mindblob

INFLUENCERS

 

A brilliant documentary on "How Trends and Creativity Become Contagious". Although the video is  embedded here above,  I strongly recommend you to view it on the dedicated website. It's a simple, smart, relevant & absolutely stunning modern documentary experience too.

How do you consider video quality and graphic interfaces in your online viewing experiences?

 

As mentionned on their VIMEO page :

"INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment.

The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach.

Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today's pop culture.

"Influencers" belongs to the new generation of short films, webdocs, which combine the documentary style and the online experience."

facebook.com/​influencersfilm

 

The Future of Work

View more documents from Jeff Brenman.

I came across this inspiring presentation today. Don't ask me why, it made a LOT of sense to me. The kind of thoughts that would push you into thinking that the limit between today and tomorrow might just be your will to make it happen.

Is this (still) a futuristic vision of what tomorrow "could be"? Or is it now more likely a very appealing insight of what today already "is" for those who decided to jump and go for it? In other words, would we want tomorrow to be like yesterday when we were thinking about today? Huh... I need to think about it, really! What's your view on this?

PS : Geeez Gavin... I'm on fire again! ; )

  

Post Digital Marketing (Thinking)

View more documents from Helge Tennø.

 

This is probably the best slideshare presentation I've read for a long time. It was composed by Helge Tennø, Strategic Director and Digital Planner at digital agency Screenplay in Oslo, Norway. 

Smart thinking documented by brilliant quotes from successful leaders, marketers, strategists, CEO's or so called visionaries. What I find interesting in this long -yet completely fascinating- presentation is the overhaul perspective it unveils to our eyes, from the obvious EVOLUTION of consumer behavior, through the new definition of "digital marketing", way to the ultimate long term battle of the brands related to (shared) VALUE.

He introduces 3 ideas representing THE NEW CURRENCY :

VALUE : transports much better compared to "attention" - creating value in the context surrounding the product is positively transforming consumer experience.
+ DIRECT RELATIONSHIP : "Visualizing the decline of the destination web and the rise of the social media web"... New opportunity : Brands to create direct relationship with consumers.
- TIME -the unstoppable force- (love this!) : He quotes: "Time does not exist!". On some media, content disappears. On other platforms it grows, connects and augments.
 

 
A rich journey naturally guiding you across notions like the fabulous TRANSMEDIA (Faris Yakob), importance of context and convergence, ARENAS, collaborative creativity, utility, search vs SHARE, idea exchange, etc.

Insightful, to the point, clear, mind challenging, absolute must read if you're related in any way to marketing, communication, advertising or have an open curious mind looking for some clues about the future of the relationship between consumers and "their" brands.

 

About NEW, unique... live EXPERIENCES

  

A few months ago, I ran across my RSS reader and POW! Right Between the Eyes... got hit by a post of my friend Andy Nulman. Andy said (again!) :

"Consistency isn't everything it is cracked up to be" -  Then, naturally I can hear your immediate question  why? Andy brings his own answer to this : "In business, a reputation of being reliable and true-to-your-word is both admirable and desirable, but there's something to be said about the currency of Surprise being part of your corporate DNA."

He then points to the way Andy Berndt of Google described working with Obscura Digital in Fast Company (see other article on digital projections here) :

"The thing about working with these guys is that you never know quite how a project's going to come out... you just know they have great taste and are going to wow everybody"

   

That is definitely a very nice way to be described by a client. So this lead me to investigate a little about Obscura Digital. Who are these guys and what are they doing. Well, glad I did... look what I found in a very interesting CNET News article by Kara Tsuboi - (video credits CNET) :

   

  

CEO Patrick Connolly describes his company as "... a marketing company revolutionizing the advertising world with its interactive and immersive technology." Obscura Digital is based in San Francisco USA (soon new offices to come) and their work has found clients all over the world.

