What's new in the World?

The Inception chair

2011-06-17T17:10:00.001+01:00

When optical illusions meet real life, they create dimension defying, eye watering, WTF perspectives!!

Via 2dayBlog

Real life Angry Birds

2011-06-17T17:06:00.003+01:00

The latest 'viral'/flashmob experience for T-Mobile (Spain).

Out of this world '3D' or 360° Stereo Sound

2011-06-17T15:43:00.001+01:00

3D Audio Demonstration for Speakers

3D Audio Demonstration for Headphones

Edgar Choueiri is a rocket scientist. Officially, he's the Director of Princeton University's Electric Propulsion and Plasma Dynamics Laboratory. Now it may not be rocket science but while playing about his hobby - acounstics - Edgar's been able to develop sound in 3 dimensions. Just listen to the demos to be blown away.

Forget buying expensive Surround Sound systems with all their speakers. This just needs ordinary Stereo speakers.

Read more about the science here

I reckon that's pretty damned amazing. Who's going to be first to use this technology? I reckon the gaming community will be crucial to a fast takeoff.

JayFunk - 'Unleash Your Fingers'

2011-06-15T18:01:00.001+01:00

At first I was thinking...'Oh God, please tell me this isn't another way of making me feel older than I am' I'm hip. I'm cool. I just undid all my pathetic pleading. Then I thought, I wonder when someone will make an ad out of it...

...and then I watched it till the end.

It's called finger Tutting and searching it on YouTube has proved that yes indeed it is another dance form I just couldn't bring myself to do without thinking I was being a MASSIVE tool.

"a new kind of dance performed by JayFunk, from LA"

All that said, I like it.

VW Side Assist Office "You're NOT fired"

2011-06-14T17:25:00.001+01:00

Quite simply it protects you from office blind spot accidents ie. your boss catching you surfing the web and not working on the ball aching, mind numbingly boring amends from the client.

1. Activate

2. Surf favorite sites

3. Don't get caught and keep bringing in that easy money

Add this to your favorites

More asskicking fun from Diesel

2011-06-14T16:56:00.002+01:00

The ass has pretty good cornering abilities considering the inertia it must have from filling up on all those Mars bars.

Asskicking time

2011-06-14T16:47:00.001+01:00

OK, So time for something a little bit different. Very jealous of this funny idea

Paper craft from Biana Chang

2011-06-14T16:03:00.001+01:00

Bianca Chang is a Freelance designer and self proclaimed 'paper artist'.

Her work impresses me - as do so many artists - partially because of the immense amount of patience it takes to craft. It's also simple in it's drama.

Some of her work is below, but more can be seen on her portfolio and some of her enthusiasm for the medium on her blog (links at end).

Based in Sydney where she works as a graphic designer, she creates her paper art (master)pieces in her spare time. Her works are created by hand-plotting multiple sheets of 80gsm 100% post consumer waste recycled paper –

"minimizing the impact of paper consumption and consciously transforming a typically disposable medium into a long term piece of art.

Each layer of paper is hand plotted and cut using a pencil, surgical blade and ruler. The cut-out of each layer gets incrementally larger about an axis to make a smooth void when finished."

Have a look at some of her patience in this timelapse -

Bianca's portfolio and her
blog

Via Creative Review

StolenCameraFinder

2011-06-14T15:41:00.002+01:00

This is one of those 'Does what it says on the tin' products.

It can locate a missing camera by searching for photos on the web that have been taken by that camera.

Genius because it makes life simple for you.

Here's the geeky bit that explains the wizardry that happens;

Every photo you take with your digital camera contains hidden information about both the image and the camera such as the make, model and date. This information, called exif data, can also include a unique serial number which identifies your camera.

stolencamerafinder crawls the internet searching for photos, collecting the serial numbers of the cameras that took them.
When you use the drag & drop feature, stolencamerafinder reads the unique serial number from the exif data of your photo and uses it to match against serial numbers it has stored.

'knotted thread' by Akiko Ikeuchi

2011-06-07T16:12:00.000+01:00

I've posted before on the patience of artists, and Akiko Ikeuchi is no exception. I've not been able to find out any information on Akiko but I wouldn't be surprised if fishing and net making isn't in the family somewhere.

The sheer skill to produce these delicate ephemeral forms makes me want for one. I think the closest I'm going to get is little Incy's web in the corner - I've been patiently waiting for the art critics to come knock on my door.

For over two decades japanese artist Akiko has been creating room-sized vortices of silk, tying hundreds of small knots in coloured thread to form elaborate gallery installations.

Beginning with intricate plans resembling architectural diagrams, Ikeuchi first lays a foundation structure using cotton thread.
Next, a second layer using fine silk thread is slowly knotted into a mesh, a process that spans nearly a month for an installation
such as the one depicted.

Double-Taker (Snout)

2011-05-05T16:14:00.001+01:00

A bit of interactive funnery that catches your eye

- Interactive Art by Golan Levin and Collaborators

Via Flong

Aussie kids get a Jurassic fright

2011-04-14T14:24:00.001+01:00

A group of Australian kids get the Jurassic poop scared out of them at school thanks to the work of the guys behind "Walking with Dinosaurs", by Australia-based Global Creatures. This was one cool stunt I would love to have witnessed.

It's amazing how much you're absorbed into the character of the miniature T-Rex. So much so I barely noticed the guys legs.

Old games given a new digital spin

2011-04-14T14:03:00.001+01:00

I wonder how many board games have gone the way of the dodo with more kids being digitally savvy? This is a nice concept to give the Guess Who game a reinvigorating spin in a digital world.

Wedding invite transforms into a record player

2011-04-14T09:37:00.001+01:00

I like this for it's lo-fi lo-tech approach to bring audio to the masses or at least the invited wedding party.

Designer Kelli Anderson wanted to create something original for the wedding of her friends Karen Sandler and Mike Tarantino, and look at (and listen to) the result. (If you're wondering what a record player is, stop making me feel old!)

