Creative’s - Down on the Farm

British humor is a bit different that what we’re used to here in the States. My brother-in-law is from England and we don’t always laugh at his jokes. We for sure never laugh as hard during Faulty Towers as he does.

Regardless, for anyone who has spent any time in the agency setting and have worked with the creative team, you’ll enjoy this trip back to the farm. 

Compliments of Elaine Fogel over at MarketingProfs

Pimp Your Laptop!

In the days of customization, you can customize you cell phone, your ipod, pretty much your everything, so check out these new laptop covers that allow you to distinguish your mass produced Dell and HP laptops from the rest!

There are nine tile designs to chose from and you can easily remove and change these vinyl skins when you are ready to try a new pattern.
According to Trendhunter, “The designs available by company, Laptopskins, are a collaboration between designer and graffiti artist Neck.CNS and laptop skin manufacturer, aspoke.com. Besides their tile designs, there are also striking graffiti, geeky, bubbles, trees and vintage wallpaper designs to name a few.”

The tile designs cost about US$ 25.

What do you think of this customization for your laptop? Would you use one? What other laptop exterior design ideas have you

Source: Trendhunter

How To Get Into Sticky Situations

The animal at the top of this post is called a Fisher, and up until I read an article in the New York Times about him — where he was described as a ratty looking creature with fangs and claws that was in the habit of gnawing on the face of house pets — I had never heard of him.

So what does this mangy little guy have to do with advertising? Well, he’s an idea, and for me, he’s a pretty sticky one. Because he’s something that I had no awareness of at all until I read about, and now am very aware of.

The Fisher is a great illustration of some of the core principles the Heath Brothers talk about in their way smart book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Here’s a few, and how they correspond to the Fisher story:

UNEXPECTEDNESS
VIOLATE PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS WITH YOUR IDEA.
Use surprise — an emotion whose function is to increase alertness and cause focus — to grab people’s attention.

There’s a vicious little beast you’ve never heard of…

CONCRETENESS
EXPLAIN YOUR IDEA IN TERMS OF HUMAN ACTIONS AND SENSORY INFORMATION.
Naturally sticky ideas are full of concrete images — ice-filled bathtubs, apples with razors inside — because our brains are wired to remember concrete data.

…he’s mangy and ugly, with fangs and claws…

EMOTIONS
GET PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT YOUR IDEA BY MAKING THEM FEEL SOMETHING.
We are wired to feel things for people, not for abstractions.

…that he likes to sink into pets…just like yours…

STORIES
GET PEOPLE TO ACT ON YOUR IDEAS BY TELLING STORIES.
Stories create a mental catalog of critical situations and the appropriate responses to those situations.

…and he’s been spotted…in your neighborhood!

Made to Stick is full of lots of other great insights into how to make messages stick, and for me, the book and the website are essential reads.

And as for that Fisher, let’s just say that he’s an idea I won’t soon forget, particularly when I’m out in the backyard!

Steven Stark is a writer and creative director with an overactive imagination and a healthy respect for nature. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

His name is Keith Johnson and he has made a Muffin Car: a cupcake-shaped runabout, which conceals a tiny electric all-terrain vehicle complete with handlebars from a Hello Kitty bicycle. You could think of Keith as a lone eccentric, toiling away in his garage, fueled by butter cream, but you’d be wrong. He’s actually one of a dozen or so people who make and race muffin cars.

And they are not alone. In fact, there are thousands of people who are now making things again. Curious, new things, with a real sense of wonder to them. These modern day inventors — half hackers and half mad scientists — have not one but two mainstream magazines: Make and Craft, and even have their own gathering: Maker Faire, where this year, you could see, among the many exhibits, a 17 foot tall robotic giraffe, a life-sized version of the game Mouse Trap, and a live performance from those makers of Mentos mayhem, Messrs Grobe and Voltz, who sent jets of Diet Coke shooting high into the air on the faire’s final afternoon.

So why am I telling you about this? Because these are people on the fringe — and that’s where ideas come from. Poke around the fringes of society and you’ll find real excitement and a real indicator of the future. All of the stuff we take for granted today, like yoga, the green movement and yes, even blogs, were all started way off in the fringes, by a small but obsessed group of people who felt they had found something new and worth pursuing.

