The i10 Blog

Now that’s what I call CRM!

2012-02-13T13:31:00.000Z

A delightful example of cost-effective CRM. You may have heard about this, quasi-luxurysupermarket Sainsbury’s have changed the name of their own-brand Tiger Bread to‘Giraffe Bread’ supposedly in response to a 3 yr old's inquisitive letter aboutthe former.

The idea is so simple, it’s a wonder why retailers don’t doit more often - not the renaming of the product per se, but the informality ofthe retailer response on a level consumers can relate to (no matter their age!). It’s getting thebasics right. A simple letter is all it takes, without prepopulated variablefields or a fancy DM piece. Would this have panned out the way it did if little Lily was sent an email?

I am a little cautious that the entire operation is eithera). An elaborate troll (by looking at the 4Chan-esque indicators ‘c\’ on theletter), or b). A stunt conceived by Sainsbury’s under the direction of anagency (the letter was sent last year). The whole store as told by the retailer is here.

Maybe I’m wrong and this is all a genuine act of decent CRM,I certainly hope so. The positive response this has received speaks for itself,and the 150k+ FB Likes and 49k shares wouldn't go amiss. It just goes to show how valuable customers are, regardless of their age.

What the Internet Says.

2012-02-09T08:49:00.001Z

The internet is awash with wonder andexcitement, as well as the odd handy bit of tom-foolery to educate noobs. Hereare a few things stumbled upon during my interweb travels.

Interesting take on input devices for human technologies.

Also, more excitingly, Google has announcedit is approaching global problem solving in a TED Talks kind of format interestinglytitled ‘Solve for X’. This is very exciting stuff given the clout Google hasand I’m expecting tons of amazing content / ideas over the coming year.Sometimes to instigate true progress and get the ball of innovation rolling ittakes a few individuals to ask very fundamental questions…and more importantly,act on them. Whilst on the subject of action, check out Behance’s ActionMethod.

In Google’s own words…

“Solve for X is a place to hear anddiscuss radical technology ideas for solving global problems. Radical in thesense that the solutions could help billions of people. Radical in the sensethat the audaciousness of the proposals makes them sound like science fiction.And radical in the sense that there is some real technology breakthrough on thehorizon to give us all hope that these ideas could really be brought to life”.

UPDATED - Ice cream - cure for the blues during recession?

2012-01-24T09:06:00.000Z

After talking with a fellow colleague Christopher Lovell, there were a few developments that where taken into account. For instance, considering Hertbrand is an umbrella brand for a number of various sub-brands, could we not create innovation to roll out across ALL the sub-brands? Is there a way to boost sales during the summer months (or even when it snows?). Could a dying brand be rejuvenated somehow? (similar to Cadbury's successful Wispa campaign).

These considerations will be developed - watch this space.

Original post:

Probably not, but then again, this is only an early stage strategy idea for Unilever's oddly-named ice cream company, 'Heartbrand'. I'll be considering how to develop this deck further over the coming weeks - I'm sure there's an insight in here somewhere waiting to be scooped out (see what I did there?), refined and exploited.

What's already going down in the world of ice cream...

Monday Morning Eyeball Candy

2012-01-23T09:29:00.000Z

After rummaging around on my computer this weekend I discovered a body of work I'd done during my branding days at Moving Brands that I'd completely forgotten about. Presenting for your ocular enjoyment. Don't forget to vote for my Chip Shop 2012 entries!

Chip Shops 2012!

2012-01-20T10:59:00.001Z

So I’ve entered the Chip Shop Awards 2012. I’venever entered something like this before so seeing how I go, hopefully I’vedone something to make your weekend – I’m counting on your votes and would loveyou to spread the word!

Best Ambient Media

http://www.chipshopawards.com/entries/4037/nose-running-like-a/

Best use of Bad Taste

http://www.chipshopawards.com/entries/4036/too-hot-for-the-tube/

Best Remake of an Existing Advert

http://www.chipshopawards.com/entries/4035/maxell-meet-dyson/

Trends and Insights .5

2012-01-19T09:21:00.000Z

As the week wears on, why not treat yourself to some hot McDonald's fries in the comfort of your own home? I'm surprised a product like this hasn't already launched, although McD's may have their reasons. I understand that part of the McD's experience is the ambiance of the restaurant and the act of getting out of the house. But as more and more consumers cut back, could this be a cost effective way of getting McD's into the home? This then opens up opportunities for product bundling and 3rd party involvement.

Speaking of snacking, why not help the environment as well as creating shelf standout for your brand? Doritos could capitalize on the unique shape of their snack (before someone else does) and produce a triangular packaging concept. Less packaging, more standout, everybody wins.

One insight you may have noticed in pubs usually follows the purchase of a bag of crisps. At a group table, the bag is usually ripped down the middle to open it up for sharing. Is there room for development here?

Trends and Insights .4

2012-01-18T13:30:00.000Z

As brands seek to live in a multitude of spaces and places, it seems like digital is hogging all the limelight. Why not explore more analogue space? Brands like Monocle have done this very well, by incorporating the values of the brand into various spaces that compliment their current consumer base (as well as attracting new ones). In this case, the magazine brand has curated its own cafe in Japan, and launched it's own radio station, complete with a dedicated radio. Could other publications follow suit? Can, say, the FT be welcomed into a kitchen environment?

This was visualized a while ago whilst a student at Bucks but still relevant today after the Christmas stabbing in Oxford Circus. Statistically the most common weapon in youth stabbing incidents is a kitchen knife, easily accessible (it is folly to try and stop kids getting hold of one). Can we make knife redundant as a weapon? Can we turn the knife into a 'snitch' with a GPS traceable RFID chip inside the blade? Can we prevent the knife from ever leaving the house? That way, the knife is seen as the last thing to use in a potentially violent situation.

Families could be given the new 'smart' knives for free as a swap for their old ones. Such initiatives are already out there to create a 'stab safe' knife, but unfortunately youths have now taken to carrying tools and screwdrivers around with them to reach the same end.

Is there a way of addressing this? Discuss...

Trends and Insights .3

2012-01-17T10:24:00.002Z

It's one thing to be told something, it's another to interact with something...

“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”

Through involvement, a solid base of learning is created and fostered. DLKW's campaign to identify the signs of a stroke was visually very stimulating, but I've already forgotten the symptoms. How about a physical artifact to inspire the mind? There's also the added benefit of teaching the young in a medium they'll understand so that they can act if their grandparent ever has a stroke.

On a more random note...everyone likes a red Super Mario bowler hat!

Trends and Insights .2

2012-01-16T11:19:00.001Z

A few ideas to start your week.

We all know the benefits of regular deodorant use, although the market sector is massively saturated. One line extension that's captured the imagination recently is the Lynx/Axe Deo for women (a first for the brand I believe). How can we add additional rational value to a traditional body spray? Can we enrich it with extra properties never before seen? Maybe...

Brands can capitalise on seemingly insignificant consumer activity. Such as the prominent trend of 'war-painting' that we all saw last year at festivals. Nothing is too small for a brand to accommodate, as long as it adds value for both parties. It's the little things that matter.

Trends and Insights .1

2012-01-12T14:37:00.002Z

Over the next few days I'll be posting ideas dreamed up. Some ideas have potential, some seem incomplete but can always be improved on. We'll start with a kind of obvious, but still interesting one. This trend seems to be taking off (see what I did there?) in the USA at the moment. Did you know that UK police force helicopter pilots are contracted, and so do not have the power to arrest perpetrators? Can we think of a faster, more mobile and cheaper option? During this time of increased austerity, I expect this trend to become ever more prevalent, and more desirable for national governments seeking to cut costs, whether we like it or not.

People still dismiss using drones under the grounds of privacy invasion. But at the end of the day, both civilian drones and police helicopters are the same thing - people looking at people from the air. It all depends on the integrity of the pilot, whether they're on the ground or not. Technology is merely a facilitator.

