Tuesday, November 30, 2010
girltalk visualized



If you're not already familiar with GirlTalk, you should probably start paying attention. He's an artist that's managed to create a career of making great music made of nothing but samples of other music. To call him a dj would probably be an insult, and you'll likely identify with his work whether you love Fleetwood Mac, J-Kwon, The Ramones or General Public. He's brought together some of the greatest riffs and lines off all time and turned them into something else entirely.

But that's not what this post is about. GirlTalk gives his music away for free, and you can download it across the internet. He even staged a press conference apologizing for breaking the internet, on the release day of his latest release.

But that's not what this post is about. GirlTalk has inspired wonderous analysis of his work and visual representations galore. Whether you're a fan or just discovering GirlTalk for the first time - you MUST CHECK OUT MashupBreakdown, a beautious visual representation of the entire GirlTalk release. And that's what this post is about.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:08 AM   2 comments


the coolest, most inspiring museum in dc



The Museum of Unnatural History is now open in Washington DC.

@Issue has an excellent review of the "store" with pics of the products that are available there. If you haven't seen this before, it's all the work of the fantabulous 826 National organization. This is a living lesson and case study for all non-profits to reconsider the way they do business and face their communities.

We got to visit their store in Chicago on tour a couple of years ago, and see the operation in action. They're absolutely inspiring and magical places to visit, and you should put them on your list if you're ever near Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles or Seattle. Thanks, Eliza!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM   0 comments


a series of tubes



This is a sculpture made from just tubing and liquid. And it's an animated piece of beauty.

Here's a concept that's begging to be a larger installation (imagine a store window), with a brand name or icon represented in the middle of a sea of tubes. As the liquid moves into the machine, we see the brand icon come to life. Ok, you can take it from here...

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM   2 comments


for you mustached mo-foes

Did you sport the Mr. Book Antiqua mustache this Movember? Or was it more like the classic Mr. Jeanne Moderno OT?

Whichever typeface inspired mustache you rocked, be sure to pick up your Typestache Poster today in honor of the last day of Movember.

For the rest of the day, $5 will be donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia for each poster sold.

And congrats everyone that participated for raising over $47 million worldwide so far this Movember!

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:30 AM   0 comments


say no to naysayers

We're big believers that there are no bad ideas. At the very least, "bad" ideas can inspire, or be turned into, great ideas. So very kumbaya we know, but just look at these examples of awesome ideas that experts said would never work.

So next time a so-called "expert" tells you your idea is stupid or just won't work in the real world, whip out one of these puppies and defend yourself!

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:28 AM   1 comments

Monday, November 29, 2010
twitter blizzard ahead



Twitter user Ben Marsh took a snowstorm, and created a live Twitter visualization of the event.

Now his UK Snow website tracks the tweets of people getting freaky over snow, and then maps them across the UK in a total blizzard of a dashboard.

Want to see where it's snowing? Or pics of the snow? Or how much it's snowing? Ignore the snowmageddon news reports, and listen to your Twitter neighbors instead.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:22 AM   0 comments


how eskimos use the internet



Check out this interactive ice screen! It's just like an iPad, only it's all ice and not so portable. Experiential agencies will have a field day with this, in the great white north.

You should totally install one of these in your front yard this year, only to make your neighbor's snowman look sad and pathetic.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:14 AM   0 comments


yahoo: let's have more nice.



Yahoo is asking you to do something kind, without any expectation in return, and then share it.

Once you share it, they'll compile it for all the world to see in their sea of kindness ripples. Or whatever it is you call that blue square with kindness tweets shining through.

From @garza_girl, who did a most awesome random act of kindness in her hood.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM   0 comments


a nice relaxing vacation in jail



Planning a vacation or some time off? How about spending some relaxing time in an old prison?

Apparently the conversion of prison buildings into hotel space is becoming commonplace, and they're not all rough and torturous spaces. Some are elegant, stunning hotel properties.

