Han - Solo

Special shoutout to our very good friend and the very talented, but only an illustrator, Han Lee, for being part of the team that was involved in the design of Beck's latest album.

It's a really cool idea where you can pluck out the stickers and design your very own Beck album cover.

It's featured in this month's Creative Review.

Also Han had 8 freaking pages to himself and named 'Future Illustrators to look out for' (or something to that effect) on Graphic Magazine last month.

Janson

PS Stickers are cool. There should be more ads and communication using stickers. I get really excited when I see a Don't Panic pack with stickers.

Random Photography

Took this picture when I woke up in the middle of the night and realised I had left the bathroom light on.

There's something quite symmetrically aesthetic about it, I think.

It also looks like one of those pictures you put with crap motivational lines at the bottom you see selling at cheap bookshops.

"A door left open..."

Ok I shall resist.

Janson

The rules of engagement

It's so horrible it's funny.

I was told someone made this as a joke. I certainly hope so.

Which made me think... wouldn't it be fun to do politically incorrect ads?

Of Music Videos

I read a few days ago that Universal Music is on the verge of filing a multi million lawsuit against Youtube and Myspace.

The reason? Broadcasting music videos online.

Universal Music said that they made the mistake of allowing MTV to broadcast music for free 20 years ago and MTV went on to create this phenomenal product based on something they got for free.

It just goes to show how out of touch the music industry is.

Napster shook them almost 10 years ago and since then they have been playing catch up and still are today. Music videos are unlikely to cause a simliar ripple effect but to restrict and ban the broadcast of music videos online is just another step in the same direction.

Wheter it is doing a synchronised dance on treadmills to frolicking on the beach or performing in a big room, slowly to be filled with erm... oil, Youtube has only helped raise the profile of bands and artistes (I for one have no idea who OK GO were).

Besides you can't even download the clips. You can only watch, admire and send it to your friends so they think you are pretty damn cool.

And your friends will watch them, think it's cool and send it off to their friends so that those friends will think your friends are pretty damn cool too.

In another world, another product, those marketing men will be having multiple orgasms.

Janson

PS Speaking of music videos, who watches MTV these days?

We're with Hoff

One of the things we do on a friday afternoon.



The day we felt like we're on Entourage.

An Hour Lunch Revolution

Dave from Finance, originally uploaded by adsareboring.

Something we did a while ago for Pret but we'll probably take it off from our book.

Comments? Feedback?

watch MORE tv

I've been watching football games via pirate internet broadcast for over a year now.

Using Peer-2-Peer, the streams are really getting better. Just last week and for the first time I watched one full game without any interruption or broken connection.

Now here's the interesting bit.

Other than football games, these P2P softwares are now broadcasting TV shows from Asia (largely China). They also now have dedicated movie channels showing films from a particular actor/actress, genres and etc. The movies are on repeat 24/7 and the softwares comes with a interactive program guide to tell you what's on.

Just yesterday when I tried to connect to watch the Da Vinci Code and just before the stream buffered to the broadcast, an ad appeared on screen! It's an anti-smoking ad in Chinese and right after that there's another ad by the makers of the software to contact them if you want to run ads.

ingenious.

PS I later realised that ads only appear before and after the movies and not in between.

ON SUNDAY GOD WENT TO IKEA

Having just moved into a a new house i thought this sunday would be a perfect time to take a trip to IKEA.

Wow what a trip. What gets me is that you can advertise all you want, but as a punter trying to get to the fucker is a nightmare.

I knew i could get a bus but which one and where do i get off? What they need is an ikea branded bus with extra storage and a roof rack!

Brand it up, put some maps inside and everyones happy.

But if you dont want to know the best one to get to is in Edmonton. Jump on the 149 get off at angel corner then jump onto the 34 to the wonderful world of flat pack.

More IKEA thoughts to come as i recover from the jet lang of north London.
Ollie

Hey watch this

I don't mean to be over dramatic but I think I might have witnessed the beginning of something that will probably change the way media, and especially TV, work soon.

While watching Da Ali G show yesterday night, one ad particularly stood out for me.

Redbull advertised that they will be beaming the Red Bull X-Fighters Competition live here on September 14th at 8pm.

I was in disbelief.

Red Bull buying an ad space on prime time telling people to go online and watch a prime time live broadcast. What surprises me most is Channel 4 allowing that ad to run.

Ok maybe Ch 4 don't think that many audience will log on to watch it, OR on September 14th at 8pm they have a great show on, or a shit one so much so they let RedBull win and get some money out of it.

We all know where the future is heading but this is like a public admission by a national broadcaster.

"If we can't beat them, let's get some cash out of them".

Take loads of holidays

shop
Originally uploaded by adsareboring.

Here are some new work we did recently.

Go to our Flickr page for the whole campaign.

I will be updating more work over the next few days.

Let us know what you think!

We would like to thank

Big shout out to everyone (and their moms!!) for clicking in and voting for us in the Luerzer's Archive Student Of the Year 2006.

Really, really appreciate it guys.

We didn't win it though. The winner garnered over 7000 votes! We have to put our hands up. We haven't got that many friends. :|

Martin must be wondering why we didn't do this earlier. I don't know. I suppose it didn't occur to us that we should be bragging our arse off. Besides I don't know if it meant anything really but here it goes anyway...

At Cream 2006 a few weeks ago, Tony Davidson of W+K picked us out and awarded us the Cream Creative Excellence. We suspect it's a case of, in social psychology terms, the 'recency effect'. Not that we are complaining... :)

It is now sitting proudly at a very visible part of my house.

Thanks again to Gemma, Lottie and the rest of KT for Cream 2006.

