Monday, 29 December 2008
A more innocent time in football's history.
Rotherham Town v Thornhill 1902.
Wondering whether to wear a Top Hat to Don Valley on Saturday.
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Hangover cure
Not sure this would work on any of the hangovers i've ever had but am going to try it with my next one.
Massage:How To Massage Away A Hangover
Massage:How To Massage Away A Hangover
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Garethisms #2
Another gem from Gareth Bear:
"Rather than reviewing this new contract every three months, maybe we should do it quarterly?"
You couldn't make it up.
Friday, 14 November 2008
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Who's done that type?
My German is a bit rusty but as far as I can tell this is a student project done by a girl in Barcelona. Great observation work, it all started with a Q she saw one day when looking up at the blue sky.
via slanted
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Earth from above by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
If you have the time, take a look at this site. 38 amazing pictures to just temporarily take you away from your desk.
A couple of my favourites above, what are yours?
Friday, 3 October 2008
Insider information
A journo recently asked me to comment on a few current issues for insider magazine. you might be interested, you might not:
As a smaller independent agency, what benefits can you offer clients over your larger multi-based competitors?
We argue that we although may have less bums on seats, our staff are of a high quality. Each hiring we make represents a large percentage increase in staffing levels, it's in our interests to get it right. Partner-level input on day-to-day business offers a continuity and consistency of personnel. We have a vested interest in our business and are not going anywhere. The constant staff merry-go-round that occurs at bigger agencies is one of the biggest bug-bears we hear about along with less senior people being installed on accounts the second the business is won and the agency figureheads have absconded to the wine bar. One of our buzz-words at Unsuitable and One Black Bear is agility. The nature of our business in the 21st century demands intelligent, measured actions and reactions to be made instantly. As a smaller concern we are not crippled by red tape and 'systems' that are too rigid to bend in the wind when required. The people who run the company are close at hand and can make the big decisions immediately in order to react at that point on any piece of business when, inevitably, the shit hits the fan. Finally, it goes without saying that being a smaller business, our fiscal footprint is more economical and we can obviously pass this on to our clients. As we say, small enough to care, agile enough to react, cost-effective enough to make budgets go further. Largely, it depends on the client. When you are talking about bigger companies where the marketing department has board directors and, sometimes, shareholders to appease, the instances of these concerns taking a chance on a smaller agency are rare. Appointing a name agency and having the reassurance of an established player on board is compelling for these companies. All we can do is make our case and people are starting to listen.
As the latent boom in the creative industries has experienced a deluge of start-ups over the past few years, and in view of the economic downturn, will these newer firms survive the crunch?
As in any industry during good trading conditions, you'll get a lot of start-ups overpromising and underdelivering looking for a quick and easy buck. The companies who genuinely offer a good product and service and have sensible and robust financial models will win through. The current downturn puts me in mind of the dot.com boom of the late nineties/early noughties. Start-up web businesses were instantly valued at millions of pounds with no real reasoning other than 'it's the internet, it's the future, it must be valuable'. When the bubble burst it acted as a filter for the businesses with an unsustainable model versus the agile, intelligently run concerns that survived. The Googles and the Amazons et al that had an eye on changing the world rather than simply their bank balance are now are not just masters of the internet but the entire global business landscape. The 'credit crunch' will ensure a similar filtration process will happen again but this time it affects us all, marketing or otherwise.
What do you think will be the creative sector's biggest challenge in the year ahead?
The impact of the digital sphere continues to spread. Agencies need to have a handle on this and ensure the creativity and strategy they provide takes full advantage of the masses of new avenues open to marketers. The emergence and development of the social web makes marketing so much more a two-way process. We need to educate our clients to be open. Take the criticism along with the praise. We might even learn something. Lord Bell recently said something along the lines of that if he was to start a company now he would concentrate on the internet exclusively. Now, i don't think the more archaic methods we're used to are dead just yet but, believe me, I take the point very seriously. We're finding that there is a lot of digital business out there. Clients are diverting more and more budget away from the blunt instruments of broadcast, press, outdoor and DM to more measurable online models. Agencies that embrace the digital realm, take their clients forward and truly innovate are going to be the ones that define the creative sector in our region and become the next generation. More power to them.