As wallets tighten, another trend that may prove big in 2012 is hypertargeting. If a brand isn't somewhere, it's nowhere. Take a brand to the people.

2012...a year of great British design?

2012-01-03T09:40:00.000Z

Let's bloody hope so!

Music Industry Meltdown - UPDATED.

2011-12-28T14:09:00.000Z

So, I’m updating this post after giving this morethought. There are a number of ways themusic industry could save itself from its self-instigated black pit ofdestruction…

1). Add value to the physical form of music.

Vinyl has now entered ‘niche’ status, it is desirable,nostalgic. If real value is demonstrated then consumers will (recession or not)spend a little extra for it. Japan is already great at this. Music stores like ‘Bonjour Records’ are still healthy compared to theUK’s sick and dying HMV.

Curated environments that cater for specific, selectedtastes are also worth a look in, rather than ‘sell everyfuckingthing possible’(for then, retailers risk entering a supermarket-esque price war).

Adding value to CD’s themselves is also a must – Why not afew secret signed editions put out there? (Opens CD > sees signature = YESSS!)Bonus content that is only available from the CD purchase (with suitabletamper-proof measures in place).

Why not a physical addition to add value? An artist in Japan(whose name escapes me) has released a CD album with an exclusive novel writtenfor it about the musical lyrics, it came with a presentation box. Beck released their much-lauded ‘The Information’ album with a customisable cover. Easy-peasy starters for 10 right?

2). Appeal to Downloaders to pay honestly for the music theyrip.
DeadMau5 was savvy about P2P lastyear, and released an album torrent with an audible watermark. It starteddialogue about the ethics of downloading amongst his fans. A quick look at the comments on YouTube willreveal that there are in fact people out there who don’t like stealing music(shock!).

(Engrish corrected).

“I agree, I want their music the legalway, they [the musicians] deserve that”.

3). Add value to the musician inquestion.

Highlight how skilled they are vocally (so no X-Factor auto tune bullshit) or technically (remember atime when people PLAYED real instruments? No? Get out). People will reward effort as tastes refine and steer awayfrom the glitter-soaked sham of pop groups, towards more individual, self-madeartists like Frank Turner or Lianne La Havas.

4). Push new music boundaries.

Open up new markets andslow what Steve Rubel calls 'content decay' e.g. different genre creation like cross genre vocalmixing or sampling mash ups (‘Girl Talk’ has been doing that for a while now, and has built a fiercely loyal following). Checkout this great doc about the culture of remixing. It’s also worth mentioning that genres of music have afinite life to them before they are killed by mainstream. To illustrate apoint, consider how popular DubStep was this time last year, compared to now…

Any more ideas? Fire them this way.

The entire fate of the music industry depends on it…

[Previous post]

A few weeks ago HMV announced it was closing 60 UK stores and axing hundreds of staff, Amazon announced that eBook sales have now overtaken physical book sales, and music as an art form has been devalued to the point where millions of people are not prepared to pay for it. With unprecedented download rates (95% of all downloads are made illegally) and the demise of solid state music, a strategy needs to be put into action by industry advertisers that can save the industry from its 'X-Factor' instigated destruction. Will any high street music stores even exist in 2020? If you'd like to know more about the strategy I have devised from talking to industry insiders and musicians, contact me and maybe we could have a chat.

Memorama...

2011-09-26T23:07:00.002+01:00

Is the scale of a meme indicative of its strength? Discuss...

The Financial Times and Moneygeddon.

2011-09-07T09:51:00.003+01:00

Spotted this on the new Financial Times microsite.

Any guesses as to where they got that little green map screen from?

Yes that's right, everybody's favorite genocide em' up, DEFCON. A fantastic game mind you with an amazingly haunting ambient OST. Definitely worth a look in.

Gameplay here.

The Wonderful World of Toy Cameras.

2011-09-02T10:28:00.000+01:00

Dug this little gem out of the cupboard when I moved house.Got it at a car boot for 50p ages ago under the naive belief it was a realSLR…how wrong I was. Nevertheless I’ve just had a go with it and to behonest…it’s pretty damn good. There’s a lot of talk online about this camera(affectionately known as the Nippon ‘Crapcam’ in some circles). Basically from what I’vegathered, it’s a cheap China-made thing that mimics the look of a real (I’mguessing Nikkon) SLR.

Here is a selection of shots using a Kodak ColourPlus 200film taken on Holkham beach in Norfolk.

It’s lovely having a zillion camera apps trying to digitallyreplicate the charm of an analogue print (like Instagram and Hipstermatic), butwhy not just go for the real thing? It’s refreshing to see analogue camerascoming back into fashion (with brands such as Lomography and Polaroid) in asaturated sea of digital mimicry.

With old school cameras, there’s something nice aboutanticipating the outcome of a print when it’s developed. What will it looklike? Nobody knows.One of the best things I discovered with this camera is whensomeone instructs me to delete a potentially embarrassing photograph I respond,

I can’t…it’s film.

This then raises the notion that we can achieve more honestphotos with analogue. My toy camera adventure begins! Black and white film next...

Lowest Common Denominator.

2011-04-19T18:53:00.003+01:00

Has the bottom line in branding become lower in recent years after a spate of brand message butchery? Loveable old favorites like ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ and ‘Probably the Best Beer in the World’ have been chopped into vague singulars, bent on reaching as many demographics as possible. The worst part is that many of these new straplines aren’t ownable for the brand in question - regardless of how pure the intentions. BMW cannot own the word ‘joy’, much like Coke can never own the word ‘happiness’ – they’re simply too indistinct and ubiquitous. The watering down of a message affects its ability to perform. Will future brand messages be nothing more than a single word? Will the magic ever return?

The World weeps with you.

2011-04-05T13:31:00.003+01:00

Adland Lookalikes - Sutherland + Serkis

2011-02-07T23:57:00.003Z

The Best Analogue Social Networking Site...

2010-11-30T15:59:00.003Z

Found around the Interwebs.

2010-11-24T01:16:00.003Z

Flawless logic in my view...

My time at Moving Brands - A few numbers.

2010-11-23T01:08:00.002Z

Day Five - A new LEGO desk mascot.....

2010-10-03T18:52:00.002+01:00

Day Four - Dominoes Pizza Ambient?

2010-10-03T18:51:00.002+01:00

Day Three - Caffeinated gems

2010-09-30T02:55:00.003+01:00

Day Two - My 8-bit desk mascot

2010-09-28T22:58:00.002+01:00

Day One

2010-09-27T23:35:00.004+01:00

Over the next month I’ll be documenting my placement/freelance time at Moving Brands with a daily photograph (of which will not disclose any information regarding the nature of MB‘s clients - got to keep some things confidential in this post-digital, hyper-connected era!).

For anyone over 30 in advertising….

2010-09-23T21:22:00.005+01:00

I stumbled across a box of old Radio Times and TV Times from 1970 and set about absorbing the nostalgia!

Lots of ads for alcohol (mostly port or whisky), lots of coupons and TONS of cigarette ads with no health labels on them - I think about 1 every 5 pages is a cigarette ad…

A magical new-fangled thing called ‘colour television’ is all the rage, the excitement is noticeable throughout the pages - this thing we know as the ‘Internet’ is but distant dream. and print was still a trusty old delivery system (some of the ads however look no different from today).

Lots of classified ads for miners, manual workers and car factory workers.

The women in the ads look normal (I think I only saw a single ad for a slimming product).

Petrol for 55p a gallon, a pint for 4shillings, a new house for £75k, a new FIAT for £1099, cigarettes for 23p and a bottle of port for 63p.

Lots of long-gone airline carrier ads - when flying was glamorous…

I felt the urge to preserve some of the better ads and present them here scanned and descreened at 300dpi for your enjoyment…

I like the boldness of this one, (and the funky beer cans - that came in cardboard?).

