Bottled Water Causes Blindness in Puppies

This is quite basic and entertaining for a few seconds. It is a site built to get the message over that bottled water is very bad for the environment and the idea is based on 'all bottled water companies lie so why can't we?'
Check out the actual What's tappening site. Unfortunately it looks like you can only order their multi-use bottles if you are in the US.

Russ Berrie - Merchandise

Sally Elliott from Russ Berrie came in to have a chat with us today about what they do; everything from stocked stuffed toys to bespoke items. They are also branching out to printing - Mugs and hard surface items, quite good print samples.
The soft toys were the business though, really good quality and cute. The girls were all grabbing at them.
Check out their site, it is a bit dated though. Call them on 0203 8062 2129

Photographers Gallery - New exhibitions

This Friday two new exhibitions are opening at the Photographers Gallery:
When You're A Boy: Men's Fashion Styled by Simon Foxton, July 17 - October 4th
and
André Kertész: On Reading, Jult 17 - October 4th

Copy C*nts

This site is interesting to say the least. It is blogged by people who are quite clearly angry about they fact that creative teams 'borrow' ideas from other sources, or sometimes each other.

Cannes 2009 Winners

click here to go to the site.

D&AD 2009 Winners

winners here

Creative Review - Portfolios

9-10th June at Central Hall, Westminster.
This is a free event where photographers and illustrators - the best in the business come and exhibit their work, you can meet their agents (and sometimes the photographers themselves) and maybe discover someone you have never seen before.

Retouchers will also be exhibiting there, and there are several seminars you can sign up for.

Register here and print your ebadge before you go.

Placement teams

We are starting to share details of placement teams to help both the teams and us as creative services folk get their information and work out there.

Keep an eye out on the links to the right of the blog and check them out, and let us know if you want to share with us any teams you may have seenm.

RESTLESS LEGS....

Restless legs. Not only a great song by Half Man Half Biscuit, but also a great short film from creative team Lee & Dan (leeanddan.com). Who'd have thought.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bBMKtRm898&feature

Rebecca & Mike

There's not a huge amount to see on their website (www.rebeccaandmike.com), but these two are an un-pigeon-holable volcano of innovative and surprising ideas. Get in touch.

Shhhh - tactical

Some more great tactical ads. This time by Schweppes. Check out the site. It reads: Benefit fraud. We're closing in.

TRAIN YOUR WAY TO THE TOP

Roll up, roll up at the one-stop-shop for your future fame and fortune!
Get involved, get trained and get a better job! It's that easy ;-)

From the 24th September the IPA will be running the Creative Services training programme and there's something for pretty much everyone.

Our business is changing by the day and these short courses will help make you future-proof, ready for anything, the multi-channel super-producer we all hear so much about.

Each session is a bite-size three hours long and costs just £150 per person (it's cheaper if you come along to all the sesions, btw).

Here's a taste of what's on offer, so have a look, get badgering your CSD/HR for a few quid to make you a more productive member of staff and then deluge Anna Beeton at the IPA with your requests for places and more info (annab@ipa.co.uk).


- Online marketing explained (inc platforms; agency structure; jargon-busting; the best of the web)
- Producing online communication (inc timings; costs; how to monetise production)
- Becoming a better project manager (inc latest trends in PM; agency finance/business;campaign management software)
- Really understanding production (inc asset management software;decoupling; procurement; media co relations)
- Managing relationships, conflict resolution and negotiation

- An introduction to Creative Services for junior CS and Acc Managers (inc agency structure; process; jargon-busting; best practice; making stuff happen)

A bit of fun

I don't know how old this is but it was sent around the agency today. Rant away...
http://withoutadvertising.com/

AOP Awards last night

The AOP award ceremony was last night at Sadlers Wells. The winner of Photographer of the Year was Karin Berndl (one of her works is above) who also won a silver and bronze award in the Commissioned: Still Life category. A full list of all the winners and to view all the entries visit the AOP website

Creative Services Group Networking Night April 2, 2009

M&C Saatchi, 36 Golden Square, London W1F 9EE, 6.30-9pm
The Creative Services Group was established in 2000 to represent and support the IPA Creative Services community from both on and offline agencies.This night is your chance to hear a short presentation on the Group, its agenda and particular areas of interest; including the promotion of the role of creative services and project management, decoupling, training and the launch of the creative services blog. It is of equal relevance to colleagues both on and off line. Please do take a look and let us know what you think on the night. All comments and suggestions gratefully received. Importantly, this event will also be an open forum and an opportunity discuss all issues relating to our part of the advertising industry, to then be continued on an ongoing basis. It will also present an opportunity to meet colleagues from other agencies over a drink or two.

Clear Channel Digital

Derek and Paul from Clear Channel digital came in to give us a presentation today, the usual great technology I expect to see from Clear Channel. Now they have a new product they are launching, it's called the 'Socialite' and it's mainly for pubs and bars but it does sound like a good idea, makes a change from toilet door posters or those tiny little screens in hand-dryers. They are 40" portrait panels and advertisers can choose from 5 to 150 second ad length within 15 minute loop.
They are also up for working with you to look at new ways of making the roadside and shopping panels more interactive.

Egyptian Heinz advertising

I was just doing some blog-surfing and I found these Heinz ads on the bad banana blog, they are ads done by Leo Burnett Cairo (their site is quite cool too). They brought a smile to my face on a Thursday afternoon.

2009 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize & Exhibition

The 2009 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize has been awarded to Paul Graham. There is an exhibition of the entries at The Photographers' Gallery until the 12th of April.
The annual Prize of £30,000 rewards a living photographer, of any nationality, who has made the most significant contribution to photography in Europe, through either an exhibition or publication, over the past year.

Promotional Marketing Exhibition 24-26th March

I'm going to this tomorrow so I'll let you know what it is like. Visit their site to register.

I went, it's quite a bit smaller than I expected but there was a lot there, the usual stuff but a few things that caught my attention. Also they are providing water duck transport from Victoria Station (near Billy Elliott) which is very cool, but short.

Selfridges Windows

Selfridges has done some amazing kaleidoscopic windows, there is an article on the Creative Review blog

Whitechapel Gallery - Expanded Gallery opens 5th April

The Whitechapel Gallery Expanded gallery opens on the 5th of April with exhibitions from German sculptor Isa Genzken, the exibit is called 'Open Sesame!' and Polish born sculptor Goska Macuga: The bloomberg Commision based on Picasso's first presentation of Guernica in 1939.

Affordable Art Fair 12th - 15th March

The Affordable Art Fair is on again this weekend at Battersea Park. Interestingly one of my old Creative Directors from Ireland, Paul Hughes is exhibiting his work there. Check it out.

Aero do Lenticular

The guys at Hive have produced this lenticular for the Nestle Aero campaign by JWT with the new Digital HD technology. It is one of the largest ever lenticular poster campaigns.

Metin the illustrator

Today we had Metin come into see us and show us his book (and he brought dounuts) - it's pretty amazing, he generally works off-site but will come in and take briefs. Metin has a very extensive range and will work to a style. A couple of the PM's here have used him on projects to scamp up ideas for pitches and presentations and have been impressed. His number is 07774235506.

Skittles Twitters

The new Skittles website 'Interweb the rainbow', puts all its social media brand channels together in one central location.
The homepage has been replaced with a live Twitter feed. The site also links to the Skittles Facebook page and youtube channel.

It seems it's been skittled! see the brand republic article.