Last night popped over to the Beverly Hills Anthropologie down the street to celebrate the launch of the new Sundance Channel Show Man Shops Globe ~ and some late night shopping, some Stella Artois and Ferrero Rocher too of course... While normally not so much a reality TV person, this one is pretty fun! I love Anthropologie, and global shopping, and in this show you get to explore the world with Keith Johnson, buyer-at-large for Anthropologie, as he scopes out everything from St. Ouen Flea Market in Paris, the Kapalicarsi Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and Piet Botha's Craft Shop in Cape Town... it's a shopaholics dream. Did you know they actually shop for all the one offs strewn across the stores... and absolutely anything you see in a store (furniture, displays, etc) are ALL for sale?!?!?! I had no idea... on that note, take a peek at a preview vid as well as some pics of the very cute (and huge!) beverly hills store ~ the succulent and bromeliad displays were my favorite of course...
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!
Ok on aspects of this trip that i shamelessy geeked out on... did you know that's how champagne corks start? Before they get mushroomed? And the machine that mushroomifies them and puts the cage on is really cool? (Cool enough i had to make a video to share with you of course!) Also, there was definitely a warm fuzzy feeling that overcame me as Veuve Clicquot brought us to visit a tiny (relatively speaking!) grand cru champagne maker ~ Gatinois, a family-run business located in Aÿ since 1696, at the foot of the Montagne de Reims. While they have been selling half their crop to neighbor, Bollinger, they are producing more and more of their own label. It was infectious how passionate Pierre Cheval-Gatinois was as he shared his company's story and history and process with us (his son is starting to step in as the 12th generation!)... perhaps the biggest contrast was visiting his cellars compared to les creyeres of Veuve Clicquot... the shift in scale was amazing, and you must check out the exposed wires running the lighting (to fry yourself, just reach up and grab one in each hand)... Oh, and also, the amber blush tone of the champagne is gorgeous and it is extremely delicious... but unfortunately it they don't have a distributor in LA! Anyhow, on the next page you can see lots of pics, and the video of how the corks transform to magically to the mushrooms we associate with champagne!
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!
So, you may have heard Mark Hoppus (yes, of Blink 182) ~ loves him some Octopus... it's even his personal logo that a family friend (Sacha, screen writer by day, artist by... amusement?) made for him... and its quickly spreading to stickers, shirts, vinyl toys, and now a limited edition laser engraved USB key. Actually only 100 USB keys... and on even more amazing things, apparently Mark is a long time NOTCOT reader, and was kind enough to toss one my way to give away to one of you!!! (Also he is an avid twitterer, and those who follow me may have noticed when i found out he was a reader.)
As for this limited edition USB key ~ 100 were made by Mojo Laboratories to promote the Mark Hoppus remix of Fall Out Boy's "America's Sweethearts". On the keys are the remix mp3, music video, a special Hoppus/Octopus pic, and a behind the photoshoot video... and a special code to get a Tshirt!
THE GIVEAWAY: Here's the deal ~ to win the key ~ leave a comment with your favorite Blink 182 or Fall Out Boy lyrics and which song they are from. And Friday midnight 5/15 EST (i'll be in NY) ~ i'll pick a random winner from the comments!
Now, if you're ready, head to the next page to see the tons of pics and Octopus info and closeups of the tiny adorable drive (yes, i'm having a hard time giving it up!) and sneak peeks at some of the contents you'll find on the drive...
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?
On impressive structures and interactivity that had to be videoed ~ the bamboo installations of Bamboo DNA (known for massive bamboo sculptures at music festivals all over the world!) at Lucent L'amour were stunning, and the fire-y flamebots that responded to the music around were mesmerizing as well! Check out the video below and the pictures on the next page to make sense of them!
As you know by now, there is nothing standard about The Standard ~ their logo likes to be upside down, their decor unexpected, their store schwag designer... is it any surprise that their Staff Calendar this year resembles a retro yearbook? Well, a yearbook where everyone is incredibly attractive and calling out all the stereotypes... from the prom queen and the stoner to the jocks and nerds... which were you?
Well while you ponder that ~ jump over to the next page where you can watch a fun little video where all the characters unfold ~ followed by a candid "making of" the video and calendar shoot!
