Our very own brand Tic Tac has pulled off a street stunt using the amazing human beat machine - Micha Albacow. Go watch!
Posted by Anantha.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The 10-dollar laptop: Will it be a reality?
If reports are to be believed, the 10-dollar (500 rupees) laptop will be unleashed by Government of India on Tuesday (Feb 3rd). The buzz is it will be a linux-powered 2 GB comp with wi-fi internet capabilities and expandable memory. The gadget sites are agog with excitement and can't wait to see what's on offer on 3rd. The cynics smell a rat. They feel, the final price will be $ 100. Time will tell who's right. Anyway, the catch is it's only for students. If that's the case, I wouldn't mind going back to school :-)
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 44: On Facebook Linguistics
I think the only significant contribution of Facebook has been the lobotomization of the word friend. I've always been amazed by how one is forced to bundle rank strangers, distant acquaintances, networking colleagues, avoidable relatives, ghosts from the past & potential clients with genuine friends and chaddi buddies. Wisemen have advised me to pare down my list. But how does one say no to RENEE ZELLEWEGER WANTS TO ADD YOU AS A FRIEND. Ah, the dilemmas of life. Okay, my rants aside. The reason I bring it up is this thought-provoking post on Facebook linguistics. Go lap it up.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Friday, January 30, 2009
A Link A Day # 43: LimericksDB
If you think this blog post stinks
And you're bored of clicking links
Then go try this stuff
It's fulla limericks off-the-cuff
Worth recounting over a coupla drinks
Posted by Anantha.
And you're bored of clicking links
Then go try this stuff
It's fulla limericks off-the-cuff
Worth recounting over a coupla drinks
Posted by Anantha.
Slumdogged Viral
This video has been doing the rounds lately, on the internet. Riding on the Slumdog wave, it has managed to garner 127,439 hits as I write this post. Produced by a Canadian named Kirby Ferguson, it has evoked a lot of curiosity. Just see for yourself and let me know what you think.
Posted by Murali.
Posted by Murali.
When insults had class
There was a time when words were used beautifully. These glorious insults are from an era when cleverness with words was still valued, before a great portion of the English language was boiled down to four-letter words!
The exchange between Churchill and Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband, I'd give you poison," and he said, "If you were my wife, I'd take it."
Gladstone, a member of Parliament, to Benjamin Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."
"That depends, sir," said Disraeli, "On whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." - Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." -Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one!" - Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop
He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson
"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." -Jack E. Leonard
"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." - Robert Redford
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."- Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support, rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx
By Frankly Speaking
The exchange between Churchill and Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband, I'd give you poison," and he said, "If you were my wife, I'd take it."
Gladstone, a member of Parliament, to Benjamin Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."
"That depends, sir," said Disraeli, "On whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." - Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." -Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one!" - Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop
He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson
"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." -Jack E. Leonard
"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." - Robert Redford
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."- Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support, rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx
By Frankly Speaking
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Cola ads have never been better...
If you've been noticing lately, Pepsi and Coke have really ramped up their commercials. I blame this on the recession. Thanks to pressures on bottomlines, clients are now concentrating on good storylines built around the basic product proposition. I love this Coke commercial. I feel it's the best 'thirst' commercial in recent times.
Then watch the fabulously orchestrated 'Heist' commercial. W+K deserve a truck full of coke for this.
Find more videos like this on AdGabber
Posted by Anantha
Then watch the fabulously orchestrated 'Heist' commercial. W+K deserve a truck full of coke for this.
Find more videos like this on AdGabber
Posted by Anantha
A Link A Day # 42: Super Superbowl Spot
For Careerbuilder. By W+K. Produced by MJZ.
Posted by Anantha
Couldn't help but post this one
Some of you may have seen this.
A neat ad, placed strategically for Veet.
By Euro RSCG Sydney.
Posted by Murali
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
And Roots becomes Taproot
Sense has dawned on Aggie & Paddy. They've changed the name of their agency from Roots India to Taproot India. Tap standing for The Aggie & Paddy. A little contrived. They could have avoided this embarrassment had they applied some basic principles of naming. I foresee, one more problem for them. The domain name Taprootindia.com is available. They better book it before someone does cybersquatting.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 41: The Art of the Title
Wow. That's what I thought to myself, when I discovered this site. It's dedicated to the art of unveiling the opening credits in a movie. There are at least 50 title sequences in here with proper credits. Some even have the designers giving a backgrounder on why they did what they did. Since Harish is a movie title lover, this link is dedicated to him.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Spot of the Week: Library
Agency: W+K Amsterdam. Production: Nexus Productions. Director: Smith & Foulkes.
Posted by Commercialbreaker.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Link A Day # 40: Advertising With Character
This post features more than one link . But all the links lead to one blog: the hubbub by Giovanni Rodriguez. The premise that Giovanni explores in all these posts is the utility of inventing characters for brands. The thing I like about it is the effort he's put into it. Go read: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Sixth Sheikh Sold Six Sick Sheep
Imagine you had to describe your life in six words. Here's what a Dominatrix said: "Woman seeks men-High pain threshold". And a slightly unhappy plumber, "Fix a toilet, get paid crap".
A new book brings out these interesting six word biographies that offer greater insights than a thousand pages ever would. It's like writing copy. I always find shorter copy so much better. Especially if it's got some punch. More so because I have the attention span of a gold fish.
However, it is very good to read big books. Good for your forearms and first impressions. Trust me, War and Peace is a great chick magnet. It says you’re intelligent AND strong. Oof.
So, that aside…what if you had to describe your life in six words? Anyone feel like giving it a shot?
Posted by Meera.
A new book brings out these interesting six word biographies that offer greater insights than a thousand pages ever would. It's like writing copy. I always find shorter copy so much better. Especially if it's got some punch. More so because I have the attention span of a gold fish.
However, it is very good to read big books. Good for your forearms and first impressions. Trust me, War and Peace is a great chick magnet. It says you’re intelligent AND strong. Oof.
So, that aside…what if you had to describe your life in six words? Anyone feel like giving it a shot?
Posted by Meera.
crowdSPRING urges creatives to make some monies.
This is a concept tried by many earlier. But from the looks of it, these guys have made creative outsourcing really professional. Clients can reach creatives directly with their project and creatives in turn, can post their work. If your work is chosen the monies are good as well.
Currently, 12,410 creatives around the world contribute with 70 average entries per project. Run by a bunch of 7 guys (including an ex-trial attorney, Emmy award nominated producer, marketing director and a bunch of techies), this is a dream-come-true business idea for any creative wanting to venture on his own.
Check out their website here.
Posted by Murali.
Currently, 12,410 creatives around the world contribute with 70 average entries per project. Run by a bunch of 7 guys (including an ex-trial attorney, Emmy award nominated producer, marketing director and a bunch of techies), this is a dream-come-true business idea for any creative wanting to venture on his own.
Check out their website here.
Posted by Murali.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Garma Garam Gossip Edition # 4
* The diff agency, the harris agency and the apple agency are the only ones keen on holding Goafest. The Pandeys and the Balkis are in no mood to participate.
* Moto moti yeh khabar hai ki, the cell phone client has pared its staff from 300 to 18 in India.
* The batura client in Chennai has knocked on the doors of the gimme red agency.
* The Bourneville commercial TV anchor Brett Stimely is said to have fondly remembered his Bloodstone co-star Rajnikant, during the shoot.
Khabrein abhi aur bhi hai, bas dekhtey Orchard Fresh.
Posted by Loose Tongue.
* Moto moti yeh khabar hai ki, the cell phone client has pared its staff from 300 to 18 in India.
* The batura client in Chennai has knocked on the doors of the gimme red agency.
* The Bourneville commercial TV anchor Brett Stimely is said to have fondly remembered his Bloodstone co-star Rajnikant, during the shoot.
Khabrein abhi aur bhi hai, bas dekhtey Orchard Fresh.
Posted by Loose Tongue.
A Link A Day # 39: Language Facts
It's a national holiday, today. And I have all the time in the world. While I was poking around, I discovered a page full of lingo trivia which might be of interest to you. If you didn't know the origin of the 'football huddle' or the fact that South Korea's capital Seoul means 'the capital', then may be you should go there.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
For the love of Wispa
Of late, Cadbury's been getting bolder and bolder. There was a lot of buzz around this advert in December. At that point in time, I didn't take notice. I wondered, what the hell. Then I read up about Wispa. Things fell in place. Now I can't agree more with Scamp. For all the hype that they created, the commercial is a let down. Just when I was about to close all my windows and log out for the day, I discovered the possible brief for this entire exercise. It made my day.
Posted by Anantha.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A Link A Day # 38: Brand Narratives
I am a critic of cast-in-iron positioning and holier-than-bible brand manuals. I have seen brands make the most stupid mistakes on account of their obsession with a one-line mantra. Thankfully, the marketing community is attempting a rethink on positioning. Now the world is realising the virtue of being a karma chameleon. There is a beauty in being flexible. And as this DDB Yellow Paper by John Garment points out, the way forward is a brand narrative that sticks to a plot but adapts according to the media, channel and target audience. Read the article. Before it takes the form of a book :-)
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Watson or Crick: Whom do you prefer?