Proof that creativity can make anything beautiful, and property that might otherwise be ignored or forgotten can be reinvented, no matter what the brand baggage.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:07 AM   1 comments


who celebrities call for their kids



This isn't exactly brand new, but you'll love it anyway, since you're probably in the middle of trying to find entertainment for the company Christmas party.

The Hip Hop Magician, and Shakim the clown. They're the ones that celebrities call for their kids birthday parties. Enough said.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:02 AM   0 comments

Friday, November 26, 2010
really, you should be shopping now.



You've got the day off, to celebrate Black Friday. But you're checking your email instead of relaxing or fighting your way to discounted electronics. Not to worry - you're not alone.

More than half of the workplace is doing the same thing. Just so you don't feel like a workaholic, here's a bunch of stats that will make you feel better:

+ 59% of the workplace checks their email while on holiday. (Considering that 30% of the workplace is made up of people who don't check their email when the ARE at work, that's a pretty high number.)

+ 41% of those surveyed were annoyed by getting stuff in their inbox (even though they're checking for it.

Now, who says you can't be checking your email AND shopping?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM   0 comments


survive the day


If you're out shopping today you're going to need this survival guide to avoid injury (we care about your safety). Though we implore you, please do not wear a tracksuit.

Good luck!



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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:00 AM   0 comments

Thursday, November 25, 2010
holiday shutdown

If you find yourself working today, put down the laptop and slowly back away. It's Thanksgiving and the only thing you should be working at is stuffing your face and sleeping it off to prepare for round two.

If you just can't bring yourself to shutdown, you may be a certifiable workaholic. And according to Term Life Insurance, that may be doing you in sooner than all the butter you're about to put in your mashed potatoes.

But fret not, there's a 12-step program for you. Come on, we know you can do it!

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:30 AM   2 comments

Wednesday, November 24, 2010
holiday displays go big



Architectural video mapping is becoming more and more common now, leading to some pretty spectacular outdoor creative work.

Check out the new holiday display/show at Saks Fifth Avenue. Gorgeously fun. From @luckthelady

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM   0 comments


how to melt down for the holidays



When you're in line at 4am on Friday outside a massive retail store and about to lose your head over the stress, the crowds and the savings, just think of Nicolas Cage.

Watch four minutes of Nicolas Cage losing it, and know that there's pretty much no way you'll ever lose it this bad, this loud, or with this amount of bravado. Enjoy.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM   1 comments


story tweeting

Ever feel like Tim Burton's story lines are a series of incoherent and slightly crazy thoughts that somehow work perfectly together to create a masterpiece? Well, this time, that's exactly what it is.

Tim Burton's asking people to help write a short story about Stainboy, an apparently goo-fleeing, unlikely superhero, by tweeting #BurtonStory and 127 characters based on where the story line leaves off. The best tweets are chosen and posted on his website to keep the story going until December 6.

When reading the tweet-stream for #BurtonStory, one can only conclude there are some very creative (and very insane) people on Twitter.

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:30 AM   1 comments


Japan does it again


So last week we told you about Japan's hottest new pop-star, Hatsune Miku, who happens to be a hologram. Now this week, we discover that a talented new Japanese actress, Geminoid F, starring in the play, Sayonara, is an android.

That's right, a robot. Never worry about adhering to SAG regulations again. Need to shoot for 36 hours straight? No problem. Don't want to pay for craft services? Then don't. When robots take over the world, everything will be so much easier.

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:29 AM   0 comments


destroy the web

It's the day before Thanksgiving and we know you're not really getting any work done today. So stop faking that "deep-in-thought" look when your boss walks by and destroy the web instead.

Drag the green box into your browser bookmark bar, go to the website you despise most (may we suggest myspace to start?), and obliterate the heck out of it with the old-school Asteroid spaceship.

And, if the family "conversation" gets a little too intense at the dinner table tomorrow, quietly get your revenge by shooting at their unsuspecting faces in the good 'ole Flickr family album.


