Tuesday, March 31, 2009

jonny

OK so I had a really creative idea for this blog but it kind of got a little lost of track. I had a few adventures this weekend and ran into jonny in some interesting ways. So first i ran into jonny at the diner and it was his birthday, he ended up somehow giving his gloves and his glow in the dark necklace(i wore it around my wrist though) . So me and my roommate decided that where ever i go that night that i will take pictures.Well i did take pictures but you cant really tell whats going on in the pictures but i still want to post them. Also i saw jonny at the Ting Tings concert (which was amazing), and i have a little video from the concert but it wont load.

















jonny

creative ads






I was looking through a bunch of creative ads and these really stood out.

The Hotels ad is one of my favorites. The idea of counting sheep brought to life is completely outside of the box and one of the most creative ways to advertise sleep. I also especially loved the Fanta ad. The tongue as a strawberry really captures the flavor of the drink and convinces the consumer of its extreme taste.


creative ads

Legalize it Advertise it.

I personally can't wait for the United States to legalize marijuana, but not for the reason you are thinking. When it happens, and it will, we could be the first to advertise for it. Now I'm sure that once it is legalized, the government will still set haneous laws (like those of ciggarettes) on advertising for the product, but eventually, after the society realizes the lack of danger associated with the product, roll out the ads. Branding specific kinds of weed is going to be a blast! God knows the research will be fun.

Legalize it Advertise it.

hocus

Today, while picking up a flash drive and paper towels at Target, I ran across an item that was quite unexpected. Sitting in the 5 dollar movie section was Hocus Pocus, a movie I had completely forgotten about and never expected to be able to possess. But it was there. In all its greatness. And I absolutely had to have it. So I grabbed it and I bought it and it cost 10 dollars instead of 5 but I didn't care. The second I got home, I turned on the DVD player and reminisced in a Disney classic. 


Classic Disney movies are in an entirely different league than their modern counterparts. And might I add, an entirely lesser league. There seems to be a drop off in movie quality when the sequels of all the classics started emerging. Cinderella 2... then 3? Please... Bring us back to the time when there were wonderful stories and songs and characters! Especially for the sake of future generations!

hocus

Quick, Creative Cooking

Quick, easy meals are a necessity for college students. So this week I have decided to bestow upon you one of my favorite, original recipes. This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare and then an additional 40 min-2 hours to cook. It yields at LEAST 30 servings and costs less than 10 dollars.
Low fat Creamy Tomato Sauce:
Ingredients:
6 lbs canned crushed tomatoes (6 lb cans available at Sam's Club and Costco for $2)
2 cups fat free plain yogurt (for creamy texture and flavor)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 lemon
at least 5 cloves of garlic
Fresh Basil, Rosemary and Oregano (it is just as cheap to buy a potted plant as it is to buy pre-packaged fresh herbs from publix)
1 teaspoon of salt
t teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 medium sized onion (optional)
Some chopped mushrooms (optional)
3 bay leaves

You will need a large pot, a sharp knife, a cutting board, a large spoon or ladle and a grater

Directions:
Grease the pot and grill onions until caramelized (skip this step if you don't have/don't want onions)
Chop or press Garlic and add to the pot
Pour in the olive oil and turn the heat on to medium/low
When the Garlic starts to sizzle, pour in the crushed tomatoes quickly so the garlic doesn't burn.
Stir well and then add the yogurt and stir again. Add as much yogurt as you want to achieve the desired color and consistency
Add the mushrooms
Squeeze in the half lemon and grate some of the lemon peel
Chop the fresh herbs and add them.
Add the bay leaves
Leave on low and let simmer for 40 minutes- 2 hours.
At the end you may want to add more of any of the ingredients for taste.

All of the ingredient quantities are estimated because I always just add to taste. This sauce is very healthy and everyone I've served it to says it tastes amazing. You can freeze most of it so that it keeps for at least six months. What you put in the fridge will stay good for about three weeks.
I like to serve it over whole wheat pasta, and some turkey or other sausage bits or textured vegetable protein makes a great addition. Top it with parmasan, pecorino romano or mozzerella cheese.

Enjoy!
-Beatrice

Quick, Creative Cooking

No Hiding This Light




SunChips is taking baby steps toward becoming environmentally accountable. Their new campaign is based on these steps from reducing the energy that is required to make their chips to designing a fully compostable bag they are demonstrating their solar power.


In a recent New York Times article entitled Trumpeting a Move to Put the Sun in SunChips by Stuart Elliot this campaign is described as being part of the greenwashing movement in marketing. Everyone wants their brand to be associated with being environmentally conscious.

"The new SunChips advertising initiative is centered on the addition of solar power to the Frito-Lay plant in Modesto, Calif., that makes SunChips. A 10-acre “farm” of solar collectors is being added, to provide up to 75 percent of the energy needed to produce the product.

The plant, one of seven in the United States that make SunChips, is scheduled to start using solar power on Earth Day, April 22, as part of ambitious efforts by Frito-Lay and PepsiCo to convince consumers that the companies care about the environment(Elliot)."

Although there seems to be some skepticism about why corporations are suddenly jumping on the "green" bandwagon it must be acknowledged that whatever the motives the new eco-friendly corporate world is making steps in the right direction.

I for one love the concept of the new campaign. They feature girls and women frolicking in the sun as an announcer invites viewers to “imagine capturing the sun’s power and making chips with it.” The spots end with the words “SunChips, now made with solar energy,” and the brand’s theme, “Live brightly.” In many eco-conscious campaigns the company spends more advertising their efforts then actually making changes. However in this case the multimillion dollar investment in solar energy actually exceeded the SunChips advertising budget. Overall I musts say that living brightly never looked so good.