A new thing this 'colour TV'...

A classic here, Benson & Hedges with their usual quirkiness.

My dad talks a lot about these (Facebook petition to bring them back!).

Old school Lego (note the old logo and lack of colour choice).

This makes the 70's kinda...cool.

Eat it now...or else (I'll need a coupon with that too).

...and get punched in the face because of your sexist euphemism.

There are a few more snaps here from pages I didn't surgically remove from the magazines.

For people with 'nerves'...

I've been to BBH and it's great actually...

If only...

This prediction was pretty accurate according to the BBC...

Project 300...Aftermath.

2010-09-06T14:42:00.004+01:00

Phew! 24 hours of continuous brainstorming later and Project 300 is over. Although the initial target of 300 ideas was not met in this instance, over 100 ideas have been scribbled down in an inch-thick book that could be applied to the brief in question (including one or two that are campaign-worthy).

The project even attracted the attention of Dave Trott himself whose input I’m very grateful for.

The experience has given me a deeper understanding of how valuable good ideas really are. Sitting at a desk trying to force them out gets you nowhere. This insight serves to strengthen my belief that creative agencies must hire ideas-driven people.

On method of thinking that served me well during the project would probably best be described by the diagram below - Universal thought beyond the ‘nth’ dimension, (rather than a linear chain of thought) to achieve a stream of consciousness.

By grouping relevant associations together a fuller picture can be achieved…which in turn can be grouped with another idea to form an even richer and/or multi-dimensional one. Similar to the model of the human brain, interconnecting ideas from any source can combine to create stronger networks. More importantly, are the ideas RELEVANT and useful to a Creative Director?

One last thought…during extensive brainstorming sessions keep plenty of plasters close to hand to apply to hand blisters…

Rich ideas, not big ideas.

2010-08-27T14:01:00.003+01:00

Ideas can come from anywhere - it's one's ability to internalise those ideas, expand on them and articulate them relevantly that make 'ideas people' valuable to a company.

How far to do want to push your idea?

This far?

Or this far?

Guess the Ad Agency.

2010-08-24T10:55:00.002+01:00

A pictorial mnemonic puzzle whereby the images represent the name of a famous advertising agency - perfect to rid those Monday morning blues.

Some are phonetic, some are representative - there's even an 'Easter Egg' agency in there somewhere...how many can you solve? Good luck!

Why I love Advertising.

2010-08-19T01:35:00.004+01:00

THIS is why I love this industry so much - The craft and tradition that is all but lost in the age of pixels. Paint turns the message into art. This is the honest and passionate side of advertising that so many people don’t see, a craft that I hope will be around for future generations to experience.

After a trip in NY back in 08 I came across the same wall (or at least I thought it was the same wall), with a giant GTA4 ad on it. At first I thought it was vinyl (the details were incredible), but after realising it had been hand painted I thought ‘my God that’s even more incredible’. Great ads it seems, really do add to the personality of a city.

Although it’s sponsored by Stella Artois and created by Mother NY…the video 'Up There' on Vimeo still documents a universal slice of advertising that too many Copywriters, Art Directors, CD’s (and Clients!) forget. This is advertising at it’s best, ever since they daubed the name of Pears Soap onto the painting of the little boy (rumoured to be one of the earliest 'mainstream' advertisements in the UK).

To all those working in the industry…remember what you stand for - you are in charge of what future generations will look back at to gauge a sense of history. You are the gardeners of the zeitgeist. Remember all that has gone before you; all the great men that have worked hard to create something great, something memorable, something genuine (regarding the medium) that outlasts the lifetimes of ourselves and transcends into the picture books of history, a gift to the ages.

Never forget that what we do is an art…

Why did you get into advertising?

Project 300

2010-08-15T13:03:00.003+01:00

Over the last few months I’ve been proactive on various freelance branding projects and really would like to produce more work in order to create a reputable portfolio.

Project 300 is an attempt to appeal to agencies who use graduate creative in an attempt to be accepted onto a portfolio crit. The idea is simple…it’s a self-set brief of mine that I’d like agencies to participate in. Basically, I ask that agencies submit a single creative brief to me (old or preferably live) and within the space of a single day, I will try to create 300 ideas for the brief in question.

That’s one idea every 4 minutes...

I will then post off all 300 ideas back to the agency. All briefs are of course kept confidential and no I will not demand any payment, just a portfolio viewing. What have agencies got to lose? Nothing, that’s what.

A project overview can be seen here.

The idea came about after watching the film 300 - except instead of hoards of Persians attacking…its other graduates attacking agencies. Like a self attributed creative Leonidas, I’ll struggle against the odds to produce work that will impress an agency enough for me to be considered for employment (or at the very least, a placement).

With my mighty yellow pencil and trusty sketchbooks, victory against tyranny and mysticism will be assured.

Android 2.2...the Demise of the iPhone is at Hand.

2010-08-12T15:46:00.003+01:00

Droid are getting their game together now that the latest update has Flash video compatibility…not even the iPad has it. Along with the fact that Google have just released the tools to create apps open source means there’ll be a boom in Droid apps very soon, mark my words.

A few comparisons….

It costs a lot of money to be an Apple app developer, not so with Droid.

No crappy ‘vetting’ scheme with Droid (Apple kills apps before they’ve had the chance to shine based on their commercial potential or what Apple deems appropriate).

No iTunes proprietary software with Droid.

Your Droid app is not limited to a 1cm squared homepage thumbnail as it is with Apple.

No SD card in iPhone (so no easy sharing of files either, and if the cloud goes down you’ve had it).

No ‘grip of death’ with Droid.

Affordable and reasonable tariff with Droid.

Removable battery with Droid phones (so no expensive replacement fees).

Widely available tethering software for Droid OS enables further customisation.

How long have 5mpxl cameras been around? Apple’s planned obsolescence at its best, unlike the Dell Thunder, whose specs already trump the iPhone.

Corporate Identity

2010-07-22T14:15:00.003+01:00

A few examples of live and self-set coporate identities I've completed for clients.

Corporate Identity - RedTed

2010-07-20T12:30:00.006+01:00

A corporate identity for RedTed while on a placement at 300million's studio. The client was a small music and film production company who specialised in sound engineering. The identity reflects this (taking inspiration from a music-beat 'bar' display that can be animated) and has a degree of flexibility to its useage. Stationary is printed on a 200gsm matt stock with the colours coated in a UV varnish.

Early type treatments.

The digital screen display could also be sound sensitive - the bars movement would be dictated by how much sound is made in the immediate area.

Work update - Interflora

2010-07-19T22:19:00.002+01:00

I've updated the Interflora campaign concept after taking a few portfolio crits.

Clockwork Amoeba - Work we like.

2010-06-22T22:00:00.003+01:00

Some good work here from one of the friends of i10. Clockwork Amoeba is a small production company based in Herts, Beds and Bucks (although they've gone as far as Africa to shoot previous scenes!) that specialises in music videos with a background in drama productions, corporate films and animation. This is a grass-roots style company that has recently created some pretty impressive videos with a next-to-nothing budget. If you know someone who requires music video production, give them a call. Keep it up guys!

New Work - Campaign Concepts

2010-06-09T00:52:00.002+01:00

Surprise of the Ordinary - The Humble Leather Shoe

2010-06-06T14:57:00.004+01:00

I’ve had these shoes for around 6 years now, Size 7 Lambretta slip-ons brought from Brantanos in Aylesbury. After a full life serving their master, I was going to throw them out but remembered a BBC Documentary called ‘Blood Sweat and Luxuries’. Essentially the show was about a group of spoilt rich British kids working in the same conditions as Madagascan Sapphire miners, Ethiopian Leather producers and African Gold miners. The leather episode has by far the most impact.

