Friday 24 December 2010

May your Christmas be merry

......and your New Year even better.

I'll be taking a seasonal break but will be back in the New Year re-invigorated and re-energised with some exciting stuff for you.

In the meantime I leave you with a gift.


Get home safe.

Monday 20 December 2010

Rock on

With a name like Mick Rock, you can't really fail in life. Mick Rock the revered photographer is testament to that.

He's been there done it and wore the same t-shirt for three days straight partying with Bowie, Iggy Pop and Andy Warhol.

He's been called the Man who shot the 70s and has master crafted artistic shots in his portfolio as well as raw images which capture the subjects true essence. Ancient tribes and some religious groups hated photography, they felt it captured a part of your soul. Perhaps they were right.

At the Idea Generation gallery in Shoreditch on Chance street (you're in for a treat if you haven't been to the area before it oozes boho creativity) you can see a smorgasbord of his work as well as buy his book with unpublished images from rock lore.

Check it out.







Sunday 19 December 2010

To Infinity and beyond

In the description of the blog I mention technology and it's something I haven't really discussed.

Technology for technology's sake isn't that interesting. What's engrossing and exciting is the impact it can potentially have on our lives.

I recently started playing Infinity Blade and I'm hooked. It's the first hand held game that really delivers on the iPhone promise.

The world you inhabit as a mythical warrior is as immersing and as graphically beautiful as anything you'll see on the Xbox or PlayStation 3, for a touchscreen game it's incredibly playable and certainly helps while away the minutes on a crowded tube journey.

The other thing making a big splash on the iPhone is Word Lens. See a foreign language sign, point at it with Word Lens and it will translate it. The YouTube Video displaying the technology has already received 1.4million hits and is all over Twitter.

Currently it's only available in a few languages but what's important is that it's definitely the start of something.

You wouldn't have imagined the technology on a phone as little as five years ago. I'll leave you with a quote which may come to typify our future.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'


Wednesday 8 December 2010

Free Speech

I'm quite enraptured by this Wikileaks business we're obviously all reading about.

The implications this case has for the wider world are humongous. It's quite obvious that the World's Governments aren't exactly the nice guys they make themselves out to be.

What do you believe? Sometimes is sacrifice necessary for the greater good.

When I first read about Wikileaks founder Julian Assange being arrested I thought what a hypocrite. Delving further into the story it's obvious that all is not quite right.

Some might say he brought all this on himself and he's a fool, how long did he think he could get away with exposing the worlds secrets. Others might give him the moniker of a brave modern day freedom fighter giving the public the information they deserve. Never the less it seems he's getting a raw deal at the moment.

To make a stand perhaps we could take a leaf out of the NSPCC's book and all change our Facebook/Twitter/blog/obscure social networking site picture to the below. Then the worlds Government's will know that we're watching them just as closely as their watching Julian.

Monday 6 December 2010

Awe-tastic

Sometimes it's hard to feel inspired.

and them Bammm. You see something and feel the need to create.

I saw these shots and was beyond mesmerised.

One of the best photography competitions I've seen in along time.

Check em out.

The future

People often talk about what the agency of the future looks like, It's interesting to pontificate but who really knows.

Will the big traditional agencies rule the roost. Could we see a return to the full service model or will agencies work in a significantly more collaborative manner with clients who have their own designers and creative directors.

One interesting view is of the agency without a creative department. Steve Henry one of the founders of the era defining HHCL talks about this alot on his blog and he's a creative!

Maybe we'll see small consultancies with incredibly talented strategists who don't just want to make ideas appear online or on telly because that's where their skillset is who outsource the actual production and are attached to a network of creative people who they draw upon depending on the task.

The Guided Collective are just that kind of agency. They send lots of multi talented creatives a brief, they shortlist the best ones and then make them happen.

They get the BIG idea with none of the costs and can pass those savings on to clients making for a happy Marketing Director.