Here's a link to a sample tv ad in this new campaign http://www.sunchips.com /advertising_television.shtml

No Hiding This Light

The Office

I work at the Visitor Center, and when I arrived to work this morning, I found a lake in our office.  Apparently, the University Club's grease trap backed up into our sink pipes and burst.  We had to hurry to move all of our furniture, printer and computers so nothing would get ruined.  It had already reached all of our offices and seeped through the walls.  It was disgusting nonetheless.  However, it sparked a great idea for an episode of "The Office."  I think the writers of the show should write an episode about how the sewage pipes burst and floods their office, like it did ours.  I think it would be a hilarious episode and the writers could do so much with it.

The Office

Puppy love


name: Adelaide
pet name: Addy

gender: female
age: 1 year
physical description: 35lbs, short black hair, chocolate brown eyes, purple spotted toungue, tie dye bandana
history: unknown
religion: karma

love it: long walks through San Luis park, sleeping and home-cooked meals
leave it: guys with mustaches, veggies and a short leash

looking for: playmates for play dates :)

contact info: look for me in my zebra striped bed, the kitchen or hanging out on my front porch

Puppy love

Download Music Cheaper!!

I don't know about all of you, but my bill from iTunes every month is absolutely RIDICULOUS! I have a serious love for music, and I'm always looking for new things. This is an expensive habit though. Recently I read a news article that iTunes would soon be increasing the prices, and new release songs would no longer be the standard $.99. In light of this, I did some research on my own for a new legal downloading service. I was then referred to a site known as GoMusic, a Russian website that has about the same vast selection as iTunes at EXTREMELY LOW rates. I was able to purchase the entire Matt Nathanson cd today for $.97. There's no hidden fees or anything...you simply create an account and put a certain amount of credit on it. Then you are free to download at your leisure, and the site will deduct the money from your account. It is WONDERFUL. Check it out yourself. Go to gomusic.ru and enjoy :)

Download Music Cheaper!!

Who wouldn't want the sky to rain FOOD?

Thinking back to when I was a little girl, I should have always realized my passion for food considering that one of my favorite all time childhood books was "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."  Two summers ago, while I was interning for Kobin Integrated Marketing in NYC, I was invited to the yearly Licensing Show that is at the Javits Convention Center West Midtown.  I got to meet with almost all the movie production companies from Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, and my ultimate favorite- Sony Motion Pictures.  Sony's production setup where you have your meetings was designed just like the set of the upcoming movie "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."  Obviously my mouth dropped, since first off I had no idea they were making a movie of it and second the whole set design was incredible.  


My boss was nice enough to invite me as part of the team so I got to meet the entire Marketing team of Sony and got to see their upcoming movies for the next two years.  I was lucky enough to be invited again this past summer, and I do not want to spoil upcoming movies/ any product placements (since I was part of some deals this summer).  Take a look at this new movie and get really excited!!!!


Oh, and do NOT forget about "Where the Wild Things Are" - another favorite childhood stories. 

Who wouldn't want the sky to rain FOOD?

Man without a face

I am not sure how many of you watch Discovery Health, but if you don't and you missed this it is definitely worth looking at. Just to warn you this video may turn you stomach a little. It is a man that has a condition on his face and..you'll see the rest. It is realy interesting and can kind of put life in perspective for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLLN3HghDGw

Man without a face

shopping bags







I hadn't really thought about it until I was shopping the other day, but I think that using interesting pictures on shopping bags is a really cool way to get noticed. Most of the time bags only consist of the name of the store, and some variation of paper or plastic... but I think if companies took the time to think of something more innovative than that then it would be a great way to advertise. Here are some that I found on the internet and thought were pretty cool-- I would definitely notice these at the mall!





shopping bags

Drunk History


If you haven't heard of this... DEFINITELY CHECK IT OUT!!! "Drunk History" is somewhat of a documentary through videos that can be seen on YouTube or Funny Or Die. It was created by comedian Darek Waters and it features people recounting moments in history (they tell the story, share their opinions of it, etc), but the people recounting the events are very inebriated. On top of the stories being hilarious, they are reenacted by famous actors like Jack Black and Michael Cera with the drunk person's story narrating it. I was in tears laughing when watching these videos. I think the whole idea of doing this is very creative. What a way to make something that can be very bland and boring, into something absolutely hilarious!





Drunk History

you could all be champs!

Over the weekend, my roommate was watching a movie in the living room while I was making some food, and I didn't know what movie it was so I sat down and watched a little bit of it. The movie was "The Comebacks" and the part I happened to be watching was really interesting because the coach, who I guess wasn't a very experience coach, tried to give an inspiring speech at halftime. There was a variety of random products in the locker room, some realistic and some not so much for a football team locker room. But anyways all of these products were used as product placements for the brands. The coach comes up with a really creative speech using just these products which is really cool and actually does sound inspirational in the end. This was a great way for brands to put their names out there! Not such great quality but check the speech out! the product placement comes in about half way through!


you could all be champs!

Creative Fruit Juice Packaging


http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/03/29/juice-skin-packaging-by-naoto-fukasawa/

Not too much to say about these crazy cute juice boxes except that someone used their creativity in a new fun way! Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa has created a series of creative fruit juice packages that have the look and feel of the fruit they containThe link I provided shows all of the really cool juiceboxes that are actually desigend to look like the fruits that they taste like. Pretty neat way to entice people to buy a certain product...make it look like how it tastes, genius!

Creative Fruit Juice Packaging

Beauty Marks




So Friday when it was pouring down rain my friend and I thought what better way to spend a raining day then getting our toes done. It's always fun even though I'm really ticklish. As our toes were drying we were both flipping through different magazines. I came across this innovative print ad in the allure magazine I was flipping through. It was an ad by cover girl called beauty marks. They had different products with cute sayings and and you could peal the top of and underneath and said something about the benefit of the product. They then said to use the part you pealed off (it had some stick stuff on it) to mark the pages of allure so you could easily go back to the pages that had something that interest you. I thought this idea was really neat and I've never seen anything like it before. It also gets you thinking about cover girl the whole time you're reading the magazine and using the cover girl page holders. The only think I think they could have done better is placed it more towards the front of the magazine but that might have not fit into their budget. Above are some pics of the ad.