Want to think different thoughts, find something that delights, and bring truly new ideas to your work? Then spend some time around the edges, where people lurk, and you too will know the Muffin Man.

Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who doesn’t really care for muffins, but does love donuts, particularly in the workplace. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.

Newspaper Advertising Is Old News

As of about a month ago, I worked in the advertising business. Specifically, the newspaper advertising business. For one of the largest daily newspapers in our area.

I worked there - until I was laid off. Along with 20+ others, in various departments, throughout the building.

Needless to say, the newspaper business is not doing so well these days.

I specifically saw it in terms of the advertising. Companies and individuals are much more likely to advertise online now. Whether it be for real estate, employment opportunities, or whatever - in-print is no longer the most effective advertising avenue available.

Now, as I job hunt, I see this change in advertising in a whole new light. Flipping the pages of the newspaper - any newspaper - hardly provides me with any viable opportunities. Especially in the field I’m most interested in - writing and editing.

So I look online. And there, I’m successful. There, I’ve found plenty of positions to apply for. Via email, I’m able to get my resume and cover letter off to prospective employers in no time at all.I’m anxiously now waiting to hear on one job in particular.

In the mean time, you’ll find me at my laptop, job searching online.

Wish me luck!

Reductive Reading

I spend a ridiculous amount of time reading, which I justify to myself (and my family) by saying that the more I read, the better writer I’ll be.

Recently, I came across two writers who create their writing by rearranging or subtracting words from what they’ve read. I know this sounds kind of post-deconstructionist, but the resulting new works are absolutely unique.

First, there’s Newspaper Blackout Poems from the wonderfully named Austin Kleon. He is a writer, cartoonist and designer who does pretty much what the name implies — he writes his poems by removing words from newspaper articles. The results are sparse, interesting to read and to look at, and have a real presence, because what is said is as important as what was removed.

Working in a similar vein is British artist-writer Graham Rawle, who wrote an entire novel, Woman’s World, by clipping phrases from 60’s women’s magazines and collaging them together. The book is as beautiful to look at as it is to read and contains classic lines like “At her feet, a small, highly strung poodle wriggled and worried itself into a rich, creamy lather.” Nice! New York magazine published an article about it where Rawle dissects a page from the novel. After reading it I had to marvel at the obsessive nature of its creation and at the ability of some readers, writers and artists to see beyond what’s there in front of them.

Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who has a small problem with collecting books. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.

A Heavenly Brief

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little while ago I found a really amazing speech called The Brief for the Sistine Chapel on the English brand planning site www.accountplanning.net.

Written by Damian O’Malley, who is now the Executive Planning Director for McCann Europe, the speech illustrated just how important a brief is to the creative process.

 

In it, Damian imagines the various briefs that Pope Julius II, or the Pope’s account man, Cardinal Alidosi may have given Michelangelo. Each is analyzed for its effectiveness and potential outcome, and the article ends with the kind of brief that has the power to inspire a Michelangelo — or a creative team — to great heights.

 

I was so taken with this that I put it into a PowerPoint presentation, tweaked a couple of words, because, well, I’m a copywriter, and added some pictures to illustrate the results.

 

When I was done I sent it off to my bosses at my agency, where it was roundly ignored! No one said making a great brief, or great advertising, was easy.

 

You can download a copy of The Brief for the Sistine Chapel PowerPoint at www.slideshare.net/stevenstark/the-brief-for-the-sistine-chapel, and may God be with you.

 

 

Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who lives for the thrill of the big idea. You can see his work and read some of his other musings at http://web.mac.com/sdstark/iWeb/Steven%20Stark/home.html

Underground Mole

So - I don’t know - maybe a month or so ago, as I was zoning out on my evening dose of entertainment brain fluff, I noticed the above image flash onto the TV screen. Seriously, it was there for, like, a nano second.

What was that? What just happened here? What’s going on? And why am I instantly thrilled by the thought that one of my favorite reality series may actually be reappearing sometime soon?

Then it happened again. That unmistakable logo on the screen. With my husband sitting next to me. We turned to each other with a curious look.

Yeah - I’ve seen that before. I thought it was a mistake - a clip that wasn’t supposed to run yet.