Their recent campaign for Ted Baker was a little gimmicky but quite exciting. They tasked fashion bloggers with styling a shoot via twitter & a live video stream in a real fashion-off. It works on multiple levels: it's a nice piece of blogger outreach, use of social media and suits a cheeky brand like Ted Baker to a T.

Check it out

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Jay E + Jay Z = Happy Me

Apologies if you've heard this already.

Jay Z signing Jay Electronica is a what I'd call a musical coup, look forward to hearing more collabo's from them.

This tracks epic, some of the best rappers dropping tight lyrics over smooth beats.

Don't sleep on it

Work that thing


To quote the garage artist and much lauded poet PSG "If you don't know better get to know". The Work It crew have been getting a crazy amount of press recently.

I've had some of my best nights there, good people, awesome sets and a lack of pretension which is unfortunately rare in East London.

Get yourself down there Saturday.

Ahmadinejad is scary

I've mentioned the AMV outdoor campaign for the Economist fleetingly when addressing complex political issues but feel it's so good it deserves another mention.

It literally slapped me in the face when I was waiting for the tube other day. 

If politics was summed up in such a succinct and soluble manner with two unbiased views to select from I'm sure we'd see younger voters turn out in droves.

Like alot of good marketing it's wait for it........ Simple but effective.

Great work from AMV BBDO, their probably the UK's highest billing agency for a reason.  



 

Thursday 11 November 2010

Goddamn she fine but she parties all the time





Women are better with a little character. A face that tells a story without speaking.

If I was an artist I've no doubt my current muse would be Ana De la Reguera.

I've just started watching the new season of Eastbound & Down (it's beyond mere words like hilarious) and she's the female lead.

Two great reasons to watch the show!

Hope you enjoyed the pics. No, you won't see anything ruder than that here. This is a family blog.

meta - phwoar!!!!

I attended Metaphwoar on Tuesday and whilst there I was incredibly engaged, how could I not be, it featured some of the most creative and inquisitive minds in advertising talking about the future.

I didn't necessarily learn anything revolutionary but I did learn how to make a presentation a hell of a lot more stimulating:

Keep it funny, keep it short, use some metaphors. Intersperse with a few shocking images too if you're feeling particularly brave.

Topics covered included intellectual property of digital art, how good communication is like baseball (it was a leap for me too) and brilliant planning being quite similar to cooking.

It was part of Internet week Europe and was Organised by Andy Whitlock a former Poke planner (they did Orange GlastoTag). Keep your eyes open for more from Metaphwoar.









Sunday 7 November 2010

Warpaint

If you haven't heard of them already check out Warpaint.

If you think girl groups end and start with Girls aloud check out Warpaint.

If last night was messy and you need a soundtrack to both sooth your head and add a halcycon effect to those memories then check out Warpaint.

Melancholy and beautiful these girls from California really know how to put a tune together.




The Blackout




This looks pretty mega:

40 artists/ 40 editions/ 40 pounds a pop, signed by the artist.

All work in the exhibition will include a glow-in-the-dark element and the venue (an old warehouse in Dalston) will be plunged into darkness at various points during the opening night so the assembled can see the posters in all their glory.

Street artist Ben Eine, Jamie Reid (famous for his Sex Pistols album cover) Mr Bingo, Stevie Gee, Jess Wilson, Pure Evil, Si Scott, RYCA and many more illustrators and artists are taking part.

I'm personally looking forward to Pure Evil some of you may have seen his infamous x-ray rabbit in Shoreditch. See you down there and bring some cash.


Tuesday 19 October 2010

I've got the Power

I freakin Love art.

Stumbling upon a new artist who pushes all your buttons and seems to speak to you and only you is a pretty special feeling. I think that's what a lot of people are really looking for and how they evaluate art.

I visited the Moniker art Fair last weekend (an alternative to Frieze) and I most definitely wasn't disappointed.