As a smaller independent agency, what benefits can you offer clients over your larger multi-based competitors?
We argue that we although may have less bums on seats, our staff are of a high quality. Each hiring we make represents a large percentage increase in staffing levels, it's in our interests to get it right. Partner-level input on day-to-day business offers a continuity and consistency of personnel. We have a vested interest in our business and are not going anywhere. The constant staff merry-go-round that occurs at bigger agencies is one of the biggest bug-bears we hear about along with less senior people being installed on accounts the second the business is won and the agency figureheads have absconded to the wine bar. One of our buzz-words at Unsuitable and One Black Bear is agility. The nature of our business in the 21st century demands intelligent, measured actions and reactions to be made instantly. As a smaller concern we are not crippled by red tape and 'systems' that are too rigid to bend in the wind when required. The people who run the company are close at hand and can make the big decisions immediately in order to react at that point on any piece of business when, inevitably, the shit hits the fan. Finally, it goes without saying that being a smaller business, our fiscal footprint is more economical and we can obviously pass this on to our clients. As we say, small enough to care, agile enough to react, cost-effective enough to make budgets go further. Largely, it depends on the client. When you are talking about bigger companies where the marketing department has board directors and, sometimes, shareholders to appease, the instances of these concerns taking a chance on a smaller agency are rare. Appointing a name agency and having the reassurance of an established player on board is compelling for these companies. All we can do is make our case and people are starting to listen.
As the latent boom in the creative industries has experienced a deluge of start-ups over the past few years, and in view of the economic downturn, will these newer firms survive the crunch?
As in any industry during good trading conditions, you'll get a lot of start-ups overpromising and underdelivering looking for a quick and easy buck. The companies who genuinely offer a good product and service and have sensible and robust financial models will win through. The current downturn puts me in mind of the dot.com boom of the late nineties/early noughties. Start-up web businesses were instantly valued at millions of pounds with no real reasoning other than 'it's the internet, it's the future, it must be valuable'. When the bubble burst it acted as a filter for the businesses with an unsustainable model versus the agile, intelligently run concerns that survived. The Googles and the Amazons et al that had an eye on changing the world rather than simply their bank balance are now are not just masters of the internet but the entire global business landscape. The 'credit crunch' will ensure a similar filtration process will happen again but this time it affects us all, marketing or otherwise.
What do you think will be the creative sector's biggest challenge in the year ahead?
The impact of the digital sphere continues to spread. Agencies need to have a handle on this and ensure the creativity and strategy they provide takes full advantage of the masses of new avenues open to marketers. The emergence and development of the social web makes marketing so much more a two-way process. We need to educate our clients to be open. Take the criticism along with the praise. We might even learn something. Lord Bell recently said something along the lines of that if he was to start a company now he would concentrate on the internet exclusively. Now, i don't think the more archaic methods we're used to are dead just yet but, believe me, I take the point very seriously. We're finding that there is a lot of digital business out there. Clients are diverting more and more budget away from the blunt instruments of broadcast, press, outdoor and DM to more measurable online models. Agencies that embrace the digital realm, take their clients forward and truly innovate are going to be the ones that define the creative sector in our region and become the next generation. More power to them.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Jamie's Ministry of Food
Tonight the celebrity chef and cockernee starts his new show (Ministry of Food) on Channel 4 at 9pm. I am already cringing at the thought of what he's going to make my home town look like. Got a feeling he'll do for Rotherham what the Dukes of Hazzard did for America's south.
I've seen a clip where one woman doesn't even know what boiling water looks like. However, before you all think that this is an extreme, a couple of years ago I asked my younger sister (30 at the time) to chop an onion for me. She didn't know how, so maybe teaching the good folk of Rotherham to cook might mean Jamie has bitten off more than he can chew. I'll feedback my thoughts tomorrow once all the piss-taking in the office has died down.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
The partners on modern culture 1
I'd like to start a new thread on the blog based upon the occasional middle aged ramblings of the partners.