There are people who spend their waking hours at the agency. And there are those who drop in only when it's a necessity. After listening to this podcast, I've come around to link the first type with Francis Crick. And the mavericks with James Watson. For some strange reason, agencies pan the Watsons and praise the Cricks. I wonder why they never get into their knucklheads that both are required for a breakthrough.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 37: Truth, Lies & Advertising
Did you know that Adweek publishes books? Since I don't read, it was like news to me. Anyways, why I mention this fact is I just stumbled upon a book from Adweek,written by Jon Steel (Director Planning at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners). Penned in 1998, it's called: Truth, Lies & Advertising: The Art of Account Planning. From what I gather, it's rich in anecdotes and examines the issue of producing effective advertising from a right brain perspective. I loved the analogy of comparing a FGD subject to a chimp in the zoo. Now, a chimp in the zoo is very different from a chimp in the wild, right? How can one draw conclusions by shutting 10 people into a sterile room and expect them to give a just verdict about creatives? Go here for reading a chapter -by-chapter essence. Gleaned a memorable quote from the extracts: Guts is cheaper than research!
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Friday, January 23, 2009
For all you lovers of pink!
Agency: CB Grey. Producer: Irene, Paris. Director: Paul Gore.
Posted by Commercialbreaker.
After 'Gorilla' it's 'Eyebrow Dance'
Folks, here's Fallon's follow-up commercial to Gorilla for Cadbury's. In my mind, it's way more bizzare. I liked it. Reminded me of a similar thought we had for a confectionary brand. In this case, it was 'Mouth Dance'. Sadly, it wasn't bought. Now, imagine the buzz we'd have created if it was executed.
Posted by Murali
Posted by Murali
Adage’s Agency A-List
Adage has chosen a list of agencies that were top-notch in 2008. The guys at adage say the agencies were rated on 3 parameters. First, they had to be creative in brand strategies and execution. Second, they had to be effective – which meant their work should have led directly to measurable results for clients. And finally, they should have shown rapid growth by gobbling new revenue from existing clients and won big new business pitches.
What interested me was the mix. They are not just traditional agencies. There are digital guys, media agency and direct shops. So, here we go:
1.Crispin Porter & Bogusky
2.TBWA/Chiat/Day
3. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
4. R/GA
5. Tribal DDB
6. Mindshare
7. Martin Agency
8. Vidal Partnership
9. Rapp
10. Deutsch
Posted by Murali.
What interested me was the mix. They are not just traditional agencies. There are digital guys, media agency and direct shops. So, here we go:
1.Crispin Porter & Bogusky
2.TBWA/Chiat/Day
3. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
4. R/GA
5. Tribal DDB
6. Mindshare
7. Martin Agency
8. Vidal Partnership
9. Rapp
10. Deutsch
Posted by Murali.
A Link A Day # 36: 100 Greatest TVCs
Listing is a juvenile exercise. One man's hitlist will be another man's shitlist. But still, it serves a purpose. It serves as a reference point. And that's precisely what Channel 4's 100 Greatest Commercials achieves. The way to use it is to open a youtube window and watch each of these TVCs. And then be your bitchy self and rundown the list :-)
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Old Classics: Don't take your troubles to bed
By Edmund Vance Cook
You may labor your fill, friend of mine, if you will;
You may worry a bit, if you must;
You may treat your affairs as a series of cares,
You may live on a scrap and a crust;
But when the day's done, put it out of your head;
Don't take your troubles to bed.
You may batter your way through the thick of the fray,
You may sweat, you may swear, you may grunt;
You may be a jack-fool if you must, but this rule
Should ever be kept at the front: --
Don't fight with your pillow, but lay down your head
And kick every worriment out of the bed.
That friend or that foe (which he is, I don't know),
Whose name we have spoken as Death,
Hovers close to your side, while you run or you ride,
And he envies the warmth of your breath;
But he turns him away, with a shake of his head,
When he finds that you don't take your troubles to bed.
Posted by 1by0.
You may labor your fill, friend of mine, if you will;
You may worry a bit, if you must;
You may treat your affairs as a series of cares,
You may live on a scrap and a crust;
But when the day's done, put it out of your head;
Don't take your troubles to bed.
You may batter your way through the thick of the fray,
You may sweat, you may swear, you may grunt;
You may be a jack-fool if you must, but this rule
Should ever be kept at the front: --
Don't fight with your pillow, but lay down your head
And kick every worriment out of the bed.
That friend or that foe (which he is, I don't know),
Whose name we have spoken as Death,
Hovers close to your side, while you run or you ride,
And he envies the warmth of your breath;
But he turns him away, with a shake of his head,
When he finds that you don't take your troubles to bed.
Posted by 1by0.
The Oscar nominations are out...
3 nominations for Rahman. 10 for Slumdog. 13 for Benjamin Button. 8 for Milk. 5 for Doubt, Wall-E & Frost/Nixon. The list that matters is below:
Best Film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn for Milk
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie for Changeling
Melissa Leo for Frozen River
Meryl Streep for Doubt
Kate Winslet for The Reader
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin for Milk
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams for Doubt
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis for Doubt
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler
Best Director
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry for The Reader
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant for Milk
Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River: Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky: Mike Leigh
In Bruges: Martin McDonagh
Milk: Dustin Lance Black
WALL•E: Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt: John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon: Peter Morgan
The Reader: David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire: Simon Beaufoy
Best Cinematography
Changeling: Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight: Wally Pfister
The Reader: Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire: Anthony Dod Mantle
Best Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Art Direction
Changeling: James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight: Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess: Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road: Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Alexandre Desplat
Defiance: James Newton Howard
Milk: Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman
WALL•E: Thomas Newman
Best Original Song
Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman, Gulzar("Jai Ho")
Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman, M.I.A("O Saya")
WALL•E: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")
Best Animated Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL•E
Best Foreign Language Film
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (Germany)
Entre les murs (France)
Revanche (Austria)
Okuribito (Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (Israel)
Posted by Anantha.
Best Film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn for Milk
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie for Changeling
Melissa Leo for Frozen River
Meryl Streep for Doubt
Kate Winslet for The Reader
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin for Milk
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams for Doubt
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis for Doubt
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler
Best Director
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry for The Reader
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant for Milk
Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River: Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky: Mike Leigh
In Bruges: Martin McDonagh
Milk: Dustin Lance Black
WALL•E: Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt: John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon: Peter Morgan
The Reader: David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire: Simon Beaufoy
Best Cinematography
Changeling: Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight: Wally Pfister
The Reader: Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire: Anthony Dod Mantle
Best Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Art Direction
Changeling: James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight: Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess: Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road: Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Alexandre Desplat
Defiance: James Newton Howard
Milk: Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman
WALL•E: Thomas Newman
Best Original Song
Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman, Gulzar("Jai Ho")
Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman, M.I.A("O Saya")
WALL•E: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")
Best Animated Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL•E
Best Foreign Language Film
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (Germany)
Entre les murs (France)
Revanche (Austria)
Okuribito (Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (Israel)
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 35: 10 Second Shorts
The 10 second film fest is the shortest international film fest. We in advertising have experimented with this genre. The rest of the world is developing a taste for it. This site has a nice collection of 10 -seconders. Watch Chloroform, Michelle, No Ban, Cow's Life and 10 Points without fail.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Changeling – A true story brought to life by Clint Eastwood
In folklore, the word changeling means an ugly, stupid, or strange child left by fairies in place of a pretty, charming child. The plot of Changeling works around this theme and showcases a mother’s tryst with the powers that be to get her charming son back in 1920s Los Angeles.
Angelina Jolie plays Christine, the brave mother who confronts the corrupt LAPD. Nice performance. But one couldn’t help wonder how someone like Jodie Foster would have played the part.
When the cops inform her that her missing child has been found, you think her nightmare has ended. But that’s exactly where it begins. As they bring in a child who isn’t her son and forces her to raise him up. Shockingly, the kid plays along stoically.
The second half of the movie, I felt was a bit too long. Clint Eastwood could have chopped the scenes more deftly to get to the coda. But the one thing that keeps you riveted to your seats till the end is its brilliant music. It’s again Clint Eastwood’s genius that comes to the forefront as he orchestrates one of his best background scores in the recent times.
Great cinematography and some neat performances, especially by LAPD captain Jeff Donovan and the activist Reverend played by John Malkovich, uplift the movie a notch higher.
Surely not the best movie he’s made. That vote would either go for Mystic River or The Unforgiven, according to me. But the craft is unquestionable. Do watch it for his ability to create a compelling drama, which many in Hollywood struggle even to this day.
Posted by Murali.
Angelina Jolie plays Christine, the brave mother who confronts the corrupt LAPD. Nice performance. But one couldn’t help wonder how someone like Jodie Foster would have played the part.
When the cops inform her that her missing child has been found, you think her nightmare has ended. But that’s exactly where it begins. As they bring in a child who isn’t her son and forces her to raise him up. Shockingly, the kid plays along stoically.
The second half of the movie, I felt was a bit too long. Clint Eastwood could have chopped the scenes more deftly to get to the coda. But the one thing that keeps you riveted to your seats till the end is its brilliant music. It’s again Clint Eastwood’s genius that comes to the forefront as he orchestrates one of his best background scores in the recent times.
Great cinematography and some neat performances, especially by LAPD captain Jeff Donovan and the activist Reverend played by John Malkovich, uplift the movie a notch higher.
