James & Lauren

Be A Pin-Up.

2011-05-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Remember these...

Now look at this - a big version! It's an installation by Lulu Guinness for Clerkenwell Design Week.

Definitely worthy of a school trip.

Dirt Devil

2011-05-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

Dirt Devil-The Exorcist from MrPrice2U on Vimeo.

Team Albion!

2011-03-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

After 5 busy months of being on placement at Albion, we're delighted to say they've asked to keep our ugly mugs about the place for a little bit longer - we've been hired! Albion was one of the first agencies we came to visit when we moved down to London a year ago and we knew straight away we wanted to work here. So, so happy.

We've also helped to win two pitches for the agency in the past few weeks...

1 job + 2 pitch wins = bigassmessage.com/60219

Outburst over, now back to what will hopefully be a busy and exciting few months.

Blend the rainbow

2011-03-10T02:12:00.000-08:00

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Stupidly memorable Skittles ad from TBWA/Chiat/day NY.

DIY Rynoplasty

2011-03-09T02:05:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's right. Reshape your nose from the comfort of your own home. If only some one had told Michael Jackson about this.

Save the Bunny.

2010-11-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

For any fellow Hackney dwellers, i am sure you will have noticed the beautiful but slightly menacing graffitied animals dotted around the place. Having admired them for a while now, I have only just found out who is responsible, and perhaps too late...

They were created by Belgian graffiti artist, ROA, and most of his works I was suprised to discover are painted using a spray can only. Unfortunately, Hackney council are proposing to paint over the one on Hackney road within the next few weeks. Help keep the bunny alive - sign this petition; http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?PremROA

Wait. I know that one....

2010-11-24T03:57:00.000-08:00

So your listening to Girl Talk's new album - 'All Day' and you recognise a part of the tune. It's on the tip of your tongue, arghhh wait a minute I've almost got it...and before you know happening again with the next illusive sample to charge down your ear canal and wave two fingers up at your memory recognition.

Shazam just wouldn't be fast enough and besides you'd rack up quite a charge after you've rinsed your free-bee allowance. But fear not, help is at hand with this brilliant audio visualisation:
Mashupbreakdown . And it's not just one track but the entire album.

It's a great piece of informative entertainment that enriches your experience of the album, totally tapping into the fan's desire to find out who's behind that part of the track. I also think it's inadvertent in it's promotional prowess as the site's creator Benjamin Rahn, reportedly obtained all the track info from Wikipedia and Alldaysamples. Enjoy.

Maptastic

2010-11-24T03:04:00.000-08:00

James and I have an admittedly geeky weak spot for maps.

But only pretty maps that do amazingly efficient things.

A map like this for example;

Mapnificent from Stefan Wehrmeyer on Vimeo.

Hologram Popstar.

2010-11-12T07:02:00.000-08:00

I love all things technologically shiny, but the amount of adoring fans this hologram popstar has recruited is just plain creepy. We're not talking the likes of Gorillaz here, the voice has been digitally generated too, using Vocoloid software. Japanese? Definitely.

Your Desk.

2010-11-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

James and I are very different when it comes to our ideal desk. James likes everything just so, whereas I can't seem to sit on a chair sensibly. Or with shoes on.

Desk - Music and Sound Design from Aaron Trinder Film:Motion:Music on Vimeo.

Have I shrunk?

2010-10-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Eye catching sculptures for the Five Seasons Festival in Chaudfontaine, Belgium.

Waste not want not

2010-10-19T01:09:00.000-07:00

This energy-waste awareness campaign really makes you smile. Avoids the gaping pitfall of up-your-own-arse worthiness. Bravo. Click here to watch.

Teesside Unreal-estate.

2010-10-14T01:46:00.000-07:00

Really sweet idea.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3175128/Virtual-reality-high-street.html

I wonder how many injuries will be caused by people trying to walk in - actually, that would probably just be me.

Foamy Printing.

2010-10-05T04:03:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful machine. I wonder how long it'll be before someone makes an ad out of it...

Belgium's Bit of Brilliance.

2010-10-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

Merging an online video with press imagery using the iPhone is just a really good idea. Thumbs up!

Whatever happened to Guess Who?

2010-09-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks for this George!

While you tuck in to your morning toast...

2010-09-28T01:38:00.000-07:00

Beware, you may get more than you bargained for.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-11419498

It seems bread is catching up with cereal - free gift with selected loaves from Tesco.

A Diesel powered Kick to the Ass

2010-09-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

I've just across the new Kick ass campaign for Diesel trainers and it's so damn good I felt immediately compelled to gush unashamedly right here, right now.

It builds on the recent Stupid campaign, taking a similarly irreverent tone of voice - signing off the executions with 'DIESEL SNEAKERS. NOT MADE FOR RUNNING. (Great for kicking asses). Slightly long some may argue but you can forgive them that. Trust me.

The integrated campaign is an exposition on art of kicking asses, it's so comprehensive it's veritable ass kicking universe they've created.

Videos posted via the Be Stupid facebook page include ass kicking ballerinas, a chase scene between a giant sneaker and a giant ass, ass kicking tutorials, the list goes on.

Press features a vogues gallery of cretins we all collective loathe - the mime artist, the earnest dentist in a trashy commercial, all of whom deserve a well healed kick in the ass.

I just love the way they've really gone to town with the concept, pushing it to create lots of different outcomes. And the real masterstroke is that mayhem originates from a simple truth manifest in the endline - DIESEL SNEAKERS. NOT MADE FOR RUNNING. I would have loved to be in on that brainstorm - OK guys we've got these trainers, they're completely useless for doing any sport in, and the 'look how pretty they are' thing has been done a few times now hmmmmm...product benefit?...I dunno, they're great for kicking asses? Eureka.