Beauty Marks

Wittysparks.com



I was searching through the web looking for some creative thoughts or inspiration to write about when I came across the website: wittysparks.com. They claim to give technology, design and life tips. When I was looking through their site they have a spot on it where you can view all different types of ads, billboard ads, ads directed to just smokers, sport ads, transportation ads, etc. My favorite that I came across was this billboard ad:


My first though was who installed this billboard? It must have been hell.

Wittysparks.com

Pioneers of the Greater Outdoors

Columbia Outdoors has had a new campaign running for a couple of months now. Maybe you have seen the guys using the wake from tanker to long board or Dan Heaton, an off road unicyclist. I love this campaign because it urges people to break the mold of traditional outdoors adventures and make up there own. Columbia allows you to nominate a person as a "Pioneer of The Greater Outdoors". This is making a hobby, that is minimally connected to the internet, interactive and drawing people to their website. In no way is it the most elaborate plan, but for these outdoors man and women it brings just enough technology to not scare them away. Every commercial depicts a story and in a sense urges the watcher to go learn more about that individual(s) on their website. It doesn't yell at you to go to the website or promise 50% off if the ad is mentioned, but it sparks interest and uses human curiosity to draw their target market to their website.

Pioneers of the Greater Outdoors

I wish I was an animal....

I was watching one of my favorite creations available for our entertainment today, which is Planet Earth. I have always been fascinated by nature and have a high respect and interest for other species we share the world with, but I have never found myself envying them until now. Perhaps it is part of the anxiety I have when thinking about life after graduating from institutionalized learning, but whatever it may be I can’t help but be green with envy.

As I sat on my couch absorbing all of the engrossing information and intriguing images, I thought to myself how wonderful it must be to live a life of unadorned purpose and existence. Most animals have a very clear purpose; they serve as vital members of various food chains and provide mother earth gifts that keep her healthy and functioning, but humans, what is our purpose, why were we created?

The first thing that comes to my mind is consumption and destruction, but certainly we must be more relevant than that. Then there is my theory that our purpose is discovery, communication and companionship, but because our purpose is so broad and controversial, and because we can communicate and teach each other our theories and discoveries it just makes life so damn complicated.

I wish I were an animal, but wait, aren’t I already one? I guess we all are animals technically, but certainly not wild ones. I loathe my human weaknesses of loneliness, dependence and conformity, the need for shelter and hygiene, my fragile and vulnerable skin, my sloth like stride, dull teeth, and flaccid digestive system. I could go on forever pointing out all of the qualities that inhibit me from living outside of civilization, that keep my from being wild.

If I were an animal I would have superpowers enabling me to survive in the most enchanting locations, and I would survive fulfilling an unquestionable and meaningful existence. Although as an animal the potential mortality rate drastically increases and at all moments of existence destruction could be inevitable, I would rather live a life of pure freedom than a life of perplexity, impediment, and strife, after all we all face destruction and death anyhow. 

So for these reasons I just can’t help having overwhelming jealousy for other species. If I had to choose one to be, I guess I would choose a bird of pray, a Peregrine Falcon perhaps.

bird_flying_over_water.jpg

I wish I was an animal....

Twinkies Save World




























I actually remember seeing a few of these comic ads. Good for a laugh. Just remember, when Thor can't save the day on his own, Hostess Twinkies Cakes (with golden sponge cakes and tempting creamed filling that no mere mortal can resist) are there to save the day. These Twinkies aren't just solving a consumer problem.

Twinkies Save World

Monday, March 30, 2009

The Planet's First Truly Branded Nail Salon

227507936_6b9901d5fe.jpg


Wall to wall nail polish statues. Plasma screens facing every direction. Hot pink Candy Land decorations adorning the perimeter. Dashing Diva, a privately owned franchise company, has reinvented the salon experience, opening its first doors in 2003 in the heart of New York City. Never before has anyone offered quick beauty service treatments in an environment that was not only fashionable and chic but also fun and relaxing. Dashing Diva is a company that took a traditional nail salon and created a destination. 

 

With salons now in 28 different locations on 3 different continents, Dashing Diva is the most unique salon experience I have encountered in a while. From nail polish towers to the wrap around couch seating, the brand has definitely made a name for themselves and has climbed the tower of intelligent marketing. They are dedicated to making the salon experience healthy and sanitary as well as luxurious.

 

This company is one of the major clients of the firm I am interning with over the summer in New York and I thought this was such an interesting concept and a perfect way to reach out to women in need of a luxurious yet affordable experience. 

The Planet's First Truly Branded Nail Salon

Sunday, March 29, 2009

[insert witty title here]

I know we are all tired of hearing, reading, and talking about BINGE DRINKING!! However, I found these two ads, one for drunk driving and one for alcohol related abuse that are actually pretty interesting!



[insert witty title here]

GE Gets Smart

This year GE made its first Superbowl commercial, advertising its Smart Grid technology. This commercial gave me a taste of what people in ad agencies probably feel the first time they see their work up on TV or in a big magazine or on a billboard. I didn't have anything to do with the commercial design, but I have to brag that my dad was one of the leading developers of Smart Grid technology, and I've edited several proposals and papers from my dad's company that have gone straight to the big guys at General Electric to put this thing in motion.

Everyone's been "going green," and anyone who participated in Earth Hour last night realizes how big of a deal saving the environment has become to everyone. I'm not an engineer, so I can't tell you exactly how Smart Grid technology works, but I think it's cool that we're finding new ways to conserve electricity and reduce costs. This stuff is already in place in other countries (China, Canada, and a lot of Europe were some of the first adopters) so it's cool that the U.S. is catching on (Obama has actually pushed Congress to pass laws to put smart grid in place within the next 3 years).

But the main reason I'm posting this is because I actually love the commercial itself. I think it's cute, and I'll always love the Wizard of Oz. Enjoy!

