HERMANN VASKE - STANDING ON THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS - WHY ARE YOU CREATIVE -

I never had a chance to tell you about the fine work-films-books-thoughts-ads
of Mister Hermann Vaske.
Some of you maybe met him during one of his (usually) interesting seminars during the Cannes Ad Festival.

If not, here are some of his productions:
"Standing on the Shoulders Of Giants": Great book, a journey through the ideas and comments of some of the modern advertising architects.
"Why are you Creative" TV series and book: Broadcast on Arte at the time, short programs asking THE question to people going from the Dalai Lama to David Bowie...
And a bunch of films/documentaries that should at least be seen once:
"The Fine Art Of Separating People From Their Money" (trilogy)
"The Ten Commandments of Creativity"
"Who Killed The Idea"...

Find out everything, including trailers, interviews, etc. on Herman's site,
it will do you good, hopefully.

Danke Hermann.

JAN BRZECZKOWSKI,NOSE,PREMIERE HEURE,CHANNEL4,IPOD,MARK ROMANEK,BRUCE LEE BMW,RUCKUS

'Boards picks of the day.

Beautiful new idents for Channel 4.
The man behind these jewels, Jan Brzeczkowski.
See them here (boards screening room) or there (Nose/Première Heure).
Oh, and by the way, if you haven't seen the past ones, here they are. (with the original programm comments, sorry...)

This one, simple and efficient.
Like the new iPod Shuffle ?
Mark Romanek & Brand New School for Anonymous Content



In about the same techno-cold-poetic treatment & style,
two spots for Honda Canada by Paul Street @ Ruckus
N°1 and N°2.


And last but not least at all, Master Bruce for BMW.
agency: *S,C,P,F using this archival interview.

BIGGIE SMALLS,NOTORIOUS BIG,GNARLS BARKLEY,MASHUPS,SNOOP DOGG VS COLPLAY,SNOOP,COLDPLAY,THIBAULT-THIBAULT

Just found two good mashups.
Biggie Barkley & ColdSnoop.
Get them here and there.
Look around and find some better ones...

HALLIE KATE EISENBERG,PEPSI,CURLY,PESI GIRL,KISS,ADS,ADVERTISING,CLASSICS,HELL YEAH,INTERNET CRAP,BBDO NY,PYTKA,JOE PYTKA,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT

Enough of all that internet crap.
Let's get back to classics.
Here is one of my favorite of all time.
And there she goes again,
Hell yeah !

HOT CHIP,GRECO-ROMAN MIX TAPE,MUSIC FOR ROBOT

HOT CHIP rules.
brand new mixtape ''Greco-Roman'' available there.

MACHINE FILMS,AMF INSURANCE,PENSION COMPANY,DALARO,ADVERBLOG,HAKAN NORDKVIST,GORAN AHLBERG,TIME TRAVEL,DOCUMENTARY,CELL PHONE FILM,THIBAULT-THIBAULT

Now that's a story...Just found out about it today. Ok, let's go...

A couple of month ago Hǻkan Nordkvist started claiming on his blog (swedish sorry) that he travelled in time. Yes, that he travelled in time. Or, more precisely, that he had met himself in the future. Of course, just like you right now, no one believed him.
But wait, by chance, the man had his cell phone with him, and filmed his 'trip'.
Watch the piece of evidence (is it?) here.
That's how the story begins... weeks later, Machine Films' director Goran Ählberg, excited and surprised by this fascinating time travel story contacts Hǻkan to make a real documentary on his 'trip'. The project needs some money, they will find a sponsor...the AMF pension company.
.... delicious, can you see the Dalarö effect coming ?
Volvo, AMF, now that's what I call Scandinavian effectiveness.

many thanks to Adverblog for the story

SMASH MY PS3,BOBIN HOOD,ROBIN WOOD,MODERN DAY ROBIN HOOD,GLOBAL ORGASM,CHRISTMAS,ECOACTIVIST,SHOPPING,THIBAULT,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,BEST BUY,PS3

Christmas' coming. Get ready for the shopping. Meanwhile take example on these two brave consumer behaviors.
1. Modern Day Robin Hood
Goal: Make people nicer with each other. Technique: Give away some money Proof: here.
(by the way am I missing a joke or Robin Hood became Robin Wood in NYC ? pornStar or ecoActivist ? No... my mistake, sorry.)