Surely not the best movie he’s made. That vote would either go for Mystic River or The Unforgiven, according to me. But the craft is unquestionable. Do watch it for his ability to create a compelling drama, which many in Hollywood struggle even to this day.
Posted by Murali.
Aggi & Paddy call it Roots India
That's what they've decided to call their agency. Per se, good. But I wonder how they chose this name. Because there is an agency in Delhi called Roots Advertising. And there is a Coimbatore-based precision plastic company by the name Roots India. Being seasoned professionals, one would have thought, a lot of thought would have gone into the naming. Clearly looks like neither Aggi nor Paddy (people we really admire) did an online check before they decided to christen their baby. False start.
Posted by Namasutra.
Posted by Namasutra.
Spot of the Week: Pepsi Pass
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day. Producer: MJZ. Director: Dante Ariola.
Posted by Anantha.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A commercial men will relate to...
Agency: TBWA Neboko. Producer: Czar. Director: Bart Timmer.
Posted by Commercialbreaker.
A Link A Day # 34: Obama's Inaugural Address
Another uplifting speech. Spoken by the Voice of America. This was Obama's riposte to the recession: Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. What a brilliantly simple summation of a problem that appears larger than what it is! For the transcript of the speech, go here. Youtube link here.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Stephen King's The Shining
I vividly remember starting this Stephen King book a summer evening about 10 years ago. I remember it as the only book I really read in a single sitting. The only reason I did that was really because I was too busy getting petrified to stop reading.
The plot is so riveting, and the horror so vivid, that I remember my reading posture slowly but surely changing. By the time I had finished it, it was almost dawn and I found myself sitting crouched in the corner of my bed, back to the wall – and all the lights blazing bright! It is the scariest piece of writing I have ever read.
A couple of years later, I saw Kubrick’s movie version with Jack Nicholson in the lead. Really great movie, if you’ve not read the book. But not half as scary as reading the thing.
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a copy of The Shining from my neighborhood library. And the book is still extremely scary. Although I took small breaks whilst reading it this time… it still managed to thoroughly creep me out.
Without letting the cat out of the bag, here’s a little something that will give you a small inkling of the story...
Jack Torrance is a frustrated writer and recovering alcoholic who goes with his wife and son to spend the winter in the isolated Overlook Hotel in an attempt to get the novel he has always wanted to write started. But the hotel's grisly past and unique ghosts have their way with him.
At one point his wife Wendy eventually finds that the manuscript he has been working on actually only contains the phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", typed over and over again.
The Shining is filled with more horror scenes that have the tendency to make it truly unsettling. A must read, if you have not read it before.
Posted by Harish
The plot is so riveting, and the horror so vivid, that I remember my reading posture slowly but surely changing. By the time I had finished it, it was almost dawn and I found myself sitting crouched in the corner of my bed, back to the wall – and all the lights blazing bright! It is the scariest piece of writing I have ever read.
A couple of years later, I saw Kubrick’s movie version with Jack Nicholson in the lead. Really great movie, if you’ve not read the book. But not half as scary as reading the thing.
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a copy of The Shining from my neighborhood library. And the book is still extremely scary. Although I took small breaks whilst reading it this time… it still managed to thoroughly creep me out.
Without letting the cat out of the bag, here’s a little something that will give you a small inkling of the story...
Jack Torrance is a frustrated writer and recovering alcoholic who goes with his wife and son to spend the winter in the isolated Overlook Hotel in an attempt to get the novel he has always wanted to write started. But the hotel's grisly past and unique ghosts have their way with him.
At one point his wife Wendy eventually finds that the manuscript he has been working on actually only contains the phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", typed over and over again.
The Shining is filled with more horror scenes that have the tendency to make it truly unsettling. A must read, if you have not read it before.
Posted by Harish
Facebook. Is it a big deal at all?
That's the question Peter Madden raises in this interesting article. You may or may not agree with him. But you simply can't ignore what he has to say.
Go here and read the story.
Posted by Murali.
Go here and read the story.
Posted by Murali.
A Special Day with Special Children
A little girl in a bright red frock walked up to the board. She picked the marker with a careless deftness, turned back and looked at her mom for what seemed like an approval.Her mom nodded. Having got what she wanted, she put the marker on the board and drew a big ‘O’. She paused for a moment and then drew another ‘O’ right next to the first one. She then went on to add a cool 12 ‘O’s after that in quick succession.
The board finally read ‘OOOOOOOOOOOOOO’
She turned around, flashed a broad grin to her mom and happily frolicked to her lap. The room fell silent. Perplexed would be a better word. Every face stared at the mom looking for an answer to what her little girl meant. The mom smiled, raised her hands over her head and shook her fingers frantically.
“That’s my daughter saying hello”
”Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo” squealed the mother.
That was the language of autism.
I had been to the temple town of Madurai to shoot a workshop titled “Art for Autism”. The intent was to make a tutorial on it. The workshop organized by Prof. Ramamurthi of Madurai Kamaraj University and Andrew Nelson of West Virginia University, aimed at improving the condition of autistic children using drama, music and art. The 3-day residential workshop at the foothills of the picturesque Nagamalai Pudukkottai, brought together 16 autistic children and their parents.
Initially I was extremely reluctant to be a part of this. Even when Prof. Ramamurthi told me that the workshop can do wonders, I broad-brushed it as Shiv Kera-ish. However, I underwent a massive transformation on Day 1 of the workshop itself. The sheer power of socializing, which had been largely denied to these kids, was bringing each child out of its cocoon. The hyperactivity these kids exhibit went down for some in 24 hrs. I never expected a miracle in 3 days but then things that have been proved were once only imagined.
I would not want to bore you with the details of the workshop here. Please check the link below for the detailed reports.
The optimism of the parents was heartwarming as well. “We are gifted parents who have gifted children. It’s only because god felt that I could take care of my son better than anybody else that he decided to give him to me,” quoted a beaming parent. Amidst all this, there was this autistic little boy who was screaming in joy and prancing around the entire place for the whole 3 days of the workshop. He was unmindful of his parents, the serious didactic lectures of the academics, or the wails of other kids. The guy was in a world of his own.
“He dances to a different tune” quipped an onlooker.
Anybody interested in supporting this cause can log onto www.autismtheatre.org .
Posted by Deepan.
Spot of the Week: Vaseline Enduring Skin
Agency: BBH London. Director: Chris Sargent.
Posted by Commercialbreaker.
A Link A Day # 33: T-Mobile's Flash Mob Act
T-mobile hijacked the Liverpool railway station by hiring 350 dancers to suddenly transform the station into an 'impromptu' dance floor. The act has worked. Around 862,000 people have witnessed the dance on Youtube. Go add to the eyeballs by clicking here.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Where is the Post-tu?
A small attempt to get people to post more. Non-tamilians, please ask your friends from the South Side to translate :)
WHERE IS THE POST-TU?
(To be sung with feelings to the tune of 'Where’s the party?' from Silambattam)
Seekrama yezhudhellam
Orchard blog-u poghalam
Vodka’va podalam
Aprom kooda yezhudellam
Already neram aachu
Thomas BP yeri pochu…
Where is the Post-u? Aah yen inbox-la post-u
Where is the Post-u? Aah postman-a kellu!
Monday morning anna porumay
Anantha nooru yezhuduvaanay
Murali, Shane-nu ovoruthanum
Ada post pani pani thaakuvaanay
Aiyo indha blog oru problem aachay
Namma youth manasu romba romab vex aachay
Already neram aachu
Thomas BP yeri pochu
Where is the Post-u? Aah yen inbox-la post-u
Where is the Post-u? Aah postman-a kellu!
Song reaches full feeling & crescendo
Where is the post-u tonight? Aah idea varalay
Where is the post-u tonight? Ada ullmanasu kulai
Where is the post-u tonight? Aah email pogavillay
Where is the post-u tonight? Ada time-ay illay
Lyrics: Niru. Playback: Deepan. Chorus: Latha, Harish, Balki.
For the original song, click here.
Posted by Nirupama.
WHERE IS THE POST-TU?
(To be sung with feelings to the tune of 'Where’s the party?' from Silambattam)
Seekrama yezhudhellam
Orchard blog-u poghalam
Vodka’va podalam
Aprom kooda yezhudellam
Already neram aachu
Thomas BP yeri pochu…
Where is the Post-u? Aah yen inbox-la post-u
Where is the Post-u? Aah postman-a kellu!
Monday morning anna porumay
Anantha nooru yezhuduvaanay
Murali, Shane-nu ovoruthanum
Ada post pani pani thaakuvaanay
Aiyo indha blog oru problem aachay
Namma youth manasu romba romab vex aachay
Already neram aachu
Thomas BP yeri pochu
Where is the Post-u? Aah yen inbox-la post-u
Where is the Post-u? Aah postman-a kellu!
Song reaches full feeling & crescendo
Where is the post-u tonight? Aah idea varalay
Where is the post-u tonight? Ada ullmanasu kulai
Where is the post-u tonight? Aah email pogavillay
Where is the post-u tonight? Ada time-ay illay
Lyrics: Niru. Playback: Deepan. Chorus: Latha, Harish, Balki.
For the original song, click here.
Posted by Nirupama.
