The curse?...

Ok whats going on? first Brian goes from Saatchis and now my sources tell me that Nikki and Simon have left VCCP. What the heck is going on? We only saw them a couple of weeks ago!

Ok stop the musical chairs Adland, can we have some stability please I need to know my contacts will still be there when I need them! Lol.

The new BBH website...

Is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Very smooth and the attention to detail is stunning. (the sheep at the bottom of the page is soooooo good.) Much better than the old site.

www.bbh.co.uk

just in case you didn't know.

The anticipation of photoshop access...

Ok, So we've been sorting work out, old and new, improved some stuff and reinvented some stuff.

This list is what should be in our new book. Its a pretty good range of products/stores so stay tuned, because I should be getting the evil laptop back and new work can commence!

TKMaxx
Pampers
Expedia.com
Hobnobs
Scholl
GAP
Slim Fast

The augmented reality ads....

Carbfreecreativity and Adrian and Mike have both recently posted articles on 3D mapping software that allows 2D images to be projected into 3d models on screen, of course I was captivated and it took me a while but \I found some more info and a piece of advertising where it actually has been used:

Welcome to augmented reality....




Now just to get my hands on the software...

The second incident...

Well its happened again, another ad banned for its homosexual issues, and again from AMV BBDO. I was quite hyped up about the heinz one as that one seemed completely unrational but this one... I just don't get whats going on with it. The phrasing of "being a real man" just makes it a bit unnecessary.

Even though, I do think its all going a little bit too far, everything has to be completely politically correct and to be honest... Its all a little boring.

http://www.brandrepublic.com/campaign/News/834570/Mars-withdraws-homophobic-Snickers-ad-complaints/

The little update...

Taking the advice of those who kindly commented, all charity efforts have been binned!

The poll for IKEA resulted in an overwhelming majority for the option of "you make it". However that was trumped by the group that thought both were shit.

Some more thinking required on that one.

Some thinking on strategies:

GAP: Worn out.

Colmans: Just add food (I have an inkling this has been done somewhere before so those in the know please tell me if it has! Ta.)

Scholl: Sore feet just aren't sexy.

Pampers: Lets babies go wherever they want to.

Expedia.com: You can't fit experience into a frame (adjustment on the previous see the bigger picture.)

Opinions are welcome. As always.

The monkey business...

Well I thought this would have been mentioned somewhere on the blogs today but im mistaken maybe its not as interesting as i thought it was.

Damon Albarn doing his bit for the olympics last night advertising it through a cartoon on BBC. For me it was much better than I expect the olympics will be, if we can see any of it through the smog that is.

Check out the advert/cartoon bits here...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/monkey/default.stm

The new work list...

Well the products we're working our socks off on now are:

Sure Deoderant
Pampers Nappies
Hidden Hurt (Domestic Violence)
GAP
WWF (world wide fund for nature not wrestling...)
Ikea

Some digital bits for: Play Doh
Next Directory
Scholl Party Feet (maybe a bit of print too...)

The new boys...

They're not new in the sense of new to the business cos theyre not, they've just nearly finished a placement at JWT (read the post on their blog and you'll see what I mean.) and theyre quite a good team!

They're in the blog roll so get clicking. Mike & Phil.

The hokey cokey....

In, out, in , out they shake it all about...

You know the rest, but Lunar predicted right, Craig Davis of JWT is leaving to go back to Australia. We were told that staff within agencies change alot and people shouldn't stay in the same place for very long to move up the ladder, but these last few weeks its all been a bit of musical chairs!

Crazy days eh.

The latest work...

We've added a link to our latest portfolio on the side bar if you want a look.

The first poll...

We've never done a poll before so heres the first,

IKEA. Two ideas for the strapline, but same strategy.

The furnitures bland and basic but its the personality of the consumer that makes it.

So what will it be?

IKEA. Personality not included.

OR

IKEA. You make it.

We know theres quite a few of you checking the blog so please vote and help us out!

The credit crunch?..

Well yesterday Debbie and I were off to see VCCP.

Nikki and Simon were really great help, great advice and Ideas and gave us a great list of products to attack and think up ideas for.

Its given us two campaigns that are definate keepers for our book now so thats good.

The horrible thing we heard though, (and what the title relates to) is the redundancy of Brian Connolly. We went and saw Brian at Saatchi's many a time and really respected his opinion. And apparantly he's not the only one to be shown the door.