2. Smash My PS3
Goal: Smash PS3. Technique: smash PS3 Proof: Smash PS3
(check the reactions of the nerd-o-gamer waiting an entire night in front of Best Buy to get theirs!)
Wait a minute... should I add the Global Orgasm project?

thanks to TI,GS

TASER,TRAINING ACADEMY,VIDEO,PRODUCT DEMO,CEO,TASER,TASER,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,TASER M26, X26, SAVING LIFES EVERY DAY,THIBAULT

OK it's stupid... and of course frightening and amusing as always.
TASER 'saving lifes every day' (?!) weapon makers test their 'electric guns' on their own management team (company's CEO, president, etc...).
And while you're at it, please check their product demo videos, and the cool training academy...
Lovely. Fucking freaking crazy, and lovely.

thanks to Adfreak

NIGGER,MICHAEL RICHARDS,SEINFELD,LAUGH FACTORY,CNN,RACISM,KRAMER,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,SHOWBUSINESS,THIBAULT,LETTERMAN,LATE NIGHT,LARRY DAVID,THIBAULT

Sadly, I have to do this. You know by now that I'm a Seinfeld fan. And sadly, I have to do this. Let me tell you about the 'Kramer Da Nigga' story. Step 1: Kramer (Michael Richards) is doing a stand up show at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. A couple of guys are chatting and not paying attention during his show... Step 2: Richard notices the little group (of black guys, you'll shortly understand...), sitting on the top floor and goes for a "political incorrect' joke, starting to call them niggas and so on... watch the video here. Step 3: We're in 2006, someone films the "incident" with his cell phone and sends it to TV stations... watch the media dog kill Kramer here. Step 4: After a couple of days of complete silence, Kramer apologies on the Late Night Show featuring Jerry Seinfeld, see it there. (and the Laugh Factory posts this message). That's it. I won't judge the case, you'll make your own opinion. There's a french saying that says: always choose your public. And there's a strange feeling that we all know (or at least I do), the one when you feel that a joke is going very very very bad. I guess that's what he felt. Peace brothers and sisters.

MARKETING,BAMBI FRANCISCO,MARKETWATCH.COM,RICHARD ROSENBLATT,DEMAND MEDIA,EHOW,MYSPACE,ROSS,RUPERT MURDOCH,NEWS CORP,THIBAULT-THIBAULT

Introducing Bambi Francisco from Marketwatch.com.
Here's an interview with Richard Rosenblatt former MySpace founder now working for Demand Media and other interesting sites such as eHow (how to do just about everything) & weHow (share what you know).
I came accross that video looking for some informations on Ross Levinsohn, former FoxSports.com CEO and for the past three years Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media man behind MySpace.
Everything, I mean my quest, started when I read that Ross, leaving the Evil Fox Organisation for some new adventures, had posted a resignation message, a song and a couple of clips of 'A few Good Men'' on his MySpace page...
An all new generation of CEO's... I guess?

thanks to Adfreak

WHAT YOUR MOM WOULD FEED YOU IF YOUR MOM WERE A MAN,COMBOS,ADVERTISING,ADS,TBWA CHIAT DAY,MARTIN GRANGER,SHERMAN FOUNDATION,SPOT A REAL LIFE MAN MOM

''What your mom would feed you if your mom were a man.''

Finally found a site where you can see them all. there.



Check the Spot-a-Real-life-Man-Mom contest,it's hilarious too.
Well, have to say it again: God Bless American Advertising.
agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day / director: Martin Granger

thanks to The Sherman Foundation

NISSAN QUASHQAI,CAR GAMES,ADVERTISING,SHOUT IT OUT,SHOUT SOAP,VIRAL,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,FRIDAY

Thank God it's Friday.
Friday is crazy campaign day.
Surreal Car Freestylers
and / or
Clean Clothes Hunters
the choice is yours.

ROBERT SUTTON,STANFORD UNIVERSITY,NO ASSHOLE RULE,50 LESSONS,ASSHOLE,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,MANAGEMENT

Do you think I'm an asshole?
Some people do think I'm an asshole.
Probably even more then I think (assholes !).
But that's not the point, I mean me being an asshole, because this post is about assholes. Please, seriously, listen to Professor Robert Sutton from The Stanford University on "The No Asshole Rule" (the book's right there)..