A Link A Day # 32: 7 Elements of Virals
Jerry Bader of MRP Web Media has given some thought to viral videos and has tried to cull out 7 must-build elements from his Cache-Closed experiment. You may or may not agree with him. But since his ideas flow from experience, you better give it a read. And hey, check out Cache Closed before you read his article in brandchannel.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
A Link A Day # 31: Classic Print Ads
Flickr has a wonderful pool of vintage ads. A little drop from this pool caught my eye. It's Lisanne's collection of 179 classic print ads. If you look at the ads without any baggage, you'll realise most of the work will work, even today. Because it's laden with relevant information conveyed with taut and well-written copy, generously laid out by stingy art directors who knew the value of breathing space. Sample this sub-head from an Arrow ad: The right little collar for the tight little knot. Or this proposition for a typewriter: The personal writing maching. Or even this simple line to tease men into ordering a sample shaving tube: If you want the ladies to like you, clip this coupon. Love it? See it.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Milk – Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn deliver a treat worth watching
Milk is a true story of the first open gay man in the history of American politics to be voted into office. Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 and his run up to greater laurels and service to humanity ended tragically the year after.
Gus Van Sant captures the last 8 years of Harvey Milk’s life. A role so amazingly enacted by Sean Penn. Milk was not an individual who stood for gay rights. He stood for the greater good of humanity. That makes his life far more special and Van Sant does absolute justice to bring it alive. Kudos to James Franco who plays his lover and Emile Hirsch who’s his campaign companion. Great performances both.
When Dan White, his political partner, makes an accusation at Milk that he’s gay and so family / personal matters don’t concern him, Gus Van Sant makes it a point to show Milk’s personal side of life. It falters too as his partner walks out on him. A lovely parallel that plays through the movie.
But Harvey Milk’s life went far beyond his immediate concerns. He worked for the larger good of men. A true hero of human rights whose life was sadly cut short.
Posted by Murali
Gus Van Sant captures the last 8 years of Harvey Milk’s life. A role so amazingly enacted by Sean Penn. Milk was not an individual who stood for gay rights. He stood for the greater good of humanity. That makes his life far more special and Van Sant does absolute justice to bring it alive. Kudos to James Franco who plays his lover and Emile Hirsch who’s his campaign companion. Great performances both.
When Dan White, his political partner, makes an accusation at Milk that he’s gay and so family / personal matters don’t concern him, Gus Van Sant makes it a point to show Milk’s personal side of life. It falters too as his partner walks out on him. A lovely parallel that plays through the movie.
But Harvey Milk’s life went far beyond his immediate concerns. He worked for the larger good of men. A true hero of human rights whose life was sadly cut short.
Posted by Murali
Gran Torrino on Flickometer
Gran Torrino is a crime drama directed by Clint Eastwood. And starring Clint Eastwood, Ahney Her, Bee Vang & Christopher Carley in key roles. It's an eminently watchable low-budget film. Here's how the movie fares on my flickometer scale:
1. STORY = 5/10
2. NARRATION = 5.5/10
3. VISUALISATION = 5/10
4. CASTING = 6/10
5. PERFORMANCES = 6.5/10
6. DIALOGUES = 7/10
7. FLOW = 7/10
8. LOOK = 5/10
9. MUSIC = 5/10
10. REWATCHABILITY = 7/10
FLICKOMETER SCORE: 59/100
To give you a reference point, I'd give Slumdog Millionaire 60/100.
Posted by Anantha.
1. STORY = 5/10
2. NARRATION = 5.5/10
3. VISUALISATION = 5/10
4. CASTING = 6/10
5. PERFORMANCES = 6.5/10
6. DIALOGUES = 7/10
7. FLOW = 7/10
8. LOOK = 5/10
9. MUSIC = 5/10
10. REWATCHABILITY = 7/10
FLICKOMETER SCORE: 59/100
To give you a reference point, I'd give Slumdog Millionaire 60/100.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 30: The Dieline
To the best of my little knowledge, the first packaging design blog in the world was started in 2006 by Payal Shah, a friend and colleague of mine, at 1pointsize. Pity real life romance replaced her love for graphic design. Now cut to The Dieline, the new numero uno packaging blog founded in 2007. Like its clever logo, the Dieline, has many layers. It goes beyond delighting your graphic g-spot. For starters, there's an inside-out take on the featured design. Then there's the before-after section. And the very useful search packaging by type (pouch, aluminium, glass, molded fibe, carton, tube etc). Thanks to meticulous tagging, one can sift through the posts using the prism of industry type. Above all, there's a spotlight feature on craftsmen behind the showcased pieces. So I am not at all surprised, with the popularity of The Dieline. It's a blog worth visiting.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Short Film Watch: A Day In The Life Of An MC Escher Drawing.
If you're an MC Escher fan like me, you'd love it...
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Bangalore International Film Festival is on
The 3rd Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES) is on. Screenings are being held between Jan 15 and Jan 22. Organized by the Suchitra film society along with the Govt. of Karnataka and the Kannada film industry, the festival this year, promises a lot of hard-to-otherwise-watch international films and has a retrospective on the Kannada film industry which is completing 75 years.
The screenings are being held at Vision Cinemas, K H Patil Auditorium and Suchitra Auditorium.
The screenings are being held at Vision Cinemas, K H Patil Auditorium and Suchitra Auditorium.
Posted by Murali.
A Link A Day # 29: Logopond
If you're the type who leers at logos, the Logopond Gallery should be like a strip tease joint for you. LP may not have the finest collection of logos, but it does have some well hidden gems for the dogged seeker. Make it a point to catch Handmade Pictures, Inksect, Thoppai, Elephant Talk, Invisible Agents, Urban, Shoprest & Be Thirteen. And if you wish to upload your stuff, register as a member, first.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Bollywood Music Finally Comes Of Age!
Was generally surfin, when I stumbled upon it. Serendipitous, is the word to describe it. For within the first few lines of the first track, I knew, I had fallen for it, head long. Raw energy and naked emotion are captured in the tunes and tones, perfectly. Unapologetic and Uncensored...in a word 'rocking!’
The diversity of genre in this single album is something to be seen...or heard, rather. Absolute audio affection is what you'll walk away with after giving this composition a listen. I for one, am absolutely smitten. Its tangy tunes will continue to blare out my speakers for the next few days, to say the very least.
From the masti-full lyrics of ‘Emosanal Attyachar’, available in both shaadi-ka-barathi, big band version and raging rock, to the soothing sounds of tracks like ‘Yehi Meri Zindagi’ and foot tapping melodies of ‘Dhol Yaara Dhol’ and ‘Ek Hulchul Si’, it is an absolute delight to the ears. Besides this, there are some bangin bhangra tracks, rapturous rock tracks, funky fusion tracks and a trance like track as well! I don’t know if I’m being biased but I haven come across a bad song in this album.
The lyrics are infectious. Once heard, you will soon find yourself jovially coughing em up in the shower. It's a symptom. No, more like a certainty. And finally, to the Dev.D Soundtrack people I must say, Good job! And I'd better get paid for this.
Check it out, here: http://www.in.com/music/album-dev-d-49121.html
Posted by Shane.
The diversity of genre in this single album is something to be seen...or heard, rather. Absolute audio affection is what you'll walk away with after giving this composition a listen. I for one, am absolutely smitten. Its tangy tunes will continue to blare out my speakers for the next few days, to say the very least.
From the masti-full lyrics of ‘Emosanal Attyachar’, available in both shaadi-ka-barathi, big band version and raging rock, to the soothing sounds of tracks like ‘Yehi Meri Zindagi’ and foot tapping melodies of ‘Dhol Yaara Dhol’ and ‘Ek Hulchul Si’, it is an absolute delight to the ears. Besides this, there are some bangin bhangra tracks, rapturous rock tracks, funky fusion tracks and a trance like track as well! I don’t know if I’m being biased but I haven come across a bad song in this album.
The lyrics are infectious. Once heard, you will soon find yourself jovially coughing em up in the shower. It's a symptom. No, more like a certainty. And finally, to the Dev.D Soundtrack people I must say, Good job! And I'd better get paid for this.
Check it out, here: http://www.in.com/music/album-dev-d-49121.html
Posted by Shane.
I read, I swam and I arrived.
Agencyfaqs featured Orchard. I read that.
Swimming stimulates me. So I mulled in the pool about that.
Bangalore buses are bang on time. Hence I arrived.
My internship however, was a case of contradictions.
Dirty feet turned into Happy feet. Rocky's food scored a tenner compared to my cooking, cutting chai sessions became a glassful of conversations, ideas were accepted, Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde are very much a part of reality and red windows have became extremely endearing.
Each Orchardite has a spark. That rubbed on me to create Orchard Fresh moments to take back home. Thank you for your time and effort. I value the learnings I take back with me.
Thanks.
Posted by Anuja.
Intern at Orchard
Swimming stimulates me. So I mulled in the pool about that.
Bangalore buses are bang on time. Hence I arrived.
My internship however, was a case of contradictions.
Dirty feet turned into Happy feet. Rocky's food scored a tenner compared to my cooking, cutting chai sessions became a glassful of conversations, ideas were accepted, Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde are very much a part of reality and red windows have became extremely endearing.
Each Orchardite has a spark. That rubbed on me to create Orchard Fresh moments to take back home. Thank you for your time and effort. I value the learnings I take back with me.
Thanks.
Posted by Anuja.
Intern at Orchard
You know it’s a hit.....
I would like congratulate the conceptualizer of ‘dirty feet’ as I my brain has been rewired post couple of sessions to observe with all my senses (6th included).