There are only 500 copies of this 4th annual calendar available, and while traditionally they were only sent to say thank you to their most regular guests... this year and they can be found in The Standard Shop! "Shot at on location at The Standard, Downtown LA by Michael Elins, this year's is perhaps our favorite yet. Staff flew to LA from each of the Standards' home towns after being cast for the shoot. Designed as a desktop or bookshelf calendar, it measures 7.5" tall by 3" wide when folded, and about 6" wide when assembled."
And i just got another semi-exclusive (well, they said 5 sites get access?) video about the design and history behind this handmade, gorgeous Aston Martin One-77... see the video and more stills on the next page!
The internet is a buzz with rumors on the latest "viral" video of Dan Aykroyd showing us his new Crystal Head Vodka in a gorgeous glass skull. Rumors include this being a video for the new Ghostbusters or some Indiana Jones... but i guess lesson to be learned here is ~ just because it's going viral, doesn't mean it's not real!
I actually bought a few bottles today ~ lots of pics on the next page! Not the smooooothest thing i've tasted, but it's not bad, and i'm totally in love with the glass skull bottle made by Bruni Glass in Milan, Italy. Apparently it is made by Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd, out of Newfoundland water triple crystal filtered through herkimer diamonds (aka double-terminated quartz crystals)! Really the story is just great though, and the video and bottle make the experience priceless ~ here are excerpts from the box: "In reverence of those enlightened after touching any of the thirteen crystal heads unearthed around our globe we offer this pure spirit"... "One of the most compelling archeological mysteries is the story of the 13 Crystal Heads. These heads are believed to be between 5,000 and 35,000 years old and were carved over a period of several hundred years but without any tool marks. In fact their very construction defies the laws of physics and common logic. They are believed to offer spiritual power to those who hold or possess them."
See the pictures of the real thing and the video on the next page!
UPDATE: Dan did some crazy internet researching for us and here are some fun facts: Dan Aykroyd is not only an actor, but co-founder of the House of Blues, part owner of Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd (which distributes Patron in Canada), and is building his own winery, Dan Aykroyd Wines (which uses 100% snob free grapes!). There is a great interview with him on delish before the vodka release where he exposes how serious he is about wine, Crystal Skulls, UFOs, and "pure spirit from Newfoundland glacial pool water, and peaches and cream corn mash"!
I'm sure by now you've heard about Esquire's 75th Anniversary Cover ~ limited edition of 100,000 ~ with real E-Ink embedded in the cover. Over at Esquire, they've even opened up the discussion about whether you can hack it... and even show you where it all came from... So as a random Sunday amusement, couldn't help picking it up from the newsstand, and as much as i resisted, i lasted a few minutes before i HAD to rip it apart and poke at the digital guts. So on the next page you can see video of it before and after, pictures of how it works, and scans as well!
Rotofugi, the awesome toy store, has made an incredibly gorgeous little animation, The Collectors, which showcases some of our favorite toys animated and collecting... HUMANS! So awesome, totally made me smile. See it on the next page!
Curious how the magic happens? I have always been mesmerized watching master marker renderers and sketch artists at work... While visiting ToyotaCalty Design Research, i had a chance to see Project Chief Designer, Ian Cartabiano, show us how it's really done on a huge apple monitor and wacom tablet (he's old school, and likes having the tablet while seeing the screen, versus those who love the Cintiqs).
So you can see one of my little home videos (one of these days with some combination of time, energy, extra pair of hands, etc i will make proper videos with real editing and maybe even music?) ~ giving you a quick skip through the presentation ~ from initial stages, to some highlights, to a flip back and forth between finished and initial sketches, and the crucial signature!
But honestly, if you want to learn how to sketch cars properly, you should probably go take Ian's class at Art Center ~ after graduating Art Center, he got pulled right into Toyota and has been there for 11 years... while simultaneously teaching... keep an eye out for his latest exterior design, the 2009 Venza!
Xylophone Bin, 2008, by Dominic Wilcox - Made of Oak + Steel. Created for a VIPP Charity auction in NewYork to raise money for Chernobyl Children's Project International and Foodbank NYC.