GE Gets Smart

Text Messaging ending the English Language

Lately I have been seeing a lot of articles on texting leading to the end or decay of the English language. I am definitely a violator of misspelling things and using numbers instead of words. However, that is just one of the things of texts you only have a limited space so you can write stuff phenetically or with numbers, symbols and people will understand it and know what your talking about. Even my dad says "Wat r u doing 2 day". Its not an e-mail it is a text. I can understand how it is affecting younger kids though. I started catching myself in papers writing the way I would talk in a text instead of the proper English language. Maybe soon they will have some type of spell check or grammer check on cell phones or maybe we will all stop being lazy.

-Ellen M

Text Messaging ending the English Language

10 CREATIVE MYTHS

1. “I am not creative”
I have heard a lot of people say precisely that: “I am not creative”. The truth, of course, is that we are all creative. That's what differentiates us from Parrots who can say clever things put couldn't have a creative idea if their lives depended upon it. The truth is we are all creative. And while some people are naturally more creative than others, we can all have very creative ideas. The problem is, as we grow older, most of us learn to inhibit our creativity for reasons relating to work, acceptable behaviour and just the notion of being a grown-up.

2. “That's a stupid [or daft, or silly, or ridiculous] idea”
People say this kind of thing to colleagues, family and even to themselves. Indeed, this is one reason why people believe they are not creative: they have got into such a habit of censoring their creative ideas, by telling themselves that their ideas are stupid, that they no longer feel creative. Next time you have an idea you think is stupid, don't censor it. Rather, ask yourself how you could improve the idea.

3. “Creative people always have great ideas”
Rubbish! Creative people always have ideas. Whether they like it or not, they are having ideas and sharing those ideas (often with people who tell them their ideas are stupid, no less!) every waking hour of the day. Of those ideas, a precious few are great. Many are good, Many are mediocre and a precious few really are stupid ideas. Over time, we tend to forget creative people's weak ideas and remember their great ideas.

4. “Constructive criticism will help my colleague improve her idea.”
Yeah, and tripping a child when she is learning to walk will help her improve her walking skills. Nonsense! Criticism, whether constructive or destructive (as most criticism truly is) squelches creative thinking and teaches your colleague to keep her ideas to herself. Likewise, other colleagues will see what happens when ideas are shared and will also learn to keep their ideas to themselves. Fresh ideas are fragile. They need nurturing, not kicking. Instead of criticising a colleague's new idea, challenge her to improve the idea by asking her how she could get over the idea's weakness.

5. “We need some new marketing ideas for the upcoming product launch. Let's get the marketing people together and brainstorm ideas.”
This is a sure recipe for coming up with the same kind of marketing ideas you have had in the past: ie. uncreative. Brainstorming, as well as ideas campaigns and other group ideation events get the most creative results with the widest variety of participants. Want marketing ideas? Then bring in sales, accounting, human resources, financial, administrative, production, design, research, legal and other people into the brainstorming event. Such a wide range of knowledge, experience and backgrounds will encourage a wide range of ideas. And that results in more creative ideas.

6. “In order for our innovation strategy to be a success, we need a system of review processes for screening ideas and determining which ideas to implement.”
In fact, the review process is very often about eroding creativity by removing risk from ideas. The most important component for corporate innovation is a method of soliciting and capturing focused business ideas. The ideas campaign approach – where you challenge employees to submit ideas on specific business issues, such as “in what ways might we improve product X?” is the best way to focus innovation. A transparent tool that allows employees to submit, read and collaborate on ideas is the best way to focus creative thinking. And, framing your challenges effectively is arguably one of the most important aspects of successful corporate innovation. (see http://www.jpb.com/ideamanagement/ for more information on the ideas campaign approach to innovation). Yes, reviewing ideas is important. But first you need to be generating the creative ideas so that they may be reviewed.

7. “That's a good idea. Let's run with it”
When we are looking for ideas, we have a tendency to stop looking and start implementing with the first good idea that comes to mind. Unfortunately, that means that any great ideas you might have had, had you spent more time thinking, are lost. Moreover, good ideas can often be developed into significantly better ideas with a little creative thought. So, don't think of a good idea as an end – rather think of it as a beginning of the second stage of creative thought.

8. “Drugs will help me be more creative”
The 1960s drug culture and glamour of musicians and artists getting high and being creative led to this myth. And, possibly a little bit of drugs or alcohol will loosen your inhibitions to the extent that you do not criticise your ideas as much as you might had your inhibitions not been loosened. A lot of drugs or alcohol, however, will alter your mind and may very likely make you believe you are being more creative. But to people watching you, you will just seem like someone who is very high.

9. “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.”
Just the other day I was at a workshop where some people were complaining about a colleague who always had ideas. Worse, he wanted to use those ideas to change processes that were working perfectly well. Sadly, too many of us (but not you, of course) are like the complainers. If something works well as it is, whether it is a machine or a process, we often feel there is no need to change the way it works. Fortunately, Dr. Hans von Ohain and Sir Frank Whittle didn't think like that – or we'd still be flying in propeller aeroplanes. Bear in mind that propeller aeroplanes were working perfectly fine when the two gentlemen in question individually invented the jet engine.

10. “I don't need a notebook. I always remember my ideas”
Maybe. But I doubt it. When we are inspired by an idea, that idea is very often out of context with what we are doing. Perhaps a dream we had upon waking inspires us with the solution to a problem. But, then we wake up, get the children up, have breakfast, run through in our minds an important presentation we'll be giving in the morning, panic that the kids will miss their bus, run for the train, flirt with an attractive young thing on the train, etc - until late afternoon when you finally have time to think about the problem. How likely are you really to remember the idea you had upon wakening?

10 CREATIVE MYTHS

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Friday, March 27, 2009

Sarah Haskins in Target Women: Chocolate

I saw this video in my Social Psych class because we're learning about persuasion and how advertisers appeal to emotion.  Here's a funny video showing how advertisers get women to buy chocolate. Here's the video: CHOCOLATE

Sarah Haskins in Target Women: Chocolate

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Age Old Battle.

