Archive for February, 2012
Happiness machine for couples
Posted on 27. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
To be honest, our concept of a happiness machine for couples and how Coca Cola interpret that concept are world apart. But here’s how Coke see it.
Shockvertising billboard made more palatable by lamb
Posted on 24. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
Understandably this billboard that was erected in the Bronx, NYC caused outrage…and this week was removed.
The ad for Wódka, which read “Escort Quality, Hooker Pricing,” was displayed over the Bruckner Expressway, a major artery leading to Hunt’s Point, a neighborhood notorious for its prostitute-riddled streets.
It’s probably better to get rid of the thing. It’s tasteless and not very well executed in any case. But we do wonder what the creative person, that came up with it, was thinking with the cute lamb that offsets the strong copy? Lambs wearing sombreros are very distracting.
Jacob Sutton’s LED snowboarder
Posted on 23. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
There are no new ideas, just different ways of presenting those ideas. Snowboarder at night rigged with hundreds of LEDs is a new way of presenting a couple of old ideas.
Fashion photographer and filmmaker Jacob Sutton swaps the studio for the slopes of Tignes in the Rhône-Alpes region of south-eastern France, with a luminous after hours short starring Artec pro snowboarder William Hughes. The electrifying film sees Hughes light up the snow-covered French hills in a bespoke L.E.D.-enveloped suit courtesy of designer and electronics whizz John Spatcher. “I was really drawn to the idea of a lone character made of light surfing through darkness,” says Sutton of his costume choice. “I’ve always been excited by unusual ways of lighting things, so it seemed like an exciting idea to make the subject of the film the only light source.” Sutton, who has created work for the likes of Hermès, Burberry and The New York Times, spent three nights on a skidoo with his trusty Red Epic camera at temperatures of -25C to snap Hughes carving effortlessly through the deep snow, even enlisting his own father to help maintain the temperamental suit throughout the demanding shoot. “Filming in the suit was the most surreal thing I’ve done in 20 years of snowboarding,” says Hughes of the charged salopettes. “Luckily there was plenty of vin rouge to keep me warm, and Jacob’s enthusiasm kept everyone going through the cold nights.”
It reminds us of this…
Virgin Active asks: ‘What’s your stuff?’
Posted on 22. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
Our stuff is a 22km mountain torture treatment that is disguised as an overpriced athletic event, which happens to be part of a broader ‘festival of running’ in April. We hate the thing with venom, but have to put ourselves through it again. Pain is your friend. It’s exists to that when you think you’ve pushed through to the other side, it reminds you that you’re still alive.
But about the ad – we have an affinity for one-take, multiple character and venue ads with 70′s disco backing tracks. That and crazy animal videos.
Like.
Mercedes’ vertical garden at the V&A Waterfront
Posted on 21. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
The huge grain silos that used to be the backdrop for Sunday evenings at Bertie’s Landing back in the 90′s are undergoing a construction make over. Countless renditions of Crowded House and the Smashing Pumpkins tracks reverberating against the concrete have made it necessary for them to turn it into something else.
So far, a wooden sailing ship has been uncovered on site (probably one of Bertie’s old yachts) and a vertical garden linked to Mercedes Benz has been spotted.
The vertical garden or “living wall” concept involves installing a light steel grid up against a vertical surface, into which recycled plastic bottles are inserted and filled with soil, plants and flowers.
In 1988, French botanist Patrick Blanc installed the first vertical garden at the Museum of Science and Industry in Paris. Twenty-one years later, this type of garden was voted one of the top 50 inventions of all time by Time magazine.
Ship or garden – you’ve got all the bases covered when you go have a look.
How to turn your event into a social media scoop
Posted on 17. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
Many brands want to capitalise on social media platforms these days, but the real question is how?
How do you convince the captive audience, that you have invited to your event, to share their experience with their networks and generate loads of great free word-of-mouth reach for your business?
As a solution to this wasted opportunity – we found this analysis by Timo Arnell, a designer and researcher working with interactive products, media and emerging technologies, rather interesting.
He describes the RFID photo booth that has been used at PICNIC during the past years as a good example of a physical object that stimulates social interaction. In short, you walk into the booth (also with other people), you touch an icon, it takes a photograph and it tags you and your friends on the event’s social network.
The Cherryflava RFID Photobooth recently used at the Dimension Data Sales Conference in Johannesburg
Timo is particularly interested in the “between spaces” in conferences, like those that happen in between sessions when you meet other people. In order to further stimulate social interaction amongst the attendees, he suggests you find activities that don’t need full attention: “not full-on immersive games but stuff that you can do casually”. Using the technology (or the gadget that conveys it) shouldn’t be the main goal but a means to generate a specific behavior. It doesn’t have to interrupt but build on top of (a behavior).
“I think the real incentive for doing digital interaction is doing something more than business cards. It’s doing something about media, entertainment, something that’s engaging, [...] different and playful, not necessarily about the utility of exchanging information between people”.
Having spent the last year perfecting our own skills and infrastructure that combines RFID-technology with Facebook for use at events, we couldn’t agree more with Mr Arnell.
More: Cherryflava RFID event: Video Case study
Previously: The re-engineering of a conference – Cherryflava
Read: How to stimulate social interaction with RFID and NFC technology – link
What is South Africa’s global competitive advantage
Posted on 17. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
China makes stuff, America exports it’s culture, Italy specialises in style, Israel seems to have cornered the market of innovation and India are hedging their bets on solving the world’s call centre needs.
But what’s South Africa’s global business ‘thing‘?
Mining, global events, Mandela, tourism, crime? What’s our thing?
If we had a clear understanding of that, we’d be able to focus a lot more on making it even better. At the moment it feels like we do a bit of everything reasonably well rather than kicking-ass in one thing.
New Era’s Global Creative Project hits Cape Town
Posted on 16. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
Last night we headed to The Bank in Cape Town’s Fringe District to check out the New Era Global Creative Exhibition.
Unlike most art exhibitions, the pieces in this instance are all 59Fifty caps that have been creatively decorated by artists from around the world- so this is kinda like a gallery for people that enjoy listening to Kanye West and sipping on a quiet glass of Monster.
A shortlist of uniquely creative individuals from various countries were issued a
blank New Era 59FIFTY cap and asked to express themselves and their talent by transforming the
59FIFTY cap into a distinctive work of art as well as capturing the creative process behind their cap
design; detailing it’s birth, creation, experience and influences. The final entries were appraised by an
international judging panel, including renowned British tailor Timothy Everest.
It’s different, but well worth a visit even if visiting an art exhibition isn’t normally your bag. You can check it out from 16 – 18th February. That’s today till Saturday.
We would have gone with simply putting a cat in one of the hats and bolting it to one of the display stands. That’s art right there.
Coca Cola’s astounding ‘Future Room’
Posted on 15. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
To celebrate their 125th Anniversary Coca Cola commissioned something called The Future Room concept. Santralistanbul’s Galeri 1 was transformed into an immersive environment by creating 90 square meter of 270-degree projection system.
If you’d had too much coffee or one to many of your favourite prescription meds that morning the experience may just be a little overwhelming. But for the other 12 people on Earth, it’s pretty cool.
Previously: Lift-off 2012: Some Cherryflava 3D projection mapping to kick off the New Year – Cherryflava
New KFC ad makes fun of spiritual people…
Posted on 14. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
…who are probably vegan too. So slurping on a sugary, milk drink whilst watching the sunrise kinda adds insult to injury.
[thanks Steve]
