The Smile Experiment

Bye bye blogger

2008-07-06T20:03:00.003Z

Time has come to say goodbye to blogger. It has been a good friend these past two years but unfortunately aesthetics have won. Blogger is ugly. It's HTML garishness has annoyed me greatly. Now that I'm more frequently blogging, and actual people are reading this blog I've moved homes: I'm here instead: thesmileexperiment.wordpress.com

If you have subscribed to my feed, please subscribe to my new feed here:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/wp/thesmileexperiment

If you want to subscribe to the new improved smile experiment blog by email - then you can click on this link here

http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2185731&loc=en_US

Thanks

What I found odd today

2008-07-03T00:31:00.005Z

There was a man on the tube behaving rather oddly today. He was slumped reading the paper yet his legs were open. This is not particularly unusual but he had an annoying habit of swinging his legs open and shut with some vigour. It was clearly an attempt to look relaxed in a carriage consisting only of commuter ladies but he appeared seriously unhinged. Incidentally he got off and then promptly sprinted up the stairs. I put his excessive leg waggling down to boyish boundless energy. He was also a strange mixture of old and young: he looked about 15 but he was clearly some city banking executive in his late twenties.

Public transport is a ripe for encountering people who act more unhinged than usual to make you notice them and feel progressively more uncomfortable. I'm sure Annie Mole documents this better than I

Night all

This is an ad for thisisanad

2008-06-26T14:45:00.004Z

Nick and Toby were in campaign today. Nick wore a flowery shirt and Toby removed his glasses for the occasion. More interestingly they wrote about how digital has killed advertising, or not as the case is. Even more interesting than that is our blog thisisanad.com that supports their essay which I've been allowed to contribute to. Alongside the sensible posts from other users, I've put up a grime music video celebrating fried chicken, the stabbing outside McDonalds, and confusing the Xbox help robot with silly half-baked philosophical questions. Enjoy.

Hello Balloons

2008-06-24T20:00:00.007Z

I spent most of my day faffing around with this balloon idiocy. I'm assuming everyone else in digital advertising did too because twitter was very quiet for the entire afternoon.

Apart from the almost breaking teh internest with the pesky flash it is actually marvelous. Well done POKE

Here's my rather sad balloon. You can boost him too if you like here

You may notice that my bobbing balloon in the corner there is rather reluctant to join the race. And you should be noticing many balloons ambling across the page too. But no. Somehow I've been excluded. *Sad face* Never mind. I'm hoping the race just hasn't reached me yet.

The game play itself is stupidly simple and slightly tedious. There's no real chance of winning the big prize. Probably little chance of winning any of the other prizes actually. It is really about the 'taking part'. But what is really brilliant about it is you can just dip in and out. A little bit of engagement; a little bit of silliness; and a whole heap of free advertising for Orange. I assume it will also sweep up a whole heap of gongs.

Nick joined in too. I loled.

20 things I learnt from Interesting2008

2008-06-22T17:20:00.009Z

Yesterday was interesting. Here are 20 things I learnt that were interesting:

1. Clowns are funniest when they don't do much

2. Light can be like a felt tip pen on cheap paper
- the grain of the universe

3. I really like scotch eggs and will now google 'the handmade scotch egg company'

4. Verbing weirds language

5. Badly written mildly thrilling abridged audiobooks cure insomnia

6. Churchill was graceful

7. Biscuit is a funny word. Words are more funny if they have a 'k' sound in them

8. If you poo in the morning, it aides your digestion

9. In booze, civilisation! Preference for booze is evolutionary. Fruit is very clever. Nature is magic

10. Rhopography is the study of the oft overlooked, like vacumn cleaners

11. You can make magic out of old bits of computer parts

12. Laxtose intolerance is racists against cheese. 87% of dairy products are silent.

13. Old skool animation is AMAZING

14. Acousmatic is a sound where you cannot see the source of the sound

15. Hiraeth is a Welsh word with no English translation bit it's a nice word with a spiritual meaning

16. The transition between anonymity and recognition of you is interesting, especially on the internets

17. Some people use The Guardian to talk to each other

18. Scribbling is studied clumsiness

19. You must talk to your children before it's too late and they grow up stupid

20. Studying beards aides war

Things that I found funny recently

2008-06-20T06:27:00.009Z

Since blogger is being an idiot and not letting me finish my ouch post, I'll create a new one (post that is, not blog... although don't tempt me). I'm always banging on about things that annoy me so for this quickie it'll be things that I've found funny recently.

