Had the pleasure of visiting ad agency, RPA, to see a friend today ~ and amidst the creative spaces, and many pics i couldn’t resist taking, firstly, i have to share their murals in the Acura team’s office that have inspired me to want to take a sharpie to my white walls… Jump over to the next page to see how beautiful these murals by Sainty and David Whittle are on the next page!!! Apparently they made these murals in the rp& offices (a division of RPA) while working with them on the insane Acura RDX advertisement where they spent 10 days on 1 wall with 17 painters and used 455 gallons of paint… to make a hand painted 30 second animated spot. WOW. So check out the close ups of the murals, as well as the actual ad spot and the making of! Beautiful stuff!
p.s.
love that they are rp& ~ part of me wishes they were secretly behind The Ampersand blog! Or at least ON it more!
Oh, W+K Studio Goodness ~ you guys are SO sweet, and awesomely inspiring. On fun surprises to come home to after the latest round of travels ~ firstly, how adorable is it that they made the envelope pattern align perfectly? I almost felt bad to pull the envelope off to read the card… but luckily i did, since i couldn’t stop smiling once i saw all the many fun signatures and notes within!!!
SO ~ here we have the unboxing/close up look of the incredible, hand screened (with love!), limited edition of 75 (but only 50 for sale here) 2010 Goodness Calendar… this is lucky number 37! Other than beautiful graphics, i love the note on the back… and that its a calendar that runs from Feb 2010 - Jan 2011… and i totally agree with them, i often forget i need calendars around until well into january, so why not offset it a little? It’s still totally useful!
It’s pretty mind blowing what some artists manage to do with nothing but a pile of red bull cans! I know i’ve been a bit slow in updating the tags recently ~ time flies! So i’m super excited that NOTCOT Advertiser, Red Bull, was game to let me showcase my favorites from the previous Red Bull: Art of the Can winners in the tags for a few weeks! Also, entries are now open for the next round of the Red Bull: Art of the Can contest, so if you think you have what it takes, definitely get chugging the red bulls and designing/building away, then enter here! Now for a bit more inspiration, look at a few close up detail shots of some of my favorites on the next page… i can’t even imagine how they did some of these!
“I’m on a horse.” Hahaha. Ok, i’m sorry, i’ve been watching this one over and over for days and sharing it with people and it just cracks me up every time. So just in case you haven’t already seen the Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” ad… watch it above. If you have? Watch it again!
Now even more fascinating, i love the interview embedded after the jump where “Leo Laporte interviews Craig Allen and Eric Kallman of Wieden + Kennedy to find out how Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” was made.” ~ And it just gets MORE amazing. They did it in practically one shot on a 3 day shoot… building half a boat on the beach at the waters edge ~ having a shower set that gets crane lifted away ~ and as he sits down on a mechanism that rolls him onto a real horse! The only CG stuff ~ they painted out the device… and they superimposed the overflowing diamonds that were coming out of a fake hand…
p.s.
you can even find the actor, Isaiah Mustafa, on twitter and imdb.
Fresh in from Artecnica, the latest in their Design W/ Conscience program with MAL / Media Arts Lab part of TBWA\, Artecnica to find designer solutions to recycling their large format billboards. Remember their Artecnica + TBWA\ Recycled Stretch Bag? Well, these new Laptop Cases are lined with black neoprene to add softness and protection to the case, and come in 13” and 15” sizes. See more images of the case on the next page.
On unexpected gifts that made me LOL and people who’ve helped me navigate the fun intersection between design, advertising, business, online media, and more ~ Chas ran off to India for the holidays (surprisingly, not to find himself, like others i know have been) ~ as advisor and old friend of NOTCOT ~ i asked him to show me some awesome design from india ~ leave it to an ad man to find a way to mix his passion and mine ~ i was gifted with this book (and lots of pictures of india! including ads of india! But also the beautiful found throughout on his adventures.) But back to the book: Welcome To Advertising Now Get Lost by Omkar Sane. The book cover cracked me up. The idea that it had so many playful illustrations throughout was great as well. And if you read it ~ it’s a playful look at the world of ad agencies in india… from the creative directors to the art directors to the clients to the pitches and more… perhaps a lot of it is similar to how it works here. And amidst making a mockery of much of the process (filled with local references), it’s pretty funny, and an amusing perspective on how things work. And as creatives who may either live in a similar world, or tap in to it regularly ~ you’ve got to take a peek at some of the illustrations inside by Aindri Chakraborty on the next page.