The work of Steve Powers amongst other New York artists really grabbed me. I'm a big fan of textual art which captures you both verbally and visually.

You might thinks it awesome, you might think it's shit but either way you'll have an opinion.




Sunday 17 October 2010

Metaphwoar

I take great interest in how technology is shaping and changing the world we live in.

These changes are quite visible in the world of marketing communications.

Digital evangelists proclaim TV and print advertising dead, dinosaur agencies buy up digital talent/shops, clients all want a Facebook page and a few realists recognise that whilst it's all very exciting Pat 50 from Hull with a massive disposable income does not know her way round Amazon, Twitter or even  the BBC news website.

The percentage of all sales which are made online is still relatively low when compared to the strenght of the high street.

I'm hoping this is the kind of topic that's going to be discussed amongst others at the Metaphwoar discussion at the Slaughtered Lamb November 9th.

Some of the digerati will be discussing digital media  and communication in a rather quaint pub. It's also a Tuesday so what else are you going to do? There'll be speakers from Anomaly (arguably one of the most exciting agencies around), W+K, Last FM and Lean Mean Fighting Machine.

See you there.

Do skinny jeans, Raybans and vintage tees make you heave?

There seems to be a lot of hipster hate going on at the moment, even the Guardian seems to think so. If it bothers people that much I think they should probably just spend less time in Shoreditch. First the dickhead video (three million hits and counting) and now hackney hipster hate. It's pretty hilarious to be fair.

Wednesday 29 September 2010

iAd

By now you'll have seen that I rather like YouTube. Not only is it infinitely more entertaining than the average TV channel there's a whole host of random treasures just waiting to be discovered.

I found this clip of the worlds first interactive print ad and thought it was pretty damn clever, they said print was dead along time ago but I personally don't believe that, you just need to work harder to create a journey which immerses the target audience.

I was pleasantly surprised this was done for AXA as it would suit an entertainment brand more. This is the perfect example of the type of integrated communication which is going to deliver ROI in the modern world.

Tech people might not agree with me but more than anything it's: simple, but effective. 

Long live print. 

Sunday 19 September 2010

Nordic Flair

I finally paid a visit to the Acne studio store in London yesterday and It's an incredible retail space, the design aesthetic and mood all add up to create a place where you want to buy.

What you'll see a lot more of in retail is an effort to increase your dwell time. All Saints now have iPads in stores and you'll also notice a lot more cafe's in stores. Acne does this in a low key manner with it's lovely top floor garden.

The atmosphere in the shop was typical Nordic cool, there aren't many places you walk in to be serenaded by a gentleman playing a yellow lemon piano.

I'm pretty sure the shop will be a success. I've been a fan of Acne (Ambition to Create Novel Expressions) for a while, particularly how they grew out of a multi talented collective which encompasses design, advertising, film and fashion.

Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures and my stealth mode wasn't working but this is definitely a store worth seeing. The store has a perfect location on Dover street so you can pop into DSM and A.P.C while you're at it.

That's what I call shopping

.

tip x

I'm always talking about simple but effective ideas and here's another nice interactive video living the mantra .

Just don't tell the RSPCA about what you've been doing.

Chazz Stock

I've met the guys from Ou Est Le Swimming Pool a few times and they're really nice fellas, jokers who are totally into their music.

I was really saddened to learn about the death of their lead singer.

The band members and friends have rallied round to create an event in Chazz's honour and it looks awesome. Get yourself down there, all profits go to the Charity Mind so you can party and feel good about yourself.

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Thats pretty sick Mann

I was really impressed with the work of Sally Mann on a recent trip to the photograpghers gallery.

Moody, dark, ethereal, even haunting are just a few words that describe it.

She's a proper artist and uses antique cameras and something called the wet-plate collodion process to make prints which sit in between the realms of painting and photography.

Here comes the science part: 

The negative is made by coating a glass plate with collodion to form an emulsion which gives the photograpgher five minutes to make the exposure in a tricky process.