To start with I'd like to list a couple of my favourite quotes.
Steve, when driving back from a supplier and listening to Radio 1 mused:
"Is that interference? (pause) oh, it's just the record."
Jon
After a meeting in the Ikon gallery Jon was asked if he would like to take a quick look round the gallery, his reply:
"Nah, I don't have any time for that b*****ks"
Crunchannel 4
Just read that Channel 4 are to axe 150 people due to a fall of £50m (5%) in advertising revenues. To help fill this gap in marketing spend, as well as cutting back on staff they're also cutting back on, you've guessed it, their own marketing budget. What a shame, the 4 idents were some of the best things on telly.
Friday, 19 September 2008
A creative director for Birmingham?
I've just been googling my own name, etc, while avidly watching the Ryder Cup and came across various blog posts and articles regarding the merits of appointing a 'creative director' for Birmingham. Much akin to the appointment of superstar designer, Peter Saville, to the same post for the city of Manchester.
This is my first 'serious' blog post and while the number of people who may read this are probably few, I have felt an uncontrollable urge to put my opinion on this somewhere tangible if only for my own sanity (the pinot grigio is empty as you can probably tell).
Creative Director of Birmingham. Well, 'poisoned chalice' doesn't quite cover it does it? We've flattened the old Bull Ring and all of a sudden we think we're San Tro-fucking-pez.
Don't get me wrong, I'm the proudest Brummie going and I have lived here for all my 38 years. Well, I live in Sandwell these days (by about 100 yards) but let's not pick hairs. Anyway, in all those years I can't remember a time when Birmingham hasn't been apologising for itself. Apologising for our accent. Apologising for being the second city. Apologising for Duran Duran and UB40. Apologising for not being as creative as London or Manchester. And then, trying to force the issue with steering groups and the like while ignoring the fact that Birmingham is actually a pretty decent place with lots to be proud of.
So would a Creative Director for the city be a bad thing?
Well, let's start by looking at the Manchester version. Peter Saville. A personal hero of mine and one of the men who helped elevate a non-descript industrial Northern town to the cultural vanguard. His work is done. He can look back at a canon of work that includes some of the most iconic imagery ever produced and think "Yes... I am the bollocks aren't I?" Being appointed Creative Director of the city he helped to make famous was as more of a thank you than a plea for help. He and the powers that be may well argue otherwise but I wouldn't believe them.
So what of the Birmingham version? Who, for a start. Well, most creative Brummies would have ad man, Trevor Beattie at the top of their list. And why not? He also is responsible for some truly iconic work and, for what it's worth, is also someone I respect greatly. But his brief would inevitably differ greatly to that of Saville's. The pressure would instantly be on. "Come on Trev, how do we make Birmingham more creative and that?" Rather him than me.
Which brings me back to my earlier point of forcing the issue. What do you think John Lydon would have said if some ad man had come to one of the Sex Pistols early gigs and said "Hello there, I'm the Creative Director of London and I love this punk rock music you're making. Have a council grant." He'd have probably told him to fuck off. At least I hope he would.
Invariably, true creative greatness - and I mean heartstopping, life-affirming, genre-defining, greatness - comes from hardship or poverty or anger or despair or adversity or a combination of these things coming together to create a pressure cooker environment. When there's seemingly no way out, this is when people start to really emote. It's for this reason that the current social climate excites me. I don't mean to sound churlish but, to a degree, society is breaking down and this will give people reference. A desire to lash out by any means necessary. Some will fight, some will cry, some will create. Thank god.
Is it unreasonable to think that Birmingham's time of true creative greatness may not yet have come? The last time Birmingham was at the centre of a true shift in the make-up of society was the Industrial Revolution. The cycle will turn and whether it's engineering again or music or art or advertising or digital or gastronomy or maybe even something we haven't even thought of yet, Birmingham will be at the vanguard again. Some day.
So, will a creative director make a difference? Would he or she make the pantheon of creativity more achievable for the next generation of Brummie artists? If you ask me it'd be like appointing a Minister of Love and Hate. A complete and utter waste of time.
I'll have a grant though.