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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:28 AM   1 comments

Tuesday, November 23, 2010
don't mess with the jets



This ad for JetBlue will get a good laugh from any sports fan, but if you're a NY Jets fan, it's even more awesome.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:06 AM   0 comments


making music exploratory again



With all of the new interactivity that's possible on multi-touch devices like the iPad, it's no surprise that the experience of discovering music artists is being reinvented.

If you have an iPad, you'll want to download Aweditorium. If you're not an iPad user, you'll need to enjoy this over a friend's shoulder. Aweditorium combines music, photography, and independent artists together in a way that's as fun as a trip to the record store used to be in the 1980's.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM   0 comments


they made fun of ads in the madmen days, too.



Think we're the only generation that's all snarky and and smart alecky? Way back in the 1960's, they made fun of advertising, too.

@elizaword found this cool clip of a satirical look at advertising produced in the 1960's. It turns out that people have always been cynical of our industry - even if it takes them forever to get to the point in this slow moving video.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM   0 comments


japanese twitter battle



Adidas has partnered with MTV to create what looks like a fun Twitter battle against you and any other Twitter user.

I chose to go up against Katy Perry (why not?), and lost big time. Could be that I don't understand Japanese, and didn't have a level playing field. Surely you'll do better. Somehow this promotes a new line of Adidas, or lets you spend more time on their site looking at Adidas. Whatever...we approve.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM   0 comments

Monday, November 22, 2010
nothing is real


We know you can do some pretty sick things with CGI, but this spot for Silestone countertops by Alex Roman is just un-freakin-believable.

Not one thing is real. It's all completely computer generated by a combination of Autodesk's 3ds max, Chaos's V-Ray, and Adobe After Effects.

Just imagine how CGI this fantastically realistic could redefine the porn industry, um, I mean the ad industry.




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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 8:10 AM   0 comments


kinect brings loads of creative opportunity



This is what really smart people are doing with their Xbox Kinect. (This was produced in a single day.)

Expect to have your mind blown continuously with what's going to be possible with this new gaming system. Thanks, Eliza!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM   0 comments


Peace treaty FAIL


If you were too busy watching football or the American "meh" Awards, err, I mean music awards, last night, you may have missed this hilarity circling the interwebs.

For you Angry Bird fans (which apparently is EVERYONE in the world since it's the most popular iphone game ever), check out the attempted peace treaty between the birds and the evil pigs created by an Israeli sketch comedy show, Erez Nehederet.

If only all failed peace treaties ended with 5,000 points and a retry button.

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:30 AM   0 comments


location based: so hot



Everyone's attaching themselves to the most highly anticipated geekfest in years: Tron.

Coke Zero pushes it over the top by actually putting you in your very own Tron game. Using your phone and your city, you jump into a game with other geeks and battle it to the end.

Watch the trailer, and you'll kind of get how it all works. Super geeky internet fun for the whole family.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:22 AM   0 comments


could the gap be getting cool again?



Cool Hunting, the ultimate trend spottting, cool finding blog has a pop up store in NYC this year. The store will feature unique and cool (duh) products that the people at Cool Hunting have sourced from a variety of designers, manufactures and publishers in the greater New York area.

This is the ultimate in blogger outreach. The Gap benefits from the association with Cool Hunting, and the Cool Hunting blog gets a store that they might not invest in otherwise. Everyone wins, and we get to go shopping.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:13 AM   0 comments

Friday, November 19, 2010
this kid will someday rule the world


When we were teens and wanted the latest, hot gadget (oh that sweet, sweet Sony walkman), we had to wait. There was no other option. Now, in a time when instant gratification is king, that's no longer the case as 17-year -old Fei Lam proved.

Frustrated with how long it was taking for Apple to launch the white iPhone 4, he decided to leverage his own business network (seriously, what 17-year-old already has a business network?) to contact the supplier, Foxconn, directly for the parts.