The Ravages of time

Detailed stitching

We seem to forget in our busy lives where exactly the goods we buy come from (as Alain de Botton’s excellent book ‘The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work’ and Monocle Magazine have touched on in the past). We are detached from the efforts that went into their creation (can you name the man who made your kitchen table? What is your MacBook made of and by whom? How long did it take to assemble your car and where did the raw materials come from?). We seem to forget that the materials to make that leather jacket you may be wearing once belonged to a living, breathing, pulsating animal with limbs, organs, brains and bone. It knew not of self-consciousness. The flesh of the animal is flayed off, organs and feet discarded by hand, dipped in an acid bath to remove the hair, and coloured using dye. Watching that documentary made me realise the value of the material and to respect where it came from. As such, rather than discard the shoes, I wanted to (and felt compelled to) recycle them into something new, something beyond their original function.

All I needed was a sharp scalpel….

The shoes are exceptionally well made, it took a whole hour to dismantle them. The leather has aged well, after years of polishing and care, and (judging by the warp in the material) I now realise that my walking gait was somewhat off. An old shoe saying whose source eludes me - ‘It’s better to have 3 pairs of shoes that last 10 years than 10 pairs of shoes that last 3 years’.

Its incredibly interesting dismantling something you never thought you’d ever take apart, to realise just how much time and effort went into making it. You’d be amazed how many YouTube videos there are about shoe / leather craftsmanship, tools and ‘skiving’ (thinning leather by hand or machine).

It’s no longer a shoe, it becomes something else, mere sheets of worn leather, ready for a life anew beyond the original life of the object. This begs the question - does the form dictate what an object is despite its material construction? Is an object’s identity merely dictated by its function?

A thought I throw out to all Copywriters. Next time you’re stuck for ideas, try dissecting something you plan on throwing away. You may learn something.

The essence of a shoe ready for a new life

LEGO is truly obsessed with its customers, why I love it and where it can go.

2010-05-28T11:35:00.006+01:00

“Build it and they will come” goes the famous mantra. The Lego CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp once said in a Monocle Magazine interview that Lego is “entirely driven by those who love the brand”. I think he may be on to something…

Lego take a very open-source attitude towards their product to be as inclusive as possible for consumers; for example you can design your own models online and Lego will ship all the components to you and display it in stores for other people to buy. Individual bricks are sold in larger outlets to customise your building experience, making the possibilities of construction truly endless (people have erected r ecord-breaking towers, working cars and even full-size houses out of these ingenious little bricks). This is a far cry from where the brand stood in the late 1990’s, with the company losing revenue and sales in steady decline. By selling off assets, downsizing and focusing on the core values of the brand (interactivity being one) Lego became true to itself which the public were attracted to. The brand now boasts record profits and sales with a fan base ‘cult of Lego’ that is unparalleled.

Because of the engaging nature of the product, people expect to be apart of the brand, and actively seek it out in categories that Lego does not currently occupy (people have made jewellery, electrical goods and artwork from Lego among the plethora of other things). The popularity of Lego has influenced how brands outside the product category perceive themselves such as the bank Santander (who have used Lego bricks as a metaphor for ‘engagement’ throughout their latest advertising campaign). Lego has entered the mainstream consciousness and continues to cultivate its relationship with consumers. For example the YouTube film ‘8-bit Trip’ (in which Lego is used for stop-motion animation) has become an online smash hit and fans continue to resonate with the brand because of UGC like this.

I love Lego not only because I played with it as a child, but because the brand has not run away from what it is about and retained its family-owned heritage by remaining in the small town of Billund in Denmark where the product was conceived over 75 years ago. The word ‘Lego’ is an amalgamation of the Danish words ‘leg’ and ‘godt’, which roughly translate as ‘play well’, and in keeping of this ethos the brand have given us a toy that not only exercises our ability to create, but our imaginations as well. I think that the brand can only go from strength-to-strength in the future (the fact that the recession didn’t even dent sales is testament to this). By inviting consumers into the heart of the brand, a deep relationship is forged that is difficult to break (a mere 2 million households in the US make up 50% of Lego’s sales globally). In future I can envision Lego becoming a more premium brand with select product launches and an educational tool for children (even a form of creative therapy for troubled individuals). The brand could become an art form in it’s own right and train children about construction techniques and how to express oneself with art (like a kind of ‘Lego philosophy‘).

Lego design competitions could be held to encourage people to see the product as more than a mere toy (there are communities in Japan who actively do this already, building highly advanced and detailed Lego robots). It’s a brand that has as much potential as your imagination permits you. Be true to yourself as Lego have and you can build your own empire, brick by brick.

Blackout Glasses and Trends

2010-05-24T21:27:00.010+01:00

Summers here and it’s time to whip out those fake Ray Ban and TopShop aviator sunglasses. Not content with those I thought about making my own but with a twist. As trendhunting sites will have reported, last summer the must-have facial accessory was the Jay-Z ‘horizontal bar’ aviator glasses which started life as a personal product hack from some guy who’s name eludes me. His mates loved them so much their popularity grew in an organic way...then Kanye West got hold of them...bingo, the design sold millions.

Recent Lady GaGa music videos depict the sugar-coated accessory-clad singer donning sunglasses that are not quite…sunglasses. This begs the question, what are sunglasses for if they function beyond their intended use? They add a superficial awe of glamour to one’s facial profile, cover up shiners, act as barriers to distance ourselves from a world who’s judgement we are fearful of…and stop the sun from getting in our eyes…

Pop the dark glass out and voila!…instant geek-chic appeal (another prominent fashion trend of 2009). Stores such as TopMan, David & Goliath and Accessorise have begun to stock glass-less glasses to cater for this trend of making oneself appear more nerdy/educated than one actually is. Geek-chic seeks to re-create an ‘underdog’ status (think ‘Superbad’, Juno or Michael Cera). The underdog appears innocent on the exterior, an image that is not sexually threatening to girls (more approachable/cuddly), and is susceptible to different external influences in a bid to find his/her tribe to discover a sense of belonging - probably why the trend has been flogged within an inch of its life…

Vorsprung durch Logo. The power of Audi identity recall.

2010-05-21T11:47:00.008+01:00

i10 is all growed-up...

2010-05-21T11:18:00.004+01:00

As you may know, I haven't been blogging for a long time, so after careful reflection I've decided to get back into the swing of it, starting with a calmer, more reflective and less shouty image (possibly reflecting my new found state of mind). Expect more work to follow in the near future.

A print for the creative industry.

2009-04-02T15:59:00.005+01:00

i10 has released this limited edition 420 x 594 canvass print of a parody from the iconic 'Keep Calm and Carry On' wartime poster. The print is backed on sturdy hardboard and is ready to hang on any anxious adman's wall or office. The prints are available online at £29.99 each.

Essentially the print is a reflection of creative agencies in this economic 'creative crunch', where agencies are beginning to panic at the loss of blue-chip clients, or parent companies begin to implement recruitment 'freezes'. If an agency does not hire during this recession...its competitors will snap up the latest talent instead.

Vintage Cool

2009-03-26T02:13:00.006Z

As history always repeats itself, so too does fashion and the trends that accompany it. ’Retro cool’ is highly appealing as consumers become weary of the current generic choice of consumer goods, and nostalgia can hit a culture for a certain period of time before becoming saturated and eventually superseded by the next trend. One element of retro cool I am currently interested in is the collection of vintage radios…but I don’t know why (but I’m sure playing Fallout 3 has something to do with it). There is also a subculture of people who buy and restore these relics of a bygone age.

To me, these radios represent a lost era in mass communication, a time when radio was THE most popular media for mass communication, and all completely analogue. Today nearly every method of communication is digitised and solid state devices are shrinking in size (and doubling in power according to Moore’s Law). These vintage radios are huge in comparison, filled with glass tubes, transistors and large obsolete batteries (even the ‘portable’ ones). There’s something humbling about this though, they feel weighty, valuable, solid and dependable. They have stood the test of time, and still have an element of ‘cool’ about them. I can already imagine the Miles Davis tracks flowing from the speakers...

