where your pc goes to die
Wow. This video shows the value of fixing things.
And even if you're going to throw your old iPhone away, the value of having a free repair manual available for anyone in the world. If more people can fix things, then more people can have things, and less things end up in dumps.
iFixit.com is looking to do exactly that. Become a worldwide, free resource for how to repair and recycle anything old, broken and electronic. You can help, by sharing knowledge. Way to go.
how europe's biggest retailer wins the game
The Brand Gym points to a great piece on Zara's, Europe's top apparel retailer. They've taken a unique approach to marketing, and it's put them at the top of the pack. I've summarized them here, if you're too lazy to click through:
1. Fast fashion. Quick reaction to what's happening, and what's not.
2. Rarity creates urgency to buy and shopping frequency. Every buy a shirt at the Gap and then see it on a hundred other dudes? Yep, not so fast to buy the next one, right?
3. Collaborative creativity. Work together, not in silos. Duh.
4. Centralized European manufacturing. Quality, shipping, all a win.
Some great lessons that could apply to nearly any retailer in any industry. Pass it along.
it's only funny because you're a dog person
This is either a funny or an offensive ad for Paddy Power TV in the UK, and it all depends on which side of the fence you're on. I laughed.
what's happening at walmart right now
This time lapse video of 24 hours at Walmart is absolutely mesmerizing. Someone should use this as a music video.
And, there should be an entire series. You know you also want to watch McDonalds, the gas station and Dunkin Donuts, too.
beancast records best show ever
I joined the Beancast podcast this week as a guest with fellow internet geniuses Joseph Jaffe, Alan Wolk, and John Wall.
Listen as we chat about the new Facebook "like" action, privacy issues, a "study" recently released, and the super sexy Lane Bryant ad. Oh, and Joseph Jaffe talks about shopping in his bathrobe.
This should definitely be the best rated podcast in the history of the internet, and host Bob Knorpp needs you to say so on iTunes.
a scene you can't ignore
A new outdoor campaign in the Netherlands shows viewers the horror of public service workers getting attacked while onlookers just stare and do nothing - by actually putting them into the ad.
The piece was shot on green screen, and puts a projected image of the ad's viewers into the scene. Pretty awesome.
the sneaky way to be sexy
How do you make Daffy's sexy to a NYC audience? How do you incorporate a sexy image in your ads without getting the people who don't like sexy all upset? You break it up into a puzzle.
The More Bang, Less Buck campaign featured the above image - but broken into 40 different pieces, and spread across subway posters around the city. Each ad featured the hashtag #UNDERGROUNDPUZZLE, so riders could put together the puzzle themselves, or follow its unveiling. That's the way to make a super hot hashtag. Nice.
when your goal is green and your budget is zero
To promote the Durham Art Walk, a community art event in Durham, NC, agency Republic had no budget for a pro-bono project. What to do?
They took a big pile of garbage and recycled it into 50 unique art pieces that promote the event and hang around town. Art meets commerce gets green.
great design for people in need
As if One Laptop per Child wasn't enough goodness to spread in the world, the fine people from Fuse Project have created more awesomness: cool glasses for kids who can't afford them.
They expect to give away 300,000 glasses a year to kids in need. They've kicked the program off in Mexico, where less fortunate kids are accustomed to ugly black framed spectacles (seen on hipsters here). They've come up with five designs that have become fashionably desirable by kids across the land.
A really great example of how the less fortunate deserve better than left overs and trash, and how great design can reach everyone.
you think 140 characters is easy?
You type your tweets and never even stop to appreciate all of the work that has to take place behind the Twitter walls. When you click "tweet", the Twitter elves jump into action and write loads and loads of code to make your tweet happen.
Read Write Web details exactly what your tweet looks like, behind the scenes. From @ddcronkh.
follow these shoes
Jimmy Choo started making trainers (or sneakers to us Americans), and wanted to spread the word. So they took a pair of sneakers on tour across London, checking in on FourSquare at every new destination. Fans who made it to the location before the sneakers left got a free pair of Jimmy Choos.