When asked, Kelli said

“We made 150 of them,” she says. “The project started in February … the whole thing was a really tight turnaround (I had some doubt at moments). It takes a month to get flexis manufactured and it took me about a month (on and off) to design it. A lot of the materials had to be prepped, so we got a group of people over here to help with the tedium of that a few nights in a row (scoring, stickering, wrapping screwposts, punching holes in felt, cutting the flexi records into circle shapes — since they annoyingly came as squares).”

Some Friday bike stuff

2011-04-08T14:06:00.000+01:00

This is just crazy. I have watched it over and over and still can't believe how it's done. Nutter!

Following on the biking theme and it being a Friday, here's a way to ride and enjoy your favourite brews...

The $22 bicycle beer holder comfortably keeps a 6-pack of beer bottles right below your nuts. No word what to do if you're more of a 18-pack a day kinda guy, but my guess is get a basket.

'Sharktopus' rivals Bollywood bad special effects

2011-04-05T15:46:00.001+01:00

Is this movie for real? Apparently so. Here's the trailer, clay models and BluRay box art to prove it.

[I thought b-movies were a thing of the past. What's scary is that I recognise one of the actors. Do you think he cries into his cornflakes over his long lost career?]

I love the pointy teeth!

This just goes to show that India doesn't have the bad special effects market cornered. Remember 'Robot'? Well maybe you were unfortunate enough to have missed it.

AR Drone learning skills like the machines in Terminator

2011-04-03T15:03:00.000+01:00

Recently I spottted this Parrot AR Drone demonstration and never before have I wanted to play shoot'em-up games so much.

While this is definitely a fun way to spend time in the park, it does seem to have taken away from the whole swingball and badminton experience that you might have seen in the park years back. Clearly someone thought we shouldn't lose that bit of culture, so they've been teaching the AR Drones some ball skills. The day of Terminator will soon be upon us.

via Geekologie

Skittles madness

2011-04-01T14:14:00.001+01:00

Here's a few nutso web pieces from the guys at BBDO in Toronto. Is this the result of eating too many Skittles whilst concepting? Maybe living the brand is worth it.

Copywriter: Chris Joakim / Art Director: Mike Donaghey

via just about everywhere on the web

Badminton - The sport of Jedi

2011-03-25T15:23:00.001Z

via Asylum

Kickin’ it while flickin' it

2011-03-23T14:48:00.001Z

With all the technology at our disposal these days, it's almost inevitable old-school techniques will have a resurgance. This time instead of stop frame photography, it's flipbooks.

Song is ‘Squeeze Me’ from a Dutch duo called Kraak & Smaak. Sweet.

Squeeze Me.

Via Vit. B’s blog and Cherryflava

Mercedes-Benz X-ray vision superpowers

2011-03-22T20:23:00.000Z

Mercedes-Benz cars have always been full of awesome features, and now they've apparently created some kind of sixth-sense that automatically detects road dangers. They call it "pre-safe".

Now the crazies in the asylum of an agency called Jung von Matt/Elbe in Germany, have tried demonstrating just what this ESP style technology does. Introducing Superman's x-ray vision power in “Transparent Walls”.

What they did was to project live video from one side of a wall, onto the other side, making it look transparent, so people driving past could literally see what was coming from behind that wall, giving them more time to react to any possible dangers. I love these kind of things but just wish it was done on a more global scale rather than a one-off. Wouldn't we all want to buy these cars just to have this superpower? Take your DM budgets and POS budgets and spend it on making more of THESE.

via Digital Buzz

Google Art Project

2011-03-21T13:44:00.001Z

Google Street View is great, isn’t it? Great for helping you get around, and great for checking out which area you want to move to is less dodgy.

Google have taken their technology and given the cultured of us a way to explore the museums around the world without stepping away from the all-absorbing internet - The Google Art Project

This new site allows the interested culture-geek to explore some of the world’s greatest art museums using Street View technology. There is a clear benefit to staying connected, which is you can discover more about the pieces of work you're looking at in High Resolution. There are no cordoned off areas in these museums. Just zoom in and take a closer look.

Sweet

Via Engine

Hack any video screen? Sneaky viral

2011-03-19T11:20:00.000Z

The latest blockbuster from Hollywood, Limitless, has had big success at the box office as well as on the web. The movie has been successfully teased on YouTube with the hijinx of an 'iphone hacker'.

So far over 2million viewers have watched “Times Square Screen iPhone Hack” from BITcrash 44. The user can then link to discover how he did the hack, where they see another video explaining that he took “NZT” – the pill seen in “Limitless”’s trailer that can make Bradley Cooper’s character to use 100% of his brain.

(A close look at the large screen he hacks will show the trailer of the movie starring Bradley Cooper, Robert de Niro and more.)

via Playfool and Pop Stop TV

Help Japan QR Code

2011-03-18T18:20:00.000Z

6Simple example of design demonstrating what the Red Cross does. On top of that it takes you straight to their donation page. Come one people, help Japan out.

Via Cherryflava

Painting the ambient Wi-Fi

2011-03-17T22:36:00.000Z

This is a very pretty thing done by geeks with a bit too much time on their hands. I'm very jealous, it's awesome.

My only thing is, this would be a great thing to do with AR on your phone. You could see where there's better strength signals. Maybe don't even limit it to Wi-Fi but do it with phone strength. Instead of walking around waving your phone in the air waiting for the bars to go up, you could just take a quick look and presto! you know where to stand so your mate can hear all your fake exploits last night at the club.

Immaterials: Light painting WiFi from Timo on Vimeo.

The 'making of' is once again better than the actual result - Digital Mapping of Toyota Auris

2011-01-27T10:51:00.001Z

This post started as a simple look at the technology but as I looked at the strategy involved, I realised there was more to be said....

Looking back at 2010, Digital Mapping took itby the horns and made it its bitch. Everywhere you looked, projections were being touted. Samsung's Projection Mapping event in Amsterdam which was then seeded through a YouTube game-takeoverand an audience participation example by a couple of digital artists.

But you know when it has reached the saturation point because someone tries to make a commercial out of it. Watching Toyota's 'Get Your Energy Back' film and their 'making of' film, I enjoyed seeing the technical ability involved in the actual production more than the final result.