The Football Big Issue

A trip up to Liverpool yesterday made me realise one thing.

Outside every football ground on matchdays, illegal hawkers will be selling all sorts of things. From scarves, to T-shirts (with irreverant or ironic humor), pennants (come on Jermaine), home-made/DIY magazines (from b&w to glossy), air horns, wrist bands....

The whole area just transforms into a football market.

And football fans will buy them. Anything you sell, someone will buy them. It is pretty amazing and i'm not just talking about tourists or day trippers who find some of the items pretty alluring as they go to games once in a while, perhaps once in their lifetime. I've also seen locals succumbing to those funny (and definitely 'limited edition') items.

Why don't the Big Issue do a Football Big Issue? Not only they can be sold everywhere, the homeless can go to football ground on matchdays to sell them. With an average of 2 games a week for a club I'm quite certain fans will buy them.

And there can be different front covers to entice the fans.

Janson

Snakey B

Snakes on the Plane is potentially the worst film title ever. Just renaming it to Reptiliair or a logo (like Prince) is already erm... much better!

On the bus earlier I saw a poster for "You, Me and Dupree" with the sub heading "2's a company, Dupree's a crowd".

I pray everyday that I don't have to write lines like those.

I want to set up a company where before an agency runs a campaign, we will run checks for you and see if the line/visual/thoughts has been used before. In that way the agency can't say "Oh we didn't know that" or get embarrassed when the work goes out (or even worse, embarrassing the client). But of course it's up to the agency to run those ads if we showed them those were done (to death).

Even for movies we will do the research for you and see if cheesy titles (or lines) work.

Maybe D&AD, Cannes, One Show should do that. Or even Kendall Tarrant.

Ahem...

I know some of you were wondering what the hell the previous post was about... it did look as though I just came back from some hippy funfair/festival. Heh.



It was the annual Cream exhibition. We were selected to exhibit some work and given a space to do so. Instead of putting up work on the wall (which will be contradictory to the very existence of this blog ;} ), we decided to do something, erm, a bit different.

The Staufenberger boys summed it up for us here (cheers guys). Also thanks again to Haruka for taking time out to be the mystery tattoo-er.



I'm getting more and more absent minded. I forgot to bring my camera that day and have to rely on others for pictures. I will post more when i get hold of them.

Janson

Tattoos are like a bad dream

tattoos
Originally uploaded by adsareboring.

It is.

I woke up this morning with these 'tattoos' on my arms.

And I felt somewhat embarrassed. It will make interesting conversation with people but I'd rather avoid those staringly looks on the bus.

Don't get me wrong. It was great fun yesterday having our 'team' of artistes doing mystery tattoos on people and ourselves. The insane amount of drinks probably helped and got us carried away a bit.

So I have to put on a jumper this morning.

I noticed Ollie came in with a long sleeve shirt ;)

And it has made me think twice about having tattoos. I certainly will never get one on visible parts of my body.

Sounds really obvious and it probably has already been done but for the sake of it, tattoo parlours should do non permanent tattoos for people like me who was all set and gung-ho about getting one but looking at them now I wish....

The tattoo parlours will still charge for it. Pay 100 quid to get a non permanent one. If you like it, top up the rest.

Just stay sober.

Janson

WHAT ABOUT A LONDON BLACKOUT

I saw this idea online and thought how great it was. The premise is that New York bars cremorate the power black out in 2003 by turning off their lights and having a night of drinking by candle light.
What struck me was how much of a great idea this would be in terms of promoting using less power. Why dont Powergen or British gas get involved and organise a night of supping ale by candle light.
Check out the link below.
http://www.tonightsnyc.com/blackoutnyc/search/search.php?hood_id=18

But

What if Banksy made a mistake?



What will he do?

Pantone T Shirt

Pantone T Shirt
Originally uploaded by adsareboring.

I saw a pretty cool thing a few years ago at the Design Museum. Some designer actually designed mugs of different brown pantone colours, so that you can match the 'strongness' of your tea in accordance to the pantone.

But I thought it was one of those things that has great potential to be great but were let down by he uselessness of it; looks great, great idea... for 3 seconds.

Anyways here something, somewhat inspired but those mugs.

The most fucked phone box in London

In reference's to one of Martin's great idea here, Bouha chanced upon this phone booth when we were helping Sean move the other day.

(just look at the receiver)

It's not in Lewisham or Dagenham. It's in freaking Algate East.

NB photo courtesy of Bouha, in case he sues me for it.

PS Phone booths should be converted to karaoke boxes. No need for massive cosmetic changes. Just convert the phones into those snazzy internet ready ones with a screen and all. Pick up the reciever, dial a number and sing along!

The Best Festival ever for a Fiver

It's got to be it.

I was at the Ben & Jerry's Sundae festival (on Saturday) and I had such a feel good, wholesome time. Everything's about being good to the environment, to yourself, to your friends. Even with kids.

From bio-degradable plastic bottles (I was very very skecptical about this... apparently the bottle disintergrate after 12 weeks. I will let you know the results in October.) to make trade fair and toe wrestling to mosaic painting to help save the world. It is just fantastic.

Now wait for this.

There were FREE ICE CREAM ALL ROUND.

Every tub and scoop of B&J's flavour, even their new ones and those frozen yoghurt things... It's all free! As much as you want!

And there's the music.










It's really refreshing to see a band like this in the world of 'skinny jeans only please'. And they played some great stuff as well.

At the end of it, they handed out B&J tubs with compost and seeds, complete with instructions, so you can go home and plant your own tree.

I'm sold.

Which makes me think about the role of advertising sometimes.

It's Fruitstock this weekend. I hope there's free smoothie.

janson