Teen buys parts to convert black iPhone to white. Teen creates website to sell said parts. Teen makes $130,000 in a couple of months (and growing). Teen is a rockstar. Teen will takeover the world... if Apple doesn't slap teen with a big fat lawsuit first.


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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:35 AM   2 comments


no woman allowed

In the wake of the logo redesign FAIL of 2010, it's surprising anyone has the chutzpuh to attempt a bold logo change right now. But leading brand design firm, Chermayeff & Geismar, did just that for the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

The modernized logo takes a more symbolic approach with the racket-esque shape and yellow ball as the A crossbar. This is a big departure from the much more literal logo they once had, making it one of the few professional sports associations to not feature an athlete in the logo.

As always, the reviews are mixed, especially on the use of cliche girly colors and yet another gradient. What do you think? Love it? Hate it?

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:30 AM   1 comments


an entire town of fashion models



Who needs fancy, super hot models, when we're surrounded by people that can wear new fashion lines fabulously?

That's the premise of this super cool spot for Sicilia Fashion Village in Italy. Beautiful, yet totally as fabulous as it should be, and proof that anyone and everyone could benefit from a little style.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM   0 comments


where your towel has been



You'll probably find this incredibly disgusting, but we suppose that's the point.

The makers of True Clean Towel would like you to think about where your bath towel has been. Are you drying your face with the same part of the towel that's been touching your junk? They've invented a towel that makes it easy to to keep everything in the right place.

(May not be safe for work if your workplace can't handle giant plastic testicles.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:04 AM   0 comments


may the force of typography be with you



Milan agency H-57 Creative Station designed this super awesome set of Star Wars inspired posters, using nothing but typography.

Like them? Give their agency your business, or just contact them and buy one. From @elizaword.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:55 AM   0 comments

Thursday, November 18, 2010
absolut escape



This gorgeous campaign for Absolut provides a creative escape in the most unexpected place - a bus shelter.

As Angela Natividad points out, agencies routinely purchase bus shelter ad space, but why not take it a step further and realize the environments around us as opportunities?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:48 AM   0 comments


humans from machines



When tablets take over the world, someday an artist will turn all of our computers into sculptures.

For now, you can enjoy the art of Jeremy Mayer, who has taken another old school, retired device - the typewriter - and rebuilt them into magnificent human sculptures.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM   0 comments


the future of retail is in your hands



Google just launched Boutiques.com, a new experiment in online retail. Users can create their own boutiques, and you can shop through friends or people that you admire/follow. Google has taken care of the back end magic, so you don't need to worry about it.

When a retail store is as easy to setup as a blog, this will change the landscape as we know it. Retail will become social.

Why buy from Amazon, when you can buy from the local trendsetter who finds the cool stuff first? It's the back end complicated stuff that's kept us all from opening our own stores in the first place - so when providers like Google and Amazon can do this for us, we'll all be in retail.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM   1 comments


it's all just water.



Here's an excellent graphic illustrating how package design and brand impact trendiness and cost.

If it's all just water, then it really is creativity that makes it magic, right?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, November 17, 2010
brand flakes for breakfast: now twice the awesome.



It's official. Our own Kristien Del Ferraro is joining the ranks of the blogger elite, and will be blogging regularly for Brand Flakes for Breakfast.

What does all of this mean? Imagine that you have two of the industry's most awesome individuals scouring the internet for nuggets of knowledge, fun and inspiration all to entertain you.

We're like your personal internet servants.
Need facts, industry trends and social media tools? Got it.
Need great examples of marketing, advertising and social done smart? On it.
Need videos of the world's biggest Harry Potter fan? We're here for you.

Expect more internet juice and social fun each and every week. (Photo of scrumptious doughnuts has nothing to do with either of us, but aren't they yummy looking?)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM   4 comments


because we love OK GO


Must-do for today: Download the Pulse of the City iphone app and watch OK GO drive around L.A. for 8 miles in a Range Rover, playing a live concert, all while spelling out the name OK GO via GPS. Cool!