Ironically for Toyota, the 'Get Your Energy Back' doesn't have much energy as a scripted film. Their use of the projection mapping technology fits their product so avoids the pitfall of just using a gimmick. The projection itself is of energy flow and feels alive. The ad doesn't. Somehow by capturing the painstakingly crafted animation and projection and trying to show people's reactions to it has resulted in a lackluster communication that speaks at the audience and treats them like the token child that appears in the final film. And who is this meant to appeal to?

Intended to appeal to a tech-savvy audience, the film was seeded via digital channels with further social content hosted on a dedicated campaign hub at www.getyourenergyback.co.uk

Wouldn't tech people be more likely to enjoy the raw content over a story? I can't help feeling that there were a lot of compromises made to appease the client and the mass market. This is the key difference between T-Mobile's 'Singing Flashmob' at Heathrow as well as Samsung's (above) 'audience aware' seeding.

Here's Toyota's disappointing final film...

Red Bull STILL gives you wiiings ...

2011-01-22T11:03:00.001Z

Watching some morning TV for a change and I saw a Red Bull ad which made me wonder just how long this style has been going for them? I remember seeing this style when I was at university in the 90's. Can't track down the first ad they did, so if you know, I'd love to hear from you.

In the meantime, here's a selection of ads from Red Bull's impressive run 12+years.

I've started with one of the most outrageous ads I NEVER saw just to show how daring they can be while still retaining their brand values for a different target market (I can only assume this was a late night media booking)

...now some of their more classic efforts.

Awesome branding

Audience participation Projection Mapping

2011-01-22T10:27:00.001Z

It was only a matter of time before someone decided to get the crowds of audience involved in affecting the building projections.

Audio-visual duo 1024 have created Perspective Lyrique, which took place at the Théâtre des Célestins in Lyon for the Festival of Lights back in December. With building distorting graphics that might not be on the same par as Samsung's symphony of visuals but the addition of voice synthesis has upped the engagement level.

So the 2011 gauntlet has thrown down for brands to involve their target market and not just stimulate them.

via Before Creatives See It and The Creators Project

Star Wars Augmented Reality arcade game

2011-01-06T07:13:00.000Z

It should speak for itself

Test footage from an early version of Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner, the first augmented reality Star Wars game. On sale here (iTunes) for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 4th Gen! Developed by Vertigore Games and published by THQ Wireless.

Via YouTube

A 'life' on Facebook

2011-01-05T18:31:00.000Z

I feel depressed now. Well put together though.

BMW uses “Afterimage” to burn their logo into our minds

2011-01-05T10:48:00.001Z

OK, the heading might be a little misleading so before you get too worried, no it isn't permanent. They liken the effect to a child's game of looking at the sun and seeing it even after you've closed your eyes. While that's not at all recommended by leading Optometrists, this gimmick shouldn't do any permanent harm.

I like the fact that in a world of hi-tech ad solutions such as Augmented Reality and 3D viewing, someone found a nice use of low-tech. As the video points out, it simply uses the afterimage effect of having seen a bright light/ contrasting light.

'How'd they do it?' you ask, with a

"...high powered camera flash behind a BMW logo cutout, that would in turn, sit behind the cinema screen waiting to be triggered during the closing frames of the ad, which asked the audience to close their eyes, which revealed the BMW logo as an an 'afterimage' that faded from white to purple."

Via Digital Buzz

Happy New Yeah! Now here's what the future looks like for London

2011-01-02T08:48:00.000Z

While London is undoubtedly a leading hub of the World, it might not always be so.

It could be a bleak lifestyle if you go on Robert Graves and Didier Madoc-Jones on their ‘postcard from the london futures’.

Their pictures will be exhibited in the Museum of London until the 6th of march 2011. The full set of images can be seen in The MoL's Flickr group

Via Abitare.

Body scanner protest clothing

2010-12-18T10:32:00.001Z

This is probably the best thing I have come across this year.

The extreme security technology that has been introduced at airports in the States has proven controversial. Body scanners that effectively strip all dignity away revealing a naked x-ray of the passenger.

The clothes are designed as a silent protest against the new reality of being searched to the point where we’re basically naked.

4th Amendment Wear turned this into an opportunity for silent protest. The technology is very simple in theory* - magnetic ink that shows up in the x-ray.

* Theory because no one is allowed to see the scanned images to see if they do work

via StumbleUpon (4th Amendment Wear)

Supercars get light graffiti treatment

2010-12-13T10:01:00.000Z

Photographer Mark Brown and his friend Marc Cameron came together and create another fine set of photos. I've seen some amazing light painting but the skill involved in creating these pieces is amazing.

I'm blown away by the shading detail and soft edges they have managed to create.

Incredible.

Rethink Breast Cancer's marketing with mastectomy

2010-12-12T21:46:00.001Z

Rethink Breast Cancer has managed to created a striking landing page that not only draws viewers in to watch their videos but subtly implants the knowledge that a mastectomy is a real possibility and result of breast cancer.

It really stopped me in my internet trawling tracks.

Click image to visit site. It's worth it.

DIY 'Fashion show' with Google's image search filters

2010-12-12T19:43:00.001Z

Graduates of Hyper Island, Robbin & Waldemar, created this very simple but inspiring idea promoting Google. By now, I assume we all know how to use Google but this demo does offer up small bit of functionality you may not have been aware of which is filtering images by colour.

This idea brings that functionality to life in a very warm and touching fashion (sorry about that). Now if we all had projectors at home, this would save us men a lot of pain from being dragged around the shops.

Simple and elegant.

Via NotCot

Absolut: Drinkspiration iPad App

2010-12-02T18:03:00.001Z

Absolut’s new ‘Drinkspiration’ iPad App has over 3,000 drink recipes, along with six pre-installed drink collections, mixer suggestions based on the ingredients you actually have, a shopping list creator...Enough to keep you sizzled till Christmas 2011

If you're iPadless like me, you can still get lots out of the iPhone App

Via Digital Buzz Blog

F-Stop Watch: The Perfect Gift for the wannabe Photographer

2010-12-02T17:53:00.001Z

Just like the wannabe car geeks with Ferrari jackets and caps, hoping to trick people into thinking they actually have something better than a Ford Taurus parked outside, this watch tries to convince by screaming "No one could be into photography more than me".