But it kept coming up, again and again. It’s no mistake.

Sure enough, now we all know. We’ve seen the commercial. It’s official.

The Mole is back.

I gotta hand it to ABC. Their clever marketing sure peaked my household’s interest, as I’m sure it did in other’s. Tricky advertising for a tricky show.

I, for one, cannot wait until that first episode on June 2nd.

Leading With Insight

Matthew Milan at Critical Mass posted a very interesting presentation to slideshare call Leading with Insight. It is a thought provoking look on how critical it is to be insightful and use it as means to inspire and lead. The presentation gives clear instructions on how approach things in a manner that is thoughtful and creative. Can you and your brand use insight as a guiding principal to identify solutions and provide solutions that are truly amazing?

I would have liked to be in the room when this presentation was delivered.

Reverse trend: ‘Townhall’ expands online brand to print

With print media chanting a fairly dismal liturgy, the website Townhall.com is reversing a trend by expanding the online brand to print. The new magazine just released its 5th issue wrapped in a perfect bound cover and packed with color photos. The paper stock is heavier than that of other political magazines both left and right wing. The layouts are airy, and some sections like ‘the Word’ are definitely graphically influenced by Web design. Blurbs from politicos and celebs set in large type offer both progressive and conservative views. The advertising is solid—healthcare, mortgage services, publishers and others placed messages in the May issue, the first one I’ve seen. I suspect most of the marketing is being done by the website, in the top online political destinations alongside counterparts like the liberal site Daily Kos. As I opened the cover of my sample, I asked myself a question. Will this new magazine overdo the agenda of the far right or will it take a sensible approach? Read more

Food Court Musical

The Internet creates a whole new medium for content distribution. It is a tool for groups like improv everywhere to create unique content and make it available to the public. Ten, maybe even five years ago, there would be no way to distribute this production for everyone who wasn’t at this mall to see and experience.

If this group can do it, why can’t brands?

Compliments of the Google CPG Blog

Crayon Physics Deluxe

Greg Verdino points us to a little game called Crayon Graphics by KlooniGames. There’s also a write up over at slate which explains the background a bit more. This game sits in stark contrast to the high definition gaming that is so popular today. It’s simplistic yet thought provoking and incredibly engaging. With the right idea, and good delivery, an idea can be powerful without all the bells and whistles.

I’ve downloaded the demo and look forward to playing around with it. My Xbox is off right now while I go exploring the physics of the crayon.

 

Do you know about Scribd and iPaper?

I happened across this amazing start-up recently and immediately fell in love. Scribd describes itself as a “Silicon Valley startup creating technology that makes it easy to share documents online” and goes on to say that you can think of it “as a big online library where everyone can publish original content”. I believe that this iPaper is excellent for businesses because it allows you to present whitepapers, presentations and outlines of your services right on a web page using flash instead of expecting a person to download a PDF, WORD document or PowerPoint presentation. I can see why they managed to secure funding from Y Combinator, Redpoint Ventures and others - they are unto something.

Read more

Science inches closer to mind reading

Has a person ever read your mind? For much of my life, I thought my mother could read mine. Then I surprised her in the act of reading my diary. Imagine the creative possibilities if you could accurately predict what images people like to look at. The Guardian (UK) reported on research by scientists at the University of California where MRI scanning equipment was used “to observe patterns of brain activity when a subject examined a range of black and white photographs.” Afterwards, a computer accurately predicted 90% of the time which image the subject focused on.

The research is still very young—only still images can be used. But the implications are clear—there’ll be implications in many different areas such as invasion of privacy, unfair screening because computers as we know have their own emotional issues, “thought crimes” and many others we haven’t even thought of. I wonder how this technology will impact creatives 30 or 40 years from now? Will humans adapt and be able to trick the machine? Will employers use an offshoot of this to screen potential hires? Will all the poets with those quirky minds be arrested? Sounds like a great platform for another sci-fi novel.

I found a solution to my mother’s curiosity. I wrote my diary in Latin from that day forward.

This video offers info about similar research.

Technorati Tags: Beneath the Brand, Kay B. Day, Talent Zoo, mindreading, technology, research, discoveries

People Businesses Relationship Nurturing

The folks over at ConversationAgency have a very interesting post entitled The Expectation Economy. They’ve taken several stories that are out there right now and provided a perspective with which to consider them.