This event is to kick-off the Evoque Pulse of the City project, aimed at bringing to life the cities that inspired the new Range Rover Evoque.

And, you can make your own GPS art too, for a chance to be featured in OK GO's new video early next year.

These guys are just awesome, so we'll pretty much watch anything they do.



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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:30 AM   0 comments


bringing kinect outdoors



Imagine if Xbox Kinect technology could exist outdoors in the real world? That's what they produced in Munich for the launch of the game system.

A fully mapped building brought to life with the help of the crowd and Kinect. This would be pretty awesome on the outside of your house, and maybe the kids would go outside again...

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:30 AM   0 comments


while waiting in the "opt-out" line


Planning to take part in National Opt-Out Day and looking for something to do while you wait in the airport security line to have your junk groped with thousands of other rebels? Why not play with Xerox's new interactive billboard to pass the time?

This super cool billboard lets you press your way through your own adventure, from delivering mail with the Target dog, to peeping into peoples' hotel rooms at the Marriott.

Looks pretty entertaining, though not sure anything could make security lines, naked body scans, and pat downs any less annoying, especially on the busiest travel day of the year.



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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 7:28 AM   0 comments


how to make product placement tacky



Denver Egotist has three examples of product placement that are so horribly awkward, they're almost hilarious. But really, they're just ridiculous.

Soap operas were invented to sell product, and they've certainly evolved as far as story lines and production values...yet the product placement is still stuck in the 1950's. Sad.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM   0 comments


how the facebook movie could have been made



What if other directors made the Social Network? (I vote Tarantino for Social Network 2.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:12 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, November 16, 2010
madmen era versus today



Marketing and shopper insights firm Buysight has created a fun info graphic that illustrates the difference between advertising in the MadMen era and advertising today.

The details illustrate how content creation and advertising have forever been blurred, and how the audience is a part of the creation process, more than ever before. From Adrants.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:20 AM   0 comments


night at the museum in real life



You hear about contests and promotions where people win odd prizes like living in a museum for a month. Don't you wonder how it all worked out?

Wired has a fun interview with Kate McGroarty, a 24 year old teacher from Chicago who won the "Live in the Museum of Science and Industry for a month" contest.

Her month officially ends this weekend, so this is our last chance to learn what it's like in the real-life version of "Night at the Museum".

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:04 AM   0 comments


how lego does business cards



The CEO of Lego has his likeness realized in Lego as his business card.

There are a few online Lego avatar makers out there, but Jorgen Vig Knudstorp is likely the only CEO worthy of having one on his business card. Pretty awesome. Thanks, @bakertweets!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM   0 comments


replay greatness continually.



Replay any YouTube video over and over and over and over again. This is such a useful tool I don't know how we ever lived without it.

My suggestion: start with "I like Turtles". From @stevegarfield

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM   0 comments

Monday, November 15, 2010
you think you're big in Japan


Meet Hatsune Miku. Err, well, you can't actually meet "her," because "she's" a hologram. Yep, a hologram, that happens to be the biggest pop star to hit Japan in years, selling out massive coliseums on her latest tour.

Not only is she not real, neither is her voice, which is made using a singing synthesizer application developed by Crypton Future Media. And we thought auto-tune was was a pop star's best friend.

Not sure if this is ridiculously awesome, or a sign of the apocalypse. Either way, Gaga, Ke$ha, and the Biebs better step it up if this is the future of music.


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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 8:02 AM   0 comments


wave hello to the advertisers




In the future advertisers could be watching your every move. We're not talking about what you do online, we're talking about what you're wearing (or not wearing), who you're with, your pets' names, what you say about your boss behind their back--pretty much everything. It's not that far off. Actually, it's possible right now if you own a Kinect.