Since the beginning of time there has always been one rivalry that trumped them all; it's bigger than Florida Vs. Florida State, bigger than Brother Vs. Sister, and it may even be bigger than North Korea Vs. South Korea.

This is the Battle of the Sexes: MEN vs. women

In NIKE's new TV spot for their NIKE + campaign LA based agency 72andSunny (I write about them a lot) took this age old battle and spun it into a call to action. Owners of NIKE shoes, who have the NIKE + accessory, can link their shoes with the computer and upload how far they've run. The competition that NIKE has started is a challenge to see which sex can run the farthest. Check out this commercial and try and spot out all of the pro athletes.


Oh, and btw... it topped the list of Creativity's Top Ads of the Week

Credits

Cast

The Age Old Battle.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

i love you, man

I recently went to check out the latest film, I Love You, Man starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, along with their usual co-stars from movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall. If you're a fan of these guy friendly crude humor flicks, then you must have noticed the new brat pack of comedy. They all take turns rotating in each other's movies and the usual suspects include any combination of Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, among other names from hits like Knocked Up, Superbad, 40 Year Old Virgin, Role Models, etc. Is this some sort of actor's union or something? Remember how Rob Schneider was ALWAYS in Adam Sandler's movies as a 2-for-1? What's up with that?

i love you, man

Why didn't I think of that first??

It was my friends birthday the other day and I wanted to order her flowers. She lives in Memphis so I was searching google for local florists when I came across 1800flowers.com. They will deliver a beautiful custom arrangement ANYWHERE.....what a genius idea! This company has mastered consumer needs...it is convenient and memorable, the cost is very reasonable as well. If you ever need flowers for your mom, friend, girlfriend, sister, or whoever........call 1-800 flowers or just visit their website....you will be pretty amazed at how easy they make something that seems like a pain.


multicolored roses arrangement in a vase

Why didn't I think of that first??

Craig needs a friend


Here's a blog I found about this person who creates weird flyers and posts them around town. They are usually irrelevant and always signed with a simple, "Craig".

http://www.funnyordie.com/blog/posts/14305

Craig needs a friend

I'll see ya in a IKEA.

KIA may have to change their "I'll see ya in a KIA" tagline very shortly. There's a rumor that IKEA is coming out with a car. It's supposed to be an eco-friendly car. This image above was released in France to create buzz. Since there are masses of people who walk and bike in europe, this car is meant to be affordable and eco-friendly so it will not damage the environment with pollution. As a big IKEA fan, I can not WAIT to see what their design of an automobile will be! Maybe you will be able to arrange all the fixtures in the car just like they say you can do with their furniture? Definitely something to look forward too!

I'll see ya in a IKEA.

Helium Hype!!!



I was visiting Heather in her building this past week and ran into some non-traditional advertising in the elevator that I thought was really effective and creative. The next time I have an event, I might just use the same method!

Helium Hype!!!

important things with demetri martin


So there is a great new show on Comedy Central called Important Things With Demetri Martin. You may have seen him on the Daily Show with John Stewert as the new trends guy. He is so creative and intelligent and you can see it in every aspect of his show. Each show has an idea, or theme (for example "safety" was the theme of an episode) and he teaches the audience about safety through slides, standup comedy, drawing sketches, mini comedy sketches, music (he freestyle raps and also does a great Bob Dylan) and other media.  It is so simple yet so genius. When I first saw it, it reminded me of us doing our Whipple presentations, only like a million times better. He also treats the audience (you) like you are an idiot and labels everything on the screen which I find hilarious. It is on tonight (wed) on Comedy Central at 10:30!! Watch it, I promise you'll like it!

important things with demetri martin

I don't have enough money to buy a lottery tidket, or do I?

With the declining economy hurting us everyday, it seems companies are pulling of their advertising from products. Imagine if advertising for large accounts are not putting as much money towards advertising then that must mean total chaos for the smaller ones. That brought me to this commercial that I uncovered for the lottery in Massachusetts. Now if people are having such trouble being able to purchase gasoline how would they have any extra money for a lottery ticket? This is where the people at Hill pushed the boundaries of creativity.

The tagline for their lottery ticket was "our biggest game ever." This ties in visually with the direction that the commercial was shot. This is why the size of the lottery card is gigantic and the commercial shows 2 blue collared workers. The commercial is fairly short but they get to the point fairly quickly!

I don't have enough money to buy a lottery tidket, or do I?

The American Dance Competition

This past weekend (March 21st and March 22nd) the 4th annual American Dance Competition was held. The competition consists of contemporary and classical ballet. One of my best friends runs the company, Ms. Audrianna Broad, and the amount of work she puts into it is unreal. I was amazed at how much work and thought process has to be done throughout the year for a two-day event! The dancers were amazing. The choreography that was put into some of the contemporary dances were so unique, so creative and imaginative. It really takes someone with a vision to come up with the dance routines. So much advertising has to go into this business as well, and that's where I came in, I had to make a flyer with all the sponsors for this years competition, and this is a little clip of what I made:


The American Dance Competition

Human PiƱata

Last night our Young Life meeting was themed Happy Birthday club in honor of our 3rd anniversary here in Tallahassee. The night was filled with tons of exciting activities, but one definitely stuck out as the best - The Human PiƱata! We took one of the leaders and wrapped his entire upper body with duck tape so that the sticky part faced out. We then stuck tons of candy all around his body. Once he was ready, we allowed three blindfolded participants to go nuts beating the leader with a pool noodle, knocking the candy off his body. It was absolutely hilarious not only to see the participants swing and completely miss sometimes, but also to see the leader get beaten up with a pool noodle. Unfortunately the pictures aren't up yet, but hopefully you all get a mental image from my description :)

Human PiƱata

hooray




As I'm sure most of you have seen, Pepsi's new campaign consists of ads using the logo as the "O" in all kinds of different words. I really like the simplicity of it and I think that even though it seems pretty basic, it stands out with the bright colors and fun words that they use. Here's some that I really like. I also think they've done a good job of targeting to all different audiences while still using the same idea.


hooray

So...