Camera geeks already have their badge: a big swinging camera around their neck. But for the times when you can’t wear a giant 24-70 ƒ2.8 phallus on your chest, the F-Stop watch will do. It has a face with a ‘fetching’ aperture-inspired design, and instead of boring old 1,2,3,4 running around the dial, you get markings at numbers 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6 and so on.

While it's undeniably geek, I have a thing for quirky over the top tack sometimes. Might be better if it took photos for real though

Via Gadget Lab

Need reminding of what Teux Deux next?

2010-12-02T11:43:00.001Z

Lists are so important. Big goals are reached not at once, but through series of small tasks, in list form. With freelancing there is always so much random stuff to keep up with, often stuff you don’t feel like doing. Having these things in a list makes them tangible and keeps them fresh in your mind. And the rewarding feeling of crossing these things off is necessary to keep from procrastinating on the less urgent tasks.

Recently I found teuxdeux.com. It’s so simple but makes life that much easier to keep track of. To make things just that bit simpler, it will automatically sync with the iPhone app as well. Try it out. Set your homepage to it.

Toast it like toast art

2010-12-02T09:28:00.001Z

It was just a matter of time until this happened. You may have seen something like this in the past. It's dubbed 'Marmart' thanks to the medium that's used which you either love or hate (can you guess what it is yet?)

Here, toast artist Nathan Wyburn is doing the ‘toast art’ in front of a newly opened Costa Coffee on Watling Street with giant celebrity portraits, literally on pieces of toasts.

As young Welsh artist from Ebbw Vale, there clearly wasn't much to do when he was growing up. Let’s just hope the toasts will still be there tomorrow morning, because there’s just too many suspects who'll appreciate free food on these cold street this winter.

Via 2dayBlog

golfstromen: QR cloud project

2010-12-01T13:39:00.001Z

I haven't seen much use of QR codes personally. So with the QR cloud project by Amsterdam based design group golfstromen, my curiosity is piqued as to what's on offer. I wonder if it's still running...

The project began in july 2009 and is still running in the west end of their city.

The QR codes were placed on a soon to be demolished building and focus on making the public aware of QR codes in contexts outside advertising.

Via Designboom

Philips vs the Sun

2010-08-11T17:45:00.001+01:00

I love this idea. I found it funny as hell and slightly cruel for Simon the rooster but I think that's why I smiled more. Don't judge me.

via Playfool (180 Amsterdam's Executive Creative Technical Director, Darren Richardson)

Post-It helps you shop online

2010-08-10T17:35:00.004+01:00

3M have come out with a 'Post-It Shopping Genius Widget' that lets you taking notes and clippings from around the web AND compare prices from popular online stores then see the details of the lowest.

My first thought was, can't you do that with already existing applications (none sprang to mind) but apparently this has a couple of that makes it better, such as it's ability to continuously scour and update your list with the cheapest price. This would normally require manual re-searches and frankly who has time for that!

Not sure what else it does but you can apparently win prizes through it too, which is always nice.

Download it Post-It Genius

via Campaign Live 'The Work'

This proves that if you have an idea, DO IT!!

2010-07-08T13:48:00.000+01:00

Yes, here's another thing that has been made that friends and I talked about roughly 6 years ago while sitting having beers and fielding irate calls from our girlfriends.

Fair enough, they have gone and made it for a promotion and we wanted to make moolah, bucks, green, large from the idea, but the fact that it won at the recent Cannes Lions Awards just goes to show that it wasn't a bad idea.

We should have just believed in it more and invested our time in convincing some kind of angel investor to back us.

Never mind.

I can sit back satisfied that our idea really would have been popular and taken off.

No, I can't actually. Well done though guys on the award.

via Saatchi & Saatchi

Your handwriting style on an email

2010-07-05T12:31:00.001+01:00

Handwriting seems to be a dying skill these days. Email is just that much faster and more convenient, there seems to be little point in picking up a pen anymore. Pilot have come up with this nice little idea to add a personal touch to our otherwise impersonal digital letters.

While this doesn't directly get more people writing, hopefully it will remind people of just what a pleasure it is to send and receive something personal.

I've given it a go and will look forward to sending a couple of handwritten letters to my family.

Via Only Dead Fish

A graphic performance of traveling on the London Tube

2010-07-05T11:35:00.001+01:00

Samantha-Harvey and Anna Brooks have recently won Best in New Blood and a 2nd prize pencil in the D&AD student awards. Together they have produced a series of photographs called "Class Project" as well as this spot on performance piece "Strangers In Transist" about the

"...body language and interations of passengers on crowded tube trains"

Whether you've been subjected to the horror of the tube or not, this piece accurately represents the insanity of traveling in your fellow commuters' personal space. Seeing the ludicrous positions we subject ourselves to in the name of 'commuting' is made all the more clear by pulling 2 passengers out of context from the unseen crowd. Fascinating viewing.

I'm sure Samantha and Anna will go on to big things.

Breakbot's watercolour stop motion music promo

2010-07-05T11:16:00.001+01:00

Incredibly this music video for Breakbot’s Baby I’m Yours is made with individually crafted watercolour frames. I'm constantly amazed and fascinated by people's patience and skill in crafting stop motion animations, and this is just the latest to have grabbed my attention.

To top it off, the track itself is fairly awesome too.

If you're walking around Hoxton Square, pop in to the KK Outlet to see the individual drawings

Via It's Nice That

Something nice to go into the weekend with

2010-07-02T16:08:00.001+01:00

We're obsessed with weather over here in Britain and Ireland. If it's nice weather, we're probably wondering when the luck will run out and we'll get pee'd on. So let's go into the Wimbledon final weekend with this topical and cute animation

FLUFFY MC CLOUD from conorfinnegan on Vimeo.

Via It's Nice That

Lori Nix creates wonderful miniature model worlds

2010-07-02T15:54:00.001+01:00

The line between truth and illusion is one that has been frequently crossed by practitioners of art and since the invention of photography. Lately there has been a trend of manipulating photographs to seem like they are miniature models (Tiltshift).

It's nice to know that the original craft is still being kept alive by artists such as Lori Nix. She painstakingly models her subjects and then shoots them with the depth of focus we associate with miniature models, creating landscapes that have a sense of disconnection from reality.