Even if you missed the great Choo shoe treasure hunt, you can still follow the shoes on Twitter. Cool idea.
boeing = cold hearted bitches?
If ever there was proof that an automated, one-size-fits-all customer service solution was no longer the right way to do business, this is it.
Eight year old Harry Winsor sends his hand drawn picture of an airplane to Boeing, only to get a stock letter back saying that his message has been "disposed of." Geez. From @edwardboches.
flashmobs: ok for personal use, too
Nick wanted to stop time and propose to his girlfriend Amy. So he organized a flash mob around the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, to pop the question. Awwwwww. From @gchicago
subway traffic reports for NYC
You can always count on the NY Times to publish wonderous info graphics that illustrate otherwise boring information.
How do you know if subway ridership is up or down in your neighborhood? With this interactive ridership trends graphic. Nice. From @RGA
your red shirt makes me angry
Just a beautiful color wheel that tells you what colors mean in different cultures.
Use this when you're designing that next worldwide identity or when you want to know if it's ok to wear green jeans to your meeting in Asia. Thanks,Eliza!
wild elevator rides
This elevator ad for Coke is pretty cool. One of a bunch of shots of elevator awesomeness that we were pointed to by @garaphic.
mcdonalds brings outdoor into instore
A new outdoor campaign for McDonalds asks you to snap a pic of the animated billboard. If you're lucky enough to snap a shot of an item on the menu, it's yours free at the McDonalds around the corner.
I don't know about you, but I'm hungry for fries. Genius.
congratulations: you're a blogger now
You're on Facebook, right? Turn your news stream into an instant blog with Facebook-me, an app that pulls your stream into pre-designed templates that you can share with the world.
Get your blog on, without even leaving your comfy Facebook world. From Mashable.
1.44 MB that fits in your pocket!
Sony has announced that they will stop manufacturing 3.5" floppy disks in 2011. (Apparently sales are down.) And then the world will end in 2012.
how a book gets a better than a book
Want a picture of how publishing can add value on a new device? Check out this iPad version of Alice in Wonderland. Reading just got more fun. From @deifell
how did we survive before made for tv?
A beautiful video collection of every human failing miserably at life because they didn't have the product that makes everything sooo easy.
what all of your friends like
It didn't take long for Facebook's new "like" functionality to grow into independently created internet awesomeness. Check out LikeButton.me, a quick look at what all of your friends are liking across the major internet media outlets.
This is only the start to a massive likefest that will become integrated into our internet lives. Are you ready to like? How can "like" change your business?
how to capitalize on a situation
By now you've probably heard about the engineer dude from Apple that accidentally lost his prototype iPhone at a bar. (Or had it stolen.) Lufthana Airlines has some fun with the situation and reminds us that there's an easy way to fly to a place where there's a lot of beer and fun. They'd like your help in spreading the word or forwarding this letter to the Apple dude.
Quick action, good creative, topical content = viral success. Thanks, Eliza!
$100, now even sweeter
In case you weren't totally sold on the benefits of owning a new $100 bill, they've produced an epic production showing the benefits of the new bill's design. If I were you, I'd wait and see if they catch on.
never lose a drink again
Schweppes introduces glow in the dark cans. GLOW IN THE DARK CANS. Could tonic, club soda or ginger ale ever be cooler? Nope. Awesomeness in the dark. From @brandamentalist
foursquare now easier for business
If you're in retail, you're probably already using FourSquare. And if you are, life just got a little easier.
FourSquare just unleashed a business dashboard that makes it easy for businesses to use the tool even smarter than ever. Get flyers, window clings, setup promotions, and review stats. Social made easy, even for small business. Nice. From Mashable.
a product that can survive the most annoying behavior
Not knowing the language will not get in the way of totally wanting to hang with with this crazy interrupting guy. It's a fun promo for Jumper-s, unbreakable sunglasses. I could totally use these.
design school or business school?