Fallout 3 in the real world.

2009-03-19T16:39:00.009Z

I am a huge fan of the Fallout franchise and think that Bethesda have done a wonderful job in breathing new life into this once cherished game. There is a huge fan-following of the game quite simply because not only is the game stylistically beautiful (envisioning a post-apocalyptic 1950's dystopia of the future), but the in-depth storyline and massive level sizes (on par with that of GTA4) make this game an explorers paradise.

Getting hold of 'swag' and other related items is EXTREMELY difficult as most of the games launch was concentrated in the US (some promotional items have sold for over £490 on eBay). In light of this, I wanted to create my own swag, namely the infamous 'Mentats' and 'Buffout' health items. Below is what I came up with...

The in-game items

The real world versions!

Vaultboy approves
Buffout!
Mentats!
In the stores now!
The advertising
More advertising
Mentats on TV

There are other such real-world items on the web including this guys Nuka Cola label, and a Pipboy. As nerdy as this all appears, it shows a passion for something that transcends the realm of an idea's original media, from digital into sold state and demonstrates a truly effective piece of branding where demand exceeds supply (and the brand survives longer through the continuous UGC created). Well done Bethesda and Interplay!

i10 is now on YouTube.

2009-03-18T21:38:00.004Z

i10 will now be postig some of its motion graphic work on Youtube. Stay tuned!

Already posted....MAN....GTA4 Spoof....The Gingerbread Man

Work tweaks: Man + Epic

2009-03-18T03:22:00.003Z

I've tweaked the MAN film a little in the audio, something I've been meaning to do for a while now. Leave a comment if you like the film, I know I do. The original post is here. For those who haven't seen the earlier post, MAN was a micro-project last year to create a short picture show that taps into emotion using very powerful imagery in a bid to get people to broaden their thinking scope about humankind and all the terrible power we wield as a species, and have subsequently demonstrated throughout the ages of man.

i10 Meets...

2008-12-03T11:29:00.003Z

Last night i10 had the pleasure of meeting with Sir John Hegarty himself at a talk on 'What Matters in Marketing' for the Account Planners Group, based in the Holiday Inn near Euston (with Mccann Ericsson's offices close by...). He's a lovely good humoured and good natured chap and gave an hours talk about marketing and what it needs amidst the recession. At one point he talked about religion being the oldest, greatest brand in the world (which to a large extent is basically true, religion does indeed follow brand patterns and models. It has its own logos, CEO's, underlings, advertisements in the form of religious art, brand ethos etc). i10 decided to try and dig further into this 'brand as religion' concept and made some startling discoveries.

One such discovery was the emergence of many Sir John Hegarties in the world, belonging to a kind of secret guild that stretches back since the birth of christ, established to advertise religion. It was remarkable! They called themselves the 'Black Sheep Templars'. It was like something straight out of a Dan Brown book. Here is evidence discovered......

The Black Sheep Templars make their presence known in this mural in Venice.
One of the first great Hegarty Knights in a long successful bloodline.

The most recent Hegarty Knight during the 20th century before his passing in 2003.

We tracked down the heir to the Hegarty line (and the most recent Black Sheep Templar) and found him working as a humble butcher in Brixton...oh the irony!

i10 has (as with all leading figures in advertising) a great respect for this nice bloke. Stay tuned to find out who i10 meets in the future.

The secret identity of the Gingerbread Man!

2008-12-03T03:34:00.003Z

Only those involved in my Masters Course will understand what the heck this actually means, enjoy!

\(0_0)b

How to stay awake...

2008-11-28T02:47:00.003Z

Sometimes I think that sleep is a waste of time, 8 hours flittered away when they could be used for something productive, something useful, something beautiful. As the old ideal goes "there is never enough time yet we have all the time in the world". I normally go to sleep at 4am. After consulting the great Internet for more information about insomnia, I discovered that across the pond, it get's a little too hardcore for my taste. The following I copy/pasted from a forum about all-nighters with added notes...

Ways to stay up
1.If you can, get a prescription of Modafinil (Provigil). It's much easier on the body and mind than caffeine. (This drug is normally prescribed to narcoleptics and is used by the US military to effectively keep you awake for 72 hours without crashing...)

2. Drink large volumes of water, who ever fell asleep drinking or eating?

3. 20 min. naps...in fact naps <3 5 minutes (no rem sleep)...or in 90 minute cycles. 2 cycles are better than so 3 hours are great...but 4 hours are bad (you'll still in the sleep cycle, even if you're awake). better to get 3-4.5 hours a night...and two 20 minute naps during the day.

4. I have found caffeine pills (about 400 mg or so) work well for one or two days. (Medically, 300mg of caffeine is classified as an overdose).

5. Adderall, pseudoephedrine (Sudafed). (More pharmaceutical-grade drugs).

6. More caffeine. At one point, I resorted to instant coffee w/ hot tap water and snorting No-doze. Seemed like a good idea at the time. And whatever ambient music keeps you grooving without being too distracting.

7. I have never been one to do all nighters, but I had a friend who used to chew Nicorette gum and get all sorts of stuff done and he wasn't a smoker. He said that it helped him focus and also kept him alert, plus you don't get the smoking side effects.

8. I was a design student who frequently stayed up for multiple all-nighters. All of the above advice is great. I think NASA studied the problem and came up with something like 20 minute naps every four hours.

9. Caffeine patches...You want to look into nootropics.

10. The most popular seems to be Piracetam, often combined with Alpha GPC or something similar. Personally these mellow me out and make me less focused.

11. I like GABA, it's a safe neuroinhibitor. For me it 'clears' the fog, the effect takes just a few minutes, but only lasts for a few hours. I often find myself able to tolerate boring work, and find myself more focused on the task at hand. For many people it has the opposite effect, making them drowsy or even sleepy.

12. Sometimes at work I've been known to take two caffeine tablets followed by a quadruple espresso. Today I think I over did it though. After getting only a few hours sleep I've had a regular cup of instant, two caffeine tablets and then drank about a pot of brewed coffee.

There must be a degree of truth to all these statements as they appeared at ridiculous times like 3am and 5am (US East coastal time). Mostly they were law students or art students. But still...wow, not even i10 is that extreme, I'll stick to my coffee and ProPlus for the moment...

Art (TM) (C) (R)

2008-11-28T02:00:00.005Z

Just watched the movie adaptation of Gustav Klimt's life and for some reason, Damian Hirst'sTM crystal skullTM popped into my head. I started thinking about what art truly represents and what it now represents in the 21st century. I think the difference would be obvious if you took a step back from all the hype surrounding art nowadays. To me (it may differ for others) art is a form of self-expression, a way to communicate the inner (or indeed exterior) feelings of an issue through something beautiful.

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss, circa 1907

But when you have lots of money...approach a jeweller (Bentley and Skinner of Bond Street in this case), throw your money at them...and expect a massive return of profits (as Hirst's business manager Frank expects), then what you have isn't art, it's a brand, no different from any other brand model attempting to sell a product in today's consumer market. It is disappointing to see other so called 'artist's' work this way. Don't get me wrong, the piece itself is a magnificent work of craftsmanship, but Hirst didn't make the damn thing and is getting every single piece of credit (and cash) for it. Hirst himself even said it was a silly idea. To me, it's a wonderful piece of craft, but that's it.

In the end, like most fashion (or any other product that may not have any rational benefit to it) you only pay for the brand name. It should be renamed, 'Bently and Skinner's skull', as Hirst merely provided the funding for it (and his business made anywhere between 35-41 million Pound's profit). Now my good sir...do you take cash or credit?

Is this the depressing future of art? Do people look beyond the beauty and just see pound signs glinting in their eyes? Some investment to be snapped up? What do you think? Watch this clip from 2:00 onwards to see my point...

Comment: Credit crunch...what credit crunch?