Similar artists:

I also recently wrote about Alexa Meade who painted on models to create an oil painting affect before she photographed them.

Another artist who creates playful landscapes with miniatures is Thomas Doyle. What makes his work so much fun is the placement of the models in everyday surroundings

Volkswagen gives you a fast lane

2010-07-01T17:41:00.001+01:00

This campaign is just going crazy and having so much fun while they're at it. I'm insanely jealous!

Who's going to be the first to build their own shopping trolley now?

Via Cherryflava

Travel by Color

2010-06-21T17:41:00.001+01:00

Explorra is a travel company with a 'passion for travel and software' and have developed a unique way to find inspiration for where your next travels should be.

Travel by Color let's you pick your favorite colours and see which locations best match them around the world.

Hit Pink

Green Haze

Polo Blue

Via COLOURlovers

Bring the World Cup Vuvuzele experience to your computer

2010-06-17T14:06:00.000+01:00

If you're having withdrawal symptoms from not hearing the Vuvuzele on the TV, satisfy your World Cup addiction while browsing the web.

http://www.vuvuzela-time.co.uk/www.[yourURLhere]

Via RubbishCorp

100 words and pictures that define our milestones

2010-06-16T10:18:00.001+01:00

10x10™ ('ten by ten') is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time.

Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life.]

'Ten by Ten' gathers and crawls through feeds from Reuters World News, BBC World Edition and the New York Times International News

Recording our wars and crises, our triumphs and tragedies, our mistakes and milestones, when we make history, or at least the headlines, 10x10 takes note and remembers.

NIKE football ad is HUGE

2010-06-04T15:39:00.000+01:00

The full-length version is a staggering 3 minutes in length but the stories are so nice. I can only guess but I'd say they wanted their money's worth and this way they were able to get an edit for several countries.

Beautifully shot. Wonderful story line. Dramatic Adidas-thunder-stealing spectacle.

Via The Escape Pod

Visualizing the BP Oil Spill Disaster

2010-06-04T13:04:00.001+01:00

I don't want to give the game away with an image. I was shocked. Pass this on.

Just visit the link below and then put the oil spill over your location to get an idea of the size of this ongoing spill disaster

IF IT WAS MY HOME

Via @DaveTrott

Some D&AD 2010 advertising winners

2010-06-04T12:24:00.001+01:00

The global advertising industry took the UK to the cleaners last night. The clear winner of the night though was Sapient Nitro (Brisbane) for their Tourism Queensland campaign 'The Best Job in the World'. The simplicity of the idea is what earnt it 2 Black Pencils in the Integrated and Direct categories

The only UK winners were RKCR/Y&R and M&C Saatchi, picking up 3 Yellow Pencils.

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R won two yellow pencils in the direction category for COI's 'Fire Safety' campaign and Virgin Media's 'Fantastic Journey'

M&C Saatchi won their Yellow Pencil in the poster advertising category for 'The last place you want to go' campaign for Dixons Stores Group.

TBWA/Hunt Lascaris were the other ad agency to take home a Black Pencil. Their campaign for the exiled newspaper The Zimbabwean used the Zimbabwe dollar as it's print medium.

click image to view enlargement

iPad + Velcro = Amazing versatility

2010-06-03T13:05:00.003+01:00

I've been umming and ahhing about the iPad and looking at what features it has so I can decide if it's worth getting one.

Now that I can see just how versatile Apple designed it. Now I just need to find some Apple approved Velcro.

iPad + Velcro from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Via The Cool Hunter

$73000 bar tab to stop drink driving

2010-05-26T19:01:00.002+01:00

With this beautifully simple concept that had word of mouth power, those who dont think drink driving is a big deal got a shock.

Bar Aurora and Boteco Ferraz added the real costs of drunk driving to peoples bar tabs, speaking to them in the moment right before they decided whether to drink and drive or not. First they got pissed, then they got the message.

Water Talks to save lives

2010-05-26T18:24:00.001+01:00

A few years back, this water bitmap technology was used in an art exhibition. It was just a matter of time till the ad world purloined it. All the same, nice link - Solidarités International built an this wall of water right in the heart of Paris to generate public awareness about the devastating ramifications of unsafe drinking water

Advertising Agency: BDDP & Fils, Paris, France

Via Ads of the World

YouTube does music discovery

2010-05-25T09:46:00.001+01:00

‘DISCO’ is a great added feature from YouTube. If you're the type of person who likes music videos or just doesn't see the point in Spotify of iTunes, then ‘DISCO’ from YouTube is for you.

Short for ’YouTube Music Discovery Project and Playlist Creation Tool’ you can search for an artist, watch all their videos or get recommendations for mixes from related artists.

Take it for a spin.

I've also "heard" that if you use MP3ify or something called Freecorder (PC only), you can convert YouTube files in to MP3 files for your MP3 player - but you didn't hear that from me

Via The Danesh Project

Pirated vs. Legal DVD

2010-05-24T17:53:00.001+01:00

I personally like to have proper DVDs with their covers, additional inserts and sometimes bonus DVD, but there is a benefit of pirating your favorite movies (other than the price).

Pirated DVDs are straightforward. No promos, no warnings, no ads. What you want is what you get.

Which do you prefer? The pic below speaks for itself.

Via The Danesh Project

Heineken hits the mark with its simplicity

2010-05-19T08:45:00.000+01:00

Heineken have been producing some fantastic TV spots lately so I was happy to see them achieving a similar level of humour in their Print.

Photographed by James Day; who's style is in itself simple, graphic and somewhat iconic; the montage of the Heineken bottle with some of the World's most iconic [read stereotyped] 'national drinks, supports the attitude beer drinkers often have - '...when in Rome, I still feel like having a beer.'

Mr. B - The Gentleman Rhymer

2010-05-07T13:04:00.001+01:00

With the election results in complete turmoil and the online-papers not having a clue about what to say, I've realised this is the perfect opportunity to kick back and enjoy the more entertaining content on the web.