Friday Happiness

2010-09-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

Get ready to smile BIG TIME. And as AwesomeHeinrich says "3,5 million views in 5 days....not bad!"

Thanks Charlotte for sending this my way.

White lines on a camping trip

2010-09-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

I've been away on holiday so you have probably been all over this one (along with the other 6.7 million people) but I've just seen it and thought it was pretty damn good. Although it seems to run in the same vein as subservient chicken et al it differs enough not to turn me off in a fit of plageristic (is that even a word?) disgust. Good use of the media space helps for a really immersive experience and above all hammers home the products benefit. There were also some entertaining ways of responding to the more blue requests, which yes were of course my first.

The Illusionist

2010-08-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see this! By the same director as Belleville Rendez-Vous, Sylvain Chomet (see below) with his wonderfully beautiful animation, The Illusionist doesn't fail to have an equally charming story behind it. A "dying breed of stage entertainer whose thunder is being stolen by emerging rock stars." But in true Chomet style, he meets a young fan who changes his life forever.

Spindly Spiders.

2010-08-19T02:02:00.000-07:00

To launch Sky's home 3D channel in October, they have created the "first-ever 3D spider phobia treatment" Intrigued? Here's a sneaky peak - although not in 3D, it's still enough to get my palms feeling moist. I think i'll be steering clear from Bugworld in Liverpool and sticking to more traditional solutions - a rolled up magazine accompanied by several slightly unnerving yelps.

Don't park in the fast lane

2010-08-11T03:28:00.000-07:00

I am now a massive fan of radio 6. Partly as my friend Alex was recently interning on Shaun Keaveny's breakfast show (so initially yes, I was obliged) but also because of all the weird and wonderful stuff digitally disseminate through the airwaves.

One of my recent favourites has to be David Shrigley's 'Don'ts'. More famed for his discursive scribbles, it was news to me when I discovered he'd put some of his offbeat thoughts to a percussive pulse. But what a brilliant idea. The result is 'Don'ts' - a kind of lowfi compilation of increasingly bizarre warnings. It's like listening to the sayings of the world's most overbearing and surreal Mum. Click to listen....

Lovely Lego.

2010-08-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

Who'd have thought these little blocks of plastic, invented in a carpenters workshop in 1940, would become such a phenomenon. With its own subculture including movies, video games and four theme parks, there is obviously something about Lego that does it for people. For me, there's acute satisfaction to be had fitting one block into another, there's the beautiful brightness of the colours and most simply, the ability to build. However masculine I may sound.

In fact, we're even using this building quality to aid our everyday lives. A german artist, Jon Vormann has used Lego blocks to repair crumbling walls near Roma. Its efficiency is making me giddy, they didn't even need to use glue. I know - exciting.

I also really want a Lego kitchen. It's just....lovely!

Scott Pilgrim Trailer

2010-08-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

I don't think this actually helps in giving me a preview to the film as i was too busy clicking and looking below, but the whole premise of an arcade game is enough to get me to go see it. It's a trailer that people will send on rather than falling into a bottomless pit every month. As far as film trailers go - fun!

Belleville Rendez-Vous

2010-08-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this film - wonderful music and beautifully crafted characters, full of personality.

1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Cabriole

2010-08-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

I'm currently struggling to type as my jaw is on the keyboard. This car is beautiful. I'm not really a petrol head, in fact it could be pedal powdered for all I care (I wouldn't ask a model to sit an IQ test) Although, if David Ogilvy is still right then I've got nothing to worry about; at 60mph all I'll be able to hear is the ticking of the clock. I'm a big fan of how the sharply sculpted curves of the body contrast with that flat rectangular windscreen. Admire, click and drawl some more...

Monday Morning Cheer.

2010-08-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

Ingrid Won't Smile - Single - Milk White White Teeth

Statistics Day.

2010-07-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Obviously numbers are in the air today, I've just found a nice little video made by PR company Simply Zesty (their video is a lot better than their name) showcasing research into the use of Social Media in the UK. It's reassuringly booming. Exciting.

How much?

2010-07-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

Pictures (and a few numbers) speak a thousand words. Witness the power of the comparison:

Burn Baby Burn

2010-07-27T02:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a piece of film advertising Coke Burn, an energy drink. It's beautifully shot and is a great example of advertising as entertainment. The viewer's unlikely to realise it's an ad at first - until the url pops up at the end, but until that point you're absorbed in a nocturnal world of self immolating skaters.

Despite it's surreal feel it's also clear dramatisation of the product benefits. Burn baby burn (through the night).

Noting just a slight niggle now, I was left feeling that the tricks could have been more impressive. I know one of the skaters appears to hop one tower block to another but I just wanted a bit more. Clearly I'm just hard to impress

Smiley Fruit.

2010-07-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

Walking home from work last night we stumbled upon a bus stop ad on Tottenham Court Rd. Despite the fact that if you wrote this idea down on paper, it wouldn't particularly stand out as being amazing, it still grabbed our attention and made us smile. Giving the fruit little faces is a lovely touch.

I'm in a library

2010-07-23T02:29:00.001-07:00

A brilliant pastiche of the Old Spice ad, used to advertise a, erm library.

Twitter.

2010-07-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

We've finally become fully connected with the world and set up a joint Twitter account - so if you click on the icon to the right you will be able to access perhaps a more flippant insight into the world of James & Lauren.

PS. Please follow us, we feel lonely.

The sign of a great idea?