1. "meat space"

Reference to the real world, read on the interesting2008 wiki written by Annie Mole who I'm very much looking forward to meeting on Saturday.

2. A boy's trousers fell down yesterday while he was walking to get his train. Shouldn't really laugh at other's misfortune but if he insists on wearing his jeans slung around his arse cheeks and lolloping along like he's the toughest gangster from south central instead of what he really is, a white boy from Chiswick, then he'll get what's coming to him.

3. James. Namely the inevitable downing of his trousers in every conceivable situation possible. After all no situation is more funny than when you've got your trousers round your ankles. Except if you're this lady who clearly takes life VERY seriously

Drinking is BAD. As seen here and watched here.

My embryonic gambling addiction

2008-06-17T17:10:00.007Z

I've opened up a bet fair account. This is most definitely unwise. I have already bet a rather bold £10 on Holland winning tonight. Clearly going on gut-girl-instinct rather than being armed with all or indeed any of the facts.

My brain thinks:

Holland, they're rather good aren't they? They've won stuff before right? Romania, they're rubbish right? I mean, no one from Eastern Europe can play football right?

WRONG. Apart from Romania playing very well against Italy on Friday (emptying Tichfield Towers betting kitty), Holland are letting their cleaning ladies play for them tonight as they're guaranteed to go through.

We'll see how everything pans out. I might even attempt a live blog of the match.

p.s. I know literally NOTHING about football. But I do know what off-side is. That is it.

Okay. Here's my live blog. I've arrived home 30 minutes into the match. Quick panic as the wrong match is on BBC 1. BBC 3 it is then.

Right. Nil-Nil... ooo bit exciting as the orange men have possession a lot. Oh look, a chance on goal but the blonde man missed. The fool.

33 minutes. Lots of running about and kicking of the ball. Romanian men long shot on goal. Way off. Phew.

Lots of commentary about Romania making a big push for it at the end.. yeah, whatever.

35 minutes. Orange man had a clear shot at goal but kicks it like a five year old. Misses. Boo.

Free kick to Romania... goes very far. Ooops looks like they're gearing up to shoot. No. And yes. He can't kick either.

39 mins: more kicking about. Close up of a Romanian player who looks like he is very tired and has a black eye

40 mins: bit exiting as ball heads towards orange goal. Nope. Rubbish. Voiceover man complains that Holland are giving it away and has the bonus of knowing that they're through. This is not encouraging for my betting.

41 mins: Romanian man throws the ball. Holland man heads it away. Orange men now have possession. This is good but keep kicking it about. Ooooo 0ooooooo ooooo good orange man kick setting up for goal. Headed away by Romanian man. Voiceover man says foul. Referee does not agree.

43.45 mins: Oh dear. Romanian men setting up for goal but no man to kick into goal. Slow-mo of man looking disappointed

44 mins: big kick up to orange goal. Some mention of dispossessed.

Whistle gone. Half time. Nil Nil. Queue the chit chat. Time for tea.

Okay. Second half. Talk of knife edges and Romania knowing that one goal is enough. Boring chat about injuries and red cards. And saying that there is only 45 minutes left. Even I know that, duh.

Off we go.

Some chancer kicks it at the goal. Luckily Dutch goalie was paying attention.

Orange have possession. More kicking about and voiceover is shouting about mootoo and rats.