Campaign - when your 19 year old ‘baby care’ can lip sync the condom ad. I did have ‘the talk’ with her...but she continued to chant the word exactly like the parrot...I hope I was as successful in delivering the message as the ad! (PS - cute dogs still get the eyeballs.)
Product Litter-ally - A walk through the Cubbon park has been quite enlightening. If you want to know if your product is a hit among the masses, just look at the wrappers strewn around in public places- I found a lot of Kinder Joy shells (congratulations Ram- Ferrero marketing), mauled Kurkure packets and of course no picnic is complete without ‘little drops of joy’. A sad state of affairs for the environment, but a great proof for a brand.
Movie- you can sense the momentum building and you know the movie will defiantly get a ‘dekho’ when someone promptly declares her love for the song... for the world to see as her ‘Facebook status’ just after couple of promos. – Rehman’s Midas touch will work wonders for Masakalli/Dilli 6 (fingers crossed).
Posted by Monica
Campaign - when your 19 year old ‘baby care’ can lip sync the condom ad. I did have ‘the talk’ with her...but she continued to chant the word exactly like the parrot...I hope I was as successful in delivering the message as the ad! (PS - cute dogs still get the eyeballs.)
Product Litter-ally - A walk through the Cubbon park has been quite enlightening. If you want to know if your product is a hit among the masses, just look at the wrappers strewn around in public places- I found a lot of Kinder Joy shells (congratulations Ram- Ferrero marketing), mauled Kurkure packets and of course no picnic is complete without ‘little drops of joy’. A sad state of affairs for the environment, but a great proof for a brand.
Movie- you can sense the momentum building and you know the movie will defiantly get a ‘dekho’ when someone promptly declares her love for the song... for the world to see as her ‘Facebook status’ just after couple of promos. – Rehman’s Midas touch will work wonders for Masakalli/Dilli 6 (fingers crossed).
Posted by Monica
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A Link A Day # 28: Mad Magazine Covers
Doug Gilford, a floor-covering store owner from Oregon, is clearly a mad man. He must be, as he's collected MAD magazine covers from 1952 to Jan 2009. Go check them out here. I really tripped on Covers # 13, # 18, # 27, # 83, # 121, # 128 & # 166. What about you?
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 27: Inventify
When me & my partner-in-crime Avinash Subramaniam founded Wordmint (a blog that mints neords), we thought it was cool to coin words. Now after discovering this website, I am wondering if it has taken the charm out of the sport of neologisms. Perhaps I am over-reacting. Because all this software does is to give you a laundry list of long words with new prefixes and suffixes. You still have to imagineer a meaning for it. On the upside, if you have a difficult naming assignment, Inventify might be a useful tool to arrive at a dot-com friendly name.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Do we post enough on our blog?
I'm sure this question hounds every blogger worth his salt. Thomas constantly worries whether there are enough posts to keep Orchard Fresh alive. I just happened upon a rather convincing answer.
By Seth Godin. Go here and find out.
Posted by Murali.
By Seth Godin. Go here and find out.
Posted by Murali.
The importance of being ill mannered
I eavesdrop. And I don’t mind owning up. You know why? Cause lately I’ve learnt that listening in on other people’s conversations, staring at them unblinkingly and spitting on the road contribute to creative growth like nothing else ever will.
Don’t spit on the road, but the next time you step into a second-class train compartment, take your earphones out, and listen to some of the things women don’t mind sharing, given their decibel levels. Don’t flinch. Listen.
The next time you hail a cab, look out. No wait…stare.
I once saw a comical if slightly disturbing sight. A man, obviously a rag picker, hobbling with a bag of rubbish, dressed in rags, except for high shiny red stilettos. The image is still stuck in my head. I intend to use it someday.
Even stuff from your own life. I’ve been a runny nosed kid all my life. Still am except for the kid bit. Which is why Workz is so much fun to work on. Or the fact that we swiped pictures from a friend’s orkut album for Siddesh’s ad which went on to win the Young Lotus Award. Who says social networking hinders work? I just hope Army Public School Bangalore doesn’t sue.
I’m no authority on creativity, but I have found an excuse for my lousy manners. A bloody good excuse that you can use if you like. Just make sure you wear dark shades when you stare though. Subtlety is everything.
Posted by Meera.
Don’t spit on the road, but the next time you step into a second-class train compartment, take your earphones out, and listen to some of the things women don’t mind sharing, given their decibel levels. Don’t flinch. Listen.
The next time you hail a cab, look out. No wait…stare.
I once saw a comical if slightly disturbing sight. A man, obviously a rag picker, hobbling with a bag of rubbish, dressed in rags, except for high shiny red stilettos. The image is still stuck in my head. I intend to use it someday.
Even stuff from your own life. I’ve been a runny nosed kid all my life. Still am except for the kid bit. Which is why Workz is so much fun to work on. Or the fact that we swiped pictures from a friend’s orkut album for Siddesh’s ad which went on to win the Young Lotus Award. Who says social networking hinders work? I just hope Army Public School Bangalore doesn’t sue.
I’m no authority on creativity, but I have found an excuse for my lousy manners. A bloody good excuse that you can use if you like. Just make sure you wear dark shades when you stare though. Subtlety is everything.
Posted by Meera.
Supriya's thank you note
Supriya finished her 6-week internship at Orchard. And has sent us nice thank you note.
Thomas’s encouragement
Rajeev’s quirks
Ankur’s inputs
Monica’s guidance
Mary’s smile
Parvathy’s pauses
Rekha’s sincerity
Tulsi’s spontaneity
Shane’s banter
Sagar’s jokes
Rina’s candidness
Rocky’s concern
Dakshi’s morning cheer
Hemant’s expertise
Christy’s politeness
Orchard’s Kindness
Thank you all for making my short internship not only a fruitful learning experience but a genuinely memorable interaction. What will always remain special about Orchard are its people. Each one of you taught me something, consciously or unconsciously. I never enjoyed dirtying my feet more. Thanks for making learning fun!
Lots and lots of best wishes,
Supriya
Thomas’s encouragement
Rajeev’s quirks
Ankur’s inputs
Monica’s guidance
Mary’s smile
Parvathy’s pauses
Rekha’s sincerity
Tulsi’s spontaneity
Shane’s banter
Sagar’s jokes
Rina’s candidness
Rocky’s concern
Dakshi’s morning cheer
Hemant’s expertise
Christy’s politeness
Orchard’s Kindness
Thank you all for making my short internship not only a fruitful learning experience but a genuinely memorable interaction. What will always remain special about Orchard are its people. Each one of you taught me something, consciously or unconsciously. I never enjoyed dirtying my feet more. Thanks for making learning fun!
Lots and lots of best wishes,
Supriya
A most unusual point of view
If you thought Glaxo SmithKline Beecham was all about the ubiquitous Horlicks, think again. Here’s a very un-Horlicks like ad for one of their products Lactacyd – a feminine hygiene product. Produced and aired in the Netherlands.
Quick poll – when do you think such an ad can be done and aired in India without riots outside our office?
Posted by Nirupama.
Quick poll – when do you think such an ad can be done and aired in India without riots outside our office?
Posted by Nirupama.
A Link A Day # 26: Interview with Danny Boyle
AV Club has a meaty interview with Danny Boyle. Here's a chota extract to seduce you into reading it: "Good storytelling for me is not so much technical expertise, which I know is applauded often; it's actually freshness of approach. Now, it does mean you sometimes stumble and fall and make a horrible mess of things in seeking that freshness, but you should always keep trying to do that. You get lots of young filmmakers coming up, or people who want to be filmmakers, saying "Would you give any advice?" and things like that. The only advice I give is, "If you do get a chance to do it, take risks, because there's no point otherwise. Cinema will die otherwise." There has to be a reason why you go to that room, with those people, and watch 40-foot-high versions of ourselves. And it's not just to see a mirror. It's not to see minute behavior. I think it's to watch the extremes of what you're capable of, often. And storytelling, the freshness of storytelling, is a wonderful combination of extremes for me. So I'm always after putting people in extreme circumstances. I'm always after not knowing what I'm doing in those extreme circumstances." For more, click this link.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Shoot at Site
As soon as we got out of the cab, I looked up at the building. And immediately set my retinas loose to scan the place for any sign of what looked like a huge 12’ by 15’ signboard which pretty much said ‘Hot-shot photographer’. I was thinking that I would get to chat up some models in the waiting room, exchange some numbers maybe. A waiting room, where there would be millions of beautiful shots adorning the walls…rows of beautiful sceneries, clusters of wildlife pics, scores of scantily clad women in seductive poses…
Eyeballs darted to and fro outside the building, as if they were witnessing a live lawn tennis game, but all to no avail. There was none! So I along with my advanced in years Art Director, started up the stairs. We asked some delivery boys who were standing at the floor where the studio in question apparently was. They were happily posing and clicking pics with their mobile-cam. ‘Yes Saar? No, no photographer’s studio Saar! Must be some other place’, he answered hurriedly, since we were obviously intruding on his own private photo shoot. Just before we turned to leave ‘it’s the office next to us, to the right’, came a sheepish voice from the crowd of 5 being clicked.
