What does ice cream have to do with your wellbeing? And a bank with your IT skills?

Is this the end of brands having a single, clear USP? 

No, that’s just a scaremongering tactic I’ve picked up from a lot of online marketing I see about. (Put something divisive and provocative in the title to “grab attention” or, should that be, annoy SLASH disappoint people.) A much better modern marketing tendency I have observed I refer to in the title of this post.

Barclays are digital eagles and code coaches.

http://www.barclays.co.uk/DigitalEagles/P1242671738729

And Häagen Dazs, in collaboration with The School of Life, are now counsellors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbyeUMAuyg4

Interesting. Since when did a bank need to be more than a bank? And when did ice cream need to be something more than fun, frivolous, an indulgence?

Since technology has enabled marketers to do something fundamental throughout all of human existence in a brand new context and on a massive scale – INTERACT. Talk to (not at) and with more people, more effectively, even if they’re total strangers.

Nowadays we value real interactions with the brands we live alongside. And social media is a great enabler of this. However, all too often a brand limits the conversation to the product or service on offer. The result is boring. It impedes any real connection, cuts dead any sense of a relevant, meaningful interaction.

But here are two brands that have taken an approach to marketing that opens up the conversation and takes it into places you wouldn’t expect. My bank can teach me binary. Dessert helps me gain a healthier outlook. They’ve both looked beyond the products they sell and seen there’s more to marketing themselves than the hard sell.

TO ROREO FROM JENIET

FEM IS IN

I just wanted to share three things I’ve seen recently that have made me feel pretty damn good about being a female and realise that feminism is IN.

Now, I’m sure that’s unpalatable for all the hard core of you out there, to hear me reduce feminism to a fad. And I realise this is something that should not simply ‘trend'. But so long as it's getting people’s attention, does the how, what, why and when matter?

So here are my shares.

This because it’s simply superb. It’s real. Finally. So true. I can totally identify - the girl twanging her bikini before she dives in, hell yeah, that's me.

From 5.42 onwards because I couldn’t agree more with the Katherine’s statement that “twerking is a victim’s dance” and that the definition of a powerful woman is Beyoncé – she reinvented sexy face, you know?

And the fact that moneysupermarket.com decided to make an ad where it's a man that does all the jiggling. Well, most of it.  (Well done him, he wears those butt pants so well – and to whichever lady that did all the close-ups.) Admittedly we're still ogling a body and in a way typically reserved for the female form, but they have disrupted it and it makes me laugh every time. The only downside, Sharon O-ooooohhhhh, so sad.

WORTH EVERY WOOL-FILLED SECOND

How many situations in life make you think that the above and beyond effort will be worth it, or that make you look forward to the sun going down because that's the time you can start another day's (or should that be night's) work? 

How many things do you take on in life that mean you'll happily stay up late with nothing more than a few bits of wool, a pile of polystyrene and just an idea of something that might, might, just work? 

How often do you have something to do that means you actually work (not just get your laptop out) on the commute? Probably not many. But making videos for friends is one. 

Following the success of mussel shells with googly eyes inviting Liz and Rich's friends and family to come to Cornwall to see them tie the knot, I was given the great privilege and pleasure of doing the same (but without the seashells) for some other friends. 

So here it is. The save the date video that Rio and I made for her and Chris' wedding. And it was a lot of fun to make. 

'FANCY A TWIZ': A BLOG JOB I DID

That there girl in the Twizy car is me. And I got to write about all aspects of being in said electric car for one of our clients. So if you'd like to hear what this girl has to say about eco go-kart driving, read on...

http://www.bestwestern.co.uk/blog/out-and-about/fancy-a-quick-twiz

3 + YEARS, 2 VIDEOS = 1 EMOTIONAL DEPARTURE

It’s old news but it’s big news. And the world, for me, feels like it’s ricocheting between super slo-mo and light speed. Today I’m going through a bit that feels fast, like this all happened just last week. So this is my new old news.

I’ve moved. I’m currently writing to you from the north. A long way from where I was. But not a long way away from where I’ve been. What I mean to say is I spent 8 years in the north before I returned to my original home – the Midlands. So in a weird way this feels like a homecoming too. Except everything’s different. I’m living in Leeds again, but in the city, so it’s another side of the place I'm seeing. I’m working in Sheffield – place I’ve never been before. But there’s a connection I’ve made between here, the new, and where I was before, the familiar. Many will know the Midlands' link to tales of Tolkien, but this place, this place has its very own Lord of the Rings connection too. It’s not a recognized one, more an observation. Can it be an observation though when the observation is a sound? I digress, it’s a sound I’ve noticed. This place actually sounds like he insides of Mordor. The bowels of towering black forges boom, clang reverberating Mordor rhythms across the basin in which my new place of work sits. Plus Peter Jackson works in the building opposite. No jokes, he catches a bus from the bottom of the road. Most alarming when you pop out for some fresh air and hear that or see him. I keep expecting to see Orcs.

Enough of where I am now. The post title refers to what’s got me here, so I probably should get on to that. It’s the end of an era – my first job in advertising. Just over three years spent at Cogent Elliott. A lot of friends made and still missed. Plenty of fun had. And work done. Hard work sometimes. The two things I’m about to share though probably won’t reflect that.

The first was a parting gift to the agency. The second their parting gift to me. Mine made them laugh. Theirs made me cry. Yep, the dying minutes of my last days and my response to their video was tears, followed by a leaving speech riddled with swear words and me playing Celine Dion’s ‘My heart will go on’ to them, naturally.