Mr B brings a funny twist to Hip-Hop that he calls 'Chap-Hop'. The banjo makes it for me

Via @grahamcreative

TomTom Star Wars GPS Voices

2010-05-05T17:54:00.003+01:00

My wife wants us to get a TomTom and I kind of feel it's a little bit like losing a part of your masculinity when you give in to the lush sounding lady's voice as she tells you to take the next left.

But with the introduction of the Star Wars voices there's now no need to feel any less of a man.

For the Star Wars Day celebration. TomTom has added Star Wars GPS Voices that cost $13 into their GPS. It has voices of different characters, include Darth Vader, C-3PO, Yoda, and Han Solo. The extras include sound effects, custom screen wallpaper, and character map icons.

via Uncrate and 2dayBlog

Carhartt presents Skateboarding 3D by Sebastian Denz

2010-05-05T17:35:00.003+01:00

This exhibition looks like one I'd really enjoy. It just brings out the kid in me. I love 3D, or maybe just wearing the retro glasses.

This image though stands out in terms of other anaglyphs that I've seen as it actually seems to have quite a bit of depth to it. Go on, get your retro specs on!

>

Carhartt plays host to an upcoming 3D skateboarding exhibition by Sebastian Denz, set to take place on May 7th. The show will be on display at both the Carhartt store in Rome and Modena, with free drinks and a DJ set at each premier.

Carhartt Presents Skateboarding.3D
An Exhibition of 3D Photography by Sebastian Denz

May 7 – May 26, 2010
Carhartt Store Rome
Via Delle Convertite, 21
00187 Roma, Italy

May 15 – June 12
Carhartt Store Modena
Via Giardini, 111
41100 Modena, Italy

Source: SlamJam

Via Hypebeast

Kwik-Fit keeps a classic on the road and saving us

2010-05-04T14:56:00.001+01:00

DDB have managed to do what most male creatives have thought of at some point, get KITT in an ad.

The Kwik-Fit TVC features the iconic Pontiac Trans Am from the 80s series Knight Rider along with original KITT voice actor William Daniels.

The ad aims to promote the company's range of products and services putting its fitters into challenging situations including a bear pit and a video game to show how versatile they are.

Via Campaign Creative.)

Is Henkel Super Glue too easy a target for such a nice idea?

2010-05-04T13:20:00.000+01:00

I don't know why I am such an adland snob, but it does surprise me to see nice campaigns from countries such as Venezuala. It's just about having a great idea and anyone can do that.

At first I only saw the press ads and thought 'nice'. The problem being is that it was just a representation. Then I saw their actual inflated 'bop' bags or Weebles as I know them from childhood ("Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!") and the idea was brought to life. Who wouldn't be happy with that in their book?

The only question I am mulling over is whether Super Glue is just a bit of a simple product for it? Everyone knows the benefit of Super Glue. Would it have been better for an insurance company? I think so.

Bop bags with images of fragile and expensive vases printed on them, were placed in high footfall areas, including major mall. Passer-by couldn't help but touch, hit and play with the bop bags, which demonstrated that whatever happens to your most precious ornaments, Super Bonder would have them up and in perfect condition in matter of seconds.

Advertising Agency: Ars DDB, Caracas, Venezuela

Executive Creative Director: Exequiel Rodríguez, Horacio Maggi

Art Director: Duilio Perez

Copywriter: Maria Carolina Jaso

Via Ads of the World

A nice idea from the Hardy Boys in Durban, SA

2010-05-04T13:02:00.000+01:00

I have to admit that when I first saw the company's name and realised it was the first company I ever worked for, I was curious about what to expect. The reason being is that they were traditionally a design (packaging) company with aspirations. I think they're starting to realise them.

In the end I was pleasantly surprised. As all creatives do, I have issues with the execution but the basic concept can't be argued with.

Click image to view

Advertising Agency: The Hardy Boys, Durban, South Africa

Creative Director: Geoff Patton

Via Ads of the World

Run between phoneboxes across London to play Nike 'Grid'

2010-04-28T20:43:00.000+01:00

Nike has launched a digital campaign around its 'Nike Grid' interactive street game which allows competitors to compete across London for 24 hours in order to gain points.

The idea is that runners must run between payphones across the city of London as check-in points before and after each run. The running grid covers 40 postcodes, and runners can choose to run only in their own postcode, or they can steal others' postcodes to rack up points.

There have been similar concepts in the past but the use of low/no-tech makes this particularly sweet. Hopefully they will extend this beyond the 24 hour race.

Visit Nike Grid

Magners 'it's all gone pear shaped' by The Red Brick Road

2010-04-28T19:29:00.000+01:00

Magners Pear is launching an outdoor campaign playing on the saying 'It's all gone pear shaped'.

A nice, quick striking visual that works well with the line and product

Via Latest Work

New Heineken ad: Men With Talent

2010-04-28T13:07:00.000+01:00

The creators of "Walk-in Fridge" and "Walking Fridge" have opened the door to reality programming aimed at men. Everyone appreciates a good manly party trick

Via Ads of the World

Honda 'impossible dream' part 2 by Wieden+Kennedy

2010-04-28T12:04:00.001+01:00

After it's first airing in 2005 across Europe, Honda is launching an enhanced and extended version of its 'impossible dream' campaign.

I'm somewhat undecided on it. On the one hand I like it for the way it neatly wraps up the whole idea and on the other hand it feels slightly clienty and tacky. I think I would be more likely to buy into the dream than the reality, however I think I am leaning more to liking it.

Via Latest Work

Modern dance inspired by science

2010-04-27T18:32:00.000+01:00

This routine is a master's thesis for Hope Goldman's dance program at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

It's based on the principles of fluid dynamics—physical laws that predict the movement of liquids and gases. The tracer effects on dancer Hope Goldman's body, and the visual elements tracked to her movements, weren't added in later created with the help of visual artist/programmer Andrew Moffat used "infrared lighting and a custom-modded, a $40 webcam along with custom software running on the GPU."

It's a nice paring of digital technology and interpretational dance.

Winscape - Digital 3D / 360° windows for your home

2010-04-27T13:50:00.001+01:00

The great thing about this is you can get one for you own home. Imagine creating a fake room to look in to make your small flat seem larger, or put windows in a windowless room. I'd like to give this a go.

See the Winscape site for more information.

Via Rubbishcorp ® .::.