2010-07-22T02:51:00.000-07:00

Its ability to go on and on and on. As said in one of the videos from the below YouTube Show & Tell channel, YouTube is a social media platform for people to take hold of an idea and create the content for themselves. This is exactly what has happened here, Old Spice have people creating adverts for them. Witness a great parody of the orignal ad, even the jingle at the end is a brilliant bit of branding.

YouTube - Show & Tell

2010-07-22T02:26:00.000-07:00

YouTube have launched a Show and Tell channel designed to be the "Home of the best creative marketing examples on YouTube." There's some useful stuff on there, including a creatives corner where several successful art directors give us some food for thought on the use of YouTube as a platform for advertising. I did think to myself it could be slightly void, I'm not sure YouTube would like these creatives saying anything untoward about their little baby. Although the truth of it is, at the moment - there's nothing bad to say - YouTube is thriving.

The Ricky Gervais Show.

2010-07-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to a podcast a while ago of a series of shows where Ricky Gervais chats to Karl Pilkington aka: Mr Average Bloke. However the thoughts of Mr Average couldn't be further from average. I absolutely love the naive way he thinks, unknowing and open, anything is possible. He's a bit of a simpleton, and with the contrast of such a frank and realistic character like Ricky Gervais, it's hilariously funny. However I find his childish view of the world fascinating and quite disturbingly, pretty similar to my own. In fact, I have even formulated a book idea from one of his podcasts. So in my old age, well, lets face it - most likely on my death bed, when I will have finally managed to write the several novels I have planned on my list (ahem!) I will thank Karl Pilkington for his wonderfully wandering mind.

I'll get to the purpose of the post now, which is to nudge you in the direction of something, surprisingly. The recognition these podcasts have had, has resulted in an animation having been made; The Ricky Gervais Show. It's released on DVD on Monday and I can assure you, you'll be wetting yourself.

EpicWin

2010-07-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

It’s Sunday afternoon and slightly worse for-wear I’ll start writing a list of all the things I need to do. They’ll be a few biggies on there like work I need to do and bills I have to pay, but rest assured it quickly populates itself with the slightly more achievable – do the washing up, vacuum the stairs, erm have a wee. It’s a great way to massage your ego into back into shape. Your competence is a towering skyscraper in derelict city of no-hopers. Your efficiency a lithe, finely tuned machine.

Well, the guys at Rexbox & Mr Fung Fung have turned this into an app. EpicWin is a streamlined to-do list that puts the adventure back in your life with a role playing spin. Completing your task develops your character in an ongoing quest.

Of course this is piss-takey, but getting rewarded for the necessary yet impossibly dull is brilliant. Everyone loves a pat on the back.

It also works for both types of people; if you do your chores anyway, you get the pleasure of praise, and if you tend to avoid them like a tramp smelling of K cider and BO then it’s pretty motivating too. Check it out here:

Tweetering Old Spice.

2010-07-14T01:56:00.000-07:00

As if the adverts weren't good enough, Weiden + Kennedy has now added a second wave to their Old Spice takeover. He's not just a horse riding, diamond making, sun defying model of a perfect man, he's also technologically competent and has started replying to people's tweets and youtube comments. He's even asked a girl to marry a man on their behalf, and she said yes. Maybe she thought she was marrying the man her man could smell like.

Daily Booth

2010-07-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

After listening to a podcast on the bus this morning with Gary Vaynerchuk, a digital marketing wizz kid, I searched for something he mentioned in passing. Daily Booth. It's a place where after creating a profile, you can post a photo and status, you can then view these posts in real time on a world map. You can see what photo someone is posting right this second and where. You can then click through to their profile and see what they're saying, follow them, send them a message etc. It feels like a similar setup to Nokia Vine in it being a way of photo blogging your day and of course Twitter/Facebook in the sense of having a profile and posting statuses, however it's the real time element to the map that adds brilliance and makes its stand out. I could sit and watch it all day and the smooth action on the interface tempts you even further to do just this; fascinating.

Of course, I had to experiment. Within 2 seconds, I had one comment; "You're very pretty" Within 1 minute, I had 4. The real time element of this new social media platform appeals to my sense of voyeurism and intrigue. I'm now thinking of how we can use this to our advantage. Which brand could shine.

My post-shave autistic speculation...

2010-06-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Woodpanel Renaissance

2010-06-20T06:34:00.000-07:00

This stuff is bloody inspired. Alex Varanese has imagined nipping back to the 70's with a carrierbag full of the latest goodies a contemporary Comet can offer, given them a disco make over, and mused with breath-taking detail what the ads would look like too. Enjoy...

Star Studded Star Wars.

2010-06-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

Just brilliant! In amongst a huge array of rubbishy World Cup ads, this presents us with something refreshingly entertaining.

Happy Birthday:

2010-06-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

DAD

JESS

XX

Flexible Music

2010-04-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is simple and great. They've not only created music with trainers but they've added the element of performance to it too. I actually want to spend 2.56 minutes of my life looking closely at Nike's trainers. With such a clear USP it doesn't matter how far fetched or detached it is, as long as it creates the right feeling. And if the right feeling is to be watching in awe at how gob-smackingly cool these guys are, and therefore how gob-smackingly cool Nike are, then they have more than succeeded.

JUNGLE FEVER

2010-04-21T02:26:00.001-07:00

This new Samsung ad from CHI really warms the cockels. Admittedly the ambient / digital technology combo is a little reminiscent of the classic sony bravia ones, but only fractionally. The lasting message communicated to me is the awesome clarity of Samsung's new TV's. I just hope they did it for real (considering the 8 million smackers spent on it, I should bloody hope so).

Beautiful Broadband.