Did you ever wonder if your personality was more design school centric or business school sensible?
I'm always confused about this one myself, as I have a foot in both worlds. Thankfully, now there's a quiz. From @kdel713.
let's go shopping together
If you haven't been keeping up with the announcements at Facebook's F8 event this week, first you'll want to read Robert Scoble's outstanding synopsis.
Then take a look at the future of social shopping. Levis has done a wonderous job of integrating Facebook into the commerce portion of their site. See what your friends liked. See what friends are shopping right now. Pay attention...the internet is now permanently social. Is your brand in the game?
because every good meeting deserves great sound effects
If you bring your laptops to meetings, you are going to have the most fun ever today. If you don't, today is the day you will annoy your cubicle mates to the breaking point.
Ladies and gentlemen, behold the tool of awesomeness called Instants!
This is a comprehensive sound board of all of the effects and soundbites that you could ever want, right at your fingertips. Go forth, and annoy. Thanks, Gregory!
user generated media continues to excel
@mikearauz points out that what's possible with user generated media continues to explode exponentially. Would fans have been able to integrate a 3D modeled Iron Man character into a Dirty Dancing scene a few years ago? Probably not.
In a couple of years, grade school kids will be producing Avatar-level work. Isn't the internet full of awesomeness?
when the photo shoot almost falls to pieces
If you work in this nutty industry of ours then you already know that everything doesn't always go to plan. And when things break or fail, you've got to make the best of it.
Photographer Chase Jarvis does a super fantastic job of sharing the behind the scenes moments of a recent shoot with Moby, and how it all nearly went to hell in a handbasket. Entertaining as all hell, especially if you've ever been in a similar stressful situation.
Many pros might not be comfy sharing these details - and kudos to Chase for understanding why this is engaging and important. A trillion things can go wrong on any shoot...don't you want someone who can think on their feet and make it all work out beautifully? Thanks for sharing, Chase! From @brusca.
when's your twitter birthday?
When was the day you first tweeted? And do you mark it on your calendar? Celebrate with a cake? If you've forgotten your Twitter birthday, My Happy Twitter is here to figure it all out for you.
I'm three years and a month, which means I've successfully graduated from the terrible two's. Anyone have a birthday this week, so we could enjoy some cake??
humongo nation tour route 2010 announced: maine to miami!
Only 88 days until our fourth annual rolling celebration of creativity and innovation hits the American highways!!
We've announced our route for 2010, and we're stoked to be returning to the east coast, where the tour got it's start four years ago. We'll be kicking off in Maine, and driving the sweetest Ford Flex that you've ever laid your eyes on all the way down to Miami.
Here's a complete list of markets that we'll be hitting on this year's tour:
Portland, ME
Boston, MA
New York, NY
Washington, DC
Raleigh, NC
Asheville, NC
Atlanta, GA
Savannah, GA
Daytona Beach, FL
Miami, FL
Know any fantastic brands, companies or people in these markets that are worthy of a profile on Humongo Nation? We're always up for ideas. Give RJ(AT)HumongoAgency(DOT)com a shout.
Tell your friends on the east coast: things are about to get Humongo.
what is american power?
Susan Bell and Mitch Epstein have produced a stunningly beautious project that examines the relationship of power within our daily society. What does the production of energy mean to our communities and our lives?
The site features some awesome photography and thoughts, and asks you for the answers. Visitors can submit their thoughts, ideas, poetry or whatever they'd like to contribute in the form of "answers."
Awesome creative work, just in time for Earth Day. See the accompanying outdoor ad campaign from Pentagram.
nike creates foursquare with pay phones
Nike turns the streets of London into a giant game board, inviting participants to run through the city and check in at various phone booths (phone boxes, if you live in England).