Merry Christmas ~ it’s been quite the branded animal holiday season for crazy packages here at NOTCOT this year, and as that “last day before christmas” delivery chaos kicked in, the most beautiful and mysterious box arrived from White Rabbit Inc. (via Fallon and Syfy) ~ you know, that special recon team that the Queen of Hearts has? With the fun microsites and awesome Alice mini series? So now i can BE part of that crazy team, and run around as a White Rabbit too!!! Check out my new latex rabbit head? I must admit its a little freaky up close, but i can’t stop poking at it. Also what better gift to receive than vials of Clear Conscience, Hope, Reassurance, Flying High, Desire, and Serenity to ring in the new decade? One can only dream that they’d perform as labeled if sipped ~ but the fun little legal note warns me otherwise. Just in case. Imagine if it were as easy as it is in Wonderland? Where the Queen lures (ok, traps) humans from our world into her casino, only to pull raw emotions out of them and through their feet to create essences for bottling by the Wonderland Tea Shop ~ they are afterall “Tea for the soul, from the soul.” So take a peek on the next page for a full unboxing as well as some Rabbit-Penguin shots…
They’re heeeeeeere!!! Meet the Puma Penguin Army that arrived yesterday. Sorry i lost a few hours of my day yesterday to unpacking the fort of 20 massive boxes that showed up. And then carefully pulling out each of its foamy filled box… only a few casualties. 1 poor orange guy totally shattered (we’ll consider him a sacrifice in the name of science to see what’s inside a Puma Penguin)… one green guy lost a foot (don’t worry he’s being superglued as you read)… another orange guy has a special sunburst like color fade with a cracked neck (watching him carefully to make sure not to snap his head off!).
PUMA - i just have to say, you guys are amazing. Like, best christmas present ever amazing. THANK YOU! Now that being said ~ go see the many photos of where i first spotted these guys, how they arrived, and just how fun they are en masse. Now the question is, what to do with them???
So you've seen the Day In The Life of the White Rabbit so far... well, here is more of the campaign that Fallon has put together for Syfy. This is one of those posts that took me a while to figure out how/what to show you because while i love each part individually, conceptually all together its fun to see how this one crosses in and out of online, tech, and real world! See if you can follow it all...
1. 50 Real human Rabbits run around NYC
2. Real human rabbits disappear and a huge building sized projection shows the rabbits climbing the wall...
3. Rabbit projections and real rabbits continue to run around NYC prompting people to "FOLLOW ME" which of course means twitter... and real life... (nice use of alice in wonderland meets twitter, fallon.)
4. On the twitter account you can find the link to The White Rabbit Inc, a detective agency of course. The man-rabbit is there again teasing you to follow.
5. Clicking him takes you to Wonderland Tea Shop, where he causes some havoc and teases you to follow once again.
6. Now you end up at the Happy Hearts Casino, faced with an eerie Kathy Bates Queen of Hearts backed by some show girls... and he escapes again, waiting for you to follow.
7. Where you finally land at Syfy's Alice.
Oh, but wait, that's not all... Also fascinating, Kay jewelers is sponsoring the miniseries, and they've done even MORE silliness to integrate with them... There is also Alice's Jewelry Box, where you essentially click on each of the Kay jewelry pieces to get to the "fabled Stone of Wonderland" ring of Alice's, which then lets you see concept art for the film...
I can't help but wonder, what's next? Where can i get a Rabbit mask? Will the miniseries live up to the campaign? There is so much talk these days of ways to integrate social media, ways to use twitter, how to innovate on really engaging people (in both real and online worlds) for campaigns... and i'm loving what Fallon and Syfy have pulled off with this one. With so many ideas floating around, they've definitely taken it further than most would expect, and it feels like everyone has had a blast doing it! So take a peek to see the different parts of this campaign (and a fun video too!) on the next page!
Did you see him running around last night? Love this video of the projection of the White Rabbit running through NYC… Fallon has really gone all out with a Syfy for their latest flick, Alice! (Can’t wait to check it out on sunday)… before i share more of the campaign, check out more pics!