2010-04-14T02:10:00.000-07:00

Virgin Media have set up a light installation to celebrate the tenth anniversary of broadband in the UK. 'Speed of Light' explores the themes of communication and modernity, and I think it's a lovely subtle bit of PR for Virgin Media. I'm sure it will attract exactly the right target audience too, I'm a Virgin Media customer and i'm excited. It doesn't take much when pretty, bright lights are involved.

The installation uses over 148 lasers across four floors and six rooms of the Bargehouse, a raw industrial warehouse on the South Bank and will be open to the public from 9 - 19 April.

http://vminstore.com/speedoflight/about-the-project.html

Charlie Brooker on Scrabble.

2010-04-13T04:54:00.000-07:00

The way this man writes will never bore me. He's got his audience down to a tee with his metaphors and descriptions, leaving no question in the readers mind of the opinion he's trying to evolve.

I now have an extremely vivid idea of what 'mass nerd anguish' might feel like to witness....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/12/charlie-brooker-scrabble-teenage-paradise

Penguins Might Fly

2010-04-01T01:57:00.000-07:00

Chat Roulette.

2010-03-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

It can't be ignored at the moment. For some reason, Chat Roulette has sprouted from the depths of weirdness, to being on the tip of everyone's tongues. Despite it having been around for a long while, people are now embracing it's mechanics and testing it in every way they can.

If you haven't heard of Chat Roulette, the best way I could describe it would be; strangers on Skype with the set up of speed dating. You have the option to "next", at which point the webcam and conversation will move to another random person anywhere in the world, waiting for you to chat.

The type of people who use it varies, some are plain nutters, some loners, you get groups of people before a night out, and then the obvious...a whole load of perverts. When we experienced chat roulette, we hid behind the safety of our switched off webcam and found it thoroughly amusing to flick through the weird and wonderful characters that were sat waiting for a conversation. It fabricates a portal into someone else's world, in real time. Thoroughly compelling and addictive.

There are thousands of hilarious ways people have used this to their advantage, the best and most endearing one i've seen so far though has to be the piano man. He's a genius.

Impossible is Nothing, In the Park.

2010-03-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

As myself and two friends were spending a perfect sunny Sunday walking from the flower market on Columbia Road to a jumble sale near Victoria park in Hackney, we stumbled upon something wonderful. There were actually several things we came across, but this one took my interest the most. From a distance, we thought we'd found what we decided to describe as an "urban park", but to our great delight discovered it was actually an outdoor gym erected by Adidas.

Of course we had a play, but flowers in hand, I'm not sure we were quite the target audience they were looking for. However, there was a large handful of people already there, thoroughly making use of this clever idea from the sports brand.

We were singing Adidas's praises all the way to the other side of the park. For a brand to remain in conversation for that long is a huge achievement for a Sunday afternoon.

Claim to Fame

2010-03-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

If you don't have the fame steal someone elses, specifically Lady Gaga's.

Back in November last year, Lady Gaga's twitter account was hacked into and followers started to get some unusual messages:

* <3 <3 <3 @T3ETH NXT TIME REALNESS PIC A BETTER PASSWORD!!!! PVNKS UNITE!!!
* <3 LADY GAGA – NO HATE INTENDED!!!! CAN’T WAIT 4 THE MONSTER BALL!!!!
* …butt LADY GAGA RULEZ THE WORLD!!!!! Warhol are you listening?!!
* I swear my dick is not as big as T33TH’S!!!! POPWRLDSUCKZ!!! PUNX UNITE!!!! <3
* GAGA PEECE FOR LYFE!!!
* Hay my babies!!! LOVE GAGA??? LOVE T33TH!!! http://www.myspace.com/teethdance

This seems like a brilliant guerrilla tactic that's totally on brand for the band. Iconoclastic and irreverent to the hilt this really made me smile and completely warm to Teeth, who are actually rather good and playing, bizarrely enough in Dalston tonight at Club Mutherfucker.

Do like the good ad says and love them too. Check out their myspace

Superlatives Just Aren't Enough

2010-03-10T15:11:00.001-08:00

This is my favourite piece from Alexander McQueen's last collection that was shown posthumously in Paris this week. He'd clearly lost none of his attention for detail in this opulent piece that draws upon Byzantine influences. Quite frankly it's jaw-dropping.

Seeing this reminded me of a couple of my favourite McQueen fashion shows:

He seems to have comprehensively reinvented how clothes can be viewed at fashion shows, immersing the audience in a theatrical spectacle that shrieks of subversion. What a chap.

Ironic Google (& New Placement)

2010-03-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

We've finished at SFW, had a great time. Worked on the BMW pitch which was amazing, and a bit of More Than Insurance for good measure! Sad to go, but hopefully if more work crops up, we may be drafted in again.

We're now on a placement at CMW, first day today. Brilliant brief to get started on, exciting stuff.

Also thought i'd share with you a little google irony I stumbled across the other day...

Super Mouse!

2010-02-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Decode Exhibition.

2010-02-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

Looks like we've neglected the blog a bit, but we do have a genuine excuse. We're currently on a placement at SFW, part of the VCCP group. It's going well, exciting to be working on pitches and live briefs.

I think we've both got a huge list of things we've been wanting to post on the blog but not got the chance, so i'll start at the top of my list and work down...slowly but surely.

At the top is my visit to the Decode exhibition at the V&A museum. Tantilising!

It's difficult to do this exhibition justice with words. It is nearly entirely interactive and by the end of it, when my friend and I were wandering through the rest of the V&A, we had the urge to poke anything and every, expecting it to respond. Unfortunately the very stone statues of the renaissance didn't respond to such prodding quite as much as the installations in Decode.

