I saw this Redvines commercial on VH1 and it really stood out to me. It takes the Redvine licorice and uses it in an interesting organic style animation where it climbs a wall and a couple picks it off of it’s red vine and they eat it. Kinda reminds me of the Skittles “Taste the Rainbow” campaign where the candy fell from a rainbow colored sky like rain, and people caught it in their hands and ate it. I wonder if this style only works for food, or candy in particular? I can’t see something recognizably man made like a lawnmower working in the same way. People walk along a forests edge and out comes a lawnmower and you instantly start mowing with it. We associate food, and I guess candy with coming from nature in some way, and the ads push this thought, even though skittles and Redvines aren’t exactly grown on trees. (beakers maybe) An interesting commercial using the product in a way that wouldn’t normally be thought of, and maybe that’s why it stuck with me.

Posted: August 18th, 2008 under Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

I love muppets.

Posted: July 31st, 2008 under Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

Do you ever find you take your work home with you? Or better yet you live what you do? Take a look at the life of someone who lives with this very affliction and try to stop laughing. It’s GRRRRRRREAT!

Posted: July 28th, 2008 under Everyday Life, Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

Here is another Death Cab for Cutie video made at the same time they did the hilarious MTV promos. (If you missed the promos pan down a few posts.) Death Cab for Cutie’s “No Sunlight” off of the Album “Narrow Stairs” showcases the band in all of their whirly ball action. Trying to beat kids at a game that is part track-ball and part go-kart, and losing in the process miserably. The ending even feels a little “Officey” to me. Clever, retro, modern and fun.

Posted: July 13th, 2008 under Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

If you are in a creative industry, you know how hard it is to get something good through. By “good” I mean, not completely diluted from your original idea, not forced, and not tampered with. (If you shutter at the phrase, “make the logo bigger” than this is especially for you.) Death Cab for Cutie for the last album “Plans” opened it up to directors and artists. They would put out a DVD of every song off the album accompanied by an original video created not by them, but of Directors and Artists that wanted to work with them. The makers of the video could do anything they wanted within reason, and the band members were not to appear in it. So Directions was released and was a very progressive experiment. Rob Schrab was chosen to do the song “Crooked Teeth” and I think it is one of the best video’s period. It’s sad that the label didn’t release it as the bands “official” video when the song became a single because it is that good. I also included a mini-making of to see how it was done. Schrab’s work is original and expressive and kitschy at the same time. it of the Directors/Artists design with no tampering. Kudos to the band who can create great music, but fall short in my eyes when it comes to videos. It’s not their fault most likely as there are too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to band promotion at big labels. The key? Let directors, artists and creatives do what they do, and you can get original results.Check out more of Rob Schrab’s work www.robschrab.com

Posted: July 11th, 2008 under Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

A good message we all have to hear once in awhile. It’s inspiring and shows you what it takes to succeed. Perseverance.

Posted: July 5th, 2008 under Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

Okay, I know this has been around awhile, but I told my friend Courtney about it and thought I should put it up here. This video demonstrates a great way at attacking a larger subject, in this case how the majority of food in america is processed. It follows two cartoon characters Leo and Moophius patterend after the popular movie the Matrix. But our characters are entering “The Meatrix.” You can follow the cartoon characters and take the “Red” pill and open your eyes to what is happening to the food you are eating. You can also ignore this by taking the blue pill while wondering why every couple months we have some sort of outbreak in our produce supply – Lettuce, sprouts or tomatoes. If you would like to know more visit the Meatrix.com to really sink your teeth into this subject. (oh that’s terrible.)

Posted: June 26th, 2008 under Everyday Life, Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

Here are all of the new MTV Promos featuring Death Cab for Cutie in one place. I think these are fresh, fun and they showcase one of the best bands out there. Enjoy!

Posted: June 23rd, 2008 under Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: none

Sometimes when old ideas come back into new forms they’re cool, and sometimes they seem like a blatant attempt at cashing in on years gone by. This is a new usb drive created by Suck UK masquerading in the nostalgic wrappings of the classic mix tape. Does this new product recharge what was once a coveted and personalized vehicle of music exchange? Sadly no. I think it’s a cool idea, and they look great, and although it gets my nostalgic memories spinning at $40 bucks a pop, you have to be Richy Rich to be handing these out. One of the greatest things about mix tapes was that they were cheap. You could buy that five-pack of crappy tapes without covers that hung next to the cash register for a dollar. Maybe less. If you were a real snob you could get the two-pack of the high-fidelity tapes that came with the covers and stickers for the sides too. Yes these new usb drives are high tech, and the packaging is awesome but they take a nose-dive at the practicality level. For a present okay, but to use these in the same way as you made mix tapes back in the day? No way. Also they only hold 60 min worth of music, which is kitsch – but I was more of a 90 min guy anyway. So when I make mixes, as I still do, I stick to the standard CD, (they’re super cheap) and then design my own covers. They are personalized, portable mixes of music for my friends. Kind of like mix tapes, remember those?

Posted: June 13th, 2008 under Everyday Life, Music, Design, Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: 1

A funny commercial showcasing AMP energy drinks, and harnessing their power to escape a sad and pathetic life. This commercial shows you obviously need AMP to make it through the day. (Because you forgot coffee existed.) So the next time you wake up in a thong, like tomorrow, and you’re a guy, grab an AMP. Not only does it give you energy, it also erases your memories. (Because you forgot about alcohol.)

Posted: June 5th, 2008 under Advertising/Marketing.
Comments: 1