Levis Vs Facebook | Like-Minded Shopping

2010-04-27T10:22:00.001+01:00

Facebook's new ‘Like’ plug-in has been integrated by Levi’s across their shop. It let's visitors see the number of facebookers who like an item on their new social (media) shopping site.

The new feature even shows pics of your friends who’ve ‘liked’ the item. And with a Facebook Connect integration, you and your friends will have your own ‘friends store’ which customises the entire experience to be facebook friend based.

Levi's Store.

Via Digital Buzz and Rubbishcorp ® .::.

Resealable drinks cans

2010-04-27T08:29:00.001+01:00

Recently the folding plug received an innovation award and I can't help thinking that up against anything less, this resealable device would have done well.

The simplicity of the device is what makes it so effective. A simple turn and your drink will be kept from spilling or getting flat.

via Geekologie

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pixel invasion by graphic artist Patrick Jean

2010-04-20T08:30:00.000+01:00

A great short that heralds the end of the world. A beautiful and simple concept executed amazingly well from the solo effort of 2D/3D graphic artist Patrick Jean

Artist Alexa Meade re-interprets body painting with reverse trompe l'oeil

2010-04-19T15:33:00.006+01:00

Almost unbelievably, the images below aren't of paintings but are a style of body painting developed by artist Alexa Meade. She has left the world of politics to become someone who gives something back to the world. Each of her subjects are models which she interprets into an almost oil painting style and then paints this on to the subject/model. She will be exhibiting at the Saatchi gallery in October 2010

The reverse trompe l’oeil series is Alexa Meade’s spin on reality. Alexa has invented a painting technique that makes 3 dimensional space look flat, blurring the lines between illusion and reality.

via NewWork

iAd on iPhone set to ruin my days

2010-04-19T14:16:00.005+01:00

The shine seems to be dulling on Steve Jobs' halo. It's starting to sound like he's hanging out with Darth Vader or even Bill Gates a bit too much because unlike he previous culture changing products of iMac and iPhone, now he's dabbling with advertising with the announcement of iAd. Not only is it advertising when I don't want any, it's also just laziness in the name. My love of Apple ingenuity has taken a bashing. I'm now waiting for the next iNstallment.

So now without leaving the application you're currently using, ads can be served to you with as much functionality as the brands can squeeze in. The Toy Story 3 banner ad below, when clicked on, will fill out the screen and offer a variety of interactive options: sound clips, video playback, even games within the ad.

Apple's Press Release:
iAd, Apple's new mobile advertising platform, combines the emotion of TV ads with the interactivity of web ads. Today, when users click on mobile ads they are almost always taken out of their app to a web browser, which loads the advertiser's webpage. Users must then navigate back to their app, and it is often difficult or impossible to return to exactly where they left.

iAd solves this problem by displaying full-screen video and interactive ad content without ever leaving the app, and letting users return to their app anytime they choose. iPhone OS 4 lets developers easily embed iAd opportunities within their apps, and the ads are dynamically and wirelessly delivered to the device. Apple will sell and serve the ads, and developers will receive an industry-standard 60 percent of iAd revenue.

via Gizmodo

Cheap gratuitous 'helicopter shot' for a car ad

2010-04-15T14:49:00.002+01:00

I love the mini TV production unit they created.

Generating realistic 3D models from video

2010-04-15T14:36:00.004+01:00

VideoTrace is a system for interactively generating realistic 3D models of objects from video—models that might be inserted into a video game, a simulation environment, or another video sequence.

When I first saw it I was blown away and wished I did stuff that meant I could use it. As it's been in development for a while, there are now more demonstrations of it in use.

The original demonstration video:

A truck that's been traced and used in a video game:

Developed by Australian Centre for Visual Technologies

Ogilvy uses people's greed to stop drink driving

2010-04-15T09:30:00.005+01:00

Drunk driving has been tackled in advertising so many times that people have become desensitised to the messaging.

This thought from Ogilvy Brazil approached the problem 'wallet on'. The idea is simple. Show people how much drinking and driving could cost them literally

via AdFreak

Art masterpieces in 3D

2010-04-14T15:32:00.004+01:00

This is an awesome way to create some buzz about 3D TVs. Samsung have clearly realised that the TV is all about entertainment and they captured it in an unexpected manner.

Freakishly awesome and um very masculine too

Simplifying SMSing with Swype

2010-03-29T13:18:00.002+01:00

It's a miracle. Here's something that iPhone doesn't have that but I wish it did.

With one finger movement a whole word can be spelt out in a split second. It would take getting used to but imagine how much easier it would be to sms whilst driving *calm down you safety nuts, I'm only kidding*

So seriously, when can I expect it on the iPhone?

via Swype

Adobe’s ‘Content-Aware Fill’ Is Photoshop witchery

2010-03-26T18:17:00.004Z

Adobe this week demonstrated a new trick called “Content-Aware Fill” in a future version of Photoshop, an effect that uses a complex mathematical algorithm (witchery) to 'automagically' fill in areas when users remove undesired content.

This will make retouching photos available to the masses.

In short: Mindblowing. I wonder if they weigh the same as a duck?

If you’re short on time, skip to the 2:50 mark for the most impressive stuff.

via GadgetLab

1948 Buick Streamliner with curves everywhere

2010-03-25T18:00:00.007Z

My first thought was 'the name fits'. Norman E. Timbs was the man behind this elegance. With curves so elegantly formed that they each disappear in to the next seamlessly, they leave your eyes watering.

Built with an aluminium body around a steel chassis, it's hardly surprising it took 2 years to get each curve perfectly formed. Unfortunately for you and I, our chances of seeing a car like this on the road or even in an auction vanish as fast as our eyes slip off it's shape.

I hope the owner let's her out once in a while to flirt.

via SuperCars.net

Use your iPhone while cycling.

2010-03-24T18:00:00.000Z

A handy bike mount for your iPhone means you can now be distracted on the move just like other road users. I'll look forward to being mowed down by someone absorbed in a film. How long till the government passes laws on this?