So we headed in that direction but saw a plain looking door, that obviously could not be the studio, I thought. So I started to climb the stairs going to the roof. Just as reached the roof and saw a phone booth like cement cuboid which certainly wasn’t 'it'. “Over here, sir” said a small voice from behind. Turning around, I was quite amused to see a bearded head that popped out the door that had been closed a few seconds ago, much like a rabbit out of a conjurer’s hat.
I walked in and saw a ‘typical shoot’ type of set-up to my immediate right, it was the JK tyre. And it looked exactly what the ads crowned it as, ‘The Big Bad Badshah of Radials'. It had several lights trained on it, from every possible angle.
Now, I turned my eyes toward the room only to find that, it was the most unglamorous thing I had ever seen in my life! No waiting room, no models and no sign of extravagance in any shape or form. But yes, there were pictures, in a cluster right above his work-desk. Not the wildlife kind or the scantily clad model kind, but beautiful pictures nonetheless.
Other than that there was an ordinary looking laptop that showcased some reference shots, sitting on the desk. And then, there it was… Now, I was jealous. It was a camera, which the photographer unzipped from a rather bulky looking bag, filled with attachments and what not. What a beaut! The moment I saw it, I fell in love with it. It was big and looked like it was capable of getting a clear shot of a nose hair inside the nostrils of a person seated a kilometer away. It was spectacular!
Eavesdropping on a few minutes of conversation between the photographer and the Art Director revealed that it was the same photographer that had shot the Tic-Tac cricket print ad. I introduced myself and soon after asked him about the ‘no sign board’ thing. “Actually, we shoot a lot of ads here and celebrities as well, which is why we prefer to keep a low-profile, and try to be well, almost invisible. Even most of our neighbors don’t know what it is we do here. You see, my goal is to supply my clients with good talent for a very reasonable cost. I know we don’t have AC rooms and ‘some higher end camera that costs a couple of lakhs – forgot the name’, but that would raise the cost considerably. But maybe in a few years, we’ll see…” he replied.
I heard what he had to say, and absolutely bought into his philosophy. I liked the idea that we had come there for a service and that is exactly what he promised deliver on. No frills added. His philosophy was very Subhiksha, and seemed to carry with it a ‘morcha against kharcha!’ kinda sensibility. I was still sort of disappointed that there were no hot models hanging around though.
The shoot went on superbly; we saw that he not only talked a big game but could deliver on it as well. Immediately the unphotogenic photographer seemed to be, just what the doctor ordered. We sipped on tea and frooti that the bearded head (photographer’s assistant) that had popped up earlier promptly brought us. And the art director advised the photographer on the type of light and shadow play he wanted on the product.
So after a 2 & ½ or 3 hour shoot, we exchanged cards & thank-yous and were office bound. I was immensely happy with the experience, but in retrospect am still kinda sulky about the models.
Posted by Shane
Eyeballs darted to and fro outside the building, as if they were witnessing a live lawn tennis game, but all to no avail. There was none! So I along with my advanced in years Art Director, started up the stairs. We asked some delivery boys who were standing at the floor where the studio in question apparently was. They were happily posing and clicking pics with their mobile-cam. ‘Yes Saar? No, no photographer’s studio Saar! Must be some other place’, he answered hurriedly, since we were obviously intruding on his own private photo shoot. Just before we turned to leave ‘it’s the office next to us, to the right’, came a sheepish voice from the crowd of 5 being clicked.
So we headed in that direction but saw a plain looking door, that obviously could not be the studio, I thought. So I started to climb the stairs going to the roof. Just as reached the roof and saw a phone booth like cement cuboid which certainly wasn’t 'it'. “Over here, sir” said a small voice from behind. Turning around, I was quite amused to see a bearded head that popped out the door that had been closed a few seconds ago, much like a rabbit out of a conjurer’s hat.
I walked in and saw a ‘typical shoot’ type of set-up to my immediate right, it was the JK tyre. And it looked exactly what the ads crowned it as, ‘The Big Bad Badshah of Radials'. It had several lights trained on it, from every possible angle.
Now, I turned my eyes toward the room only to find that, it was the most unglamorous thing I had ever seen in my life! No waiting room, no models and no sign of extravagance in any shape or form. But yes, there were pictures, in a cluster right above his work-desk. Not the wildlife kind or the scantily clad model kind, but beautiful pictures nonetheless.
Other than that there was an ordinary looking laptop that showcased some reference shots, sitting on the desk. And then, there it was… Now, I was jealous. It was a camera, which the photographer unzipped from a rather bulky looking bag, filled with attachments and what not. What a beaut! The moment I saw it, I fell in love with it. It was big and looked like it was capable of getting a clear shot of a nose hair inside the nostrils of a person seated a kilometer away. It was spectacular!
Eavesdropping on a few minutes of conversation between the photographer and the Art Director revealed that it was the same photographer that had shot the Tic-Tac cricket print ad. I introduced myself and soon after asked him about the ‘no sign board’ thing. “Actually, we shoot a lot of ads here and celebrities as well, which is why we prefer to keep a low-profile, and try to be well, almost invisible. Even most of our neighbors don’t know what it is we do here. You see, my goal is to supply my clients with good talent for a very reasonable cost. I know we don’t have AC rooms and ‘some higher end camera that costs a couple of lakhs – forgot the name’, but that would raise the cost considerably. But maybe in a few years, we’ll see…” he replied.
I heard what he had to say, and absolutely bought into his philosophy. I liked the idea that we had come there for a service and that is exactly what he promised deliver on. No frills added. His philosophy was very Subhiksha, and seemed to carry with it a ‘morcha against kharcha!’ kinda sensibility. I was still sort of disappointed that there were no hot models hanging around though.
The shoot went on superbly; we saw that he not only talked a big game but could deliver on it as well. Immediately the unphotogenic photographer seemed to be, just what the doctor ordered. We sipped on tea and frooti that the bearded head (photographer’s assistant) that had popped up earlier promptly brought us. And the art director advised the photographer on the type of light and shadow play he wanted on the product.
So after a 2 & ½ or 3 hour shoot, we exchanged cards & thank-yous and were office bound. I was immensely happy with the experience, but in retrospect am still kinda sulky about the models.
Posted by Shane
A Link A Day # 25: Golden Globes
As you might have already figured, AR Rahman has won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score. In case, his win has increase your appetite for knowing more about the awards, go here.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Isn’t it time for Indian Advertising to stop its fixation on Mumbai?
For years, Mumbai or more correctly Bombay, has been the capital of Indian Advertising. Most agencies are still headquartered out of Mumbai. The biggies still sit there. And like a creative bigwig once said, you get the best of creative talent in Mumbai.
We all know why this Mumbai fixation has been there for so many years now. It’s the financial capital and naturally home to big businesses. There are studios, production houses and other advertising related talent that Mumbai has in plenty. And there’s Bollywood, which advertising borrows generously from and vice versa.
All this is fine. But I don’t believe you need to be living and working in Mumbai to do your best work. Ideas can come from anywhere. A creative team sitting in Kolkata or Chennai can come up with work that’s as path-breaking as something that comes out of the maximum city. And in this day of information technology, it is absolutely possible to sit anywhere and service a client. We have started doing it successfully at Orchard.
Some of the finest advertising one has seen in the last two decades has come from Wieden & Kennedy. They set up their office in Portland. Far removed from Madison Avenue. Haven’t they been successful? Ditto with Crispin. Starting off at Miami they have now moved to Boulder in Colorado. Ever thought of Colorado as advertising heaven? I can think of many more of such examples.
What’s more, with Indian Advertising heavy on regional flavor, the nuances can be captured perfectly by creative people from that particular region / state. This democratization, as I would like to call it, will also help local agencies and branch offices grow, without making other cities look like pathetic outposts. Local talent will prosper. And importantly, one can choose to live where he / she wants to, do the best work and create a fabulous work-life balance.
Posted by Murali.
We all know why this Mumbai fixation has been there for so many years now. It’s the financial capital and naturally home to big businesses. There are studios, production houses and other advertising related talent that Mumbai has in plenty. And there’s Bollywood, which advertising borrows generously from and vice versa.
All this is fine. But I don’t believe you need to be living and working in Mumbai to do your best work. Ideas can come from anywhere. A creative team sitting in Kolkata or Chennai can come up with work that’s as path-breaking as something that comes out of the maximum city. And in this day of information technology, it is absolutely possible to sit anywhere and service a client. We have started doing it successfully at Orchard.
Some of the finest advertising one has seen in the last two decades has come from Wieden & Kennedy. They set up their office in Portland. Far removed from Madison Avenue. Haven’t they been successful? Ditto with Crispin. Starting off at Miami they have now moved to Boulder in Colorado. Ever thought of Colorado as advertising heaven? I can think of many more of such examples.
What’s more, with Indian Advertising heavy on regional flavor, the nuances can be captured perfectly by creative people from that particular region / state. This democratization, as I would like to call it, will also help local agencies and branch offices grow, without making other cities look like pathetic outposts. Local talent will prosper. And importantly, one can choose to live where he / she wants to, do the best work and create a fabulous work-life balance.
Posted by Murali.