You've probably already heard about how Kinect can report your every word to the friends you play video games with (oops). And you may have read Wire's Secret Diary of Sentient Kinect playing off the fact that it's actually somewhat self-aware (creepy). And now, conspiracy theorists and privacy zealots alike are speculating that Microsoft could someday report all the things the Kinect "sees and hears" to advertisers for the freakiest micro-targeted, real-time reactive ads you could ever imagine.

While Microsoft issued a statement stating they respect their customers' privacy and do not use any of the information captured by Kinect for advertising (of course they did), it's pretty exciting and freakin' scary to speculate what could be.

Imagine a day when, say, Budweiser, could serve you an ad telling you to put down the PBR you're drinking at that exact moment and drink their beer instead. Makes Facebook privacy concerns look pretty darn silly in comparison.


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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 8:00 AM   1 comments


this is what designer dreams are made of



If Photoshop were real, we could make a whole bunch of designers lives so much easier. From @elizaword.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:17 AM   0 comments


this is the recycling cycle



Wood, made from newspapers, that were made from wood. It's the ultimate in the full circle of life for a tree. Now, if you could just use the ashes for fertilizing a new tree...

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM   2 comments


fingerboarding goes high fashion



Just when you thought skateboarding has crossed every audience that it could, and just when you thought that fingerboarding/Tech Decks would never be realized in the mainstream...well, along comes high-fashion label Hermes.

The Hermes fingerboarding video is a creative way of showcasing some of the new product line without making it all about...the new product line. Sweet.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:06 AM   0 comments

Friday, November 12, 2010
canstruction weekend is here!



In over 150 cities around the globe, architects, engineers and cangeeks participate in contests to produce can-tastic structures built entirely from full cans of food. When they're all done, the pieces are dismantled and the cans are donated to charities like City Harvest, for those in need.

You can view over 20 entries in NYC now through November 22 at the World Financial Center. Bring a can.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM   0 comments


where do we need to go when the zombiepocalypse arrives?



Walking Dead fans will enjoy this competition. Architectural firm Architects Southwest is holding a contest to determine what would make the best safe house when the world turns dead?

It's this kind of creative planning that will leave us all better prepared for the unavoidable zombie future. From @spadachris

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM   0 comments


how much data fits in your head?



Artist Rob Vargas illustrated how much data the average human consumes in a day. We're essentially taking in media from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep...so how much information is this, really?

Your brain is capable of consuming over 5 TRILLION average hard drives, every single day. Head hurt?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM   0 comments


is this where typographers go to relax?



The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam asked artists to take over some unfinished space in their gallery and have their way with it.

Artist Barbara Kruger used a very large room to realize some very. large. type. This room could really use a bright red couch. From @elizaword

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:19 AM   0 comments


how strong is that brand, really?



Austrian art-technology group Monochrom had 25 people draw brand logos from memory. Despite the millions and millions of dollars spent building these brands, you'll be surprised at how poorly consumers can actually recall them.

From @paulmcenany

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:09 AM   2 comments

Thursday, November 11, 2010
ford has fun with pedestrians



Ford's 2011 Edge has touch screen in car technology, and they wanted to get the word out to the streets. So they produced touch screen window displays that let pedestrians play with the window while learning about the car.

If all window displays had video games built in to them, it might take us a long time to get to work, but think of all the fun we'd have along the way.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:59 AM   0 comments


what's happening with kenny rogers roasters



The team over at Looxii have released another example of how awesome their social media monitoring tool really is.

They've produced a report documenting all of the conversation about Kenny Rogers Roasters. Yeah, exactly...there are social media conversations happening about Kenny Rogers Roasters, and Looxii captured it all.

Their concept of showing the results of such a random, unexpected topic works as a great demonstration of what's possible with their tool, all while being fun.