Bye.
This is my first 'serious' blog post and while the number of people who may read this are probably few, I have felt an uncontrollable urge to put my opinion on this somewhere tangible if only for my own sanity (the pinot grigio is empty as you can probably tell).
Creative Director of Birmingham. Well, 'poisoned chalice' doesn't quite cover it does it? We've flattened the old Bull Ring and all of a sudden we think we're San Tro-fucking-pez.
Don't get me wrong, I'm the proudest Brummie going and I have lived here for all my 38 years. Well, I live in Sandwell these days (by about 100 yards) but let's not pick hairs. Anyway, in all those years I can't remember a time when Birmingham hasn't been apologising for itself. Apologising for our accent. Apologising for being the second city. Apologising for Duran Duran and UB40. Apologising for not being as creative as London or Manchester. And then, trying to force the issue with steering groups and the like while ignoring the fact that Birmingham is actually a pretty decent place with lots to be proud of.
So would a Creative Director for the city be a bad thing?
Well, let's start by looking at the Manchester version. Peter Saville. A personal hero of mine and one of the men who helped elevate a non-descript industrial Northern town to the cultural vanguard. His work is done. He can look back at a canon of work that includes some of the most iconic imagery ever produced and think "Yes... I am the bollocks aren't I?" Being appointed Creative Director of the city he helped to make famous was as more of a thank you than a plea for help. He and the powers that be may well argue otherwise but I wouldn't believe them.
So what of the Birmingham version? Who, for a start. Well, most creative Brummies would have ad man, Trevor Beattie at the top of their list. And why not? He also is responsible for some truly iconic work and, for what it's worth, is also someone I respect greatly. But his brief would inevitably differ greatly to that of Saville's. The pressure would instantly be on. "Come on Trev, how do we make Birmingham more creative and that?" Rather him than me.
Which brings me back to my earlier point of forcing the issue. What do you think John Lydon would have said if some ad man had come to one of the Sex Pistols early gigs and said "Hello there, I'm the Creative Director of London and I love this punk rock music you're making. Have a council grant." He'd have probably told him to fuck off. At least I hope he would.
Invariably, true creative greatness - and I mean heartstopping, life-affirming, genre-defining, greatness - comes from hardship or poverty or anger or despair or adversity or a combination of these things coming together to create a pressure cooker environment. When there's seemingly no way out, this is when people start to really emote. It's for this reason that the current social climate excites me. I don't mean to sound churlish but, to a degree, society is breaking down and this will give people reference. A desire to lash out by any means necessary. Some will fight, some will cry, some will create. Thank god.
Is it unreasonable to think that Birmingham's time of true creative greatness may not yet have come? The last time Birmingham was at the centre of a true shift in the make-up of society was the Industrial Revolution. The cycle will turn and whether it's engineering again or music or art or advertising or digital or gastronomy or maybe even something we haven't even thought of yet, Birmingham will be at the vanguard again. Some day.
So, will a creative director make a difference? Would he or she make the pantheon of creativity more achievable for the next generation of Brummie artists? If you ask me it'd be like appointing a Minister of Love and Hate. A complete and utter waste of time.
I'll have a grant though.
Bye.
Monday, 15 September 2008
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
Fast, Cheap and Good...
Tom Waits: The director Jim Jarmusch once told me, "Fast, Cheap and Good... pick two. If it's fast and cheap, it won't be good. If it's cheap and good, it won't be fast. If it's fast and good, it won't be cheap." Fast, cheap and good... pick two words to live by.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/tom-waits-a-conversation-with-himself-846164.html
Friday, 29 August 2008
Friday, 22 August 2008
Garethisms (#1)
Gareth from OBB was discussing subliminal advertising in the office the other day when he came out with this gem:
"Subliminal advertising on the web? I haven't seen any."
Priceless. More to follow undoubtedly.
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Montage-a-google
Nice little site which shows you the results of a google images search in a Montage. If you read the blurb on the site lots of people seem interested in searching for important political and social issues. I'm not.
