt to make the city of Stratford into a grand metropolis to be used thoroughly after the Games. Sponsors can’t wait to get a piece of the fun. However, from a pride and cultural point of view, I don’t think much will change. The British will be patriotic in supporting Team GB, but in terms of redefining their sense of identity I’m afraid I do not believe this exceptionally large budget will be worth it.

Christmas ads

No posts for a long time...been sorting out some annoying details- work visa, job applications, flat hunting....life.
Unbelievably its christmas time again, and this christmas will be a very interesting one from a marketing perspective. Brand Republic did a poll on the streets of London asking if people where going to spend less this christmas on presents? The general consensus is yes, and also cutting back on other aspects of life.
This is an interesting one to watch. With the credit crunch hitting just before christmas, the family and friends side of the holiday will dominate and a less materialistic christmas will be celebrated.

Picking up on this, brands have already begun their end of year strategy. Marks and Spencers and John Lewis are just 2 of the stores having a before christmas sale...which makes the shopoholics think what the after christmas sales will be like.

Good to see most stores are sticking to a christmas ad.... and unsuprisingly they all focus on family and friends gathering at home, merry, and lots and lots of food.

The Marks and Spencers ad makes me go all warm inside wishing I had friends like Twiggy:



The John Lewis ad is simple and clever, and I can't get enough of the version of the Beatle's "From me to you". Kind of makes you wonder why no one has thought of using this song in previous xmases.

A Branded Day

Dear Jane Sample is one of my favourite blogs, written by Jane, who works in the ad industry. She posted a Jane Brand Timeline of all the brands she uses in one day. I thought I'd have a go with my own, and its actually really cool (except when you are writing down every brand you just ate after lunch and your get weird stares). I'm an extreme online person.

This is your brain on hope

Part of why this American Campaign has been so interesting are the virals and ads that have been made to support both candidates. A part of me wishes the election campaigning would go on forever because the videos produced are ground breaking and so interesting from a communications and advertising perspective. Here at the latest Go Obama virals. The first one is a huge turn around from the normal ads. Teenage celebrities urging their parents to vote Obama....this really emphasizes the generation gap. The second is about hope. I find it hilarious!

Do you think its real?

Technology Students Mess with Dormitory Lights - More bloopers are a click away

Emotions on Billboards

Photgrapher Suzanne Opton created billboards of nine soldiers based in Afghanistan and Iraq. She photographed them neck up with their cheek on the ground, and a their face of war. The billboards can be found in various locations in New York I believe. This controversial campaign caught my eye because I have an interest in war and how it affects the soldiers mentally.

Comments on the Soldiers Face website range from disgusted spouses to impressed artists. One theme that seems to be coming up quite a bit is patriatism....Americans need to remember the soldiers for being strong, brave, undestructable. Sure, on the outside, but what about the inside?

John McBush and Bible Spice

I know this blog has many mentions of the US election, but it is hot news. Alec Baldwin was recently on Letterman, and I was pleasantly surprised by how funny he actually is. A hard care Democrat, he appeared on SNL with the one and only Sarah Palin. We have new nicknames for the Maverick duo, thanks to Mr Baldwin- John McBush and Bible Spice. Ah, love it.

Oh Britney, Hit us one more time

The queen of pop has made a comeback! Although how did she do it? My theory: pay MTV enough so they will a) feature you in the main ads for the MTV music awards with presenter Russell Brand, looking all innocent, b) grab the opening spot at the awards and charm everyone, and last but most important c) snatch 3 major prizes at the awards, when all you did was make one lousy video all year, nevermind you were up against some of the most productive music acts of the year. What money can get you huh?

All that aside, the new video brings everything a Britney video should- head bopping, sexiness, and naked Britney.

Katy Perry here to stay?

For those that thought the confessions of a confused girlfriend by Katy Perry was a one off, I suppose you won't be glad to hear she isn't a one hit wonder type of gal. Her latest song (Hot n Cold) is surprisingly catchy that I haven't been able to stop myself from downloading it on itunes, and having it on constant replay. And the video is SO 80s :)

Zombie Big Brother

http://www.unseenscreen.com/

Brilliant idea. I didn't think of anything when I typed my name in....so it was a total suprise. Can't wait for the new series. I think what E4 is doing, is such a good idea. It will atract zombie fanatics (which my boyfriend is one of them) and Big Brother fans.

Gets you thinking

Here is an ad from Querus, the Northern Ireland's research centre for biodoversity and conservation biology. A bit depressing, but wow, its good. By Mccann Erickson Portugal.