Oh dear, free kick close to goal. Mootoo to take. Headed out by orange man. Oh dear someone's fallen over - what a wetty.

49 mins: Holland are kicking now. Van Percy is ONSIDE. Does a bit of ballet but goal keeper lies down and it doesn't go in. BOO.

Van Percy takes the corner. Ooops flies past everyone.

51 mins: some more kicking about. Goal keeper is doing a big kick. Talk of everyone putting everyone else under pressure. And about Holland end up playing Russia... who cares? Although I've got Russia in Tichfield Towers sweep stake so perhaps I should be interested.

53 mins: volume level rises as Van Percy races towards goal but falls over before scoring. Bums

Romanian men now have possession. Crowd is booing.

Iron Robin flying towards goal, crosses... right into a scrum of white and orange.. bit of a scramble and GOAL. Get in. Back of the net. Score. Etc.

Excellent. One-nil. However, calm down. You are most vulnerable when you have just scored.

Some one is coming off. Bye bye boolaroose. Hello melkio.

58 mins: Mookoo is offside

More people coming off and going on. Bye bye someone, hello someone else

60 mins: Orange have possession. Now whites do. Some running towards goal. Volume increases.

More people too-ing and fro-ing. Bye bye robin. Hello kluoot (I think).

Oh dear, backheader given mootoo a chance. Not much of a chance.

62 mins: there's more uncontrolled kicking about. Something about Rats and romania needing a goal. Romania looking increasingly desperate. Some mention of France being destroyed. Romanian fans gone quiet.

64: Free kick Romania. Orange steal possession. Van Percy doing something. Goal keeper kicking.

25 minutes left. Voiceover says they've witnessed a come back before, it can be done... sounds like they're on the side of Romania. Bias from the BBC? Never.

More kicking about. Crowd shouting 'come on Vera'.

69 mins: Romania running out of ideas. Mootoo or someone kicks desperately at goal. Goalie catches it. Well done Goalie.

Orange have possession and are near goal. Come on boys. Bums - throw in. Daniel Nicoli is running. Nope. Rats keeps it from Kluoot.

More people coming off and on. Bye bye someone hello someone else. Unsure as to who exactly as was drinking my tea.

Voiceover now postulating about how romania will feel. You know there's a saying about it's not over til it's over. Or they think it's all over? Something about shut up before it over

Van Percy cross. No one to kick it in

73 mins: Close up of tired Romanian. Looks really pissed off.

Throw in. Romania have control. Silly kicking aimlessly at goal. Slow-mo of Romanian man praying. Voice over says romania are resigned to loosing.

Holland man down on one knee and looks cross. Romanian man pats him on the bum. He looks okay now.

Some excitement about a free kick. Excitment about nothing.

77 mins: Holland man does a lame shot at goal. Off-target.

I think I like this van percy man. He gets talked about a lot.

Oh dear. Dangerous sliding tackle. Yellow card chivoo. Bad chivoo. Won't play next match.

79 mins: Oh dear. Hole here. Running fast towards goal. Easy for the keeper. Crowd booing. Affeley is now fallen over with a hurt something or other. He has big grassy thighs.

10 minutes to go!

I shout at the telly. No goals are achieved.

Van Percy is capable of anything. Can he make me some tea? I've finished mine and can't make another one.

BAD. A lot of Romanian kicking about near the goal. Lots of kicking like panicked children. I shout at the telly. This seems to work as the Romanian man then kicks it high over the goal. Phew.

84 mins: Corner. Voiceover says not in the least but nervous for the Dutch? This is not the case for me. No NO No No No. Scramble scramble scramble. But phew, cleared by the Dutch man.

Big score on the screen This is a good score.

Magic Affeley dances towards the goal but Romanian goalie saves it. Bums

Van Percy does his magic instead. GOAL. Robin Van Percy is a genius. Thank you Mr Van Percy.

Remember. You are most vulnerable when you've just scored. But not these magic orange men as Holland have another shot on goal. But miss.