And if people are talking about Kenny Rogers Roasters, they're probably talking about you, too. Don't you want to know what they're saying?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM   1 comments


the big budget coco spot



The Coco promos have provided hours of entertainment and content for marketing case studies and white papers for sure, but this American Express spot is just over the top glorious.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:26 AM   0 comments


when i die, please get this for me



How awesome would it be to walk through a cemetery and watch YouTube videos of the deceased? E-tomb catalogs the social media history for people who can no longer tweet for themselves.

The perfect tribute to someone who died blogging too hard. From @bakertweets

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:15 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, November 10, 2010
screen sharing made easy



The people at Log Me In have created a new, totally awesome tool: Join.me.

Join.me lets you share your screen with up to 250 other people. It's easy, fun, and sports clean, web 2.0 design.

Pitching a client across the country? Putting together a training session for your field office? Now you can do it all from the comfort of your cubicle. (Just clear the Justin Beiber videos from your browser, first.)

Oh yeah - like all things that are awesome on the internet...it's FREE.

There's also a pro version that you pay for that gives you a whole suite of added features like personal urls, meeting schedulers, and more.

Disclosure: The folks at Join.me gave me a free subscription to their pro version to try out, but I've had so much fun with the free version, that I haven't even tried that yet.

Awesome tool on steroids.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM   0 comments


how many human stomachs = a bathtub?



To promote their video converter tool, AVS created another conversion tool just for fun.

The Weird Converter can convert a multitude of random stuff into a bunch of even more random stuff. Curious about how many human eyeballs a spider monkey might weigh? The Weird Converter can help you figure that out.

Just enough weird for just enough fun. From Thrillist.com.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:53 AM   0 comments


speaking to your audience still works. even on tv.



Not everyone likes zombies. But people who do are pretty passionate about them. Anticipating that the new TV show the Walking Dead would be a big hit with zombie fans, they produced a series of spots themed around dead people that roam the streets.

When viewed in context of the show (which is where they were placed) the spots are unexpected, feel like an extension of the programming and get the attention of the audience they're intended for.

Here's proof that even with a medium like TV, you can speak directly to your audience in their language and desires. Even if their desires include BRAINS....

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:42 AM   0 comments


nyc food trucks tracked with twitter



This was our idea, I swear. We even pitched it. But agency @jess3 not only pitched it, they built it, launched it and did so for the most appropriate client. Tweets and sweets and meats all brought together in one tasty place.

The Zagat Food Truck tracker maps out all of the NYC food trucks, based on the truck's most recent tweet. Hungry for cupcakes? Ice cream? Frites and Meats? Find out what's in your hood that's good to eat, and great to tweet. Awesome job.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, November 09, 2010
tired of firefox, bored of chrome? meet the social browser.



Besides having a super cool name, RockMelt is looking to reinvent your browser.

We just started playing with it, but it looks like a pretty awesome realignment of how we use the internet: always connected with the things and people we need to be, even while searching, browsing and working on the magical, mystical world wide web.

(Thanks for the invite, @mtlb)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:53 AM   2 comments


uh oh, here we go again...



Miss all the chatter about the crappy Gap logo fiasco explosion? Not to worry - Urban Outfitters is sporting a new logo, too. And it's pretty damn crappy. Maybe even worse than the Gap logo.

I smell a "cash in on the hype let's be satirical" plan.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM   3 comments


why wifi is free at mcdonalds, but costs extra at a $300/night hotel



Having just paid $18.95 for internet at a nice hotel, I've wondered about the answer to this situation, too.

Finally a dude who installs wifi at both McDonalds and fancy hotels answers the question for us.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 AM   0 comments


important notice:



This is sad, hilarious, and true.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:29 AM   0 comments

Monday, November 08, 2010
let's put an end to drunk posting


Remember when drunk dialing your ex was your biggest concern on a typical Friday night? Then with the rise of textsfromlastnight, your regrettable words became a little more permanent, but at least remained anonymous. And now? Now the whole world is subjected to your drunken mishaps on Facebook due to drunk posting. It's time to put an end to this madness.