The more check ins that you get, the more points you earn. Great idea. (And apparently they still have phone booths in London. Is it still the 70's there??) From @khuda1
people like the sex
Diesel reminds us that sex is a fantastic marketing tool. (If only all ballet were this entertaining.)
the motion of graffiti writing
Evan Roth of the Graffiti Research Lab posts a video featuring an ongoing study of the motion of graffiti. Custom software has allowed the tracking (and recording) of usually unseen motion of the creation of a graffiti tag. Cool.
cash = so over.
Here's a beautiful info graphic illustrating that the publishing industry aren't the only ones moving away from paper. Consumers aren't using that paper money stuff anymore, either. Gives new meaning to the question "paper, or plastic?"
can your shoes do this?
What if your Nike running shoes could sample sounds and you and your friends were dj's/digital producers? This promotional piece for Nike will make your day.
This is a fun way to show runners that the shoes will bend with your feet. And just awesome entertainment for everyone else. Not that we needed a reason, but let's go sneaker shopping, ok?
mmmm. donuts.
Just in case you thought Dunkin Donuts only made coffee, they're in the final rounds of their user generated donut contest, and need you to vote on your favorite. I know you want to taste them first, but for now you'll have to judge based on description only.
@dunkindonuts: why not have donut tastings at select Dunkin's? Please?
government advertising doesn't have to be bad
This is soooo much better than the crap you see in the NYC transit systems attempting to communicate the same message.
betty white is the new chuck norris
Here's a trend that you can add to your next PowerPoint deck forecasting the future of pop culture: Betty White is the new Chuck Norris.
think facebook doesn't work for b2b?
Does your CMO think that you can't talk to business people via Facebook? That it's only for consumer promotions? Think again.
A recent study discovered that office workers are visiting Facebook more than any other site. Including Google.
B2B, B2C, B2whatever: How is Facebook an important part of your marketing plan this year?
the screen within a screen as a prop
A pretty cool use of the iPhone (or a few of them) as props in a music video. I can't wait for the iPad version.
ants: the new, hot talent
Wow. A video to promote pest control company Baygon uses actual ants, carrying actual pieces of cardboard to to put together a fun message.
Ants: no pissy attitudes. No wardrobe. What we need next: ant reality shows. (Ants were likely harmed in the making of this production. That's the Baygon way.)
replay tweet history
Google just unleashed a pretty cool feature that lets you zoom into a specific time period to view the Twitter archive of tweets related to your search.
This is pretty awesome for brands who want to track the effectiveness of their campaigns, or a competitor's campaign. Or what people were saying about you after that really embarrassing drunken episode that you pulled a couple of weeks ago.
smack andy warhol in the face
The Brooklyn Museum is getting ready for their annual Brooklyn Ball, and this year looks especially fun. Artist Jennifer Rubell created a ginormous Andy Warhol pinata for the event.
Even better, they're going to let attendees at the ball smash it to bits. And it's filled with some sort of delectable goodness! You know you want to do this. Andy would be stoked.
install this in your lobby
This is a super awesome video installation that encourages doodling.
This would be a terrific installation for a museum, a lobby, or for a brand who could afford to install them down an entire corridor in an airport. (Let's do this, now!)
amazing.
This beauteous piece for Salvation Army will make you want to empty your house and just bring it all down to the local Salvation Army donation center. Really awesome.
who's more stupider?
Stupid Fight was created to point out the stupidity of people who follow celebrities on Twitter. The tool lets you enter any two celebrity Twitter names, and it filters the tweets sent to the celebrity through a complex scale that measures the number of "OMG's" or unnecessary exclamation points, or faulty use of caps. The result is a handy scientific scale measuring the stupidity of the celeb's fans.
You'll be happy to know that @LadyGaga's fans are smarter than @mariahcarey's.
It works for non-celebs, too. I was stoked to see that the people who follow me are practically Mensa material in comparison to Mariah's fans. (You can be relatively certain that Mariah's fans aren't fairing well on this test.) With anyone.
what's inside the rabbit?