I had many favourites, one of these was Daniel Rozin’s Weave Mirror, a wall made out of tiny metal panels, controlled by mini mechanisms deliberately on view to the observer. As an object moved in front of each square panel, the mechanism kicked in to turn the panel around, showing a darker side. When next to each other, the panels create a shadow as an object or person walks in front of the wall. The most incredible part is the sound it makes, a subtle clicking as the many mechanisms function one after the other.

My second favourite installation, was the Vanetian Mirror by Fabrica, which essentially recorded a long exposure picture but in a digital form. It was displayed on a high definition screen, almost life size. Because of the long exposure, subjects would have to sit or stand still for a few minutes before being completely and clearly shown. It made you slow down and concentrate on being still.

Overall, despite some of the pieces being extremely simple, the exhibition managed to combine the digital and art world perfectly, whilst thoroughly interacting with the public. This Friday is a Late at the V&A evening, this month being themed on the decode exhibition. After seeing the exhibition, and exclaiming at most installations, how brilliant they would be at a party...I am very excited to see what this may involve!

Fonetik Inglish

2010-02-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dad Kemp forwarded me this piece of slightly xenophobic yet bloody funny
copy, which was doing the rounds in the office. It's brilliantly written
and must have taken ages. Cheers Dad!

The European Commission has just announced an agreement
whereby English will be the official language of the
European Union rather than German, which was the other
possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government
conceded that English spelling had some room for
improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan
that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".
Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with
joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k".
This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have
one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond
year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with
"f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling
kan be expekted to reach the stage where more
komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double
letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate
speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent
"e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as
replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from
vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil
hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil
find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united
urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like
zey vunted in ze forst plas.

Your Very Own Kick Up The Arse

2010-01-21T04:25:00.000-08:00

Hope you've all enjoyed your New Year's motivational oomph.

Few too many points.

2010-01-15T03:41:00.000-08:00

This made me giggle, lots. Then I proceeded to have a banana for breakfast. A small banana.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6989291.ece

Lactating Trees

2010-01-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

This teaser music video is truly tantilising. Seriously visceral visuals transport you momentarily to the damp gothic recesses of a Guillermo del toro-like mind but leave you thoroughly in the dark as to the identity of the artist. Click on ' iamamiwhoami - the uploader's channel and you'll be none the wiser as you're literally lead deep into a rather interesting forest. Opinions as to the artist's identity include Goldfrapp, Gaga, Fever Ray or Christina Aguilera (my money's on Gaga or Aguilera - it's all in the nose).

I was the 57,273rd person to watch the video and if those guys are anything like me then they'll definitely tell a friend about this thus doubling the intrigue. A brilliant way to generate some maddening hype and blogging babble.

An Inadequate Earth.

2010-01-13T04:29:00.000-08:00

With 3D cinema becoming available to the masses, have we crossed over the line between fantasy and reality?

"James Cameron's completely immersive spectacle "Avatar" may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avatar.movie.blues/index.html

Besides this being great promotion for the film, if there is an element of it that is true, I find it a little scary that people are so unsatisfied by their lives on Earth, that they grasp onto a world that "could be". Mental.

Spoilt Rotten.

2010-01-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

My friend's Dad being a judge for BAFTA is perhaps one of the best things that has happened to me all year (Yes, this is sad, but I would just like to point out we are only on day 12....) This means I can not only get a sneak preview of the films from 2009, but also the films that are to be released in 2010.

I'm no film critic but I'll give you a few pointers on the ones i've watched with them so far....

The Road

Not too keen on the ending. I won't spoil it for you but they have definitely left this open for The Road 2, or perhaps, The Lane.

Precious

Mariah Carey's role was splendid. This is the story of a young girl growing up around unloving and disturbing surroundings in Harlem, New York. This tragic story is interuppted however by the flashes of her dream to become a singer. I'm not sure how this actually adds to the story itself and I feel it makes a film that could have been heart-warming, pretty cliched and dare I say it, cheesy.

A Single Man

INCREDIBLE. Directed by Tom Ford so as you can imagine it is highly styled and beautifully art directed. The shots are outstanding, each adding huge volumes of meaning to each part of the film. He uses slow-mo to show tiny events in time that could only be caught by the camera, and the grading is altered subtly within every shot to enable the viewer to feel with the character. The film however is definitely not style over substance, it seems to have a very philosophical background and examines loneliness in many forms by following a single man through one day of the life he is intending on ending.

I've posted the trailer below however I don't feel it does this film the full justice it deserves, so please go see it. (I don't work for Tom Ford)

Taxidermy and Cross Dressing

2010-01-11T14:20:00.001-08:00

Jay Z's new video is shot unsurprisingly in black and white, which now seems obligatory for any self respecting hip hop / RnB star. But what is surprising is that far from being run-of-the mill, this video seems to reinvent the whole bloody genre. This has been achieved by director Sam Browns' taste for the symbolically subversive.

Whilst Mr Z outlines his economic strategy with a capitalistic zeal that would make Alan Sugar's eyes water, Brown turns this humdrum hip hop fodder on its head by seizing on some of the lyrics and visually symbolizing them with chilly morbidity. Along with an ominously drippy hammer and flaming basket balls my particular fav is the tweety taxidermy which neatly signifies 'old shit'.

The great thing about the video is that by teasing out a ghoulish interpretation it gives the song more meaning - even if it is entirely fabricated and completely unintentional. And benefiting the song is something all great videos should do. Plus any director that gets a man in lipstick into a hiphop video and manages to make him threatening gets my vote, just for sheer audacity.

Shoreditch loves Heinz.