'Crash Course' on Google Maps driving simulator

2010-03-24T08:49:00.000Z

It's not quite as fun as GTA but there's something addictive about this mashup. As far as I can tell it is a Japanese programmer called Katsuomi Kobayashi who just wanted to have some fun.

via @MikePants

Opera Mini browser for the iPhone

2010-03-24T08:37:00.001Z

Yet another iPhone post. It's hooked on to my cerebral cortex and won't let go! Anyway, if like me you have one and you use it to surf the www, then you'll have been frustrated at some point with Apple's own browser Safari. It will either have taken ages to load and sapped your battery life, or you get frustrated with flicking between pages.

As you'll see in the video, the page loading time of Opera Mini is impressive and it's functionality will make browsing on your iPhone so much less stressful.

The one snag? It's only just been submitted for approval at the Apple iPhone App store. Will they approve something that clearly runs rings around their own product? I'm sure they can't be that petty...

via 2DayBlog

Soulful sounds from Aloe Blacc

2010-03-23T22:55:00.004Z

I'm not a music geek so when I find music I like, it really cheers me up. I'm beaming right now. Listen

Aloe Blacc's site

The album Good Things will be released in 2010

His music covers a wide range of influences. As he says;

Whatever I make depends on what instrument I choose to pick up at the time; the guitar usually brings something alternative out, while the keys direct me to a more soulful composition. Most times I just make some banging hip hop.

Via Greenthing and Stones Throw

Some games are too addictive

2010-03-23T18:58:00.004Z

I'm not a huge gamer but I think I could get the hang of this one. I'm going to enjoy trying to work out the different combinations to open up all the secret levels

Hue colour test lives on

2010-03-23T18:22:00.005Z

It's a classic in design circles and recently it came back on to my radar through a design site.

The idea is simple.
Rearrange the colours in to the correct hue order.
Are you good enough? Well are you...punk?!

click image to play

As an Art Director I am pretty pedantic so this kind of challenge is right up my street of messed up things to enjoy.

Testing out blogging from my iPhone

2010-03-23T13:31:00.001Z

I'm taking this blog more seriously now. So much of my time is spent commuting I wanted to find a more productive use of that time and why not use it to share with people.

Enter BlogPress for my iPhone.

While I was at it I actually saw something that I wish there were more of...a shoe shine. How quaint.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Dark side saves the planet - Earth Hour

2010-03-22T17:52:00.004Z

When I first heard Darth Vader was joining forces with WWF I just thought it would be another man in a spandex outfit faking wrestling.

Thankfully I was wrong and it's the World Wide Fund For Nature he's bringing some darkness to. Join him this Saturday (27th March) and switch off your lights between 8.30pm and 9.30 for Earth Hour

Thirsty trees make a lot of noise

2010-03-22T17:22:00.005Z

I'm always amazed at what people become experts in and Bernie Krause is no exception.

Bernie is a bioacoustician - that's a person who's an expert in the relationship between living beings and sound - and he's most notable for luring a stray humpback whale from the Sacramento River Delta back to the Pacific Ocean, through the use of sounds.

Here he explains that trees make a lot of noise (not audible to our ears) and that this noise is the trigger for a microhabit.

via Boing Boing

Lighting up the catwalk with LED enhanced sandals

2010-03-18T18:13:00.007Z

Sandlas, flip flops, slops. Whatever you call them, Teva are soon to release a pair which include LEDs to light your way after dark. A nice handy idea for those late night stumbles back to your holiday beach shack.

The sandals are called Illum and are expected out in May.

If you're thinking that you might ruin the lights, they do also allow you to unclip them and use them on a chain but seriously where's the cool in that?!

'Parallel Lines' - 5 Short films from the same dialogue

2010-03-18T09:49:00.006Z

I'm looking forward to seeing the different artistic interpretations that one dialogue can create. Ridley Scott Associates have produced the 5 shorts called 'Parallel Lines' for Philips that promote its new cinematic TV.

Created by DDB London, the concept is neatly wrapped up with ‘There are millions of ways to tell a story. There's only one way to watch one.' I wonder if they'll produce the other 999,995+ executions?

If this is comes anywhere near to be as good as the ground breaking work for BMW called 'The Hire', then Philips can look forward to some immediate attention. 'The Hire' saw BMW's 2001 sales numbers go up 12% from the previous year and the movies alone were viewed over 11 million times in four months *.

via nearly every blog out there

Play golf via Twitter

2010-03-16T09:40:00.005Z

You can't get away from work to the 'boardroom' aka golf course. Introducing "Twirdie", the golf game that uses popular tweet words to gauge the strength of a shot.

Beware though that strong shots wont necessarily get you in the hole. You need to be more 'delicate' with your choice of words the closer you get. It doesn't just go in the hole because you reached or went over the distance. Surprisingly tricky.

In addition, the game begs you to consider creative words that are based on time of day, trends, or even local events. At 12 noon, "lunch" might be a popular mid-swing, but at late night "taco" is a dependable putter.

Click to play a round

via MadeMan

Brilliant dog toy for their entertainment and ours

2010-03-12T13:31:00.003Z

I'll let the image tell the story. This is the kind of new genius type thinking I like.

If you want to buy one...dog moustache

via NewWork and for all doggy things Dog Milk

Free parking makes for a brighter more colourful day

2010-03-12T12:54:00.006Z

Eilat is Israel's no.1 tourist city. Like most popular destinations and cities, there's a parking problem. There's not enough or what there is is expensive. Tambour, the country's largest paint retailer paid for an entire Boulevard.

They have a colour code system.
RED-WHITE = NO PARKING
BLUE-WHITE = PAY PARKING
and now RAINBOW = FREE PARKING FOR EVERYONE!

It's not hugely clever but certainly a way to improve people's brand perception. Nice.

Now, how many agency people does it take to make this kind of simple idea a reality or at least take credit for it? Well at agency "Shalmor Avnon Amichay/Y&R Interactive Tel Aviv" it takes 10.

Gideon Amichay Chief Creative Director
Tzur Golan Executive Creative Director
Yariv Twig Creative Director
Hagai Ramati, Sharon Refael, Gil Aviyam Creatives
Tal Fishbein Executive Client Director
Yael Yuz Account Supervisor
Liron Ben Yakov Account Manager
Yehoram Davidi Planning Director

via Cherryflava