That's hows the shots can appear aged and smudged like their painted, their imperfections really add to their ambience.

Eat your heart out hipstamatic crew.

Check it out here


XOYO

I think we're all ready for a new club in London especially those of us from up north who cut our clubbing teeth in Sankeys.

Fabric = too big. Cargo = Meh.

On the Rocks was pretty damn good but is sadly no more and I'm a big advocate of Alibi but it can be hit 'n' miss.

I think XOYO a new east london venue that opens this weekend (everyone knows the weekend starts on Wednesdays) could be very special. There's more good names than you can shake a glowstick at over the coming weeks such as, wait for it:

Eat your own ears
Bloggers delight
Casper C
Disco Bloodbath
Smash and Grab
Urban Nerds
Trailer Trash
Crystal fighters
Eygptian Hip Hop

Check out the xoyo.co.uk for logistics & lineups. I'll see you there

Friday 10 September 2010

Don't be a...............

East london is pretty damn cool I must admit, but there surely are some wanky people about. This video sums up the situation in a totally hilarious fashion.

Check it out here 

Monday 6 September 2010

Bus stop wanker

The funniest show on TV is back pretty soon and I'm excited.

Girls may be dismayed but I can't think of another show which captures the idiocy of the teenager more precisely than the Inbetweeners.

For those who can't wait for more classic lines like juggosaurus and 'friiienndd' see here.

Look right →→→

If you look to the right of the screen and down a bit you'll see a link for Better Never Than Late.


You should click on it.


It's probably my favourite blog out there, mainly for the way they blend news, fashion, art photography, culture, music, pretty much everything.

These guys get asked to comment on digital communications and are featured in the Times and the Guardian, that makes them pretty influential.

It's a pretty pro blog in general and I think we'll see more blogs of this standard in the coming year as people move away from magazines and want instant gratification.

It's exciting to think that a couple of kids from London can make a real difference.

If you find Styleslut too sporadic and miss ATCN then it's definitely worth checking out.

If you can't be bothered to move your mouse to the link on the right then click here.


It gets better

McDonalds might turn out some junk food but when it comes to marketing their actually pretty good.

I think someone senior there has the same ethos I'm always banging on about.

Simple but effective.

Check out this piece of digital communication here   

It's really fun.

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Sometimes you don't need any words












street steez

Street style and that type of fashion blogging is a territory undoubtedly owned by Yvan Rodic Facehunter and Scott Schumann The Sartorialist.

There seems to be though a new contender to the throne popping up everyday.

Sometimes when I see the people photographed I wonder what are they like as a person, do they have anything interesting to contribute or do they wake up at 5am to curate there look before going to the shops to buy milk.

So to get a feel for real style I guess you need to see how people walk and if they're truly comfortable in what there wearing and that's exactly what Trendland does taking street style pics to the next inevitable level, videoblogging.

Charisma

.................it's something every great frontman should have, it separates the pub bands from the stadium rockers.

David Bowie had that otherworldly ecelctic charm and Liam Gallagher had that badboy swagger.

The beats the lyrics and vocal skill are all important but without charisma you can never get hooked.

Brandon Welchez oozes hipster cool and charisma, I saw him in Glasgow performing with his band  Crocodiles and was totally enraptured. They've been around for a little while as Crocodiles and were previously called 'The plot to blow up Eiffel the tower'.

Check out some of their tunes here and remember where you heard them as there gona be big.


Friday 20 August 2010

Love is in the air!

It can be difficult for the romantics among us to come up with new places to eat and it's quite easy to just head for the nearest lifeless chain. (Please don't take 1st dates to Nando's)

Fortunately for you, you have me, more specifically this guide which means you should never get stumped again.

You can use a little bit of imagination and find somewehere awesome without breaking the bank!

If you can get through this list then your a regular Casanova.


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