Friday, 8 August 2008
Harnessing the power of social media
Maybe one for the Bears but this is an interesting article. It's for all those clients who are scared of social media sites and want reassurance that huge brands have used the power of the community their products create.
Friday, 25 July 2008
It's getting hot
I love the way he has still got a smile on his face, would really like to see the shot taken next.
via swissmiss
Songs for a Vasectomy?
"Got You By The Balls" AC/DC
"Loser" Beck
"My Ding-A-Ling" Chuck Berry
"Don't Leave Me This Way" The Communards
"There Goes God" Crowded House
"Love Removal Machine" The Cult
"Boy's Don't Cry" The Cure
"Feel The Pain" The Damned
"Take It Off" De La Soul
"The Cutter" Echo & The Bunnymen
"I Will Survive" Gloria Gaynor
"Can You Feel It?" The Jacksons
"Great Balls Of Fire" Jerry Lee Lewis
"Hangin' Tough" New Kids On The Block
"Love Buzz" Nirvana
"I Wanna Be Sedated" The Ramones
"Tainted Love" Soft Cell
"First Cut Is The Deepest" Cat Stevens
"Tears Roll Down" Tears For Fears
"Gimme All Your Lovin" ZZ Top
Anything by The Bee Gees, especially "How Deep Is Your Love?"
Anything from the album "Cuts Both Ways" by Gloria Estefan, like "Don't Wanna Lose You" and "Your Love Is Bad For Me"
Anything from the album "Never Mind The Bollocks..." by Sex Pistols
"Loser" Beck
"My Ding-A-Ling" Chuck Berry
"Don't Leave Me This Way" The Communards
"There Goes God" Crowded House
"Love Removal Machine" The Cult
"Boy's Don't Cry" The Cure
"Feel The Pain" The Damned
"Take It Off" De La Soul
"The Cutter" Echo & The Bunnymen
"I Will Survive" Gloria Gaynor
"Can You Feel It?" The Jacksons
"Great Balls Of Fire" Jerry Lee Lewis
"Hangin' Tough" New Kids On The Block
"Love Buzz" Nirvana
"I Wanna Be Sedated" The Ramones
"Tainted Love" Soft Cell
"First Cut Is The Deepest" Cat Stevens
"Tears Roll Down" Tears For Fears
"Gimme All Your Lovin" ZZ Top
Anything by The Bee Gees, especially "How Deep Is Your Love?"
Anything from the album "Cuts Both Ways" by Gloria Estefan, like "Don't Wanna Lose You" and "Your Love Is Bad For Me"
Anything from the album "Never Mind The Bollocks..." by Sex Pistols
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Friday, 4 July 2008
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
New website - update
well, the design work is done and i've just briefed sheldon bear on the new unsuitable website. should be live in the next couple of weeks. check weareunsuitable.com soon.
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
What every good Marketer knows
Some interesting points from Seth Godin on Marketing found through buhlerworks.
* Conversations among the members of your marketplace happen whether you like it or not. Good marketing encourages the right sort of conversations.
* Products that are remarkable get talked about.
* You’re not in charge. And your prospects don’t care about you.
* Business to business marketing is just marketing to consumers who happen to have a corporation to pay for what they buy.
* Marketing that works is marketing that people choose to notice.
* Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
* Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
And my personal favourite:
Obviously, knowing what to do is very, very different than actually doing it.
* Conversations among the members of your marketplace happen whether you like it or not. Good marketing encourages the right sort of conversations.
* Products that are remarkable get talked about.
* You’re not in charge. And your prospects don’t care about you.
* Business to business marketing is just marketing to consumers who happen to have a corporation to pay for what they buy.
* Marketing that works is marketing that people choose to notice.
* Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
* Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
And my personal favourite:
Obviously, knowing what to do is very, very different than actually doing it.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Yippee, we got nominated.
Last month we showed you our entries to the Chip Shop Awards and we got a nomination for one of them in the 'best consumer ad or campaign' category. It's for the Vaseline 'Don't run your tits off.' ad.
Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Red lorry, yellow lorry, extra lolly
So, the Shell bosses have buckled to the strike demands of their tanker drivers.