...it's been a while since I've slept. Good times. And now I am trying to come up with a clever blog entry... and failing. Fatigue seriously destroys creativity. My mind currently feels completely devoid of all inspiration. It's extremely difficult to write and to create without rest. I am planning on sleeping this weekend, so once that is done I should be back on track. I better be. There is way too much going on to be tired. I am going to need to find a way to run on little sleep and lots of creativity for the rest of the semester!

So...

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Snickers Campaign

Soo the new snickers campaign that is bombarding our TV, not so sure how I feel about it. Its one of those ads that I notice, but not for positive reasons. "Patrick Chewing" and slam dunks, it makes since, but does not make me want to buy the product. On the other hand, Nicole loves it. So I guess it is just one of those campaigns that differ from person-to-person!

Wish I could blog longer, but the Arrowhead book is going to the printer in the AM so we are quite busy proofreading and tweaking last minute things! Deadlines Deadline!

Also, our kickstart tomorrow is going to be amazing! Very unique compared to the other kickstarts this year.. this is something that no one has ever done :)

Snickers Campaign

Binging or Bingeing????

So whilst reading over the final book for Arrowheads campaign, I have seen some strage words:


coalition, in fact is spelled correctly.
see, CO-A-Lition, co co a-lition .....see!

I.D.'s or ID?? I.D.'s , like the fake ones...

The century council is The Century Council...

Binging is a noise, Bingeing is an overconsumption........ in your face sapolsky! 

Is regarding spelled with a u? 
No, alysse it is not.....

Binging or Bingeing????



Here is a prime example of how advertisements fudge their way into our personal lives. Here I am on a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic (I know it's lame to blog about your spring break), and I told my friend here to make it look like he's eating this rainbow. With a week's worth of solid ad bleak Dominican life, I completely forgot all conotations this picture would take in our normal lives. I'm hard pressed to convince myself that I subliminaly set this skittles pose up, but really, all the things you can do with a rainbow, and this is the one that I thought of. People say advertising doesn't affect them, Fuc* that!










Snuggie Pub Crawl

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2009/03/san_francisco_snuggie_pub_craw.php

Ok this snuggie revolution has gone a little too far now. This article I found talks about a pub crawl that actually required you to fashion a snuggie into a new hip outfit. Almost as if it's a college toga party and the snuggie is the sheet. The proceeds were supposed to go to some charity in Tanzania, but I think more of the money really went towards beer. Either way this is a creative idea, but also a tad strange for my liking. I dont really see how the "blanket with sleeves" is really any different from a robe. This is one fad I hope will quickly fade away. Especially for us floridians who really dont have much use for a blanket with sleeves. I'm excited to see if this snuggie pub crawl will creep its way into Tallahassee. I think it would be a pretty funny sight to see FSU students on the Tennesseee strip decked out in bedazzled snuggies!

Snuggie Pub Crawl

snickers snacklish lessons


This campaign amazing! Over the past few weeks it seems like everywhere I look I spot new snickers billboards. They are all original and entertaining. The best part is that the billboards don't even say snickers on them, there's no need as soon as you see the font you know your looking at a snickers ad. I love how simple and humorous this campaign is every time I see a new billboard I can't wait to read it and discover a new "snacklish" word!

snickers snacklish lessons

Matching Personalities

Have you ever noticed how someones dog matches their owner's personality or physical characteristics? Today I randomly thought of the movie 101 Dalmatians and the scene with the dogs being similar to their owners. There is one scene where people are walking their dogs and the rich snooty woman has a big white uptight poodle, An old little guy has a little dog like a dockson, etc. I found articles online that says dogs tend to take after their owners personalities, however I feel I am very laid back and I have 2 Jack Russell's which are the most hyper dogs I have ever met! I think dogs and their owners definitely share similar personalities but some dogs just develop a mind and personality of their own!

Ellen Manry

Matching Personalities

Society for Womens' Advancement in Philosophy

This last weekend FSU hosted the S.W.A.P. conference which consisted of a series of grad-student lectures as well as two keynote speakers.
The keynote speakers were Louise Antony and Marilyn Friedman. Both of them are in my philosophy textbooks this semester which is pretty freaking cool.
Antony presented an objection to Dragnet theory, which is the idea that science is entirely objective and is only concerned with fact and it tells us to ignore any ideas we have about probability. Antony thinks objectivity is something to strive towards, but it does not make sense to ignore our intuitions and our ideas about the plausibility of theories. One of the reasons she presents for the rejection of Dragnet theory is the underdetermination of data. If we were operating purely on "just the facts" with and ignoring all of our biases then we cannot even conclude that the material world (everything outside of just our minds) exists.
Science at any given point involves all kinds of fundamental assumptions about the way the world works, without which no progress would be made. Without assumptions we are not conducting science, we are doing philosophy.

-Beatrice

Society for Womens' Advancement in Philosophy

Travel around with AT&T with their new ads...

I had heard about AT&T's new ad campaign, and as I traveled through WAY TOO many airports in the past two weeks I found quite a few that truly caught my eye. It is an interesting way to say that their phones are truly universal and you can use them throughout the world... just make sure to NOT get it stolen. hmm hmm.


Also for you Snuggie lovers take a look at our product... I think you guys will be entertained.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y

Travel around with AT&T with their new ads...