2010-01-11T03:04:00.000-08:00

When the weather makes everyone feel like staying at home, I can't think of anything i'd enjoy more than beans on toast. Perfect.

http://thefoodielist.co.uk/wp/the-heinz-beans-on-toast-cafe/

Christmas On Half A Shoe String

2010-01-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

Living on £50 a week meant I too had to be resourceful this year. Here's my guide to frugal festivities:

The Tree

Avoid the tackiness of those wretched fake trees whilst enjoying their needle free benefits. Take an old cardboard box, cut out 2 identical Christmas tree shapes and slot together. I just stopped short of spraying it with pine air freshener. Quite Muji-esque too.

The Presents

Chocolate Truffles: Boil cream and mix with broken chocolate. Allow it to set for a few hours and then roll the mixture into balls. Yum

Dip in melted chocolate. Yum yum.

Get some cheapo product from Sainsbury's that's in a nice glass jar. Basics range mint sauce. 15p. Thank you very much.

Clean out the jars and take off the labels, then pop in the chocs and tart them up with a bit of old shirt and some string.

3D Picture (of Marley the family dog): Get some posh water colour paper. This handmade one set me back £2.50 for an A1 sheet, which I thought was pretty reasonable. Divide the image into sections according to the distance from the viewer. Build it up with chunks of foam board.

Bottled milk, breast milk, or....

2009-12-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

Evian?

Brilliant.

Lauren's Homemade Christmas.

2009-12-28T13:09:00.001-08:00

You may cringe, however I am now the favourite relative this year AND still have money to eat. Success.

Jon Doe.

2009-12-23T04:01:00.000-08:00

Finished video for Jon Jones and the Beatniks Movement, directed by Lucy Needs.

I had the almighty power of light, a feeling of control I could get very accustomed to.

My lighting turret.

Well done Luce.

OUCH

2009-12-18T03:53:00.001-08:00

Walking through town it appears that employers are now resorting to torturous means to claw back the time lost to cigarette breaks.

Spreading the Word.

2009-12-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

I was browsing my local Oxfam today for 99p reads, when I noticed on the top shelf Katie Price's autobiography. Debating whether this would be worth 99 of the very few pennies I own, I turned the front page and found this...

Thank you to the previous owner, your articulate summary made my decision a lot easier. (The book is now sitting on my bedside table waiting for my opinion.)

6TH SENSE

2009-12-11T02:52:00.001-08:00

When my flatmate showed this to me I was left asking whether this thing is even real. It's bloody incredible. I'd definitely benefit from the feature that beams a person's name and synopsis of their life history onto their torso - I'm terrible with names and very nosy. I do however envisage a few teething problems with the social etiquette of that function as entire conversations would be held whilst looking at the chest of the girl you are chatting to.

Birds Eye Shock.

2009-12-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2009/mar/24/penis-drawing-roof-google

New sport? I think it should be.

Google Earth's "Where's Willy".

Tatty Factory

2009-12-08T02:50:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind the times on this one as I think it's been out for a while now, but I've only just seen it. Absolutely love it. It's one of those ads that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The fact that the whole set's been hand built and actually works just adds to my sense of burgeoning optimism and Utopian world view. The central idea - How do they make - potato smiles or sweet potato wedges is a great way of making the products the star of the show. Ultimately it's a brilliant bit of entertainment which will make me remember the brand fondly.

Who Needs iPhone's?

2009-12-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

Whilst visiting Glue a few weeks ago, we got a sneaky peak at their new ad celebrating 40 years of The Sun newspaper.

It's finally been released, so we can share the gem with you....

Flattery Gets You Everywhere.

2009-12-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

I don't want to say too much about this apart from it's an advert for TV License in Sweden and it's bloody great!

(This one was personalised for me, so not sure it'll have the same effect but you can change it at the end.)

http://www.tackfilm.se/en/?id=1259739797771RA78

There's One In All Of Us.

2009-12-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

With Fantastic Mr Fox crossed off the list, the next film I'm desperate to see brings another children's book to life - Maurice Sendak's, Where the Wild Things Are. (11th December for anyone who'd like to treat me?)

I came across this amusing article last night. To parents concerned the story is too frightening, the author responds:

"I would tell them to go to hell," Sendak said. And if children can't handle the story, they should "go home," he added. "Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it's not a question that can be answered."

I like this man.

Spike Jones is the director and by the look of the trailer it's going to be an emotional ride for a sensitive sap like myself.

Real Joy.

2009-11-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

Mushy Peas

2009-11-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

My first foray into stop-frame.

Apologies for missing part of the frame. It is an infuriating problem I've not yet managed to solve. Probably an achingly simple solution.

Take Care of Yourself

2009-11-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

This was the first of many piece's of writing shown at the Sophie Calle exhibition in Whitechapel. She is talking of an e-mail sent to her from her then boyfriend, to end their relationship. Analyze it she did, in every way possible. Before attending the exhibition, I was slightly worried 102 interpretations of one e-mail could get pretty tedious and repetitious, however I was so wrong. She had selected such a broad range of people, that they all very interestingly interpreted the e-mail completely differently, each bringing an entirely new perspective to light.

The e-mail in question:

The people who were sent the e-mail to interpret ranged from a french police officer to a graphic designer...

...and even a parrot!

There is a lot of text, alongside video and photography, so being a slow reader like myself meant I spent a rather long time in there. The pieces that intrigued me the most were the ones where they analysed the language, even such a simple thing such as a translation from english into french or latin proved to give it new meaning. It also made me realise how open the english language actually is. In french for example there are so many different tenses, you can have a much higher understanding of which "you" people mean, whether they are talking about someone they have respect for or if they are talking of an individual or a group of people. (my GCSE french is being dragged to the surface!)