Romanians dash towards goal but goal kick.

Three minutes injury time. Come on boys.

More kicking about

oh dear. Romanian men are passing it about. Chance shot on goal. Goalie jumps like a rabbit and catches it.

1 minute to go. Romanian fans are giving off an indistinguishable rumbling.

Whistle blown.

2-o.

EPIC VICTORY.

So this concludes the rather long and nonsensical live blog of the Holland, Romanian match of which I had a tenner riding on Holland. Luckily it seems that lack of previous performance, insight, or team motives has proved fruitful and I have 20 whole pounds to fritter away on some other pointless and ill-judged bet. Hooray for me.

Blogging about Ste blogging about me blogging about him blogging.

2008-06-16T12:25:00.003Z

Ouch

2008-06-11T20:20:00.009Z

I fell over yesterday. I toppled over like a 5 year old. I now have two grazed palms, and a bit of a grazed knee. Slight embarrassment as I did my best goal celebration, skidding face first along a crowded station platform.

Never one to let a blogging opportunity pass, I'm going to take a photo of my injury everyday to witness the miracle of biology as it heals.

Day one of the healing process:

Stay tuned for day two of the healing process.

Update: Day two of the healing process

Bit redder than yesterday. Looking lovely

Due to recent gambling addiction problems and a weekend without internet tubes I neglected to update. However, fear not dear reader as the healing process has been photographically recorded for your viewing pleasure. Let us commence...

Day three of the healing process

Redness gone, slight stiffening beneath wound. Still painful and irritating

Day four of the healing process

okay... due to some internet tube blockage blogger is refusing to upload any more photos. I will attempt to finish this later...

Things that annoy me

2008-06-08T12:58:00.006Z

1. Physically impossible to get into without a lot of swearing and industrial strength hydraulic cutting tools like what firemen use in car accidents plastic covered items such as x-box wireless adapters

2. Once sprung from its plastic prison, setting up wireless network for x-box live. What a fecking nightmare. I'm good at following instructions. I'm good at 'boy stuff' like computers and map-reading but this is beyond a joke. I am still unable to enter all the correct information before the fucker wants to test the connection. Once it tries to connect and finds it can't, it forgets what I've told it. I want to cry, die, or murder indiscriminately without mercy. Which I would be able to if I could GET THIS BLOODY THING TO WORK.

Why I'm sitting in a darkened room on a Sunday and not outside in the sun like the rest of humanity is for another post. Just to say that at this precise moment I hate just about everything and everyone.

Everyone makes mistakes

2008-06-08T10:35:00.006Z

It made me chuckle a bit when itunes tried to get some artwork...

Scott 4:

Unicorns are people too (and guitars apparently)

How delightful

Rack and Ruin

2008-06-04T16:40:00.002Z

My friend set up an internet record label in the Netherlands called Rack & Ruin records. They're progressive folk in those parts and the label champions new artists. All the records can be downloaded for free. The whole idea behind the label is just to put things that he likes up there free for download. This will hopefully lead to the artists getting listened to by more people. This will get them shows and eventually get them some money. A brilliant idea.

They've just released an album of their artists covering songs by more famous people. A lovely mix of Regina Spektor, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Tricky, and Blink 182.

Fantastic.