This is the key takeaway that struck me: “We have move away from CRM to PBRN (People Businesses Relationship Nurturing)”

We have to continually evaluate the expectations that are influencing the decisions that people make. The speed that information is developed, spread and assimilated is amazing. This struggle with information is what makes the people business and those critical relationships so very, very important to business today.

Have a look, it’s interesting content for anyone who interacts with brands.

 

Shift Happens

You may have seen this video before. Every time I watch it, I am amazed. As an employee of a digital agency, it’s interesting to see the usage of digital media by the up and coming generations. I’m also amazed by the rate of information growth and how at some point, we’ll be unable to assimilate enough information to keep up.

It makes me think that as we reach our information limit, we’ll settle into certain things that are comfortable. We’ll turn to brands that we know and trust because it’s easier than trying to gather information about something new. I think it lends credibility to the fact that brands need to take advantage of the digital medium to build relationships now that will last and become the comfortable choice that we rely on.

 

 

Rugby League, an international brand looking for a toehold in the U.S.

On Saturday, Jacksonville, Florida, hosted a remarkable event. The Australia Day Challenge, part of the G’DAY USA celebration in the U.S., pitted two world super league teams against each other in a rugby league match. The Leeds Rhinos beat the South Sydney Rabbitohs 26-24. Just prior to this first-ever-on-American soil event, announcements came forth, overlooked by mainstream media. The executive chairman of the Rugby Football League, Richard Lewis, planned to attend the match along with about 12,000 other people. Lewis was scoping out Jax as a possibility for the World Cup Challenge, an annual event pitting the Australian National Rugby League champions against the European Rugby Football League champions. It’s sort of the equivalent of the Super Bowl, and Lewis’s position is similar to the commissioner of the NFL. What does all this mean? A bonanza for anyone creative enough to see it as an opportunity. Read more

Web 2.0…The Machine is Us/ing Us

I posted this video on my personal blog a while ago and stumbled across it again. I think it’s an amazing presentation on the web as we know it today and how it is changing the future of how we consider information as individuals.

It also is an opportunity for marketers to consider how they communicate with their audience. Communication is not flat anymore. It’s not linear, it’s not one way. The sky the limit with respect to the technology that is available to communicate a message. The opportunity is their for us to create unique experiences with our brands and the consumers.

If you haven’t seen it, enjoy. If you have, check out the sequel.

Creativity: TED | Talks

I’m a big fan of the TED conference. Since I stumbled across the TED | Talks web site, I’ve watched several amazing individuals deliver their thoughts on a variety of topics including culture, technology and education.

One of my favorite TED Talks is by Sir Ken Robinson. His presentation is called : Do schools kill creativity? His thesis is that we are educating individuals out of their creative capacities. He quotes Picasso as saying, "All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up."

There are times that I wish I were more of creative person. I live on the account management side of my business; I’m more adept at relationship building, strategy and logical thinking. When I consider campaigns or marketing strategies, I rely on our creative staff to help formulate the message in a unique and exciting way.

Watching this piece by Sir Ken Robinson I think back to my days in pre-school with finger paints and music. It would be interesting to see how different the world would be if our educational system focused on creativity and expression rather than on standardized thinking and conformity.

This piece is just under 20 minutes long but Sir Ken is an excellent speaker and very engaging and funny so it passes rather quickly. Check it out and then browse the other great speakers. I’m sure you’ll learn something new.

 

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad iPhone?

Sprint is scared. That’s the word on th street. I paid a visit to a reliable sprint users forum stating that “Sprint is bending over backwards to anyone who mentions the iPhone.” Sprint is offering handsome incentives to keep people from switching to AT&T. They are offering specials on the HTC Mogul and other perks to convince people to stay. People with iPhones have money to burn and Sprint would rather have them burn it with them.For mobile carriers, voice plans have become a commodity as networks become faster and more reliable. Data, text, and entertainment are the real money makers. Smart phones are a gateway to more revenue for companies like Sprint. They can’t afford to lose add-on loving customers. They’d have less to fear if they offered better phones. Sprint doesn’t really fear AT&T. It’s Apple that keeps them up at night.