Or perhaps some of you in NYC even saw him running around today? Before i even begin to show you what else i’ve found, let’s just take a look at these really fun and surreal pics of a day in the life of the White Rabbit… See pics of the White Rabbit/s doing everything from sitting in the office, to photocopying, to doing the crossword, to ice skating… and more! on the next page.
So that sudden redeye from SF to NY (you know, the one that left my poor new carnivorous plants hanging out in my car in SFO somewhere) it is for the Dyson Air Multiplier Fan launch ~ and just between you and i, it took everything inside me not to get all fan girl while meeting James Dyson, and he was so incredibly nice (smart too of course!). But while i have lots of pics of the launch as well as the fans themselves... first things first ~ how adorable is the press kit? Stunning, sleek little brushed stainless usb key on a wire keychain attached to a book describing how not to waste those OLD fan blades that are now being rendered obsolete? (nearly?) ~ So, had to share with you "The demise of the buffetting blade: 20 Uses for the old buffetting blade" and adorably cheeky little book, my quick hotel shots may not fully do it justice, but you'll get the idea, and perhaps a quick giggle too. So flip through the details with me on the next page...
Mmmm, who doesn't love surprise packages in brown paper tied up with string? This latest mysterious piece of mail comes from the very awesome folks at W+K teasing me about their new ARG (Alternative Reality Game), Levis Go Forth, that just launched yesterday! (You twitter followers will recall i gave you a heads up when we were 20 min from the start!) SO what is it? Well, you'll have to take a peek into the package on the next page... but from what i can gather we have the opportunity to win G.O. Fourth's fortune of $100,000. Mixing part story, part scavenger hunt adventure, and part puzzle game ~ between online, word of mouth, real world events and more layered across the country and internet ~ we're currently in Phase Two of this adventure where the Online intersects with Reality... Phase Three is all about the Real World... and in Nov the final phase will narrow things down to 100 finalists to solve the final puzzle... SO, game on? See what was in the mysterious envelope on the next page!
Oh, BMW. Haha. Nothing like a hilarious new video from BMW, for BMW.tv, which manages to poke fun at Audi while simultaneously making you giggle and inspire you to want to leap into your car as you take off for work this monday morning. While their first Jump For Joy video launched two days ago ~ its the twist that got added in this latest version that will really make you gasp... then giggle. Watch it on the next page!
On inspirational spaces ~ and that very odd feeling of wishing i had a huge office filled with creatives to hang out and play with (not that you kids here on the internet aren't fun!) ~ who knew that answering a random email/twitter would lead to having such an inspiring lunch over at TBWA\Chiat\Day, and getting a chance to explore their VERY fun office space over in Playa Del Rey? I suddenly have the hankering to break out the vinyl cutter and fill unexpected spots with giant quotes... play with designing guest stickers (for people entering the house/office???)... spray painting giant logos out on the floor of the patio... build a BAR out of surfboards... and so much more silliness... It was really incredible to be in a place that so clearly prioritized creativity and the generation of fun ideas. Don't get me wrong, i've always loved advertising, and i REALLY love the visual and innovative sides... but recently as i've learned about advertising on the web, i've gotten to see the less fun side of it (negotiations, accounts, ideas that get devolved until unrecognizable - as well as incredible ones of course!)... I guess you could say it was fun to have that moment of "ooooh so THIS is where my crazy campaigns and banner ads come from"... and just so nice to connect with real people behind the artwork, ideas, and campaigns.
SO ~ take a peek inside TBWA\Chiat\Day, the incredible land of ad legend, Lee Clow... tons of pics on the next page!
p.s. Huge thanks to all the TBWA\Chiat\Day-ers who knew NOTCOT ~ it's such an honor to hear the sites help keep you inspired! And i'm not kidding about being curious to see what else you find out there that i miss!
There's something so fun about the juxtaposition of animation running around the real world ~ adorable campaign by the Swedish Tourism board aimed at brits - Dave Goes To Skåne. When i first saw this over at CPLuv i had to go watch them all! Dave is a cheeky cartoon londoner running around mouthing off in some gorgeous swedish spots ~ and you cant help but laugh, then wish you too were lying on the beach, or climbing about designer goodness in the woods... see the 4 videos on the next page!
