Yet another insane music video by part time musicians OK Go has been released.

The new music video from OK Go, made in partnership with Chevrolet. OK Go set up over 1000 instruments over two miles of desert outside Los Angeles. A Chevy Sonic was outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments, and the band recorded this version of Needing/Getting, singing as they played the instrument array with the car. The video took 4 months of preparation and 4 days of shooting and recording. There are no ringers or stand-ins; Damian took stunt driving lessons. Each piano had the lowest octaves tuned to the same note so that they’d play the right note no matter where they were struck. For more information and behind-the-scenes footage, see http://www.LetsDoThis.com and http://www.okgo.net.

No word on how much it cost as yet.

3 1/2 year old Lily Robinson had an important question about Sainsbury’s Tiger bread that needed sorting out… So she wrote them a letter.

Sainsbury’s reply

Bravo. That’s like a BoB T card right there.

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We made a trend prediction for 2012 on Cape Talk this morning, which is more of a ‘holding thumbs’ prediction than one based on any kind of analysis. The hope is – that as South African consumers, we become less seduced by big brands and their advertising illusion and rather start an active support of local entrepreneurs and small business.

We can talk until we’re blue in the face about how government should be offering tax breaks, support, less red tape and all that good stuff to entrepreneurs, but the fact is that buying the goods that entrepreneurs sell is the only thing that’ll really drive this economy forward. Talk and support and legislation is great, but what are you – the consumer – doing about finding and buying things from a small business instead of just blindly buying from large listed companies who’s profits [in the form of our money] head to some foreign investment bank as a dividend cheque.

It’s not that we are anti-capitalist, on the contrary we’re huge fans of a fair capitalist system, but for South Africa to prosper, it’s not the outdated notion of creating jobs that’ll do it – it’s the creation and support of a thriving entrepreneurial infrastructure. One where South African brands are exported to Europe and the US for a change – rather than the other way around.

The key to this prosperity is however not more workshops and talking about how we need small business – it’s about getting off our asses and finding products and services to buy from entrepreneurs and then telling others about the ones you really like.

Conscience Consumerism – one where you make active and informed purchasing decisions about what and from whom you are buying from – is the answer.

So our marketing and business prediction of the biggest emerging trend in South Africa in 2012 – is that we being to Buy Small South African Business. We keep money circulating within our communities and actively go out of our way to source, support and sing about great local small business.

It takes a bit of work and effort [the best cheese shop in Cape Town is off the beaten track in Obs  - not Canal Walk], but our country’s future depends on the success of the ones that take the leap and start their own thing. They’re not going to stay in business unless they can do business with you.

If you’re reading this – make Buy Small SA Business your mission in 2012. It’s a revolution worth supporting.

[Pic courtesy of Antonia]

Previously: The ‘Make Africa Wealthy’ campaign – Cherryflava

There’s no doubt that Facebook is a popular online platform, but can it generate revenues to justify a valuation of $100 billion?

Well respected New York investment advisor Josh Brown is calling social media IPO’s a scam.

This Groupon ($GRPN) IPO was a disgusting scam, designed by the underwriters to present the appearance of a hot deal so that they can get Mark Zuckerberg’s attention for the real IPO coming next spring.  Share counts were kept low for the media to see a “pop” – and then backs were turned as the market cap was cut in half over 24 days.  Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves.  If I can take pride in one thing at year end, it’s that I kept a great many people from chasing LinkedIn ($LNKD), the Social Media ETF ($SOCL), Pandora ($P) and every other stupid “social media” thing they tried to rope you into.

How much more shit will they sell investors with the nonsensical “social media” tag attached.  As though coupons delivered electronically (and unprofitably) is some major advancement of human civilization worthy of being priced at 5 times sales.  Are you people high?

So if investing in the stock is stupid – is investing your marketing budget in this stuff equally daft?

Not many things make us as happy as good beer and the Volvo Ocean Race. So when you combine the two, together with the punchy allure of the sexy Puma brand, you have a threesome that would make even Terry Richardson’s eyes water.

We were lucky enough to have been invited to taste the new KREECHR beer last night – which we gladly welcomed as part of our own privately organised build-up to this year’s race that starts in Spain on the weekend.

KREECHR is strong. It’s not a beer for wimpy landlubbers or those unfamiliar with the feeling of adrenaline gushing through their veins.

On the nose [yes, we can use terms like that when it comes to appreciating the delicate olfactory nuances of beer] it magically teleports you into the middle of an apple orchard at the beginning of spring. Light and floral with notes of honey and lavender, but that where the bunnies and soft babbling brooks end.

It’s when you take a hearty swig of the KREECHR that its true sailing pedigree is revealed. Brad and Rui have successfully crafted a beer that delivers the essence of a sophisticated rum in the palatable guise of a lager. At 6.5% ABV it’s meant to be appreciated as a quiet one after taming the oceans in a fibreglass bath tub that’s worth a billion dollars, but you’ll be forgiven for dreaming of the seven seas with a couple of these beauties after your hard day just watching the race online. In short, it’s bloody delicious!

For the duration of the Volvo Ocean Race – or at least while the limited quantities of stock are still available – we’ll be finding every opportunity to be drinking a KREECHR. Paired with something spicy it’ll make the rest of November seem like we’re spending it on-board the Mar Mostro with Captain Jack Sparrow himself.

In amongst all of the Occupy Wall Street national protest hullabaloo happening all over the USA – Bank of America proudly announced that they will be increasing the monthly charge to use their bank cards to $5. Just goes to show what they really think of their customers.

All the same – it has now become a national sport to mock and spoof BlackBerry  Bank of America. Kinda like the fun we were all having with Cell C not too long ago. Out of touch? Noooo – never really in touch in the first place sadly.

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If you live in Cape Town and don’t run / walk on our mountain, you’re literally disrespecting yourself.

People travel 12 hours in a pressurized, aluminum tube to just cast their gaze upon this magical chuck of rock in person. Shedding a drop of sweat on its hallowed rocks will change your life – guaranteed.

Ironically, the very corporations that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are protesting against are now using the protests as a marketing opportunity.

Ben and Jerry’s, the ice cream brand now owned by multinational Unilever, has come out with a message of support for the people on the street.

Either they just don’t get it – or they think people are just to dumb to notice.

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Do these things still have meaning? HP is listed at 10, but the company is facing huge financial problems – so what relevance, in terms of business sustainability, does this list have?

For the full back-slapping experience – go here.

Springbok spice

We’re a little slow on the draw here, but all the same we’re rather enthralled with the idea of spicing a rack of ribs with Patrick Lamb spice.

We hear that Kiwi and Wallaby also tastes mighty fine with a combo of these spices. Don’t think the product actually exists, but there may be such a demand that it just might in time to come.

Moer hulle, bokke. Die poppe gaan dans!

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