"When the pedal is pressed the lid opens, releasing a ball that travels down a 'helterskelter' set of xylophone steps around the bin. Each time the ball hits a step, a note is played. The xylophone steps are cut in increasing lengths so that the note gets deaper as the ball gets closer to the bottom.See the 2 videos below, The Xylophone Bin video and a 'Making of' video. As part of the auction event Vipp bins have been customised by artists, designers and celebrities including Bono, Michael Stipe and Helena Christensen. They are on show at the Conran shop East 59th st, 1st ave, New York from 4th - 17thSeptember 08. Auction will be held on the 18th september 08."
Molecular Gastronomy is one of those things that mixes design, science, and food/drinks so nicely, i've been fascinated with the concept for ages... and as i learned more, Molecular Mixology has become even more of a fascination! So when i got a press release about Xavier Herit's new take on the Cointreau Pearls, it launched me off on a research mission across the web, finding out more about the creation of Cointreau Pearls across the world, the special kit they produced just for bartenders, videos of it in action, and lots more images on the next page to catch you up on my finds! Above you are seeing a close up of Xavier's Cointreau Pearls in which he infused strawberry, and he serves them alongside Margaritas, and also floating in glasses of champagne.
P.S. Now, if only i could get Cointreau to teach me how to do it! It's so tempting to start up a crazy lab/bar and start experimenting with all of these new techniques... perhaps a future project for the newly named NOTLabs?
Nudibranchs ~ i've been obsessed with these gorgeous creatures since my first dives as a kid in south east asia. David Doubilet ~ i grew up on his breath taking photography. Combine them ~ and video ~ and National Geographic... and i've been swooning over this Nudibranch feature on the National Geographic website for days now. So looking beyond the subject matter for a moment, from a photographic/design perspective... what really struck me about this series of photos, was the process! Seldom do you see these beautiful (tiny) little slug like creatures pop off so vibrantly on a perfectly white background... they look more like supermodels in a photo studio... so watching the video blew my mind to see that David Doubilet and his team actually went diving with a portable studio that they brought TO the nudibranches, shooting them where they found them, and only moving them when they weren't doing any complicated nudibranch activities (mating, feeding, etc). See the full gallery here, and see some of my favorites as well as the set up they used on the next page!
Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs came out last week, and i only just had time to grab a copy of the DVD today, perfect for lazy sunday watching while working. This is the second of 4 feature length epic DVDs (the first was Bender's Big Score, Bender's Game is coming Nov 2008, and The Wild Green Yonder in April 2009)... what struck be besides how fun the cartoons always are, were the great DVD packaging design and poster graphics of The Beast with a Billion Backs - in perfect retro sci-fi fashion, particularly loving the Metropolis poster parody for Bender's Big Score! Also cute are the "Carbon Neutral" Stickers on both this one as well as the first... see all the pieces in high res on the next page!
SPORE! SPORN [nsfw]! And all the madness that has flown around the internets over the launch of the Spore Creature Creator. Since the Spore folks asked us to make a creature for the Spore Vote site - no, i'm no Sporelebrity, just a mere More Spore if i ever get my creatures sorted out and sent in to them. On a side note, how funny are their Sporelebrities? You have the webby kids from Digg, Arrington, iJustine, Scoble, Veronica Belmont - and then tv actors like the OC guy, Alias guy, Sabrina the teenage witch, old saved by the bell guy... and stan lee and emeril... Yes yes, i know they have names, but just surveying the group made me laugh this lazy Saturday.
SO, back to the Spore Creatures ~ dan started challenging me to make "cute" ones that weren't what nightmares were made of... and then creatures with "fewest vertebrae possible" (turns out that is 2)... and other silly tasks, so in trying out the high res picture taking and video capturing... check out a few of my silly creatures (and vid!) on the next page... i've also added the video of the f*ck slug, which is a great example of Spore Typography!