2008-11-22T02:09:00.006Z

(image courtesy of the Internet)

After months of (seemingly easy content filler) news about the 'credit crunch', economic doom and gloom is still polluting the newspapers and newsrooms, in a bid to keep us believing it's worse than it actually is. Over in Dubai however, it's as if nothing has actually happened as epitomised by this ridiculously huge (yet equally magnificent) opening ceremony for a hotel...

Other displays of oil-enriched wealth are hyper-luxury hotels that have sprung up *packs bag as he types this*...

i10 Meets...

2008-11-19T00:24:00.004Z

Earlier this evening i10 had the privilege to be able to speak to one of the advertising world's most prolific and well-known practitioners-stroke-guru Dave Trott in his London offices. It was a truly insightful evening as we chatted in the boardroom about advertising, market growth and philosophy. Dave was very knowledgeable about philosophic concepts that can benefit any enthusiastic student, including one relatively new one...'Trottism' (borrowed from Taoism).

One student caught sight of this parked outside the office...

Thank you for your hospitality and time Mr Trott, we only wish we knew shorthand when writing our notes (or at least took a Dictaphone), you are truly a metaphorical horn of plenty when it comes to advertising wisdom.

The children are our future...aren't they?

2008-11-18T09:26:00.005Z

After seeing the very recent Barnardos viral, depicting the metaphorical reenactment of actual quotes from news websites, already an 'anti' version of the ad has been found...with slightly more truthful and real-life footage. Here's the original...

And here's the 'anti' version (be warned, it's just as shocking as the original & contains expletives)...

This demonstrates the speed at which UGC can be manufactured and broadcast to the world, free from restriction. It looks as though this version was composed entirely of Internet-sourced clips, effectively creating a new meme from aging content and what could be dubbed as 'media-recycling'...

How to become president...

2008-11-05T20:16:00.007Z

By entering the popular culture to such a degree, that memes begin to surface from the original content (despite the fact that some of it may be negative, as seen here by these memes of the famous Shepard Fairey 'Hope' poster, which I remember seeing dotted all over New York). This means that you have warranted enough attention from the public, especially young voters (as demonstrated by Obama's recent landslide win). Hopefully America can now heave itself from it's self-generated(?) economic crisis.

(The negative views expressed in some of these images are not those of i10).

Classic ad Mashups.

2008-11-05T01:57:00.003Z

Love to bastardise the classics as a form of mild entertainment (still keeping their respect mind you). More to come methinks.

Comment: The names Brand...James Brand.

2008-11-05T00:58:00.005Z

Saw the latest James Bond film and I must say...'why so serious?' On a serious note, I was on the hunt for the usual plugs and placements including an annoyingly obvious one which went something like this....

James (at bar): 'What am I drinking?'
Barman: 'It's got Vodka, Vermouth and Gordon's Gin in it'.

It's almost as bad as the Omega one in Die Another Day. Every single, possible, conceivable electronic product MUST be a Sony (but seeing as the film's distributor is owned by Sony I'm not surprised). Still, the film was really enjoyable and the fight scenes were unlike anything I've ever seen in a Bond film before. Go see it. But remember to turn off your brand new Sony phone, available in all good retail stores in time for Xmas....

Epic Halloween Costumes.

2008-10-31T14:27:00.004Z

Forget that white sheet, Halloween costumes are no longer about the classics. People are taking a lateral approach to their costume creativity, tapping into popular culture (as the following examples will show). This in turn must surely demonstrate the influence popular culture has on an age-old tradition, and that retailers may be missing out. Add a dash of twisted/geek humor and you've got yourself a costume that people will never forget! (the last few images may be a little disturbing for some)...

i10's influence grows, Google takes notice!

2008-10-29T21:55:00.005Z

Wow, didn't see this one comming. They got in touch with me last night and said they'd like to do a Google illustration of i10...I couldn't refuse! It should become active very soon early November for about 3 hours...can't wait! Watch this space (or rather, watch Google's).

i10 provides original content...proof?

2008-10-26T23:43:00.004Z

Well I'm just blowing my own trumpet really, but after looking through the November issue of Creative Review, I came across this ad for D&AD (the charity you pay to be part of)...similar to my DIY D&AD pencil...those darn copycats! (he says with sporting humor). Theirs takes 9 minutes to complete, mine takes 5. Although the concept may not be completely new, you saw it here first!

DIY Pyramid...

2008-10-20T22:40:00.002+01:00

A good friend of i10 though it would be a laugh to create his own entertainment on the building site. "I was bored" was his remark.......

NYCGTA4MABUCKS

2008-10-20T03:21:00.004+01:00

Something cobbled together using the footage from a recent trip to New York. Jon, you asked and I delivered.

Budweiser gets jiggy.

2008-10-19T05:33:00.005+01:00

Seems like this rather naughty mistake(?) in the Budweiser ads went unnoticed...the printed it again in a mag a few weeks later. Subliminal advertising is getting less subliminal? Tsk Tsk, what happened to good ol' SEX spelt in Pepsi cans, ice cubes and stars above Simba? Bud ad posted in Photoshopdisasters.

The LHC has an alterior motive.....

2008-09-10T00:53:00.003+01:00

As we all know, the Large Hadron Collier is turned on today, in what New Scientist magazine (latest edition) calls 'The most ambitious scientific experiment in human history'. The BBC will be following its progress but after trawling the internets, I discovered that the LHC may have an alternative motive.

Comment: How not to place an ad.

2008-08-21T22:06:00.004+01:00

Todays London free-sheet like every other day...untill you see the front page article and start to draw associations with the ad right next to it....

Comment: Oh-limb-Pix

2008-08-09T18:44:00.002+01:00

After seeing the Bejing opening ceremony last night I must say I was impressed, China have really outdone themselves (despite all the hoohar I'm sure you're all aware of prior). "We've got a lot to live up to" I heard my mother in law say which got me thinking....what would the 2012 ceremony be like? I thought about something that symbolises British culture (seeing as the logo 2012 clearly does not).

One good way to represent the country could be creating an Olympic flame cauldron from a pint glass, or turning the Olympic torch into a bladed weapon. For the ceremony we could choreograph 2012 intoxicated dancers to assault the stewards and swear at the crowd...

Sex me up baby.....

2008-08-07T19:05:00.005+01:00

Sexysexysexy names.......

We all know that sex sells (so does fear and feeling), but how far can you go before it just gets silly? I'm not talking about sexually explicit material (you can stick all the women you want in an ad till the cows come home but it might not drive ROI), I'm talking about the sexing up of terms, names and so on.

When you're faced with a product that has little or no rational USP, what can you do? CokePepsi dilemma...Some go for the emotional purse-strings, others sell a lifestyle/image, whilst others try and expand the market via brand extensions etc. But don't fall into the trap of changing something into what's already there (don't get me wrong, rebrands and relaunches have worked wonders for some). But when all that's changed is the name, then I wouldn't expect much from the product. Take a dog poo for example, if I were to call it a 'canine pavement present' it wouldn't change the fact that it's still a dog sh*t. The same goes for brands and art (calling a object art, unmade beds aside, doesn't necessarily MAKE it art, this is just suggestive perception however).

I remember walking into a Topshop in London and seeing the staff labelled 'retail advisers'.....so they're not just shop assistants? It gets better, McDonalds staff are labelled as 'sales ambassadors', not merely cashiers or kitchen staff.

When you get sexy sounding products it starts to make me cringe because it's telling me that there is nothing beneficial about this item, (even though there may be), almost like a desperate sell, a cop out. Unfortunately this is what agencies may have to work with from a clients brief.

After all this banter I'm going to nip down to Homebase and get me some Forest Lake coloured paint...whatever the hell that colour is......
(I'm not bashing AMV of course, who I think did the Dulux ads, just the names Dulux chose for their product).

What over twelve hundred pounds of rail tickets look like.