This cute little rabbit is painted onto a corrugated surface. When you walk a few feet to the other side, you'll see a different painting, of the rabbit's insides. Really cool idea for showing before/after or with/without, begging for a brand to implement all across a city.
the best identity ever designed
Let's say that you're a crime and horror channel. And you need an identity system that properly reflects your brand.
What better way to celebrate your brand than to kill, maime and rip apart zombies using staples, hole punches and envelope tears?? Absolutely totally genius. Thanks, Casey!
send this to your librarian friend
Sometimes you only need to go as far as your local library for the ultimate creative inspiration. This collection of passive aggressive library signs is nothing but a bookshelf of awesome. SHHHHHHHH.
find the people just like you on twitter
Looking for like minds? Want to know who's just like you on Twitter?
No problem. Google has created Follow Finder, a search tool that analyzes the people you follow and recommends people that you might like. Or might like to be like. Go Google.
cops are tracking your foursquare updates
You've heard about the Twitter cops, made famous about a year ago. Thankfully, now there's FourSquare cops. And holy cow are we glad they're here because some of these FourSquare updates are getting ridiculous.
If you're not on FourSquare or don't have a kabillion Twitter friends who are, then this will mean nothing to you. Move along.
don't like the highway signs? change 'em.
Admit it. You've wanted to do this. Your city and highway departments have failed you with inadequate wayfinding graphics. Or ridiculous non-sensical street signs.
Artist Richard Ankrom had the same experience in Los Angeles, only he did something about it. He created his own (better) highway signage and installed it onto the Interstate 5 highway. (Or as our silly west coast friends like to say, "freeway 5." Or just "the five.")
Inspiring. But in a "you shouldn't do this because it's dangerous and illegal" kind of way. From @acebmg
could your slr camera shoot an episode of house?
To promote the fact that their hot SLR camera can shoot video just as awesomely as it shoots stills, Canon has partnered with the producers of House, to shoot an entire episode with the camera.
This is a win for everyone. Canon gets to demonstrate what their camera is capable of. House gets a unique angle to promote a new episode. And you get to watch a bitchy doctor through a different lens.
the lord in your luggage
To promote TAM Airlines at the international airport in Uruguay, agency Amen from Montevideo turned a giant pile of luggage into an inspirational projection.
The resulting image created an event that people wanted to snap on their cellphones, share with their friends, and talk about on the way to their destination. Who says luggage can't be viral?
what to do with your fishtank when the fish die
Artist Kim Keever creates landscapes inside fish tanks that are filled with water.
He photographs the environments for a result that's a surreal world of color, light and wonderness unlike anything on earth. From @brainpicker.
wizard of oz that will make you say "awwww."
The entire story of Wizard of Oz, realized by dogs. And of course it's called Wizard of Dogz.
It's all part of a promotion for a new show on BBC called "Over the Rainbow" where Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber is on the search for a new Dorothy and Toto. Hopefully he'll find a better looking Dorothy than the one featured here.
how package design can save the world
Puma reinvents the shoe box, and makes a tremendous impact on our world in the process. Let's go sneaker shopping, ok? From @ericfleming
a reason to go sneaker shopping
Keds is celebrating their anniversary in sneakers with a fun interactive timeline that's all about sneakers. (Or, at least Ked's sneakers.) It's like a history lesson with canvas. And apparently, you can now buy the original 1910 style sneaks, too.
here comes the mirror man
OMG. At first glance, you'll say, "wow, that's a really cool sculpture." But look again. This is no sculpture - this is a man dressed in mirrors. A full on mirrored costume. The Mirror Man exists.
Holy crap, would this ever make a great promotion for a glass cleaning product! (And you should totally wear this to the company picnic this summer.) Thanks, Casey!
bing projects across london
Citizens are being barraged with an overflow of political ad campaigns in London as part of their general election. So Bing took it to the streets to show their tool could cut through the clutter.
twitter users are better viewers
Does your new campaign feature an online video? Then be sure to incorporate Twitter in your promotional campaign. We've seen for many of our clients that Twitter is the number one traffic generator for WOM campaigns.