Rain sensitive billboard

Guys may not appreciate this as much, but this billboard is supposedly "rain sensitive". So when it rains, the woman's mascara runs.

http://www.bored.com/billboards/images/max_factor_billboard.jpg

Rain sensitive billboard

Advertising is Fishing


As most of you know, I love talking about fishing, so I figure why not do it for my my blog. Advertising is fishing in every aspect. Before a person even begins to pack for a day on the water the need to decide what species they are going after (target market). Once this is decided they pack specific lures, bait, and tackle specific to that species (media vehicles, creative plan, ect). Just like in advertising, you have to know what your going after and be able to look enticing to them. A person is not going to catch a Spotted Sea Trout with a Marlin set up. An ad agency will target young adults completely different then older married couples. Next fisherman has to be keen to the seasonal trends as well as what techniques have worked in the past (situation analysis). Once on the water the fishermen needs to be able to think on top of their feet and be able to adjust to unexpected events (economy, competitors, insufficient product). I may just be way to addicted to fishing and saying this because I haven't been able to go in a while, but just try thinking about it alittle bit.

Advertising is Fishing


Origins 2009 is a really interesting seminar event hosted by FSU for two weeks every year. The point of the event is to celebrate Charles Darwin's birthday. This year will be his 200th birthday. Here is some more information explaining the event I got off of the website. This will be really interesting for anyone who is a science nerd (I have my moments).


"For two weeks in March the Tallahassee community will have the rare opportunity to see and hear renowned scholars discuss how fundamental discoveries in science, religion, philosophy, history, and the arts have shaped our understanding of life, civilization, and our grasp of what lies ahead." 

Most, if not all, of the speeches/seminars are free and open to the public. I've heard only amazing things about them and hope to attend one sometime this week!

Here is the website that has the schedule and everything: origins.fsu.edu

Diddy Does It Big

I recently saw one of the most ignorant commercials known to mankind. P. Diddy/Puffy/the artist formerly known as Mr, Bojangles or whatever his name is this week, is featured in this commercial. Unfortunately, I don't remember what product he was selling, if i had to take a shot in the dark, I'd say some cologne or something. Anyway, the product was not memorable but the commercial was.

Diddy is first seen on a jet ski...which isn't so bad, except that he is in a FULL TUXEDO, white spray drenching him from head to toe. In another scene, he is standing in knee deep water, still rocking the penguin suit, with two beautiful women in scuba gear. I mean, how more outrageous can you get?

But he's Diddy, and he can do that.

The point is, I would have loved to be sitting in on that brainstorming session...

Creative Guy 1: Ok guys, so we've got diddy and he's gunna do a commercial for something

Creative Guy 2: what's he selling?

CG 1: that's not important. We've got to figure out something absolutely ridiculous for him to do, that will make people stop whatever it is they're doing, and watch the TV screen in sheer disbelief. Now, what's the most IGNORANT, OUTRAGEOUS concept you can think of?

CG 2: well...since dinosaurs are extinct...and we might need to renew our passports to make it to Antarctica, I guess....well, my dad has a jet ski that he never uses down in Miami.

CG 1: sweet, I'll call the Tuxedo store

CG 2: what the hell?

CG 1: don't worry, this is gunna be epic, dude.

I want to make a commercial like this one day. All the elements have to come together perfectly, but if they did, what a wonderful product it would reveal. Unfortunately I couldn't find this commercial on youtube, but you'll know it if you ever see it on your television.

Diddy Does It Big

Sims promotions

So I was watching One Tree Hill last night, and I thought it was really cool how they incorporated the Sims 3 computer/video game into it. They actually used a scene where the characters and location was done SIms style and then transferred it to real life. They also used a scene in there where the little boy was actually playing the Sims on his computer and created his own Tree Hill with his family and a couple other important people. It was really fun to see the product placement of The Sims computer game especially since I used to play it myself! I think it's a great idea and an interesting way to get an audience and a target to view your product. The youtube video below is the preview for this past mondays episode, all done in Sims characters.


Sims promotions

Monday, March 23, 2009

tell me who's watching


So we are pretty familiar with the new Geico ad with the money and eyeballs. We have talked about it in a few classes now and have discussed how Geico uses multiple ads. I'm still not sure I like this concept of money following you, and the commercial seem really random and somewhat cliche; however, as I was driving back to Tallahassee I saw their ad on a toll both. The eyeballs seemed to stare right at me and the placement makes sense. Who needs car insurance? Well people with cars. Where are people with cars? Toll booths! It makes sense. I may not appreciate the advertisement overall but I did appreciate this non-traditional advertising and wondered why I never saw any other insurance companies do the same.

tell me who's watching

No worries, Baked Ruffles is looking out for you



As I was recovering from the trama of my toaster oven bursting into flames this evening as I exceeded my multi-tasking dinner cooking abilities, I noticed an ad on the bag of Baked Ruffles I was munching out of.

The ad was just a heads up to future consumers that they would be changing their packaging in the near future. It gave an image of the new bag as well.

I thought this was a good idea and something I had never seen before. New packaging usually catches one off guard but no worries, this one we will be ready for.

No worries, Baked Ruffles is looking out for you

How much do YOU weigh?

This is a bus stop. There's a scale in the seat and your weight is displayed on the blue panel. It's all you have to look at while you wait for the bus: your weight. I think that's enough time for the average person to second guess their weight. And when you do, well whadaya know- the name of a gym.

How much do YOU weigh?

Atlanta Trip

( above) us at the ncaa game on sat.

Right now I am in Atlanta for the Womens Basketball Ncaa Tournament. We have another game tonight at 7 then we will probably get back in town around 3 am and i have class from 11-5 on tuesday including and exam (fun fun fun). But i am so excited for our girls and hope they kick butt tonight! We are all in a study room downstairs because there is no internet at the hotel so we had to buy it for the day. Atlanta has has some pretty cool advertising here though. There was an audi billboard that had neon lights on the front part of the car and i was pretty impressed. Besides that we went to six flags for 7 hours yesterday and rode some awesome rollercoasters that had some crazy designs. We also had to come up with random stunts to perform at because we dont have the whole team here.(bummer).I need to go back and study but i knew i wouldnt be able to post anything because we will be on a bus back to tally tonight.


ps. we are probably watching twilight on the bus ride home (yes!)