He's a wise man, and for sure not an asshole.

see the others 49 lessons here, and believe me you'll find some... big assholes in there.

SCHOLZ & FRIENDS,ADVERTISING,PRINT,BERLIN,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,JOB,AMBIENT,THIBAULT

Germany strikes again.
Sholz & Friends, Berlin.
(click on it)

MARTY NEUMEIER,ZAG,ZAG,ZAG,PUBLIC RELATION,BRANDING,ADVERTISING,MARKETING,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT

not much more
to say.









































seen in ZAG by Marty Neumeier from Neutron LLC

THE BIG WHAT ADVENTURE,TBWA,ADVERTISING AGENCY,DAVID JONES,EURORSCG WORLDWIDE,ADAGE,BRAND AUTOPSY,TRANSMEDIA PLANNING

TheBigWhatAdventure
Lets see how this simple and clever idea coming from TBWA is going to evolve. They put online "briefs" (oops, maybe I shouldn't be using that word...) and anyone can submit an idea. You, me, them, even him. Everyone.
Simple, I told you.
Is advertising becoming wiser ? Or is it just an ad agency who's not afraid of ideas, even if they're not from their "company" (oops, maybe I shouldn't be using that word...).

How do they say again? euh, yes "thinking out of the box"...
Yeah, right, it's so much easier when you're not paid for it.
No posts yet. I'll keep you informed.

Update! I found one who's not OK at all with that idea. His name is David Jones from EuroRSCG. He, of course, has a strong, or should I say too strong?, point of view on: user-generated content/ideas (wrong), the "research vs. guts" phenomenon (right), and creativity in advertising (...). Watch and judge for yourself. But please don't just watch Mr.Jones here (brandAutopsy) and there (AdAge), go back to EuroRSCG site, and maybe you'll ask yourself "fuck, who's talking there ?"...

SIMPSONS,SIMPSONS MOVIE TRAILER,SOUTH PARK,MAT,FUTURAMA,RICKY GERVAIS,DAVID BRENT,THE OFFICE,HAL DOUGLAS,COMEDIAN,JERRY SEINFELD

A simple trailer can tell a long story.

The piece I'm talking about is the long awaited Simpson Movie Trailer. Even if they are a few comments about re-using the South Park movie trailer style, this short preview is still quite exciting (or here, here and here).

Anyway, let me use it as a great opportunity to talk about things that I love, and try to make, let's say, a loop:

A. Matt Groening whose work is sadly not much known except The Simpsons down here in Europe.
Did you ever had a chance to see Futurama ? Well get up, get out and buy it.

B. Ricky Gervais aka David Brent (again) who had the great honor to make a guest appearance in a Simpson's episode.

C. Hal Douglas, aka The Hollywood Voice, the unforgetable voice over of the Simpson's trailer, and the South Park Trailer and probably all the trailers you saw during your teenage years, and more.

D. Well,Hal did that too, which leads us to guess what? Seinfeld.

= Groening to Gervais to Douglas to Seinfeld. One talent leads to another.

PROCRASTINATION,PALINDROME,VOCABULARY,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,MEANING

From time to time we should all learn some new words (and I definitely need it as you can notice on that blogi-bloga-blog). Anyway, the winners of the day are:
procrastination & palindrome
You thought you knew what they meant? Exactly?
Well now you can really use them to play smart-ass in poshy downtown dinners.

My pleasure.

(for the french speaking rest of y'all, here they are: procrastination & palindrome).

UGLY PICTURES,MAN VS MAGNET,COVER FIGHT,ANIMATION,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT

It's been a good day today. Great work again.

Dir: Ugly Pictures / Anim: Man VS Magnet

SANFORD AND SONS,TBWA CHIAT DAY,FLAG,GRADDY FLAG,ADVERTISING,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT

I can not comment this one.
Just watch it.
And hopefully it will have the same effect on you that it had on me.

BLENDTEC,MILWAUKEE BEST LIGHT BEER,BEER CANON,CREDIT CARDS,COKE CANS,GOLF BALLS,MIXER,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT

After the much appreciated Milwaukee Best Light Beer Canon Experience, here comes the BlendTec "will it blend?" Mixer Madness. The choice is yours credit cards, Coke cans, golf balls, chicken, rake handles, marbles.