Track Listing

1. The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine - On The Radio [Regina Spektor] (3:52)
2. Jason the Swamp - Van Helsing Boombox [Man Man] (2:59)
3. Moon Runners - Bennington [John Maus] (3:03)
4. Sam Golden Sings! - Gemini (Birthday Song) [WHY?] (2:29)
5. Gnouli Monsters - Stand By Me [Ben E King] (2:17)
6. These Are Words - Blister In The Sun [Violent Femmes] (2:58)
7. Deskktop - Pacifico [Ugly Cassanova] (2:24)
8. Fire! We Must Go - A Wolf At The Door (It Girl. Rag Doll) [Radiohead] (3:22)
9. Your Terrible Daughter - Animals [Devendra Banhart] (1:15)
10. Gnomefoam - Hell Is Around The Corner [Tricky] (2:16)
11. Megazord - Couleurs [M83] (2:43)
12. Tyson Brinacombe - Say You'll Be There [Spice Girls] (4:08)
13. Moon River - Buckets Of Rain [Bob Dylan] (3:43)
14. Gnouli Monsters & Dessktop - Feathers [Man Man] (2:05)
15. beep boop beep boop - Pure Unevil [Liars] (2:32)
16. Roger Haddad - Hands Away [Interpol] (3:02)
17. Picayunes - Dont Leave Me [Blink 182] (2:34)
18. Attacking Plaque & Friends*! - Thunder And Lightning [The Unicorns] (3:38)

*Featuring Vocals By; Jason The Swamp, Jessi Lively, Sam Golden, Gnomefoam, Megazord & Your Terrible Daughter

Download for free here: http://www.rackandruinrecords.com/albums/rrr046.zip

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. No.

2008-06-03T14:40:00.008Z

The new Martha Wainwright album is out: I know you're married but I've got feelings too.

I bought it today on Amazon. You can too if you like here. I don't have a fully formed opinion about it yet other than I'm very excited to hear it in its entirety.

However, she's been playing the songs live now for a good few months and I managed to catch a couple of her gigs: once at last year's Glastonbury (a welcome relief from the tedium and the mud); and once at a free gig at the South Bank centre.

One particular song I love is The George Song, written about an ex who killed himself. It's dark haunting and beautiful and whenever I've heard it, it's just her and her guitar. Perfect.

On the album it is dreadful.

Dreadful.

I'm really not pleased. It's got a hideous backing track and it's the wrong bleedin rhythm almost jolly and dancy. No NO No NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. No.

This has upset me. And the only live version I can find is a dodgy youtube mobile phone video. I normally despise people for mobile videoing during a gig. But just this once I'm glad. All I'm hoping is that she releases a live album because I don't know whether I can cope with this watered down dance remix.

Listen to the most of the tracks on her myspace.

And the pant wetting Guardian review is at the bottom courtesy of Zemanta this new blogging prettier helper thinger.

Pull no punches. In HD.

2008-06-03T13:01:00.002Z

Action Figure slow motion video from Stig Nordas on Vimeo.

Filming them, filming us

2008-05-28T16:15:00.003Z

Interesting film from Current_TV about the potential for confusion about the rights to take pictures and film on the streets.

What I found most disturbing was the aggressive questioning of the 'police officer'. He eventually gets fed up and tells the man to shut up. Horrid and all too familiar of those drunk on power. More on my own run in with the law at a later date.

I don't need a nanny thanks, I'm 27.

2008-04-25T16:42:00.002Z

People moan about the nanny state, etc. Me? I don't really mind that much being told how much veg I have to eat to stay alive, how much salt will kill me, to look both ways before I'm run over, but this is the final straw.

My iPod has colluded with my headphones for no other reason than to make me almost loose it on a crowded train. If I want to deafen myself with thumpy drums and Thom Yorke's wailing then I should bloody well be allowed to do it right? Wrong. My favourite loud track didn't even get loud enough to drown out that bloody patronising train lady telling me where I'm going, to mind the gap, and to watch out for unattended packages every 30 seconds . A far as I remember the last package that exploded on public transport was very much attended. Anyway I digress.

I tapped the + sign in frustration but it refused to budge louder than dinner party ambiance. Then I tried to trick it by turning it down and then up again slowly. No such luck the smug bastard. I contemplated hurling it out of the window but thought better of it - I paid 70 quid for those Bose headphones and this is how they repay me? They think they're doing this for my own good? For the good of my hearing? Bollocks. They're doing it to piss me off.

Trouble is they seem enforce their fascist volume control policy totally at random so the next track nearly did deafen me as Beck's timebomb exploded in my ear canal.

Go fuck ya headphones!