-Jenna

Atlanta Trip

I-75 Needs a Makeover

I think it's about time we get some new outdoor advertisements on 1-75.  It's a popular road college students in Florida drive on for hours multiple times a year, and it baffles me that all there is to see on it are Cafe Risque ads, Anti-Abortion ads and Discount western shops ads.  None of these do anything for me.  I know the road isn't exclusively for college students' transportation, but I still think it's a good idea to get some fresh ads up on that interstate.

I-75 Needs a Makeover

Twilight at midnight

As the clock struck midnight on Saturday morning, fans bombarded Wal-Marts everywhere to gain a copy of the hit movie, Twilight. Among that hustling crowd were friends of my own who have been waiting for the dvd to hit the shelves since they viewed the film on opening night. I, personally, write the dates in my planner when movies I love are coming to stores. Twilight was no exception.

While I thought the books were better (as they always are), this movie is one of the few movies that captivates my attention through the entire thing. I saw it twice in theaters and watched up until the last second I had before getting ready for formal.

If you haven’t already seen it, I recommend you go and rent it! The director did such a great job imaging the book and the actors portrayed the character beautifully. The author of the book, while writing about vampires and love, took such a creative spin on the plot and leaves the ending hanging as to make readers itch to read the next book. 

Twilight at midnight

Sunday, March 22, 2009

New York Trip



So I just got back from NYC, and I miss it already! Everthing is so inspiring! On my way to Ellen's Stardust Diner, a place where the servers are decked out in 50's gear and take turns singing and dancing on tables, I came across some interesting characters in the subway. I saw a woman belting out karaoke hits, pretty poorly at that. On one of the platforms, there was a man carrying a massive cello. But my favorite was a happy- go- lucky gentleman playing a bongo drum for everyone waiting for the train. He sung the "in the jungle" song from The Lion King when I was waiting, and I was amazed at how good he was. I don't know if it was the acoustics underground, or his overall pleasant demeanor, but he made an impression on me. Later at the diner when one of the servers was singing some Broadway song, I couldn't help but to wish the bongo man was playing instead.

New York Trip

Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet

Really good article about the drop in ad revenues on the internet by Eric Clemmons. I got this from Dan Schawbel who I follow on twitter. If anyone has twitter he is a really good person to follow. He always has good stuff about social media.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/22/why-advertising-is-failing-on-the-internet/

Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet

Friday, March 20, 2009

Social Media--it will make or break you in Advertising

So I've met a couple people on Twitter who consider themselves "social media evangelists," and I've realized I'm starting to become one of them.

Read this article:
http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3id13cf7c770b633b60456549756b829bc

You guys HAVE to keep up with social media! More and more company CEOs are turning to Twitter, blogging, Facebook, etc. to keep in touch with their customers, and if your agency isn't in touch with the public on a real level there won't be much motivation for companies to hire you.

Those companies who haven't jumped on the social media train soon will--many marketers out there are going from company to company preaching about how important social media is for reaching customers. And when I read tweets from those marketers about the outcome of those meetings, client reactions are ALWAYS positive when it comes to investing in social media.

Think about it: If President Obama and old man McCain can keep up with a Twitter account, you can, too!

Social Media--it will make or break you in Advertising

Digital Ads

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/11/db.smartsigns/index.html?iref=newssearch

This article is really cool! There are actually digital signs with software capable of recognizing who is standing in front of the sign and creates demographic reports based on its current audience. Ads will switch depending on who is standing in front of the sign so there isn't wasted coverage and that the viewer is actually interested in the ad. For example, if the viewer is a young woman, the sign will switch its ad to a clothing ad. Read the article for more information about this unique, creative medium.

Digital Ads

Thursday, March 19, 2009

If I could live life my way....

I was watching Across the Universe and I just think life would be so much better if we all sang instead of talked. We would definitely be more  creative because we would  be thinking in terms of sonnets and harmonies. It would just be so much fun. I don't have a good voice, but most people don't either so it would be normal. Maybe we would all have better voices if we were taught to sing instead of talk. It would be so hard to get in serious arguments when you sang them, everything would be less serious. Music is one of the greatest gifts we have given each other so why not just sing to each other instead of talk to each other. My friends and I tried it in normal conversation and it just made everything more fun. You guys should try it some day, and I think you really might like it, give yourself a little pick me up, some extra smiles. :)


If I created the world without any one teaching me how to live, I think I would naturally rather sing my thoughts than talk them.

If I could live life my way....

Adding the Extra to Ordinary


Missouri definitely has more to offer than just the football program whose featured Chase Daniels over the years and the Big 12 champion 2009 basketball squad who is participating in the NCAA tournament with Zaire Taylor and J.T. Tiller leading the way against Cornell first. Now there's Jerry, not Jerry Seinfeld, but rather a legally blind man who asked only to be identified as Jerry.

So what makes the man from Fenton, Missouri so special? Well, Jerry was in fact credited with saving a woman after authorities said a 45-year-old man broke into her apartment on Saturday night. Authorities said the man, a convicted rapist, was waiting for the woman to return home from work.

Jerry heard noises coming from the apartment. Mind you, he is blind in his left eye and has about 25 percent vision in his right eye. Jerry told KTVI-TV that he went to the apartment and kicked open the door, surprising the would-be attacker, who locked the door. The woman came home and confirmed she didn't know the man in her apartment, and police took the suspect away. The man was charged with burglary.

A simple act of random kindness and awareness, which proves that someone, even with a disability can do something extraordinary. He also wanted to keep his identity secret, which may mean...he's Marvel's own superhero, the Daredevil. You never know!

Adding the Extra to Ordinary

Notte Sento - beautiful Italian short film

This short film is amazing. It was made using thousands of still photographs. So creative...and molto romantico ;)


Notte Sento (English subtitles) from napdan on Vimeo.

Notte Sento - beautiful Italian short film