That thing could reduce anything into powder.

ANIMATION,ALAN BECKER,ANIMATOR,FIGHT,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT

Great job.



Update!: If you liked number I, here's number II. Both animated by Alan Becker.

NAOMI KLEIN,MAC AD GUY,BRITNEY SPEARS,LIKE.COM,THIBAULT-THIBAULT

Everyone has read Naomi Klein's theories about brands using "leaders" or "informal/social leaders" to gain credibility, visibility or even, in some cases, authenticity. Well, here are two new strong evolutions of this phenomenon.

First case, the Mac Ad Guy. Oh, and here is the PC Man, let's be fair.

(comment added an afternoon later. Well, this great "viewer" success is finally useless... Mac just dropped the Mac Guy... NB: comment added 5 days later. Well, now the guy is saying it's all crap...check his personal site is right there. And laugh. Up Update!: the proof is here)

Second one, Like, where you can spot those amazing-cute-little-red shoes that
Britney Spears was wearing at the last MTV awards...

People acting like brands to sell brands,

brands that promote other brands,

brands selling brands to become a brand.

All that for the love of the brand.

WII,GAMEBOY,WII WANT TO PLAY,TV COMMERCIAL,ADVERTISING,VIRAL,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,WII,PLAY,VIDEO GAME,BRAND,NINTENDO

Wii is going to be a hit.
They love it already.




update!
Here are the first TV commercials 1, 2, 3, 4.

TOYOTA,BRANDING,WEEDS,CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM,PRIUS,PRODUCT PLACEMENT,BOLD MOVES,SNOOP DOGG,OLIVIA RUIZ,PUSSY CAT DOLLS,SAATCHI,SAMSUNG K5,DAVID PRIUS,TH

Have to admit that I'm still quite impressed by pro-active brands from time to time.
And this definitely deserves a long post.

Toyota US
If there's one to watch, that's it, let me explain.
I'm a ''Weeds'' fan. And I'm a ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' huge fan. Well, in those two TV masterpieces the agency managed to have a strong and meaningful role for its client model Prius. And let me be clear, it's not about classic product placement, the car is really guest starring in the show... and you know what's even more impressive? ... it's all ''based on the product features"

Weeds, season 2 episode 8 (featuring Snoop): Nancy, the main character, makes some good money, and buys shoes, jewels... and a brand new blue Toyota Prius. See for yourself. But it doesn't stop there, her son sees it and goes...
- "I don't like it, it's crapy and small"
- she goes "it's environmentally responsible, there's global warming...unless you want the planet to dissolve to one big ocean"
- "I like the Range Rover, this car is gay"
- "don't be ignorant, it's just because it's in right now, think about the planet for a change".

Weeds, season 2 episode 11: Nancy, the main character, (I don't want to give up the plot for those how know the show) is insulted by another character, basically saying that she's a bad person. Her answer is straight... "fuck you I drive a Prius". See it right there.

Curb Your Enthusiam, season 4 and 5: In that case, the Prius can be considered as one of Larry's friends. He likes it and says it, shows and drives it around all the time and even becomes a Toyota dealer for one day. Do you need more? If you do, watch this, this and this.

Update! check all the famous owners and appearances of the Prius at the botttom of this Wikipedia article

Ford US
Since a couple of month Ford Corp. is facing major business difficulties. Their agency found an all-in-one communication trick to please everyboby: clients, employees and last but not least products and corporate image. It is called "Bold Moves" and you can definitely watch it as a sitcom (or sitdrama in that case).


Samsung
The Samsung K5 launch campaign. Well, less smart but very efficient. Just watch the new PussyCat Dolls video. Then the one from this french singer Olivia Ruiz. You'll understand.
Got it ? Yes, it is pure product placement, but done like that, it seems more honest, more clear. I mean it's pretty obvious that they paid big money to open both videos (and there are probably more), so in a way they paid for it. Ads providing money for artists, isn't that one of the best thing advertising can do?