After spending about an hour wandering around gallery 1 reading about the population of men in france being larger than woman, therefore increasing their promiscuous behaviour, and a 7 year old girl saying she "thinks it turned out badly", I realised I had a whole futher room full of Sophie Calle delights to come.

She visited the Bronx in the 1970's, at the time one of the most violent places in New York, and asked strangers to show her their favourite place, each encounter documented like a diary. One of my favourite pieces she's done is "Keep Smiling". When asked to improve an area of New York she took over a phone booth, providing a variety of luxuries to its users including water, flowers and cigarettes. At the end of the project, Sophie recorded the results which revealed what she'd gained as well as what she'd given:

125 smiles given for 72 received

22 sandwiches accepted for 10 refused

8 packs of cigarettes accepted for 0 refused

154 minutes of conversation.

I have a huge admiration for Sophie, she manages to get close to people and then has the ability to broadcast a real understanding of them using a huge range of different media. However in "Take Care of Yourself" she's the one who puts herself on the front line, making herself emotionally vulnerable, a brave thing to do. The level of intimacy in all her work I find unbelievably captivating, perhaps because I'm just an incredibly nosey person.

Shockingly Brilliant

2009-11-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

Just seen this brilliant advert for Plane Stupid - a network of grassroots activist groups against aviation expansion. It's a superb piece of communication that genuinely caught my attention and delivered a powerful message. Reduce European shorthaul flights. Impact - tick, Communication - tick, Persuasion - well I'm too poor to book a flight but it would certainly make me think twice before doing so in my fantasy world endless caviar and diamond encrusted grills.

I particularly like how the ad is based on a simple fact, which has then been spun into a hard hitting (ouch) piece of communication that I reckon will interrupt people's busy lives. The choice of animal is great too. Cynically, it manipulates the cute factor with the choice of the polar bear, I doubt it would have the same effect if 400kg of the similarly endangered phytoplankton came down in stair rods. But crucially the polar bear provides the direct link to its diminishing habitat - the melting ice caps, which is a result of global warming.

Campaign's website metioned howevever, that MEP Godfrey Bloom intends to complain to the ASA:

“This is a graphic and hysterical advert which will cause unnecessary distress and alarm. I shall be reporting it to the Advertising Standards Authority.”

What this ridiculous cretin has failed to realise is that the 'distress and alarm' caused by the ad is in fact entirely necessary. The ad has succeeded in communicating a message which people are still reluctant to face and highly skilled at ignoring. Hell, I'm brilliant at it. I could have certainly done with an environmental kick in balls last time I threw recyclable stuff into a bin destined for a methane belching landfill.

Jarvis Cocker Makes an Exhibition of Himself.

2009-11-20T03:27:00.000-08:00

This title is enough to intrigue even the least curious of people. So of course, teamed with my respect for the former Pulp frontman, I was fully compelled to see what this was all about. Glad I did. My friend Liz and I cycled through the rain on a dreary day in the East End, parked our bikes in the usual place and set off, using the wondrous skills of google maps, to find Village Underground. After re-direction from a group of scorning builders, obviously fed up of having to hand out this piece of information, we ended up facing a closed door and a great lack of activity. It was only when it was opened two seconds later, we realised something quite fascinating was in fact going on behind the door on this deserted, half-derelict side street in London.

Jarvis Cocker was joined on a small stage with members of the public, creating music. Pretty good music. I bought a can of Red Stripe (classy) and we joined the rest of the audience, probably no more than 50 people, lounging out on bean bags.

Despite the seemingly ad-hoc nature of it all, this exhibition had a point. In October 2006, Jarvis was asked to edit The Observer's monthly music magazine and asked the question "what is music for?" He then shortened this to "What is music?" two and a half years later and installed himself at Galerie Chappe in Paris for five days in May to try and find the answer.

“Does the death of the music industry mean that music can now go back to being an art form again?” he said before those dates. “What happens if you get a band to rehearse in an art gallery instead of a rehearsal space? What if you invite members of the public to play with the band? Or invite them to submit song titles which the band then have to base an improvisation upon. Could a live band provide the accompaniment to an aerobics class?”

This exhibition in Shoreditch was a repeat of the experiment in Paris, the full 3 day schedule consisted of Yoga classes, pole dancing, aerobics and the day I attended, circus skills. An extremely surreal afternoon. I felt like I'd stumbled upon something I shouldn't and was just savouring every moment before someone was bound to tell me to get out. From the nervous looks on most peoples faces, I think this was a joint feeling. This was heightened at the end of the afternoon when the circus troop finished early and Jarvis decided to fill the gap by playing a few of his songs. Had I missed the ticket fee?

So back to the question this exhibition has answered so perfectly, "What is music?"

Whatever you want it to be.

Worth Every Pound

2009-11-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

I received this in my change today. It's probably illegal but what a cracking idea. The amount of people that would see this tiny ad as the pound coin passes into their possession would be phenomenal, and they are guaranteed to scrutinize it as it's got loads of impact in comparison to normal, and lets face it, rather samey pound coins. Admittedly it could be a bit more specific about the address or at least provided a website. Tut.

Oh my!

2009-11-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

I don't like Rammstein at all but 10/10 to the crazy German's for causing interest. Not only did they release the video for first single "Pussy" on an adult website (not for the innocent), but have now produced a special box set of their album.

Is the music industry this desperate to sell CD's nowadays?

A Real First.

2009-11-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

How to bring a bit of excitement to the mundane office job? Get round the YouTube office ban by making a music video that can be viewed in Excel.

Clever.