As you might know by now, documenting "new & innovative live experiences" is one of my favorite topics. This, because I believe that unique experiences will always strongly insight conversation. I just love the "I wish I could have been there... I wish I could have seen this" effect. But when you make the experience INTERACTIVE + IMMERSIVE + CAPTIVATING you get really powerful human emotions drivers... and so, powerful communication tools when mastered with the appropriate expertise, of course. Well, I wish I could meet these guys and visit the testing labs of Obscura Digital! ; )

  

When was the last time you were impressed by a "unique" live experience? What made that live experience memorable?

  

Artificial Dummies - From ideas to reality

ARTIFICIAL DUMMIES from todo.to.it on Vimeo.

As promised in my previous post... here is more about TODO interaction & media design, the Italian innovative company we talked about. Again coming with a very nice example of crowd fascination in front of a unique live experience. Talking about ways to give people out-of-the-ordinary experiences... here you go.

Now, maybe some of you have already seen visual things like that before and so might not find it new or innovative. But according to the "creatures" actually reacting to their environment, I see more than a simple light show behind this. That "little extra" is IMHO exactly what makes the difference and drives the live experience into an innovative and unique area. This is why I wanted to find out "how the system works?"... and guess what... TODO brings an answer to people wondering like me (check the video here under).

When the magic brought to the eyes of the public out there is obvious, the technology behind this is not. TODO did mix different theories, programs and technologies to make this happen in an unexpected context. This is what I find "innovative". That achievement (I bounced twice on them!) lead me to check their webpage out. Happy I did, it is full of brilliant ideas. I also found there a few words on the philosophy behind their way to... drive ideas into reality, that I'd like to share with you as well. Just LOVE it! Way to go guys ! And please... please, launch a blog... I'll subscribe!

 

• we ask questions

• we listen

• we research

• we take risk

• we make mistakes

• we like busted knees

• we solve problems

• we are happy

• we'll never retire

 

ARTIFICIAL DUMMIES, the process from todo.to.it on Vimeo.
   

Zygote - the interactive ball

NUday-ZYGOTE from todo.to.it on Vimeo.

 
Another focus on simple things that keep touching people. Well, this one is actually being "touched" by people. Or... how to energize and entertain a crowd, for example on a live concert, when waiting between two artists. Simply fabulous! This product is developed by Tangible Interaction Design.

Concept via TODO interaction & media design an Italian innovative company to follow. More on them coming soon in a next post. Okay... this thing is really too mindblobbing, I just can't resist sharing with you another Zygote film. People really seem to have punch a lot of fun out of it! Don't you feel like being in the crow, just under that ball now? : )

 

Zygote - interactive ball from todo.to.it on Vimeo.

 
   

PS : For those of you who remember the early seventies series (yup!), this is a FRIENDLY bubble, repeat... this is a FRIENDLY bubble. It won't try to stop you escape or swallow you!  ; )
  

The Key to Reserva

   

If you like Martin Scorsese... it's a must see.
If you like Alfred Hitchcock... it's a must see.
If you like wine and champagne... it's a must see.
If you like out-of-the-ordinary-stories... it's a must see.

A movie definitely worth spending time with here.

   

JWT Barcelona, lead by Alex Martinez and his team, had a clever and innovative idea to promote FreiXenet, the Spanish sparkling wine (Cava is the Spanish sparkling wine "equivalent" to France's champagne). - More about the context story here.

As mentioned by Craig Davis (JWT's Worldwide's chief creative officer) on his blog, The Good Stuff :

"...the film features not the star in front of the camera but the stars behind - a striking shift from image to product, from how we look to what we make"

 

 

Now, what I like about this is that it drives your imagination out of the conventional story-telling patterns. Of course it is advertising... and of course, there is a link to a brand. But on a very personal point of view, I didn't feel betrayed by the apparition of the product (like it often happens in branded film content). I loved that they dared to distract our attention away from the product itself and push us back into the film. Smart and talented way to communicate. Last but not least, notice the "insightful link" that says : "GIVE US YOUR OPINION".

 

So... "if next year you had to do a short film, which director would YOU choose?"