I'm mixed on how to feel ~ so watch it and share your opinions. Improv Everywhere ~ they get large groups together and go... take off their shirts in Abercrombie, carry DESKTOPS into Starbucks, wear blue shirts into Best Buy, and even froze time at Grand Central Station (embedded on next page in case you've missed it!)... and NOW... Taco Bell loved the concept so much, they hired Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere to pull off the latest prank at the grand opening of the Taco Bell in Flushing. It's hilarious watching the reactions of the people (video on next page!) - and a bit sad to watch that being frozen for a few seconds, there are people who are already poking at you, eating your food, and cutting you in line! So... thoughts? I think its great to see guys like Charlie getting paid to do what they are already doing so well! And great exposure to share the fun with people who may not be up on their internet memes... and nice to have some entertaining adverts... but i'm not sure, how do you guys feel about these corporate virals?
"In his former life as a tracker of dangerous game in the unforgiving Australian outback, the Sniper would spend months by himself. Prolonged isolation taught him a valuable lesson: You don't have to rely on other people if you never miss."
On gorgeous video games, and teaser vids ~ loving this one of The Sniper for Valve's Team Fortress 2! Nothing like this rational animated aussie sniper... Watch it on the next page...
Woohoo! Viral videos finally have better quality, are more thought out, and have great music. Ok, so i've been waiting for this day for a while, and i'm glad we've entered into that era lately... Moving along... Let's kick off this monday with the viral set of Levi's genius... First - they gave us "Guys backflipping into jeans" (SO good). Second - came "Super chill monkey does Hollywood" (I can see how it works for some people...)...
And today i'm excited to show you the third - "Guys fill their jeans with helium"! Yes, jeans, duct tape, and helium... add a dash of some awesome music (the song "YADNUS" by Chk Chk Chk)... some playful guys... toss them in downtown LA... finish off with the creatives at UnbuttonedFilms... and *poof* the perfect viral for Monday, which i suppose is in a way a backwards sunday! SO, without further ado, click to the next page to see all three vids!
p.s.
well produced ridiculousness is far too fun to get me going this morning!
Cartier is taking on love ~ and was kind enough to surprise me with a DHL package this morning with a little gift in it (more to come on that later) ~ in part announcing their new Love.Cartier site. Today i learned the story of their classic "love" bracelet - the iconic piece with the screw heads along the band - and a screwdriver to lock you in - "In the 1970's, imagination soared to new heights and any folly was possible. Cartier created the ultimate symbol of loving commitment: in the manner of handcuffs, the famous bracelet closes with a tiny screwdriver. Its humorous impudence appealed and was immediately adopted by legendary couples as a cult jewel. Love is a provocative talisman, a rallying cry for modern love, totally free from convention."
In their marketing comeback, they have created a site dedicated to love - manifested in music, art, and film. The music is nice if you're into that romantic mood setting stuff... and the art seemed a bit buggy on their flash site for me... but i was surprised that the films are what really caught my eye, and i actually sat here going through all 12 in order and loved them. The filmography is absolutely breathtaking ~ the black and whites, playful uses of light, gorgeous parisian backdrops... *swoon*... and they go through 12 tiny fragments of love stories tackling: The Declaration, Forgiveness, The Kiss, Infinite Love, Hero of Love, First Love, A Life of Love, A Loving Liaison, Love on Hold, Knowing How..., Seduction, and The Decision. Personally my favorite are First Love, Seduction, and Love on Hold - i'm sure you'll see why - if you have the time i recommend you go through them in order though, renowned director, Olivier Dahan, ends every pieces with a hint of what you see at the start of the next ~ and weaves them all together in such a beautiful way... see a few screenshots on the next page...
Wow. Iron Man. I actually fought going to it, since i've been pretty let down as far as superhero movies go lately... but i must admit it exceeded my very low expectations by quite a bit, and i now have a massive case of house/lab envy. Beautiful (fictitious) house in malibu overlooking point dume... tons of windows, insane lab below, beautiful bedroom overlooking the pacific, castiglioni's arco lamp in the living room... and that LAB, with the adorable (in personality) robots, and gorgeous collection of cars (i groaned when they smashed some)... can the next side project for NOTCOT be starting a crazy research lab here overlooking the beach for fun?
Anyhow, just got back, and i can't get that house out of my head ~ video on the next page of a walkthrough of the set, but unfortunately, low res, and it could use a few better shots of the house - see the movie to see it properly? Also interesting to note... gwyneth paltrow in stilettos and pencil skirts *running* away from giant robot on grates, seriously? And product placement galore as well - his need for burger king, and constantly flipping those LG phones... OH and i was drooling over those Audi R8s the whole time too (thanks, nick, for the reminder in the comments).