Photographs

2009-11-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

My photographer friend Jon Austin sent me a camera down from my old home Leeds to take back to a shop he bought it from in London, due to some technical problems beyond my knowledge. He thought it'd be great fun to leave half a film in it and ask me to finish it. It was indeed great fun, however only two came out (thanks to the technical problems i'll have you know, not my photography skills!) so here is the only remaining evidence of Jon's camera's trip to London.

Oh Dear

2009-11-09T17:32:00.001-08:00

Went back to the 'garden of England' last weekend to see my parents and noticed this interesting take on a conventional pavement marking.

True Blood.

2009-11-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

This sexual vampire series has reeled both James and I into dependancy. It's based on the The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris which I'm definitely going to have a read of once the series is over. Brought to us by HBO, the people who hosted previous brilliant TV series such as The Wire and Six Feet Under, it fails to disappoint.

Following the creation of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed from legendary monsters to fellow citizens overnight bringing to the surface feelings of segregation and injustice. A great idea! I would be able to tell you more about the story line, however whilst trying to read up about it further, I discovered something that hasn't yet been revealed and i'm not willing to spoil it for myself any more...sorry!

One thing about it that is partiucularly incredible, is the opening sequence. Such an amazing piece of film, when searching for who the song was by ("Bad Things" by Jace Everett) I found this info about the concept for the opening.

Conceptually, Digital Kitchen elected to construct the sequence around the idea of "the whore in the house of prayer" by intermingling contradictory images of sex, violence and religion and displaying them from the point of view of "a supernatural, predatory creature observing human beings from the shadows ..." Digital Kitchen also wished to explore ideas of redemption and forgiveness, and thus arranged for the sequence to progress from morning to night and to culminate in a baptism.

Cheesy Hairspray

2009-11-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

My friend managed to get me a free ticket to see Hairspray on Thursday night in the west end, a comedic story of racial integration. I actually found the sight of me and 3 other of my housemates sat in a row watching it more hilarious than the actual musical...everyone, bar us, stood up at the end to dance like embarrassing parents. It was a jolly family night however, with Phil Jupitas starring as the rather large mother, cracking quite a few corny, pantomime-style jokes. The scenery is what fascinated me the most, the coordination of the whole thing must have taken a hell of a lot of thought.

Who's that tripping over my bridge?

2009-11-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

As we sat in our usual haunt today, layout pads at the ready, I noticed a poster had gone up on the lamp post outside. It was definitely causing a stir with people, including myself, taking photos and moving in to read it closer. Intrigued at who was wanting information about this mysterious goat, we typed the web address in and got the result. Clever way to launch the campaign! I'll let you explore yourselves.

Woops.

2009-11-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

Forgot to say Happy Halloween, so feast on the goofy delights of my pumpkin instead. I'm a proud carver this year.

Life.

2009-11-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Want to feel uplifted on a Monday evening? Watch Life, a series by David Attenborough, every week at 9pm. There are 6 more left in the series, tonight's was venturing into The Little Mermaid's domain and turned a room full of generally sardonic 20-something girls into a room filled with ooo's and ahhh's like that of naive little children. Utterly fascinating and beautifully bizarre. At some points the camera work, music and sheer fantasy of some of the sea creatures made us think we must be watching a children's animation. One creature that I literally can not quite believe is the Weedy Sea Dragon, beyond amazing.

(Here's a link to BBC Iplayer.)

Make Mine Purple One

2009-11-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

God I loved Calpol. As a child I'd feign a tickle on a weekly basis in the hope of being administered a tot of that syrupy elixir. I think my sister was even caught scaling the kitchen furniture in order to get her mits on it.

It's just too delish to remain in the annuals of childhood so here's my idea for a more adult version. Oh, and it would definitely be based on the under 6 stuff and not the dreadful 6+ orange rubbish.

Slap Nick Griffin.

2009-10-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Now here's your chance, brought to you by Albion.

www.slapnickgriffin.co.uk

Brilliant!

Fantastic Foxy.

2009-10-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Exciting!

Brilliant actors starring in a wonderful story, directed by a fab director. It looks like it's going to be another beautifully trademarked Wes Anderson film.

Felicity, Roald Dahl's widow, let Anderson and his co-writer Noah Baumbach stay at Gipsy House, Dahl's Buckinghamshire home, to write the film. They basically photographed everything in it while they were there and had it all copied in miniature for the film sets.

I'm also interested to see if Anderson decides to promote an item throughout the film, there's usually something.....such as the 11 pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage made specifically for The Darjeeling Limited, designed by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton. Trunks and suitcases covered in a jungle pattern created by Anderson's brother. Look, they're lovely. I have to wait for Wednesday to find out though - trusty Orange Wednesdays!

Interview Project.

2009-10-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

David Lynch has set up a project that interviews the people they find on a 20 mile road trip over 70 days across the United States. However sickly it sounds, I do find real people fascinating. This is a great database of interviews, i particularly liked the latest interview.

Meet Clinton, a Stevie Nicks fan....

Here's where you can see more (if its the first time you've looked, you may need an afternoon spare, it's quite addictive!)

InterviewProject.com

Not just another generic shaving ad...

2009-10-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Stephania Paparelli - Photographer.

2009-10-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'd love prints of these photographs, especially the last one. Dreamy yet sultry.

David Hockney.

2009-10-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

"Up yours, Brown." Brilliant!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/8263529.stm

Irresistible

2009-10-05T06:56:00.001-07:00

This graffiti we stumbled across the other day really made us smile. It taps into that irrepressible desire to mess something up when it's all neat, perfect and clean. It's like a freshly made bed or virgin snow. We're currently trying to use this visceral desire in a campaign we're working on at the mo...

Happy Birthday Jess

2009-10-01T09:08:00.001-07:00