I don't want to be leader. I'm in it for cash

2008-04-21T14:35:00.002Z

Soooo, topical post. Mayor time: Ken or Boris? Boris or Ken?

I'm for Ken. Apparently someone who works for him is a thief which makes him a thief. I dunno, I haven't read the Evening Standard so I don't know the 'facts'.

Charlie Brooker said he wouldn't trust Boris in charge of a mop, let alone a 10 billion pound railway project and frankly I'm inclined to agree.

Things were so much easier back in the stone age

The best tea

2008-04-18T09:28:00.006Z

In my younger days I used to boycott Starbucks. I had just read No Logo and disagreed with their frankly questionable clustering policy to squeeze out the independent coffee shops.

That was before I tried their Earl Grey tea. It was a tea emergency: I had 10 minutes until my train and I had a thirst on that couldn't wait the 40 minute train ride home. Starbucks was my only option. Cursing my stupid pretend ethics I ordered tea and then drunk the brown nectar.

Delicious it was and I now buy tea from Starbucks all the time. In fact it's now my coffee shop of choice. Handy considering there are millions on every high street in the land and no independent coffee shops to be seen.

The tea isn't actually their tea which slightly appeases me somewhat: it's made by Tazo and their website is lovely. It's only about their teas and who they are which is all you need. They also have small silly bits of interaction like consulting the tea leaves and sending thoughts through the airwaves. My kind of site.

The last sip of tea. A sad sight. Better put the kettle on.

I did discover that I can buy Tazo somewhere other than Starbucks. However, then I have to make it myself and pay £3.95 for just 24 teabags. A bit steep. What's more I can get 100 teabags for 99p if I buy Tetley. Oh such choices in life.

What's in the box? A radio head obviously.

2008-04-13T11:21:00.004Z

I love mashups. I also love mash potato but that's for a different post.

I think you've really made it when someone chooses to create something new out of your work. Or you help someone create a mashup of your own work. You follow?

Take for example Radiohead's 15 steps: playing brilliantly on the hoo har of the stupendously expensive double vinyl box set and the excitement of their zillions of fans about receiving it.
Radiohead are a progressive band embracing the interwebs for all it's 2.0 loveiness. Facecrack and youtube aren't new or progressive I hear you say. However, Radiohead are massive. They have about 91 million plays on last.fm prompting some cynics to say that users have been deliberately playing Radiohead on loop to get them higher than The Beatles. Radiohead don't have to muck about with myspades or facebook or anything like that, people will still buy their records whatever they do. What's so charming about this, is it gives Radiohead a real D.I.Y feel to them. They regularly update their website with random musings on what they're up to. They spew out facebook updates and have stuff on their youtube channel. Thom Yorke is a self-professed internet addict so it really is him writing the content giving a real inroad into his strange mind making you feel more connected to him. Man.

Chalky White Face

2008-04-11T16:19:00.002Z

I came back from holiday on Sunday. Lovely holiday it was too. It was brilliantly sunny for 4 out of 6 days. I even got a slight tan. Rocked up to work: no one noticed. Primarily because I've got such a chalky white face.

Holiday

2008-03-28T19:19:00.004Z

I'm off snowboarding. Again. This is the third time this season. I may have a snow abuse problem.

This got me thinking about brands. I'm a sucker for the cool snowboarding brands. This is totally contrary to my regular life where I don't really give a crap about that sort of stuff.

My snowboarding kit consists of:

Nitro board (black widow, very sexy)

Ride bindings

Burton boots

Westbeach jacket

Burton trousers
Choice of Oakley Shades or Quiksilver Goggles.
I have to say I look damn cool :-)
Happy boarding for me next week. I'll hopefully not break myself and I'll post pictures.
Laters innit

Shuffling Along

2008-03-26T10:00:00.006Z

Last month my iPod died. I morned for about a week and contemplated my mp3 fate. Should I fork out for a new iPod? But I don't have an Apple computer of my own - this may pose a problem. Should I get a different mp3 player just to tide me over until I get my new Mac? Should I go retro and carry CDs and a diskman? (LOL)

Then in my grief I wandered into the Apple store on Regents Street and looked with longing at the pretties and stroked those iPod touches. Then a tiny purple shuffle caught my eye. It's only 32 quid! I snapped it up just for an experiment.