On interesting PR emails i received today, this one was pretty funny... i have no idea whether this was a contrived spot, it does seem plausible it could have been an accident, but none the less it has that Blair Witch/Cloverfield panicked "attack of the crabs!" feeling to it... and it's a fun friday video (embedded on the next page for your viewing pleasure!)... So what do you think? And does it work? Behind the scenes footage of Discovery Channel shows are definitely fascinating... this one of the Crab accident is from the Discovery Channel show, Deadliest Catch.
After seeing .org #10303, i was smitten by the adorable Creature Comfort Critters, doing there thing in 10 spots on "going green" for the Animal Planet on their microsite, The Animals Save the Planet. And the animation and graphics were so beautiful, i couldn't resist featuring the wallpapers and calendar here as well! See them all on the next page...
Last night popped over to the Beverly Hills Anthropologie down the street to celebrate the launch of the new Sundance Channel Show Man Shops Globe ~ and some late night shopping, some Stella Artois and Ferrero Rocher too of course... While normally not so much a reality TV person, this one is pretty fun! I love Anthropologie, and global shopping, and in this show you get to explore the world with Keith Johnson, buyer-at-large for Anthropologie, as he scopes out everything from St. Ouen Flea Market in Paris, the Kapalicarsi Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and Piet Botha's Craft Shop in Cape Town... it's a shopaholics dream. Did you know they actually shop for all the one offs strewn across the stores... and absolutely anything you see in a store (furniture, displays, etc) are ALL for sale?!?!?! I had no idea... on that note, take a peek at a preview vid as well as some pics of the very cute (and huge!) beverly hills store ~ the succulent and bromeliad displays were my favorite of course...
Oh, 
Ok on aspects of this trip that i shamelessy geeked out on... did you know that's how champagne corks start? Before they get mushroomed? And the machine that mushroomifies them and puts the cage on is really cool? (Cool enough i had to make a video to share with you of course!) Also, there was definitely a warm fuzzy feeling that overcame me as Veuve Clicquot brought us to visit a tiny (relatively speaking!) grand cru champagne maker ~ 
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 - 
On impressive structures and interactivity that had to be videoed ~ the bamboo installations of 
As you know by now, there is nothing standard about 
Today's the last chance to send me your info if 
The internet is a buzz with rumors on the latest "viral" video of Dan Aykroyd showing us his new 
I'm sure by now you've heard about 
Curious how the magic happens? I have always been mesmerized watching master marker renderers and sketch artists at work... While visiting 
Molecular Gastronomy is one of those things that mixes design, science, and food/drinks so nicely, i've been fascinated with the concept for ages... and as i learned more, Molecular Mixology has become even more of a fascination! So when i got a press release about Xavier Herit's new take on the 
Nudibranchs ~ i've been obsessed with these gorgeous creatures since my first dives as a kid in south east asia. 
I'm mixed on how to feel ~ so watch it and share your opinions. 
"In his former life as a tracker of dangerous game in the unforgiving Australian outback, the Sniper would spend months by himself. Prolonged isolation taught him a valuable lesson: You don't have to rely on other people if you never miss."
Woohoo! Viral videos finally have better quality, are more thought out, and have great music. Ok, so i've been waiting for this day for a while, and i'm glad we've entered into that era lately... Moving along... Let's kick off this monday with the viral set of Levi's genius... First - they gave us "Guys backflipping into jeans" (SO good). Second - came "Super chill monkey does Hollywood" (I can see how it works for some people...)...
Wow. 
On interesting PR emails i received today, this one was pretty funny... i have no idea whether this was a contrived spot, it does seem plausible it could have been an accident, but none the less it has that Blair Witch/Cloverfield panicked "attack of the crabs!" feeling to it... and it's a fun friday video (embedded on the next page for your viewing pleasure!)... So what do you think? And does it work? Behind the scenes footage of Discovery Channel shows are definitely fascinating... this one of the Crab accident is from the 
After seeing 