I can't even remember the last time a piece of mail made me literally JUMP (and yes, maybe shriek slightly...) - and please do NOT take this as a challenge! But i was however intrigued enough to share this super simple design with you ~ complete with video so you can experience it too. Nissan Cube - well done. You got me. As much as i hate cubist cars, this is just too fun a use of paper and rubberbands not to share... so check out video and pics on the next page!
So i'm in San Diego ~ wandering the gaslamp district, and for the first time i'm actually STAYING in the gaslamp (i've lived in sd for years in so many different places, but never really stayed downtown much)... and as soon as i was cruising towards the convention center white picket fences caught my eye ~ then i saw the big Cafe Diem sign! (Yes! the fictitious Eureka cafe) And cardboard cutouts of the Eureka cast! And huge Syfy logos.... and had to swing back over. (Unfortunately the Cafe Diem main sign had JUST fallen over when i got back with a camera, so perhaps an update with that later!)
So as far as marketing/sponsorship opportunities go ~ i'm impressed! Last year there was a Eureka ice cream truck ~ and this year they really stepped up the food serving idea and took over a cafe across from the convention center. The branding is impeccable as expected... from the picket fence, to the signage, to the purple gumballs, to the backs of all the counter seats, coasters, and more... and brilliant idea as far as fun places to have Syfy meetings? Or meet for drinks? or have parties? And talk about a captive audience, it's still a fully functioning cafe... Love the versatility of branding a full service space. Take a peek at more pics on the next page!
p.s.
What's next? Will we get to explore a life sized S.A.R.A.H?
Just got home and ended up playing way too much Rock Band tonight ~ so as tired as my body might be, my mind was inspired to show you this awesome limited edition MWM Graphics Rock Band Guitar that i've been meaning to post! Before we get into looking at how sweet this guitar is... lets get all the complicated collaborations and brands out of the way ~ this Geometric Funk XBOX 360 Rock Band Guitar was created by MWM Graphics, which is Matt W. Moore, for Pepsi Rock Band 2009 to promote the Pepsi/Yahoo/Harmonix/MTV Drink Up, Rock Out promotion! Basically, gamers can submit their own Rock Band music videos for a chance to win a MTV Video Music Award Moonman, as well as other great Rock Band prizes under the caps of Pepsi bottles everywhere! I just got distracted midway through post writing while watching a bunch of the videos, some are pretty hilarious - here, check this one out.
ANYHOW, beyond the pretty fun campaign going on (i think you have till Sept to rock out and make a fun music video!) ~ stepping back and checking it out ~ i just love that this is art + video games + music + UGC + ad campaign. It's so fun to see the graphic stylings of favorites like MWM Graphics on a Rock Band fender guitar! I must say the number of brands you can tie into this whole endeavor is hurting my head slightly ~ but that aside ~ could the rock band guitar be the new tshirt/skateboard to customize for artists? Check out more pics of this gorgeous collaboration on the next page ~ as well as some screenshots of the campaign (i'm liking the site design!).
Ooooh a behind the scenes look at the work of Florence Deygas for Veuve Clicquot. Deygas is also the creator of the adorable Caprino & Peperone, those two doggies that are the Colette mascots!!! I love the beauty and simplicity of her brushstroke paintings ~ and it's no surprise that she's collaborated with Veuve Clicquot so many times. (Here's a peek at an installation video she did with them in 2007 ~ where her work looks nearly like lipstick on floor to ceiling windows illustrating the skyline below... See the video!) She has also collaborated with brands such as Fendi, Yves Sain Laurent, Nokia, Vogue and Lacoste.
I was initially torn to have so many Veuve Clicquot related postings back to back ~ but realized i feel like i've found a kindred spirit in the VC brand ~ and their collaborations and support of incredible artists and designers consistently has proven incredibly inspiring time and time again. As far as brands go, i suppose i'd love to have NOTCOT take a similar route someday, finding new ways to not only help share incredible works we discover, but also help inspire, support, and collaborate with artists and designers we love! But until then... click through to the next page and see more of this latest collaboration between Florence Deygas and Veuve Clicquot, as well as a peek at the artist at work!