What on earth this will lead to over the coming months we'll have to wait and see but it won't be very pleasant.
How many more industries/unions will we now see downing tools and walking out?
Not so long ago one of the teaching unions went out. Unison seem to be constantly wanting to march and wave their banners and we even have threats from the police and prison warders. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against a justified strike for genuine grievances. But demanding a 14% pay rise in this climate is ludicrous. As we all struggle to afford to fill our cars up and there's now talk of a 40% increase in home fuel bills by Christmas, surely the last thing our country and our economy needs is mass walk outs.
The Shell bosses should have stood firm, they shouldn't have taken big pay rises/bonuses themselves and they should try and help lower costs (they could start by taking a bit of a hit on their £1.5m profit per hour).
They are powerful enough to lobby OPEC for increased production, they are powerful enough to lobby government about the ridiculous taxation we suffer on fuel and they are certainly powerful enough to turn down paying lorry drivers £41,750.
Yes, we have a short term fix to make sure the pumps don't run dry but long term, where will all this lead? Better get ready for the Tories I guess.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
'Rubbish' John Lewis ads
Remember those really nice John Lewis ads at Christmas? Well if you do, here's something similar but made out of tat.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Monday, 9 June 2008
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Take It To The Next Level
I've always been a massive fan of Nike's football advertising. The 'Can I Kick It' Wrighty ad, Cantona's 'Au Revoir' in the Good vs Evil ad, The Brazil airport ad. All that. Absolute classics. This new spot directed by Guy Ritchie is well up there in my opinion. A fantastic piece of storytelling crammed into a minute and a half. Plus a great balls-out rock soundtrack from the Eagles Of Death Metal. Self-indulgent, entertaining and the best end to a TV ad I've seen in some time.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Online is on the up.
European ad spend online is shooting up.
€11.2 billion in 2007 (up €4 bn from €7.2bn in 2006 which equates to a 40% increase). The figures, from the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe, indicate that online advertising now claims at least 10% of overall adspend in the the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland Sweden and Denmark.
Good news for our sister agency, One Black Bear.
By the way, what do you think to the cheesy picture? It's almost a ready art revival.
Monday, 2 June 2008
Tag Galaxy
I really like taggalaxy, it throws up some interesting images you may not immediately think of when typing in your tag. Also when you type in Steve Price you get a very funny result.
Friday, 30 May 2008
It's a wonderful internet
A little tale of how the internet has taken over our lives in such a short time. Pour yourself a couple of fingers, stoke up the fire, sit back and enjoy.
Bin your laptops, typewriters are making a comeback
I've just read that Brother sold 12,000 electric typewriters in the UK alone last year.
Which begs the question, how many bottles of Tipp-ex are still being sold?
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Neil Duerden
Just stumbled across this fella's site and love the style. I wanna do something using him, so c'mon you clients, one of you give me a brief that i can art direct like this. Please. (I recommend in particular you take a look at his editorial folder.)
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Friday, 16 May 2008
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
The cost of Spam
Beware all rogue clients and agencies that think it's okay to try and cheat at emailing. MySpace has just won £120m in damages against a spammer who illegally sent 735,925 messages to their members. Although they'reunlikely to see any of the money it does send out a strong message that this is unacceptable and that the courts will be clamping down harder and harder on those that flout the laws.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Anyone fancy going down the social?
no surprise that google have come up with something new to bring us all closer together. ah, bless 'em.
google friend connect
google friend connect
Carl in the Co-op.
I spotted, Professor Carl Chinn MBE in my local Co-op (used to be a Spar), Wake Green Road, Moseley.
I was so awestruck, I didn't even notice what he purchased. I just heard him say, "Thanks Bab!" to the Co-op cashier.
The last time I spotted Carl, was about 6 months ago (He was walking up Poplar Road, Kings Heath, with his family).
The time before that was, at a march to keep HP Sauce made in Aston, Birmingham.
I've seen quite 'the Chinn' quite a few times in my life. I've gone to see him lecture, open a pharmacy with his pal, Ed Doolan (BBC WM), presented one of his radio shows and I've even had my picture taken with him.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/bbc_wm/carl_chinn.shtml
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Marvel at Creative Control.