Whats going on? I know that money's a big issue right now but Saatchi's making people redundant?

Plus with fiscal situation as it is, it doesnt bode well for new talent who are hoping for paid placements, whichever agency they go to.

The thing microsoft got wrong...

A severely bad system that is WAY too easily destroyed by viruses. My laptop has got one. AGAIN. Its had it one like this before and its not an easily rectifiable situation. When you load it up you get to the main screen and....it cuts out. Every single time. So I can't save any documents and I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to get them back. The computer shop is trying.


So I may not be able to blog too much as stealing the other laptop off my dad ain't easy.

I hate viruses.

(Yes I did have a virus checker. Obviously it wasn't good enough. Yes I did back up my work about a month ago. Anything new has gone. :( )

The thing apple got right....

Well I'm suitably impressed! After long long long hours of attempting to download the new software update for my Ipod Touch, I managed it and started downloading applications all over the place.

I didn't expect anything amazing but I am really wowed by what they've come up with!

The 'accelerator' function is incredible. I don't know how it works but when you can get games like Crash Bandicoot racing where you have to control the cart by actually turning the ipod and monkey ball by doing the same its brilliant! (difficult getting a good balance but thats half the fun!)

And small kudos has to go to BMB... First in there with an advertising based game. Carling's Ipint is really gimicky but really quite funny. A realistic looking pint is poured into the screen of your pod and as you tip the pod, it pours out. cute. Plus a cool game where you have to slide a pint along the bar to your mate waiting at the end of it!

Its free so you cant moan. Crash and Monkey ball aren't free but its worth the money. Psp style games for a fraction of the price and on a much more usable level. Im happily playing around with all the different apps, some useful some fun and some are useless but well done apple.

The funny thing about Cannes....

Someone obviously thought I needed cheering up and sent me this...

See if you can recognise anyone you know?

SMILE....

The depression...

I think Adland is going through a depression...

UK's print work didn't exactly shine at cannes.

The good work is getting ripped from viewing pleasure. (Heinz)

Lunar BBDO went very deep and philosophical today, questioning the meaning of advertising altogether.

Every piece of new work I start working on I'm doubting. I just can't figure out whats good enough anymore.

(yes I know that I was talking about job offers and placements below but they're nowhere near certain and I still can't figure out what it will take to get us that great placement.)

The hypothetical question....

Ok what if...

An award acclaimed agency are starting a placement thing in September and want you involved, well located and paid but not a definate job offer at the end.

But...

A lesser known agency offer you a JOB possibly in the next couple of weeks but far away from home.

Help please, nothings written in stone for either of these but theres a possibility it could be happening and I would LOVE to know what other peoples opinions would be.

What would you do?

The CV thing...

Ok, I know the title says "all about the crit" and thats what I thought it was about.

I've applied for a few online roles (the few junior creative roles there are...) and all of them want a CV.

Now don't get me wrong, I can write a cv.

But is it really necessary? In this industry isn't it all about the work? The ideas? Does it matter what we got where and where we worked in the past (In our instance that list isn't very long.)

You still have to send your portfolio over but I just don't get the CV bit.

The ow factor...

Found this and I believe it must be an international poster as I've never seen it in this country and I think we'd have known if it was. Headache city!

The ABBA fever...

You may all laugh, but I am really looking forward to seeing the Mamma Mia movie. Despite the ABBA connections, if we had never heard of them I still think the movie would be amazing. All the stars involved its a guaranteed hit.

However, I do have one worry. I want to go WATCH the movie and despite it being very tempting I don't want to end up being at a bad kareoke night.

I envision the cinema errupting in spontaneous singing renditions both quite funny and really annoying as the guy sat behind you who cant sing, knowing every word to 'the winner takes it all'.

I know english cinema is alot more restrained than american cinema where people yell at the cinema screen and get quite worked up during a movie. Abba is a classic and obviously those who go will love the songs and will know the words.

Is a singalong inevitable? Could the cinemas play on this? a special night where all these people go along and have a big sing-a-long? Mamma Mia Mania...

The break...

I took a break. Well, thats if you can call crawling out from tonnes of bags and boxes a break. I never realised how much stuff I had stashed away at Uni!

On one hand though it did give me an idea for a campaign lol.

Anyways can't speak for Debs but I've not been up to much we're still working on a few campaign ideas, trying to get those strategies right.

Still watching a few placement opportunities that might be working out for us soon...

Things are looking up.