Samsung has their new LED TVs out ~ you've probably seen the ads just starting here at NOTCOT, and i have a new surprise to show you related to that soon (more to come when i can share!)... but all you need to know for now is that Linhchi and i have been closely getting to know the hummingbird in their ads the last week, and i kind of love it, even as much as it spreads quickly from tv ads to our online ads to magazine spreads and more... I just spotted the advert at FEED and they highlighted that the CG was produced by NY based 1st Ave Machine who has done some very awesome work worth checking out. So, happy saturday, and enjoy this gorgeous CG spot ~ its like a crazy iridescent hummingbird with insect like wings and a mesmerizingly drippy gooey quetzal like tail?
People are always asking me what ads i wish i had on NOTCOT ~ well... this latest campaign from Puma and Foot Locker: "Foot Locker Unlocked - Puma Archive" TOTALLY fits! I was so jealous of Gizmodo when i saw these! The typography is just so so awesome! See more screenshots on the next page ~ including the fun giz placements ~ and if you know who made these, leave a comment!
Now you've seen CoralineBox #21... So, where are all of those other 50 Coraline boxes? And what is inside them? What else are people finding around the internet? Around their neighborhood shops and on buildings? I have been fascinated exploring them all for the last few hours, so i've rounded up previews of all of those i've found so far on the next page... and really they are just teasers, explore the many links to see what all these incredible designed boxes hold!
Have you been following the crafty animation filled horror-fairytale based on the Neil Gaiman book, Coraline, that is taking the internet by storm? Well, taking the internet on both digitally (the Coraline site is pretty mind-blowing to explore being filled with secrets all around as well as goodies like videos, posters, downloads and more) and via snail mail with some very very awesome packages landing at the doorsteps of 50 of the Laika Animation Studio's favorite blogs, and then even more paper wrapped packages from your "Other Mother" to other sites as well... Is it no wonder that a studio founded by Phil Knight (co-founder and Chairman of Nike) and based in Portland, Oregon, is creating a mastermind campaign creating incredible one off pieces, as well as mysterious surprises throughout the world? From these 50 boxes, to mysterious button keys appearing in various shops and hanging from abandoned buildings... Well, before i share with you my last few hours of scouring the net with curiosity...
Of those 50 boxes circulating... i'm honored to share Coraline Box #21/50 which arrived while i was in Vegas the last few days... in it, you'll see an assortment of wigs from the "other" father, the real father, and Coraline herself... It's packaging as art, props as marketing, pieces of the animation process as education... all in all its brilliant, playful, personalized, and the whole search throughout the world and internet to find out more is invigoratingly engaging! So without further ado, see the gallery of images of Box #21 on the next page (as well as other goodies of course!)...
Hi. So. I don't even know where to start right now, in a nutshell ~ who was i kidding (maybe pretty much myself) that i would be able to work during an the all day FM Conversational Marketing Summit that our Federated Media family is putting on? I think i've been running around since early this morning - all day through the summit, getting to know the advertising/marketing world, meeting the people behind the campaigns we love and admire, then drinks... then dinner... then... well finally home to linhchi's at like 12:30? Only to supposedly be up and do it again tomorrow? And be on a panel at 2?
Well you know me. I'm about to pass out (and sorry this post is a bit ramblier than usual, SO tired) ~ but i had to find SOMETHING to post and share with you! It just feels too wrong to be running around chatting with people who love our sites, and not post to do so! So, for anyone at the summit, yes, that was me... in the grass outside the cocktail reception, in that perfect sunset lighting, sprawled across the grass in a little black dress shooting pictures of our new macbook pro and macbook that dan and i might have ducked out of an afternoon session to run over to the marina to pick up. And while i am embarrassed to say that i have not actually booted either machine yet, and may not get to do the inaugural booting/transferring/notcot loading until AFTER tomorrow (how wrong is that?)... i did take a bunch of pics of the packaging and details in the grass in the presidio before getting back to "work" ~ meeting some incredibly insightful agency creatives, marketers, sales people that i've probably swapped far too much email with. So, take a peek at the pics on the next page, and more to come after i try to survive tomorrow...