2008-08-05T22:48:00.003+01:00

Or when calculated, £1268.93 in total over a period of just under two years. With a young persons railcard you divide this by two then add it so that's £634.46 (I saved) and totalled up is what you might pay without the discount...£1903.39!! There's a project in here somewhere so watch this space... And I wonder WHY I'm skint sometimes, (Network Rail, you owe me some shares....)

Something humbling about having an old book in your hands...

2008-08-04T00:50:00.006+01:00

After one of my many trips to London I discovered a tiny bookshop near Hampstead Heath, just off the corner of the Hampstead tube stop (near Paul's bakery on the left of the street exit). You wouldn't even know it WAS a bookshop if you didn't see the shelving through the window.

When walking in the first thing you notice (apart from the musty smell of knowledge), is the fact that the shelves are floor-to-ceiling...you can't see any wall! There are classic novels, scientific journals, art periodicals, history textbooks and a billion other subjects all crammed into this tiny shop (run by two little old ladies), it'll make your head spin, even the walkways were jammed with books! A definite visit if you want some inspiration or just a good read, especially when there are some pretty decent and rare finds in there. My (very affordable) purchases were a book on Friedrich Nietzsche by J.P. Stern and 'Thinking to some Purpose' by L. Susan Stebbing (from an oldschool series by Pelican books).

There's something humbling about holding a well-thumbed, tatty and worn browned book, (which tells you that it's a useful object, and as we know, useful objects attain more value to them) with an interesting past. You can almost picture in your head the 30yr journey this book has been on. It could be said that a book is like an analogue USB stick of knowledge and data, easy to share and store. Unlike computers, a book feels more real (aside from the literal interpretation), and bears the marks of age. A book can have a story behind it...who read it prior to me? what impact did this thing have on society? etc etc Cuddling up with a good book and a coffee after a hard days work (or in my case recently a 67 hour day) is in my view a fitting and satisfying finish.

MAN...Probably the most powerful work ever to date.

2008-06-25T02:05:00.002+01:00

This is the latest motion graphics piece I've done and I must say... the first time I played this back in full, I started to cry.

I'm chuffed with the results. Simply put, 'MAN' is a short film taking you on an epic journey of time, depicting man kinds awful ability to reek destruction not only to his home, but to himself as a species. Made with media neutrality in mind, the film doesn't seek to advertise a product/service or make any political statement (and i10 takes no claim to the photos themselves as all copyright remains that of the respected photographers, archives and galleries, who's incredible work should influence us all).

Rather, I wanted to inform the viewer of the horrible things man is capable of and the beautiful things man is capable of creating. What I wanted was to create a emotionally brutal and raw piece of work that really gets people thinking, I mean, through careful thought can we truly appreciate what we have. It attempts to get people to open their eyes to the beautiful and destructive world around us, to see each other in a different light, to learn to tolerate and respect each other.

There are numerous patterns within the film, some chronological, some theme-based, see if you can spot them. There is also an influence toCoppela's 'Koyaaniquatsi' for all you film-buffs out there.

When you first watch this film, really really really think about the significance of each image and the echo it has had on time and in your life. Think of someone you love when you watch this, think of man across the entire spectrum as a species and immerse yourself.

Please let me know what you think of this as I'm considering doing a few (even more epic) ones about different subjects. Thank you.

More fun lenses for your mobile.

2008-06-16T01:12:00.005+01:00

Found another lens to attach to your mobile phone (much like the fish-eye one on earlier posts). This one was a zoom lens which you attach to your camera lens to give you greater flexibility in your photo-opportunities, giving rise to new possibilities in expression. And this isn't a £400 lens that will break very easily...this was £2's worth of kit. I then though (rather obviously) let's try it on other cameras! I was shocked at how close the zoom was!

Here's some playing around, the first 3 images are from my phone, the last 3 are from a canon ixus. Try your own experiments with homemade camera lenses.

Interesting work here.

2008-06-09T22:23:00.002+01:00

An interesting film to emerge from the mind of Duncan Catterall, animator and director friend. His latest baby, Phantom Lorenz tells the tale (in beautiful stop-motion glory) of a hired killer gone rogue in a gritty urban landscape (some of the sets were huge), with influences from a number of genres. Check out the films micro site here with all the latest news and downloads about the film, a definite watch here!

Micro Trends are here to stay!

2008-05-02T00:41:00.005+01:00

After doing my usual trawling through the Great MotherWeb (may she provide for us all) I suddenly realised how many images I had accumulated of microtrends that are currently floating about. One favourite haunt of mine is icanhascheezburger.com, where you can create your own lolcats (laugh out loud) and shipment of fail where there are tons of fail images. I don't know where stuff like this starts but when a trend snowballs to such an extent you have to ask yourself it's gotta be a work of subcultural genius. Some trends even work their way into the BBC and TimesOnline and even mainstream design, albeit occasionally. If an image has the power to make you laugh the first time you see it then it must be doing something right. Maybe graphic designers and admen can tap into these microtrends more to uncover a rich diversity of warped humor on the web.....it's worth a try! Check out another trend 'ur doin it wrong' images where, well.... the strap line says it all really...

Mayor of Londoff...new pictures.

2008-04-27T22:28:00.005+01:00

After recently visiting the big smoke a for a few days on the trot, the London logo (in which a simple play on the city name and the word 'on' is employed) kept sticking in my mind, maybe because the tube is currently being developed. But it was precisely why the tube was being developed (and subsequently delayed all the time) that I felt the logo didn't feel right. I created my own version by changing the last part of the city name to create an identity that may best sum up the city currently, hopefully these darn re-developments will finish soon. The sticker I made attempted to intrusivly blend in with current posters so that it wasn't automatically ripped off by passers-by, a form of parasitic design. Let me know what you think...

Did someone say....copy?

2008-04-17T22:13:00.009+01:00

After viewing a site that I hadn't done in years, youthoughtwewouldntnotice, and various ad blogs, I remembered that there is unbelievable amounts of copying within the ad industry....blatant copying. It saddens me when I see a brillient campaign, only to see another version of it later on for a different product. If the product being sold is of a completely different nature, then why choose the same execution? If the rational benefit of a product is different, why choose the same emotional benefit? It seems abit of a cop out. There is so much out there to inspire all of us, so many sights to see, smells to smell, sounds to hear, things to touch yet people sometimes rely on other people's creativity. I supose 'all art comes from other art' as my old GCSE art techer once said to me, and to some extent that's true. It may have been only coincidence that the creative executions of these ads were the same (there are hundreds of examples out there), maybe not (I'm not going to point fingers). Life's too short to see duplicates of everything...

Discuss...

The kitkat ad were done by the same agency so I guess that's a valid reason (?)

Legal bit: All ads copywright blah blah

Badges!

2008-04-13T01:01:00.006+01:00

After waiting for a good 14 days, the new i10 badges were plopped through my letterbox. Set in stunning aluminium, these badges are a must for your summer collection, the perfect accessory for that summer frock or tee. Drop me a line if you'd like one (costing zilch-eroony). Also out now are the prototypes for some new i10 stickers, watch this space...

Get yer logos out for the lads...

2008-04-09T23:14:00.006+01:00

Logotime! Couldn't stay away from my graphic design roots and have designed a few corporate identities (some relevant to my current MA projects) and some included typefaces I designed including ESSType and Round v1.1. In recent times there has been an explosion of logobooks, and more often than not, most of the logos featured are vector-happy muddles (not saying they're bad visually, it's just that they might not be relevant to the values of what they are supposed to stand for). As 'The Art of Identity' (Gower Publishing) puts it...

"Identifying your core beliefs is no easy matter - but identify you must, for if you don't know, how can you expect your market area to know?"

