Living on Brand Street

A Flowchart to Determine What Religion You Should Follow

Am just loving this. But then, I am easily amused by the irreverent and a big fan of flowcharts and infographics.

Toys and games: my Dunny obsession

Aligned in formation on my desk at work is this little Dunny and nine of her mates. She's from Clutter and part of Series 5. My vinyl posse amuses not just me but all that wander by.

Collectible art toys are a whole world and although I am just a casual tourist in it, I am ever impressed by the creativity. It applies to marketing too — am watching KidRobot's wonderful idea for Dunny Hunt '09 NYC using QR codes. Please KidRobot, open a store in London. Your pop up boutique within Selfridges for the wicked Ye Olde English Dunny series was a smashing success and we want more.

Sometimes I have a good idea

Hill & Knowlton QA with Twitter's Biz Stone, originally uploaded by zrodgers.

And sometimes they really happen ;-) This is our Hill & Knowlton First Annual Official Cannes Lions Tweet-up with Biz Stone. Good times (and a packed theatre)

Targeting virtual voyeurs

Over lunch the other day, I was boring yet another dear friend by preaching about Twitter. Being a regular person — not a wild-eyed new media zealot — she had her polite listening face on, but I knew she wasn’t.

In fact, she was listening to the table next to us. They were having a much more juicy conversation.

Besides reinforcing that we all have a bit of the voyeur inside, it reminded me that the only way to sell anything is to start with user needs, whatever they may be.

Rather than high falutin change the world twitvangelism, I should have told her about the virtual voyeurism product feature of Twitter. There are even apps that help you listen in on other people’s conversations. Now that would have gotten her attention.

note: btw, I wrote this, before I wrote this

Fleet Foxes. My new favorite band

Don't know why I am late on this bandwagon. One hearing. One song. Hooked for life. They sound like déjà vu somehow. Makes me feel like I did when I was in college.

Do not know what the lyrics to this song mean, but I think it is heart-breakingly beautiful.

Seattle based indie folk band Fleet Foxes perform the track 'White Winter Hymnal', taken from their 2008 album Fleet Foxes, at BBC2's Later... with Jools Holland.

Happy 60th Birthday Ogilvy

I used to work here (the London office) and I must say that this video, for the first time in over a year, made me miss just being in that space. Some wonderful, warm, witty people there.

My first Mac

The Macintosh will be 25 on 1/24/09. Happy birthday my friend. Ah. Memories. My first Mac = the Mac Plus. Bought second-hand ( from my friend Jonathan I think...) When I upgraded, I gave it to my then too little nephew, but shoulda kept it as the cute collectable it is. Anyway, I got mad because I don't think he used it. Was reported to be "broken" soon after. I think it pined for me.

Update: because this says it all.

Martha's Vineyard

Places—like products and people—are brands. Especially those places I call cult locations. Not just: New York, London, Paris. But: New Paltz, Chipping Campden, Pont-à-Mousson. Small villages of magical significance to both those that visit and those that have been moved by their time living there.

Martha's Vineyard, an island of hypnotic charm, is one of those places. Being here now, again, makes me wish I were a poet—somehow able to translate the description of a fairly standard beach spot on the east coast of America into the fairyland island I love. Everyone who has ever been here knows what I mean. My Twitter Haiku are the best I can do for now.

Beautiful Uniqlock: 2008 Cannes Titanium & Cyber Grand Prix

Loving. (I think it is a Mac thing)

I just like this. Makes me smile. Makes me feel special about my own Mac fetish.

Way better than the band video, fwiw. Well done Dennis Liu. More on Dennis here.  imho, the story of this work is as on brand for Apple as the video itself. Dennis is a Mac user since Kindergarden. In a world where consumers own the brand, he is himself a brand attribute. Here's hoping that the real Steve Jobs hires him.