Anyway enjoy. I know I have. Not every second of those years, but an awful lot of it and I’d like to thank all those folks who made it special. A special thanks has to go to Vinny (Jason Vinceguerra) for being a star and Case & Si for their video though.

IT'S BEEN TOO LONG

Time I feel for a short ramble. That's a contradiction in terms but I'm going to go with it. It works for Ford so why not me? I don't really have the time for this - hence it being a short ramble. And really that's be the problem of late. So busy. So much to do. So much to show. Not enough time to put things up. But here's something I did for work.

It's Jubilee as most UK readers will no doubt know. And like the rest of this currently gloriously sunny nation, we at Cogent shall be out there with the best of them doing a little lunchtime tea party. Here's my contribution to letting the good people know. Was a lot of fun making. Especially as I got to play with an AMAZING 3 grands-worth of Canon lens. Ta again for that Meshell. Anyway here's that for now. More will follow.

I LIKE YOUR MASK

In keeping with my love of all things paper mache and blip-blip it seems quite fitting to stick this up today.

THE ONLY WAY I CAN TAKE SUGAR

I'm sure people have seen this before, but I was just so relieved that I'd finally found a way to enjoy Alan Sugar. Thank you cassetteboy!

Hats off to Alan, he's made a lot of money. He knows more about business than me. But I still find his tightly curled barnet and permanent snarl unnerving. But this way I can put those things aside and simply enjoy. And I hope you do too.

WISH I'D THOUGHT OF THIS

OH & THE THERE WAS THIS FROM THE OTHER DAY

Hilarious. I also have an irrational fear of Vegan's but unlike the rollercoaster film, it doesn't make me feel anymore inclined to redress my phobia or indeed try one. In fact I find it adds an extra layer of funniness for me associating male vegans with virility just because of what a male vegan looks like in my head. (Sorry to my vegan friends out there.)

GUILTY PLEASURES

Tilt shift just makes everything look super cute. I've never really been the same since the sandpit film. But found this.

Coca Cola - Invierno from Black Sheep Films on Vimeo.

And now I'm really thirsty. But perhaps what's even prettier in a kind of smile in the mind way is Black Sheep's film about rollercoasters. I particularly like the waltzer right at the end. Even makes me want to go on one (am absolutely terrified of rides, unless it's the pirate ship of course).

Buenos Aires - Inception Park from Black Sheep Films on Vimeo.

RETRO PHIT

Saw this from It's Nice That today. And it certainly is. It's ManvsMachine's MORE4 rebrand. It's proper retro PHIT! By that I mean it's like the old 80s/90s Channel 4, but with some modern muscles. You know a bit metro like. Very nice.

MvsM / More4 Idents from ManvsMachine on Vimeo.

Reminded me of Hye-Yeon Park's clock I saw at the design museum. It's like this (this being the Mr Clock she made before seen in the video below). But it made words when you walked away from the sensor. That was well special too. Can't wait to be able to buy it.


Mr.Clock_Hye-yeon.Park_Design Product_2010 RCA from hye-yeon.park on Vimeo.

TWO THINGS THAT MADE ME SMILE

I got my Holga back! I can get back to doing more of what I first intended with this tiny corner of the internet (realsised how distinctly un-analogue analogue-a-go-go was looking the other day).

Plus I found this, which I guess has it's ideas in analogue things - tenuous I know but still worth pointing out. And if that don't make you smile, then I'd reckon any kind of hi's lost on you ^_^


Hi from Multitouch Barcelona on Vimeo.

LIKE PATTING YOUR HEAD AND RUBBING YOUR TUMMY AT THE SAME TIME

But much, much harde, I'm thinking. This just made me smile today and so had to share. How did they get to a point where they worked out the strings could be split three ways? And why? Either way I'm glad they did ^_^

I KNOW HOW A DOLPHIN FEELS

I don't really. Not for sure. For one, I don't have access to one to ask. (Or for those more rational - less imaginative - minds I'm not a marine scientist with research facilities to do an experiment). But today I got sent something that I think goes someway to experiencing what dolphins must feel with those big domed foreheads. It's weird. Listen to this and tell me it doesn't make you feel like you've got a much bigger forehead. Or some sort of bubble floating round your head with sound bouncing around in it. Or a bit like you got really bad head cold. I prefer the dolphin analogy. Either way it makes me feel pretty

'Upular' (Virtual 3D) by PogoMix

AWKWARD FAMILY XMAS GREETINGS

Inspired by the 'Awkward Family Portraits' book I got for Christmas.

MERRY XMAS ALL

From me and KC

Merry Sproutin' Christmas! from Casey Hennessy on Vimeo.

PHOTOBOOTH ANNUAL

As anyone who knows me will know, my boyfriend, he lives a long way away. And because of this, sometimes I send him a pic of where I’m at or what I’m up to. Other times me and my fellow comrades, we like to pass the time out-nerding one another over email via the medium of photobooth. Occasionally I’m just plain drunk and feel I need to document that fact (much to the amusement of my own tiny mind). The rest of the time I just like playing with the booth. The result though of all this non-sensical self-portraiting, well it’s whole load of random photos which – not even mildly amusing on their own - when put in a sequence, like some kind of unintended time lapse, make for quite an amusing summary of my year.

POLE DANCING BUNNY

Was a very funny get well soon present from Sam ^_^