A Link A Day # 24: Utterly Butterly Delicious
I've met so many writers who think it's infra dig to resort to pun. It may not be a great literary device, but nothing works better in India than the good old pun. Amul is a classic example. For all you who've not yet digested the Amul work, do visit this link. It's a neat digest of the work from 1976 to 2008. What's missing is the work from 1967 to '75. Wonder why they removed it from the site. Obviously, those who maintain the site, don't care about preserving the heritage of Amul.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Viral Watch: Ray Ban's Cow Boy
Cutwater's new Cow Giving Birth film for Ray Ban has sent the net into a tizzy. Some just hate it. Some are wondering how they did it. Some are saying, it's actually cool. I was waddafuk when I watched it. But then Ray Ban virals have always been edgy. See if you like it.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 23: How Art Spawned an Adult Campaign
Jean Yves Lemoigne, the art director turned photographer, did an eyeball grabbing series recently for Amusement Magazine. He called it Pixxxel. It featured real pixelated 3d-porn girls in high-res settings. The CGI rendering was so good that, from an angle, the pixel porn girls almost looked like constructed from lego bricks. DDB, the agency for Lego, latched onto it and quickly did a 'Lego For Adults' campaign. Creatively, I am cool with this campaign. But from a brand point of view, is it okay for Lego, an iconic toy brand for kids, to be perceived as an Adult brand? My gut feel is, there will be a media ruckus soon. And Lego might just issue a terse statement dissociating itself from this campaign. Click here for viewing Lego porn.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Friday, January 9, 2009
A Link A Day # 22: Buyology Review
I am a low life who doesn't read books. I am of the opinion that a book has a little substance and lots of puffery. I like it when I am served the gist of the book in small measures. Assuming there are truckloads of people like me, I am gonna post you links of book reviews, every week. This way, us don't-read-folks won't feel dwarfed in the company of giants, who guzzle a book a day. Let me kickstart this process with the Buyology review by Roger Dooley. Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy is a neuro-marketing tome by Martin Lindstrom. It is a compilation of conclusions drawn from a brain research project that aimed to map the minds of consumers while they were watching brand communication. Interesting premise. Interesting enough to at least read the review :-)
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Spot of the Week: Steam Cloud
Created by BBH London. Made by Spank Films. Directed by Michael Geoghegan. Shot in San Fransisco. Cloud effect achieved using Liquid Nitrogen & enhanced with system work.
Posted by Commercialbreaker.
Orchard Mumbai's New Year Bash on Dec 31st
"We had a rockin time on the 31st. The lunch party was a super hit. Post lunch all came back to office eager to find out what the secret santa had gifted. Everyone had a great time."
Ameya
A Link A Day # 21: Designer Business Cards
We've seen enough gimmicky cards that have sit-up value. But how do you draw attention to yourself, without resorting to an over-the-top trick? How magazine has featured 26 classy business cards that catch the eye and has gone one step further, by asking the designers to explain the logic behind what they did. Worth a read.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Is it okay to watch a rape, silently?
That was no cheap trick to get your attention. All of us in advertising are guilty of this crime. I mean, how many times have we seen some rogue clients repeatedly screw their hapless share holders with utter disdain? How many times have we crafted lofty corporate campaigns for charlatans who have no scruples about blowing up Other People’s Money? How many times have we shameless played along, all for the sake of bloody billings? How many times have we shushed our conscience and looked the other way?
I dunno about you. But I’ve been a mute spectator, many a time, in many an agency. Whenever I felt deeply disturbed, I’ve left the place, without a murmur. Now, when I look back in anger, I ask myself: Was I right in keeping quiet? Shouldn’t I have blown the whistle?
The reason why I write about whistle blowing in advertising is the latest Satyam revelations. Lots of ad agencies have been associated with that company. Several sharp minds, I know, have worked on that account, directly and indirectly. The seasoned ones would have figured out long ago, that Satyam was window dressing its balance sheet. Pity, they kept their misgivings to themselves. If only they had alerted the world, we wouldn’t be witnessing the biggest Corporate Governance sham in India.
Coming back to my burden of guilt. And yours. In the light of this scam, do we still stay silent? You, and me, know that for every Satyam caught, there are hundreds of others who are walking scot-free wearing their Teflon-coated suits. Do we squeal on them? Or do we still pretend nothing ever happened?
One response I’ve often heard is: It’s the media’s job…why should we lose sleep over it? But is the media doing its job? The same media that’s going after Satyam today, was happily accepting, campaign after campaign, from the accused. No one ever bothered to study their PNL statement. The so-called business journals happily reported every doctored press write-up that came their way. No hack ever bothered to sift the spin from the facts. So how can we trust the media to expose the unexposed? Shouldn’t we ad folks identify the guilty before they cause a bigger crime?
If that option is too risky, shouldn’t we at least stop working on brands that brazenly violate laws? As opinion makers of the civil society, don’t we owe that much to our target audience who read our ads and faithfully empty their little wallets?
SPEAK UP, folks! Else, we’ll be as guilty as the numb wimp who watched the rape without voicing his dissent.
Posted by Anantha.
I dunno about you. But I’ve been a mute spectator, many a time, in many an agency. Whenever I felt deeply disturbed, I’ve left the place, without a murmur. Now, when I look back in anger, I ask myself: Was I right in keeping quiet? Shouldn’t I have blown the whistle?
The reason why I write about whistle blowing in advertising is the latest Satyam revelations. Lots of ad agencies have been associated with that company. Several sharp minds, I know, have worked on that account, directly and indirectly. The seasoned ones would have figured out long ago, that Satyam was window dressing its balance sheet. Pity, they kept their misgivings to themselves. If only they had alerted the world, we wouldn’t be witnessing the biggest Corporate Governance sham in India.
Coming back to my burden of guilt. And yours. In the light of this scam, do we still stay silent? You, and me, know that for every Satyam caught, there are hundreds of others who are walking scot-free wearing their Teflon-coated suits. Do we squeal on them? Or do we still pretend nothing ever happened?
One response I’ve often heard is: It’s the media’s job…why should we lose sleep over it? But is the media doing its job? The same media that’s going after Satyam today, was happily accepting, campaign after campaign, from the accused. No one ever bothered to study their PNL statement. The so-called business journals happily reported every doctored press write-up that came their way. No hack ever bothered to sift the spin from the facts. So how can we trust the media to expose the unexposed? Shouldn’t we ad folks identify the guilty before they cause a bigger crime?
If that option is too risky, shouldn’t we at least stop working on brands that brazenly violate laws? As opinion makers of the civil society, don’t we owe that much to our target audience who read our ads and faithfully empty their little wallets?
SPEAK UP, folks! Else, we’ll be as guilty as the numb wimp who watched the rape without voicing his dissent.
Posted by Anantha.
Ad Tune Watch: Ramone's Wonderful World
The 'Big Splash' spot by Ogilvy - Buenos Aires, uses Joey Ramone's cover version of the Louis Armstrong's eternal classic What a Wonderful World. Incidentally Joey Ramone was the lead singer of the group Ramones. He passed away in 2001.
Posted by Triviaman.
The Atheism Campaign
The British Humanist Association with support from Prof. Richard Dawkins has started a bus campaign promoting atheism. Devised by comedy writer Ariane Sherine, these posters will be seen across 200 buses in London and 600 more across England, Scotland and Wales.
Ariane Sherine says she was inspired to seek donations after objecting to a set of Christian advertisements on a bus. These donations were later used to create this campaign which is now seen all over Britain.
But the question on my mind is this: How would we as a nation react to a campaign like this? Especially, when religion in India has become a burning issue in the society. Rather than it being just a matter of faith.
Posted by Murali.
Orchard blog and website gets good press in exchange4media
Thanks to the vision and perseverance of Thomas, the technical knowledge of the digital dude Srini and the unflailing enthusiasm of the contributors, the Orchard website and blog has got a lot of good press today.
Go to http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/izone1/izone_fullstory.asp?section_id=4&news_id=33599&tag=28559&pict=0 to read the story.
And may the good work continue. Way to go guys.
Posted by Murali
Go to http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/izone1/izone_fullstory.asp?section_id=4&news_id=33599&tag=28559&pict=0 to read the story.
And may the good work continue. Way to go guys.
Posted by Murali
Mark the date - Jan 24
January 24 has just been declared as the day of the girl child. The ministry of social welfare plans to release ads/tvcs/radio spots etc. on all issues relating to the girl child starting with female infanticide. Can team Orchard come up with something mindblogging to mark this day?
Posted by Nirupama.
Posted by Nirupama.
A Link A Day # 20: Magic with Papercuts
Elsa Mora is a Cuban artist now based in the United States. She runs an awesome blog on the craft of papercutting. Her creations are intricate eye candies. I especially loved her soul girl series and the one on fear. I am surprised, we haven't seen any ad campaigns leveraging her gift.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Mills & Boon Writing Competition
Folks, Mills & Boon India is running a 'Passions Writing Competition'. If you have a 2000-word romantic cracker of a story, you can enter it here. Entry is free. Deadline is Jan 21.
The spoils are quite interesting too. Prize winners get free editorial consultation from the Mills & Boon team. Laptops and diamond jewellery are also up for grabs.
For more details visit www.millsandboonindia.com
Posted by Murali.
The spoils are quite interesting too. Prize winners get free editorial consultation from the Mills & Boon team. Laptops and diamond jewellery are also up for grabs.
For more details visit www.millsandboonindia.com
Posted by Murali.