Marvel Comics have finally entered the movie making business under the guise of Marvel Studios with recent release of Iron Man. After the success of the Spider-Man franchise for Sony and the X-Men movies from Fox, Marvel have set up their own studios in order to capitalise on the growing market for comic book adaptations.
Iron Man is a fantastic debut from the studio and ticks all the boxes for a great summer blockbuster movie. It's probably got the best cast ever assembled for a comic book adaptation, lots of action, cool special effects, explosions and more. Whereas some of its predecessors have been lacking in the script department Iron Man has a strong story, a complex hero living in a complicated world. Another feature which will win praise from comic book anoraks is the fact that it stays true to key comic book stories, showing exactly what makes Iron Man a great character.
Lets hope "The Incredible Hulk" (the next movie from Marvel Studios) can live up to it.
Oh yeah, If you know your Marvel comic book characters, stay for a little extra scene, after the end credits.
PS: I also saw Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky". That's good too.
Friday, 2 May 2008
What recession?
Seems the only crunch going on at Google is Cap'n Crunch. Fantastic attitude.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_19/b4083054277984.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_19/b4083054277984.htm
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Most Complained about ads of 2007
This article by the BBC outlines the most complained about ads of 2007 ranked by number of complaints to the ASA. For me the Trident ad should have been banned for being terrible rather than causing offence and the fact that the NHS Anti-smoking was distressing is bang on brief I'm sure.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
PACE AGM: Watch out Boris & Cuddly Ken!
More Unsuitable pats-on-the-back for the outgoing PACE President, Dean Lovett from McCann's in Solihull. I'm sure he'll miss the weight of that mayor-like chain of office around his neck. Still, now he's got a bit more time on his hands, he can go and bother somebody else about the state of their database!
PACE AGM: Well done 'Two Jugs'!
Big Unsuitable congrats go to Lucy Fletcher from McCann's in Solihull for winning the Chairman's Cup and the other Cup (the name of which escapes me but was voted for by other PACE council members) at last night's PACE Annual General Meeting. It was all very official with chains of office, gavels and everything. There was also some nice food and free booze. Top!
Friday, 25 April 2008
Profits slide for Microsoft Yet Apple sees an increase
This from the BBC website.
Computer software giant Microsoft has seen third quarter profits fall, but beat market expectations.
Profits fell 11% to $4.39bn (£2.22bn) in the three months to 31 March from $4.93bn a year earlier. Sales were stable at $14.5bn.
Sales in the division selling Office and other business applications fell, hit by lower demand.
The results come before a deadline the firm has given Yahoo to respond to its $44.6bn-bid for the internet firm.
One factor denting profits was a $1.42bn fine imposed by the European Commission for breaching competition rules.
While the firm predicted stronger sales for the year, its forecast for the current quarter was at the lower end of market expectations, contributing to a 5% fall in the firm's share price in after-hours trading.
On the plus side, the firm's Xbox 360 video game consoles showed a strong performance, helping sales in its entertainment and devices sector grow 68% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, I've found this about Apple:
Apple, the technology giant, has posted a 36 percent rise in quarterly profits after strong global sales of its Macintosh computers and solid iPod sales, but remains cautious for the rest of 2008.
The company surpassed analysts expectations and made a net profit of $1.05 billion (£0.53bn)
Guess the smart money is in hardware...for the moment.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
New Berocca TV spot.
now, i know that plagiarism is the sincerest form of art and all that, but this new TV ad for berocca takes the absolute biscuit:
now check this video out ('here it goes again' by 'ok go'):
i mean, come on? it's not just me is it? that's a joke.
Step away from the Mac. Do not attempt to design.
theregister.co.uk/2008/04/22/ogc_logo
Mind-boggling stupidity from government office.
Mind-boggling stupidity from government office.
Japanese Architecture
Following on from Jon's thoughts on the Dogfish store I saw this example of some awesome Japanese architecture on Freshome. Designed as a work/live space for a couple who are hair stylists it certainly exudes a strong sense of creativity and individuality.
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