    

UPDATE : Check "The Good Stuff" original post's comments... seems this story pushed Bob Jeffrey himself (JWT's Worldwide Chairman and CEO) to comment. I think it is a first time, but maybe I'm wrong.  : )

 

Idea saves planet

 

Our planet is in danger, we all know it. Even if we all agree about that "fact", what can we do as individuals to help or influence a positive change? The PICNIC Green Challenge is launching a contest to help fight climate change. They challenge creative thinkers and innovators, to come up with an original idea for a product or service that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

 

   

They also require from the participants that they present a concrete plan of action to launch their idea within 2 years. The price/help to market the idea is 500.000 Euros, coaching from business leaders and a list of potential clients. The president of the jury is fantastic-Richard Branson, entrepreneur incroyable, chairman of the Virgin Group and the Galactic space project. "This contest is going to help people to realize how much they are capable of,” he says. “Great things really do come out of simple ideas.”.

   

 

Richard Branson together with former vice President Al Gore are also behind a wider project -launched in February 2007- linked to the reduction of the greenhouse effect, the Virgin Earth Challenge. Contest will award $25 million to the individual or group who are able to demonstrate a commercially viable design which will result in the net removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases each year for at least ten years without countervailing harmful effects. This removal must have long term effects and contribute materially to the stability of the Earth’s climate. See them on the CBS "Eye-to-eye" TV show here, talking about the reason why of the project.

 

I take a moment here to point the axis we discussed in the previous post. It seems that more and more companies develop green policies to link their businesses to positive intentions for the planet. Well, if the intentions are shared, supported, and driven into reality, then some positive actions could (really) follow. But, at this stage thinking about this process, it appears to me to be more like a talent search/call, than a real collaborative work using the brain/linking power of the internet. Food for thoughts (yeah, again!) - (to be continued...)

 

   SHARED IDEA(S) - DRIVER-  POSITIVE ACTION

 

Do you have an idea that could help?

 

The Age of Conversation - GO !

The "Age of Conversation" the collaborative project of 100 authors, is now available on Lulu.com (ebook, paper and hardback). As a reminder, the editors of this project are Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton. Note that all proceeds will be donated to Variety, the Children's Charity, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world.

Drew McLellan's latest words on the ebook.

Gavin Heaton's latest post.

Arun Rajagopal's description of all the authors.

Matt Dickman's Google Map locating all the authors.

The Age of Conversation site.

Age of Conversation alphabetic list and info.

Some great posts from everywhere started to spread and so is the press coverage. I hope a lot of money will be raised to help children in need. This link between blogging and reality is what touches me the most. So, don't wait... click here and buy the ebook, a paper copy of a hardback one.

   

This is the dawn of The Age of Conversation.
My chapter is entitled : "The Dawn of Shared Consciousness".
Let this new era begin.

 

007 iphone

 

Well, now we know... Steve Jobs said it all at the Macworld Keynote this morning (makes me smile to say that, as it is –was- evening in Brussels by then). Many new stuff coming from Apple in 2007. Apple computers inc. is now Apple inc. (more than computers, right!). Then a quick reminder of the announced code-named iTV now launched under its definitive name: AppleTV.

But the main piece was, as expected for years now, the iphone. A mobile as it is, but a lot closer to a 007 gadget than it is to a phone. Full of fancy techno features and innovative patents, this one was worth the wait. It has naturally all the main features of the smart phones, like sms, internet, email, blutooth, 2.0 megapixel camera, and also WiFi.

But hey... more is less : not a single button, no slider, but a large multi-touch display, detecting your finger tips to enable you to browse the device. An “accelerometer” sensor automatically switches from portrait to landscape orientation, detecting when you rotate the phone. It has 4 or 8Gb of memory, runs under OSX, is an ipod, has access to Google maps, makes conference calls... and more.

Make sure you check it out on Apple site. And in case you want to view it, Steve Jobs’ full Keynote presentation is now available on this link.

So, are you ready to "Phone Different" ?