A new study shows that Twitter is not only a fantastic traffic generator, but that Twitter users who click through to a video actually watch videos longer than those who found the video from search.
That's proof that 140 characters hasn't necessarily led to shorter attention spans. And that Twitter users are filled with awesome viewing power. From @mfauscette
audi q7 navigates billboard without a problem
This rotating banner billboard for Audi demonstrates how the car can ride over any terrain. Cool use of an existing medium. See pics of the install and finished product over at Frederik Samuel's blog.
how to make a story out of a handful of m&m's
If I thought of this idea in a brainstorm for an M&M's promotion, I would quickly declare myself a genius. But this is no promotion...just a collection of fun photos of M&M's interpreted wildly. Like the photo above, depicting Kermit, right before he walks over hot coals.
diet coke for models
In France, Diet Coke is called Coca Cola Light. And they've commissioned the man who looks like a badass terminator robot, Karl Lagerfeld to design a special package for them.
Karl says he lost 90 pounds on the juice, and was happy to oblige. It can all be yours for $80. (If that's too much for you to spend replacing your diet shake, then maybe you could just get one for the bookshelf.)
classic architecture that fits on your kitchen table
There's a great piece in the NY Times about mid century modern, in miniature. Christine Ferrara keeps a blog devoted to sharing the love of re-decorating doll houses in classic mid century modern detail.
Cool idea to realize the home of your dreams that you can't afford because you chose a design career over finance.
if shakespeare were alive today, he'd be tweeting
Mudlark and The Royal Shakespeare Company have combined forces on a new production called Such Tweet Sorrow. This production incorporates the audience (and people in the twittersphere) into the production. You tweet, and you'll have an impact on the performance.
Exact production details will be released next week, but in the meantime, they're spreading the word on the streets of London with a tweeting balcony on Carnaby Street. Yep - a balcony. That tweets.
They've also created a site that tracks all of the "I love you" tweets happening all around the world. It's an index of tweet love. Ahhhhh.
To tweet, or not to tweet...love this.
buy your exoskeleton from accutech
Most Hollywood studios hire the same ole' agencies to produce promotional sites that look all 1996, with Flash intros and everything.
But every once in a while, they step out and do something that actually coincides with the storyline of the film. Such is the case with the new Iron Man film.
In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark attempts to bring back a legendary scientific world-fair type expo, called Stark Expo. One of the companies featured at the expo is Accutech.
To promote the film, they've produced an entire site for the Accutech company, that sets the stage for an really fun campaign tied to the film. Cool work.
doc marten's gets reflective and refreshing
Dr. Marten's boots were embraced by punk rockers ages ago, and have helped to make the brand into an iconic alt music fashion staple.
Because everything 80's is totally hot again, they've commissioned ten directors to produce ten videos of current bands performing classic songs that reflect the personality of the Dr. Marten's brand. And duh - the bands are wearing Doc's. The Duke Spirit clip above is pretty beautiful.
before you send that manuscript to your publisher
826 National is one of the most interesting and awesome non-profit organizations that we've ever met.
Their organization helps to teach and inspire kids to write, and they have some totally awesome chapters across America that are completely worthy of a visit.
They've just published a super nice typographic masterpiece in poster form that's geared toward budding writers. Use it to make sure that the book you've been working on is ready for action, or just to inspire you to knuckle down and begin writing. Get one for the writer in your life, and support an amazing and inspiring cause in the process.
in case you forgot who you interact with
MentionMap is another fun Twitter tool that looks at the people you currently follow and plots them on a fun, interactive map. The map shows you people who are connected to people that you are chatting with, and that you might want to become connected with, too.
Great for making sure you're not missing out on friends of friends, or just to see your interactions in a space age styled mind map graphic. From @benkunz
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