Cherryflava

iCatching: Spike Jonze does TV ads

Posted on 31. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

• The Chumpsters have put in some long hours and valuable drinking time to put together their classic Top 5 Spike Jonze Produced Commercials. Y2K…still convince that was invented by marketers, just like Christmas and birthdays. [Nike Y2K Jogger - YouTube]

• Unique USB sighting – the USB Mugmouse. Seriously…this is the kind of thing that gives people who know how to use a computer a bad name.

• Have you ever wondered what apartments in New York city really look like inside? Right, forget about ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Sex in the City’…go directly to the broom closet below the stairs and stare into the bleak interior – or check out this cracking interiors blog:  NYCinside.com

• Whatever happened to meeting someone in a bar, getting them drunk and hosing their puke off you leather seats the next morning. This social networking thing is taking all the fun away. Check out Tubeping – connect with that special somebody underground.

Audio terrorism

Posted on 31. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

As an alternative to visual graffiti and other forms of urban art and expression – there’s the Soundbomb.

The Soundbomb is a simple recording device, with two speakers, and a
motion detector that triggers the device into action.  All housed in a
hard plastic ball that is 6” in diameter, the owner can record any
audio that their heart desires: a message, a song, a random noise,
etc.  Then the idea is for the Soundbomb to be placed in a public
location so that when someone walks by the audio is played and the
message, in the form of an “audio tag” (like a graffiti tag), is
received.

The kicker here, that makes us really want one – is that you can’t just buy this thing at any online store.
The procedure is that can apply to purchase a Soundbomb by emailing the inventor with your offer and intention for use.
If he decides that what you want to do with your bomb is good enough for his high standards, the weapon is yours.

Only those who deserve a Soundbomb, get a Soundbomb! Just imagine what urban mayhem you could create with this thing.

Website: Soundbombs
[via Stylehive]

A cure for the common handshake

Posted on 30. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

This ‘ambient’ promotion, which ultimately has an objective of getting nasty, dirty, smelly people to think about washing their hands after using the toilet, is rather disturbing.

Slapping life sized decals over the door on the way out of men’s
bathrooms, JWT Toronto is drawing attention to hands and germs and
things that spread.

Small stickers close to the doorknobs read
"You washed. This guy didn’t." or "92% of guys say they washed. 34%
were lying." with the website name.

The position of the door knob relative to the facial expression of the cut-out image is enough to make anyone head back to a stall to throw up their breakfast.

See; Washyourhands.tv
[via thecoolhunter]

Let the local web 2.0 shopping begin

Posted on 30. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

Two recent local headlines caught the eye this morning.

Naspers purchases a 30% stake in local instant-messaging firm MXit – Business Day

bidorbuy buys 22% of Jump Shopping – Biz-community

No numbers are mentioned and neither carry a YouTube buzz about them, but perhaps this new offer a needed boost in confidence for a fledgling industry that everyone offline seems to write-off, because of the predictable local access argument.

Microsoft Vista’s Cirque du Soleil billboard

Posted on 30. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

Microsoft’s new operating software, called Vista, has just launched in the US (midnight 30 Jan).

To announce the new product, the company has erected this massive pop-up billboard in New York City – featuring dancing circus people on strings, forming the Vista logo.

The sixteen dancers were charged to "move across the exterior walls…to form the images of the Windows Vista and Windows Office icons."

At the end end of the performance, the expectant crowd was waiting…hoping that one of the cat-suit dances would reveal himself to be Bill Gates.
No such luck – everyone just packed up and three caught a cab outta there.

[story and pics via Gothamist]

We have problem, boxing for joo

Posted on 29. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

This message on the soon-to-be-open Vida e Caffe in St George’s Mall, Cape Town is a classic.

Copy: Ola ola amigo’s!

We sorry to joo we not open. The contractors & the landlord she be boxing, but joo be sure I box for joo. We need our water and electricity for caffe and food.

WE WANT OPEN!

Remember…in every crisis lies a marketing opportunity.

[Many thanks to Jonathan Vogel for sending this in. If you've got something to contribute to Cherryflava - email it through to cherryflava [at] gmail [dot] com]

Cherry on Amplitude

Posted on 29. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

We (actually the editor of Cherryflava, Jon Cherry) cracked the nod from podcasting, marketing wunda-kinders Mike Stopforth and Dave Duarte to be interviewed about Feverpitcher on their latest Amplitude episode.

It’s only now that we listen to the interview that there’s the realisation  Mike couldn’t get a word in edge ways.
How bad?

Check out: Amplitude 5 – Cherry on top

Never another boring wash day

Posted on 29. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

Ever since we developed a fantasy about owning a Smeg fridge adorned with the Union Jack, it has bothered us as to why more appliance companies don’t put some effort into the look of their bland products.

Sure the majority of people would prefer to have a white washing machine, but what about the 0.00001% that would kill to have a washing machine as nasty as this one.

For folks who prefer their washing machines to be the center of
attention, this Samsung Hauzen-branded machine sports a gilded finish,
stainless steel door ring, royal emblem on the glass, and a paint job
that will admittedly clash horrendously with in-home decor more often
than not.

Whatever floats your jetski, china.

More: Engadget

News: Branson launches something completely different

Posted on 29. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

• 
  It’s a bit strange that overseas industry experts are wondering if GAP can be saved, and their strategy to get them out of the mess is to open up shop in South Africa.

Yeah – that’s right guys..play where the big money is. [USAToday]

• Richard Branson is set to launch yet another new company – a stem-cell storage firm. You’ll be able to bank your umbilical cord for cell harvesting in later life. True customer service would be if you could do that at a drop bin after landing at O.R Tambo. [The Times]

• This ad only works in South Africa. [Twinsavers: 500 Sheets]

• The show that invented television advertising will be aired early February. Here are the top 5 best Super Bowl commercial ever….and here are the top 10 worst Super Bowl commercials ever.

This week on….

Posted on 26. Jan, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry.

Jetstreaker:

• Land Rover detonates their mucho image by handing over a set of key to Miss South Africa
• Tsotsi star acts that he can drive and has a license.
• Some guy from Grey’s Anatomy called a gay person gay and now he’s an alcoholic.

Feverpitcher:

• Herschelle Gibbs learns from Paris Hilton and Howard Stern; will attend the J&B Met.
• Carlos Alberto Parreira is finally here
• Bob Woolmer is the biggest blogger in the world?

Cherryflava:

• We launched a sport blog called Feverpitcher
• Cape Town’s Extreme hotel gets our photographic treatment.
• New marketing idea – give away free stuff.

If you’d like to advertise on one of our sites and enjoy brand exposure to thousands of daily readers from South Africa and around the world – see this and send us an email [cherryflava (at) gmail (dot) com] to discuss.