I tell you it's an interesting experience. If you're like me and have several months worth of music you never know what you're going to get. Most of the time I don't know what it is when it's playing as it has no display. Now is that JME or Dizzie Rascal? Dunno? (skip to next track). Is that Marissa Nelder or Anni Rossi? Dunno? Sounds pretty though. You don't know what's coming next either and purple shuffle makes some pretty odd choices: who knew that Star Wars followed by Spank Rock would work? But strangely it does.

I am Jackson Pollock

2008-03-25T19:12:00.005Z

And you can be too here

I'm liking these neen pieces.

This technically makes me a neenster (as opposed to a neenstar). You'll stumble across the concept every now and again but the most overt neen copy in adland I've seen is the Leo Burnett website. Clearly stylish and great dramatisation of their black pencil brand identity but also a definite rip (homage?) from the 'neen art' movement.

This raises an important question I've been thinking about recently: is it advertising's job to be innovative? Should we be exploring new territories and pushing boundaries? Should we be the neenstars?

My first response would be of course! What's the point in working in a creative industry if you can't create something unique, new and exciting?

But the pragmatists among us would say that it's difficult to sell stuff to the 'mainstream' if you're doing something that so out-there you alienate your audience. Plus you're there to sell a product not create a movement or a subculture. Well, that's an argument of course. Personally I think it's bollocks. Why do we have to reflect culture rather than create it?

However, advertising are jumping on the wagons full of bands left right and centre. Just think of the K-Swiss 'parkour' ads running at the moment. Da French yoof were chucking themselves all balletic like around the streets for years before that was in an ad. But then it does star Sebastian Foucan one of the originators of the movement. But then he was the dude in James Bond (think of this what you will).

Or think of another trend poaching brand: Madonna. "Krumping" about like with the kids from South Central. Oh Please.

Advertisers are so lazy they don't even look outside their own industry for inspiration. Think of the rash of Fallon type ads we've seen in the last year (or Fallonization as someone in Campaign called it). Take a look at the new Freelander advert. I'm not afraid to say it. Awful.

Is it because adland is too lazy to do something totally original? Or is it because the free-runners and the neenstars don't work in advertising?

ffffound

2008-03-18T15:27:00.002Z

For months now I've had my homepage set as the wonderful website ffffound.com. It's a lovely 'image bookmarking' site where the community of users bookmark interesting images they've found on the net. It's a closed community, which on the surface sounds quite unfair and cliquey and I spent a good hour searching around for an invite. I still don't have one but I came across a good deal of chatter about this site that I stumbled upon (literally using the wondrous stumbleupon). The general consensus is that people appreciate the closed nature of the site as it doesn't lead to the 'tragedy of the commons' like flickr where every 'arty' photo is a close up picture of a flower in brilliant technicolour.
I like it as it has no real system of organisation. There's no search function. There's no tagging. And there's certainly no comments. You just take a wander through the images looking at stuff. You can see who posted it and where it came from. Lovely, simple, and clean.

Punch in the face

2008-02-26T13:02:00.002Z

Most adverts on telly are shouty adverts. Buy this car insurance! Get this toothpaste! Eat this dog food!!

Think on this:

Only relatively few telly adverts are short arthouse films set to alt-folk plinky plunky music like Devandra Banhart or Joanna Newsom. And only a few of those I like. And only a few of those make me want the product. And only a few of those products I actually buy. Saying that I mostly buy the shouty stuff because I need washing powder and sink cleaner but I don't need a big colour telly even if it is colour like no other.

Eddie Izzard gets it so right as always.