A Link A Day # 19: Graphic Make Overs
Creative Latitude is a forum for designers across the globe. These guys have a nice section on Graphic Make Overs where you can share a live case study of a graphic make over exercise you were a part of. It could be a logo, poster, flyer, packaging or whatever. The idea is to share and enlighten the world. At the end of each post, the editors at Creative Latitude give their feedback. It's a nice place to learn. Click here to visit the place.
Posted by Anantha
Posted by Anantha
Monday, January 5, 2009
Sun, sand and Moonrakers
50 km from Chennai is Mahabalipuram. Known for its beach and the shore temple, Mahabs (as it’s popularly referred to) is a favourite haunt for Chennaites and a pit-stop for the roadies heading to Pondy.
Nestled in a quite corner of this small town is a culinary haven. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Moonrakers. A seafood paradise started by 3 brothers back in 1993.
Beat the heat by ordering a beer first. By the time it comes, you can feast your eyes on the lip smacking varieties of fish, crab, squid and other crawling delicacies that are presented to you live, in a tray. (Vegetarians look away. Since you guys don’t have much to choose from the menu anyway.) They also have chicken and lamb. But I’d urge you to stick to seafood, because that’s their specialty.
Try the Calamari. It’s amazing. Ditto with the fish. They are fresh and tasty and well worth the price you pay. Squid was just about there. But the real delicacy is the crab. Priced according to size, it’s probably the best you’ll get to taste in that part of the town. Apparently, the secret behind the taste of the food lies in the powder they use to marinate it. It’s made in-house and you realize why the food tastes so good.
While you wash the food down with a chilled glass of beer, you are in for another surprise. The bill. It goes easy on your pocket. Small wonder that this place is filled to the brim most of the time.
Enough said. Go visit Moonrakers sometime. It’s definitely worth the drive.
Posted by Murali
Humankind types, some fuel.
Stumbled across a nice article by the Director, Trendspotting, JWT. Yes, that’s her designation and her job description :-(
Click here for the article.
Posted by Niru.
Click here for the article.
Posted by Niru.
A Link A Day # 18: Royal Blood by Erwin Olaf
Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf has done a macabre series on unsavoury aristocratic deaths using models as pale white blonde vampires. There are tastefully done gruesome renditions of Marie Antoniette, Julius Caesar, Princess Diana, Jacqueline Onassis, Elizabeth of Bavaria, Tsarina Alexander, Poppaea and Ludwig. The series was done in Y2K. The bloody blogworld is just discovering it now :-)
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Orchard has a colorful reason to cheer
The news is out. Colors, the TV channel, handled by Orchard Mumbai has ended the year on a high. It has managed to hit the top by unseating behemoths like ZEE, Star Plus, Sony etc. And that too within a year’s time.
For a detailed version of the story just copy paste this link on to your browser:
www.campaignindia.in/news/colors_ends_year_on_a_high
Posted by Murali
For a detailed version of the story just copy paste this link on to your browser:
www.campaignindia.in/news/colors_ends_year_on_a_high
Posted by Murali
Youtube Gems: Asics Film
Made in 2007. Using Stop motion. By Nordpol + Hamburg. With the help of Origami artist Sipho Mabona. This film won a Silver at Clio, Grand Prix at Eurobest, a Gold at NY Fest and LIAA.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 17: One Eyeland
One Eyeland is a brand new website, floated last week. It's a virtual gallery of the finest pictures from the finest photographers. A brainchild of lensman Sharad Haksar, it aims to emerge as the world's largest community of creative photographers. The beta version of the site is currently up. Already, 13 international shutterbugs and over 200 members have signed up in the last 7 days. The thing about One Eyeland is it works like Luerzer's Archive. Not every image uploaded, gets selected. Only the best makes the cut. And not everyone can comment on the images. Only those with 5 selections are empowered to comment. An exhaustive search mechanism and 24/7 ranking are some other interesting features of One Eyeland. If you like to keep track of the work of photographers, methinks this is the one and only island you need to visit.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Viral Watch: Because We Can
42 Below, the premium vodka brand from New Zealand, unleashed its theme Because We Can with a series of coordinated guerilla artistic acts in Australia & New Zealand. Sydney-based Glue Society were the brains behind these acts. Some of the stunts included erecting a rainbow made of chairs, filling a beach with swimsuited dolls and leaving a street full of cars wrapped in christmas paper.
The artistic happenings apparently generated a lot of buzz for 42 Below. This success emboldened them to extend the theme with a Becausewecan viral website. The site encourages people to upload videos that capture the spirit of the theme. USD 4200 is dished out every month as the prize for the best video. The viral seems to have caught on. People have started uploading interesting videos. I particularly liked the coffee art video. The Vodka connect may seem vague. But does the product matter when the brand theme is strong? Think about it.
Posted by Anantha.
The artistic happenings apparently generated a lot of buzz for 42 Below. This success emboldened them to extend the theme with a Becausewecan viral website. The site encourages people to upload videos that capture the spirit of the theme. USD 4200 is dished out every month as the prize for the best video. The viral seems to have caught on. People have started uploading interesting videos. I particularly liked the coffee art video. The Vodka connect may seem vague. But does the product matter when the brand theme is strong? Think about it.
Posted by Anantha.
A Link A Day # 16: Boardmag's Top 20 Production Houses
We in India, are not privy to the showreels of the finest production houses in the world. Most of us have seen some work of MJZ, Biscuit, Gorgeous, Partizan, Smuggler & Rebolucion. But there are other outfits doing sterling work. Boardsmag has put out its annual list of the Top 20 Production Houses. And it's thrown up many new names - Academy, Mekanism, O Positive & Park Pictures to name a few. For some reason, Boards has just named 19 outfits instead of 20. Probably someone forgot to append one name. Anyways, if I were you, I'd open a new youtube window and watch all the commercials mentioned in this list.
Posted by Anantha.
Posted by Anantha.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Garma Garam Gossip Edition # 3
* The Italian brand of sanitary ware that rhymes with Mocha has shifted its account to the swamy army. They say it’s because of global realignment.
* The Orissa dance book store has started feeling the heat of recession. It has scrapped sponsoring the Jan 26th Quiz Event (an annual fixture in Chennai).
* The other Hasbro has taken a radical step by moving its advertising from a Chennai-based shop to a Bangalore-based agency known to be very happy.
* Niladri the Boson is back spearheading the pleasantry radio channel he left in 2007.
Posted by Loose Tongue.
* The Orissa dance book store has started feeling the heat of recession. It has scrapped sponsoring the Jan 26th Quiz Event (an annual fixture in Chennai).
* The other Hasbro has taken a radical step by moving its advertising from a Chennai-based shop to a Bangalore-based agency known to be very happy.
* Niladri the Boson is back spearheading the pleasantry radio channel he left in 2007.
Posted by Loose Tongue.
Best & Worst of Tamil Films in 2008
Let me continue where Murali left off. This is not an exhaustive list :-)
Contributions awaited.
Floppers
• Kuruvi (Vijay) – lame duck
• Egan (Ajith) – one man flop show
• Varanam Ayiram – heavyweight dud
• Dasavatharam – 10 personas to avoid on a dark street
• Dham Dhoom – more sound than fury
• Indiralogathil Naalazhagapan – why?
• Bheema – All brawn, absolutely no brain.
Jury still out
• Abhiyum Naanum –just out, from the director of ‘Mozhi’. Will it live up?
• Bommalatam – Nana Patekar & Bharathiraaja – not an everyday combo.
• Silambattam – Where is the party?
Toppers
• Saroja – super slick flick.
• Subramaniapuram – read murali’s post
• Anjathey – the viewer needn’t hesitate
• Poi Solla Porom – true to form remake of Khosla Ka Ghosla.
• Velli thirai – a movie about movies without sex or violence. Unbelievable.
Posted by Nirupama.
Contributions awaited.
Floppers
• Kuruvi (Vijay) – lame duck
• Egan (Ajith) – one man flop show
• Varanam Ayiram – heavyweight dud
• Dasavatharam – 10 personas to avoid on a dark street
• Dham Dhoom – more sound than fury
• Indiralogathil Naalazhagapan – why?
• Bheema – All brawn, absolutely no brain.
Jury still out
• Abhiyum Naanum –just out, from the director of ‘Mozhi’. Will it live up?
• Bommalatam – Nana Patekar & Bharathiraaja – not an everyday combo.
• Silambattam – Where is the party?
Toppers
• Saroja – super slick flick.
• Subramaniapuram – read murali’s post
• Anjathey – the viewer needn’t hesitate
• Poi Solla Porom – true to form remake of Khosla Ka Ghosla.
• Velli thirai – a movie about movies without sex or violence. Unbelievable.
Posted by Nirupama.
A Link A Day # 15: Dave Trott's Anecdote
I was searching for a link to kickstart your New Year. Then I stumbled upon this beautiful anecdote shared by the ever-giving Dave Trott. It's a tale from The Wizard of Oz. It's a detail we never gave attention to. But Dave being Dave, he's used it as raw material to spin an inspirational message with it. Go read.
Posted by Anantha.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Link A Day # 14: Screenwriting Contest
The Call for Entries for the 2009 Page International Screenwriting Awards is out. There are Gold, Silver & Bronze prizes to be won for Scripts in Action, Comedy, Drama, Family, Historical, Sci-Fi & Thriller genres. The Judges are top-notch. The Grand Prize is $25,000. Entry fee is just $39. Submissions need to be in PDF format. For more details, go here.
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