Thankfully, Webroot has you covered with their latest security tool, The Social Media Sobriety Test. Yep, that's right, download their Firefox plug-in, and like a car breathalyzer, you'll be prevented from getting behind the keyboard during "high-risk" days and hours to save you from years of embarrassment, job-loss, and possible arraignment.

Thanks @dannydgoatee

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 10:39 AM   1 comments


what you're about to see will shock you


Here's a beautiful and shocking collection of (mostly) PSAs that prove sometimes pushing boundaries isn't just about the shock value, but about inspiring real change.

Thanks Eliza!

posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 10:32 AM   1 comments


look at him, now look at me slap you


What do you do when you're a brand that probably has a fraction of the budget of your biggest competitor, but have the same problem of once being perceived as old-fashion? Slap the ever living crap out of them... or anyone else that gets in your way. That's what BRUT is doing to the Old Spice Guy, or his look-alike anyway.

Need to get some aggression out today? Man-up and go to brutslap.com, choose from a variety of weapons to slap with (because just a hand wouldn't be quite as manly), and take a shot at your target of choice, including an imitation Old Spice guy, Tiger Woods, and a mime. Come on, who hasn't wanted to slap a mime?

Once you've given those guys a good beat down, move on to the Slapplication to celebrate your victory with a little slap-happy tune. Or, vote for the person you think deserves to be slapped most: The Trekkie, or the Hippie (we know who we're voting for).

What a great way to get out of that Monday morning funk.

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 10:12 AM   0 comments


buy kicks out of thin air


Want a pop-up store, but don't want to deal with the hassle of hard-to-get permits, overpriced material costs, or the annoying process of training sales people? Make it invisible!

To create some hype around the reinvention of their 90's sneaker, the JIM, Airwalk reinvented the pop-up store and the flash sale with quite possibly the awesomest use of augmented reality by a brand, ever.

Between 2PM and midnight on Saturday only, lucky peeps in NYC and Venice Beach had the chance to buy the limited-edition kicks when they launched the Airwalk GoldRun iphone app in GPS based, pre-designated areas and snapped a pict of the JIM when it appeared.

What a genius way to put a totally unique twist on two hot trends that are being adapted by a bunch of brands right now!

Thanks @benkunz!

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posted by Kristien Del Ferraro @ 9:55 AM   0 comments


meet guest blogger: kristien del ferraro!



I ran the NYC Marathon yesterday, so I'll be nursing my bloody stumps and taking a day to recover.

My pain is your gain, because we've lined up our own Kristien Del Ferraro to guest blog! During daylight hours, Kristien is head of digital strategy at Humongo, so we're pretty sure she has the keys to the internet. She's also a fashionista, a foodie, and makes some bitchin' cupcakes.

Expect nothing but fabulous posts! Thanks, Kristien!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:04 AM   0 comments

Friday, November 05, 2010
coco loves tumblr



The Team Coco launch has been one of the most entertaining, original, and creative campaigns that we've seen in a long time.

Coco's latest release: a little love note for the bloggers who use Tumblr, that lovable easy to use blogging tool. And Coco is using Tumblr, too.

The Coco promotion is a great example of a campaign that's utilized pretty much every social tool in existence, and in a way that connects with each appropriate audience. Consider this your next case study. Thanks, Casey!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM   0 comments


media channels too cluttered? try the leaf pile.



William Cravis is on a ten week residency at the Boston Center of the Arts, where he's...stamping leaves.

He's created several campaigns (or leaf drops) with actual fallen leaves that have been stamped with entertaining messages. Our friend Jane happened on one during her walk to the office yesterday morning. If you find a leaf, you can report it on his site, keep it for your collection (no two are the same!) or just leave it on the ground for the squirrels to enjoy.

Leafvertising. This has to be the best way to promote falling prices ever.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:17 AM   0 comments


don draper says "what?"



Don Draper says What?

Just what you needed to get your Friday kicked into action. Thanks, Casey!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:13 AM   0 comments











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