Some of the 'oldskool' books such as ones by Wolff Olins are definitely worth a look at, as well as the one mentioned above, and in defence of the infamous 2012 logo, the guys were trying to predict fashion/trends 5 years ahead of themselves (they got the publicity they wanted though so an inadvertent bonus there). By trying to visually interpret what the logo stands for, the core beliefs of the client are interpreted by potential markets/customers. If you want to infiltrate various markets however, of varying subjects, the logo may take a universal look (mental note: make self more articulate). Enjoy!

Community.
Q, Stylised letterform.
The construction of light.
'NHance', feat The Blokstar Type.
'It's all RGB to me'.
Go in different directions.

Go Further, feat Round v1.1.
Making a 'B-Line'.
Relive, feat the ESSType.
Give me a shout if you've seen these before somewhere and I've subconsciously done a doodoo. I think I heard somewhere that in the UK we're bombarded by 3000+ images a day so that's a lot of subconscious input!

iPhoney?

2008-04-02T23:56:00.005+01:00

With all the hype and talk about the iPhone in recent months (and various other products beginning with the letter 'i'), there's been an explosion of talk both positive and negative. Forums have dubbed Mac users as 'fanboys' whilst the benefits of owning an iPhone seem vast. On such a forum I stumbled across this movie about Apple's baby, and at first thought it was showing it in a positive light. How wrong I was...

Despite this, I still think Apple has produced a few good products over the years (as well as opening the floodgates to new possibilities in the way commercial media is consumed). Although there are phones out there that previously had Internet capabilities, Apple have produced a 'fashionable' web-phone, but as the saying goes (derived from something similar Oscar Wilde said I think), "Fashion is a fickle business because they seem to change it every 6 months". Discuss...

A World of Colour.

2008-04-02T00:23:00.004+01:00

A creative execution here for a self-set brief to create ambient advertising for Pantone. Printed on a durable card then die-cut, the postcards resemble a good ol' swatch except with the centre missing. The simple idea is that the small postcard can be placed on any coloured surface (indoor and out), emphasising that Pantone has a vast array of colour to offer with all it's matching systems and spot-colours. No this is not a paid ad in my blog, just something that I thought would be cool to do (and being a designer, rather a geeky thing to do). Let me know if this idea has already been done however as I'm not sure.

Boring legal bit: Colour identification is solely for artistic purposes only and not intended to be used for specification. Refer to current Pantone colours for accurate matches. Pantone carries all the trademarks of a regular company blah blah...

A free D&AD pencil for you...

2008-03-28T03:54:00.005Z

That's right folks, the glorious D&AD pencil. Couldn't afford the entry fee? Never heard of Central St Martins? Have no fear! I've managed to create my own from sturdy craft paper out of a simple net design that you can print out.

Here are the nets. I've got them in lovely high-res PDF format as well. Drop me a line if you'd like one or 'rightclick>save image' on the JPEG's. Just cut aong the grey lines/indicators (light colours) and score across the black lines/indicators. I've left a small bleed so that the colour from your printer doesn't show up once it's been made. Have fun!

Where have all the books gone?

2008-03-27T01:39:00.003Z

Went to my local library a few days back (Leighton Buzzard) to find that it had been re-vamped inside, and was a bit disappointed to find that it was nothing like how I remembered it. In the old days (without sounding like an old man here) it had low lighting, a cosy atmosphere absolutely filled with books neatly organised in horizontal and vertically placed shelves. There was art on the walls, with a gallery space and plenty of seats to study on, along with a cosy children's department where I remember borrowing some of my favourite books as a kid. Now however that's all changed... After walking through the single front door (the old one made a distinct sound when you entered) you're greeted by what appears to be a poorly decorated council building, gaudy blue carpets and the good old gallery and artwork has gone, replaced by wall of badly designed posters depicting stock photos of people with forced smiles. The harsh spot lights make the atmosphere seem tense and sterile. All the beautiful books have now been reduced, displayed in a wonky zig-zag manner, pointlessly taking up space. One of the biggest shocks was the fact that there seemed to be tables with more computers on than books, kids playing on loud, shooty computer games, or adolescents accessing semi-pornographic material.

More computers with complicatd login proceedures than books...

Where have all the shelves gone, and why are they all wonky?

Kids where loitering by the DVD's siting on poorly designed office chairs, and there was hardly anyone in the arts section. To me the library was always a sanctuary of learning, a world of knowledge at your fingertips. You could read half a series of Asterix or TinTin books in a day on the comfy bean-bags in the children's areas, or walk up the stairs (now covered in a sickly plastic grip material and walls plastered with warnings to keep the compensation-seekers at bay should there be a fall) to be greeted by rows of art books on the masters. The art section has been considerably reduced now, from about 6 massive shelves, to 2 tiny ones. It's like the library's gone from that cosy old sweater or comfy chair you used to love and know, to something shiny, contrived, and false. I only hope the character of the old library returns...

Future of the Advertising Industry in a Nutshell...

2008-03-26T12:52:00.003Z

What do you think in relation to the .gif? Click on it to animate it. Discuss...

Real Coffee, Real People...

2008-03-23T01:01:00.004Z

I myself am an avid coffee lover (as the people who know me will tell you!), and really enjoy a nice sit down with a cup of 'jo' in my hand but then who doesn't? With the rise of faceless international multi-conglomerates (none of whom will be mentioned to cover my ass), and 'fairtrade' being thrust down our throats, the world of coffee is bewildering however. One place I guarantee you'll get truely excellent coffee (and a seriously unrivalled personal service) is 'The House of Coffee' in Leighton Buzzard. Their website isn't great but they don't have to rely on flashy sites to attract people, the service quality does the talking! They'll even blend coffees and roast them exclusively for you, the entire local highstreet would fill with the smell of fresh roast coffee when they did their weekly roasting on site. If you like coffee or are thinking about trying it, seriously consider these people...

Down a humble side street...

...lies the coffee house

No fancy packaging here...

On the subject of the superbean, after viewing the film 'Black Gold' my views of coffee began to change as well. If you want to know more about this (highly revealing) film check out blackgoldmovie.com or the IMDB review for more varied opinions.

Phun with Phisheyes!

2008-03-21T13:15:00.005Z

Went to the science museum a few weeks back and found a curious little item. It's basically a small lense that affixes to your phone camera to add different effects (most of them though seemingly pointless). The fisheye was the most interesting effect I could find and started to have fun, it even works (rather obviously) on different camera models. I always think that the fisheye look is interesting and if a bigger field of view can be seen, what if it was applied to CCTV? Few snaps of me messing around with it. If you want to find out more about fisheye lense photography, check out www.lomography.com You can buy all sorts of modified cameras that you don't usually see in bog-standard shops. Stretch the lmits of your photographic skills...

One of a very suprised peer...

One of my favourite canned drinks that in my opinion, should be mainstream over here...

It begins...

2008-02-29T00:15:00.003Z

First entry! My html skills are not exactly tiptop but I'm dabbling in trying to improve them, also point out any spelling errors to me as it's also not tiptop at the moment.

Basically I thought it would be a good idea to try and print a yearly periodical that encourages intellectual debate about the designed world we live in (hopefully ready to run in November), in which this blog is meant to support. With blogs like this, books, websites, pod casts and other such digital communication abundant in today's 'technological savvy' society, the digital is seemingly everywhere. Printed matter STILL has huge impact however, despite what all the naysayers are talking about (the death of print etc etc). On one hand, it is good to have something digital in front of you that can be shared instantly among friends, peers etc (and that obviously doesn't take up space) but on the other, it's also nice to have something tactile in your hands you can feel (printed matter doesn't need batteries/power either which is also an obvious plus). I could spend all day banging on about the 'impact of the digital' but there are plenty of other sources out there (both digital and printed lol) that cover the same topic. I may talk about it in future posts however. In the meantime, check these links out for related content on digital, upcoming tech etc.

Guardian Newspaper Tech
Media Shift (updated very regularly)
National Public Radio (covering a bit of everything)

Over an out.