For those at the CM Summit, come say hi at the 2pm panel i'm on? I'm so nervous! And for those not here ~ one of my biggest goals here as a publisher, is to get to know some of the people behind the ads and campaigns, and ultimately see what it will take to turn advertising on NOTCOT into as much fun as the content (really, we all know there's no excuse for ugly, useless creative) ~ and how we can convince advertisers to support what the readers want to see more of! (On one thing i can leak... sounds like a really exciting competition with Adobe for CS4 is in the works, so get those creative juices flowing! And it just shipped today! I totally spaced on getting a copy while i was at the apple store...) As readers, any and all ideas you have on what you'd love to see more of ~ please leave a comment and i'll do what i can to make it happen.
When an email comes that says "Think Issac Asimov meets the Jetsons" ~ you can't not click on it. And good thing i did, because the crew at AB5TRAX just sent over their brand new ad spot Hello George, an incredibly moving, beautiful, futuristic animation where George Jetson's car in a briefcase is... a Toyota Prius!
Here's what Hunter Woo mentioned in the email, "It was designed, conceived and created all inhouse, we built the 3D in Maya , and modeled the world from real pictures of the earth
from space... I thought it might be a fitting tribute / theme for the other posts dealing with views from space up now."
Had the pleasure of visiting ad agency, RPA, to see a friend today ~ and amidst the creative spaces, and many pics i couldn’t resist taking, firstly, i have to share their murals in the Acura team’s office that have inspired me to want to take a sharpie to my white walls… Jump over to the next page to see how beautiful these murals by Sainty and David Whittle are on the next page!!! Apparently they made these murals in the rp& offices (a division of RPA) while working with them on the insane Acura RDX advertisement where they spent 10 days on 1 wall with 17 painters and used 455 gallons of paint… to make a hand painted 30 second animated spot. WOW. So check out the close ups of the murals, as well as the actual ad spot and the making of! Beautiful stuff!
Oh, 
Fresh in from 
On unexpected gifts that made me LOL and people who’ve helped me navigate the fun intersection between design, advertising, business, online media, and more ~ 
Merry Christmas ~ it’s been quite the branded animal holiday season for crazy packages here at NOTCOT this year, and as that “last day before christmas” delivery chaos kicked in, the most beautiful and mysterious box arrived from 
They’re heeeeeeere!!! Meet the 
So you've seen the 
Or perhaps some of you in NYC even saw him running around today? Before i even begin to show you what else i’ve found, let’s just take a look at these really fun and surreal pics of a day in the life of the White Rabbit… See pics of the White Rabbit/s doing everything from sitting in the office, to photocopying, to doing the crossword, to ice skating… and more! on the next page. 
So that sudden redeye from SF to NY (you know, the one that left my poor new carnivorous plants hanging out in my car in SFO somewhere) it is for the 
Mmmm, who doesn't love surprise packages in brown paper tied up with string? This latest mysterious piece of mail comes from the very awesome folks at 
Oh, 
On inspirational spaces ~ and that very odd feeling of wishing i had a huge office filled with creatives to hang out and play with (not that you kids here on the internet aren't fun!) ~ who knew that answering a random email/
There's something so fun about the juxtaposition of animation running around the real world ~ adorable campaign by the Swedish Tourism board aimed at brits - 
I can't even remember the last time a piece of mail made me literally JUMP (and yes, maybe shriek slightly...) - and please do NOT take this as a challenge! But i was however intrigued enough to share this super simple design with you ~ complete with video so you can experience it too. 
So i'm in San Diego ~ wandering the gaslamp district, and for the first time i'm actually STAYING in the gaslamp (i've lived in sd for years in so many different places, but never really stayed downtown much)... and as soon as i was cruising towards the convention center white picket fences caught my eye ~ then i saw the big Cafe Diem sign! (Yes! the fictitious 
Just got home and ended up playing way too much Rock Band tonight ~ so as tired as my body might be, my mind was inspired to show you this awesome limited edition 
Ooooh a behind the scenes look at the work of 
People are always asking me what ads i wish i had on NOTCOT ~ well... this latest campaign from Puma and Foot Locker: "
Now you've seen 
Have you been following the crafty animation filled horror-fairytale based on the Neil Gaiman book, 
Hi. So. I don't even know where to start right now, in a nutshell ~ who was i kidding (maybe pretty much myself) that i would be able to work during an the all day 
When an email comes that says "Think Issac Asimov meets the Jetsons" ~ you can't not click on it. And good thing i did, because the crew at 