ONE BANK SONG,RICKY GERVAIS,DAVID BRENT,BANK SONG,OPUS DEI,SHERMAN FOUNDATION,SING,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,ADVERTISING,BRANDING,BRANDS,SPOOF

Beyond reality, fiction. Ricky Gervais will definitely be jealous of this bank song. As long as we have Opus Dei style corporate behaviour like that, everything's going to be OK. (...isn't he gay? we should fire him then.)

via the Sherman Foundation

YAYA HERMAN DUNE,HERMAN DUNE,DAVID,LA CIGALE,CONCERT,MUSIC,GOOD,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,I WISH I COULD SEE YOU SOON AGAIN,HERMAN DUNE,DUNE,HERMAN

It's good to have an Herman Dune around these days.
We went there on saturday, we've heard that, and we now all wish we could see him soon again.
Now your turn. Watch this, listen and say... Thanks David.

DOMINO PIZZA DESERT,DESERT PIZZA,OREO,DOMINO'S PIZZA,REGINALD PIKE,JWT,PIZZA MOUSTACHE,NEW YORK,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,ADVERTISING,ADS,CAMPAIGN

watch this.
don't eat that.

Oreo + Domino's = Pizza Dessert


agency: JWT, NYC / director: Reginald Pike


have a look at the two others spots of the campaign here and there.

God bless America.

HUMMER III, DO YOU BELIVE IN MAGIC,VIRAL,ADVERTISING,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,INTERNET,HUMMER,MAGICIAN

Do you believe in magic ?

I LOVE YOU BUT I'VE CHOSEN DARKNESS,THE OWL,EMMANUEL HO,BRIAN BELETIC,VIDEOS,ANTVILLE,THREE FULL VIRGINIAS,TALL HANDS,LADY SOVEREIGN,COLDCUT,THE STATE

video sandwich.
band / video / director
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness / The Owl / Emmanuel Ho
Goose / British Mode / Keith Schofield
Coldcut / The State We're In / Ne-o
Lady Sovereign / Love Me or Hate Me / Brian Beletic
Tall Hands / Three Full Virginias / ?
They're all a bit long to download, sorry, but most of them deserve hi res

PEDRO WINTER,BUSY P,CHOP SUEY,VIDEO,MUSIC,MYSPACE,HEAD BANGER RECORDS,DJ MEHDI,CALVI ON THE ROCKS,PEDRO WINTER,BUSY P,THIBAULT,MUSIC

New Busy P / "Chop Suey".
The .mov download is a pain in the ass, but the track kicks, check P's myspace for audio.

DOMINO,ADVERTISING,ADS,CAMPAIGN,GLAXO SMITH KLINE,LEE&DAN,LEE&DAN,DOMINO,RESTLESS LEGS CAMPAIGN

77,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,INTERNET,BRAND,GOOGLE,YAHOO,SEX PISTOLS,JANUS FRIIS,JANUS FRIIS,GRACENOTE,YOUTUBE,COPY RIGHTS VIOLATION,THIBAULT,JANUS FRIIS

beeing born in 77', I've always been pretty sensitive about reaching the so called future... or near future. Did it all begun A. when I started dancing in my mothers' belly on the Sex Pistols' smash hit 'no future' B. because I'm part of the 'Generation X' C. or is it because of the strange sensation I had the first time I saw Mario running on a GameBoy... I don't know. Anyway, here are my 'I-don't-really-get-it-but-I-act-like-I-do' tech news of the day.



The Venice Project. Why couldn't your TV be as interesting and exciting as your favorite online content site ? Well, you can trust Janus Friis to make it happen quicker than you think.






There you go. The beginning of the end. MySpace asked GraceNote to seek, identify and take off line every copyright violation material on the Spacers' pages.
On the other hand, YouTube had a much better and more polite way of annoucing about the same thing: the only difference is that at YouTube, they asked the copyrights owners to act directly. Well, one did... well officially did, everyone knows that when the legal department is all freaked out about online broadcasting, the marketing department loves it.

ZEFRANK,BLOGS,BLOGS,ROCKETBOOM,INTERNET,AMERICAN WAY OF BLOG,THIBAULT-THIBAULT,THIBAULT,PODCAST,ADVERTISING

American way of blog. Fight of the blog stars.
ZeFrank (what?) and Rocketboom (what?) are arguing about who's lying on downloads facts. Eventhough the first one reaches about 30K downloads a day, and the second 300K ...
Well, the argument is not interesting at all, but the two vlogs are for sure. Just like if stand up had a one night stand with sitcom while a nasty podcaster was watching.