Cool Marketing Thoughts

Last year in November I already mentioned the freakish powers of The Total Blender. They’ve been blending all sorts of crazy things in the past time but their recent clip really kicks it big time. They’re blending an iPhone. Pretty neat stuff. I haven’t really written about the iPhone here before, and it’s not because I work for Microsoft. It’s because I think the device is way too limited and has nothing to offer that I can use. I’ll give you some examples of why this fashionable device will (at this time) not be on my wishlist:

1. It doesn’t support SD (micro)memory cards, no slot present
2. I can’t install other software (TomTom navigation and so on)
3. I can look at movies but I can’t record any
4. I don’t use iTunes, nor an mp3 player function and I don’t care for music support or YouTube videos
5. The battery is sealed-in so no hard reboot if the device locks (by removing and replacing the battery)
6. Got to hand in the phone at Apple store for x days if battery breaks
7. Not ready for over-the-air content delivery (3G and so on)
8. Sealed deals with operators that require minimum sign-up periods
9. I don’t store pictures on my phone, don’t have time to show off pictures either, I just use it for work-related things, not during coffee breaks
10. Compared with Nokia’s N95 5 megapixel snapshot maker, the iPhone has a rather crappy image quality

So, apart from the very cool design and touch screen navigation, there really isn’t much in it for me. I just need a device with easy access that allows me to install what I want, that allows me to chose any provider I like and that improves my mobile experience. And for what it has to offer, I think it is way too expensive. There is no technology progress. A slick interface doesn’t make me happy if the functions behind it don’t live up to the expectations. But yeah, that’s just my humble opinion. What it does pretty well though, is blend!

Video: Will It Blend? iPhone [source]

By the way, you can bid for the blended iPhone on eBay :-) It’s already at $430.

I totally like this idea. It’s actually a shirt people would love to wear when they’re going out for a drink in town, especially when they carry around the accumulated result of many beers and they’re proud of it. I know quite a few people with a tummy full of love who’d be totally overjoyed when they got this as a gift. Other than that… if you really are looking at it from the dark side, you could find some sarcasm in this and be offended, but the ‘funny’ approach is very present. Could also be interpreted as: Power House helps you deflate
(or something).

Agency unknown
Via: 24

UPDATE 21st of April, 10.59 am: Hilarious !!!

While Jan is working for BBDO and Johan from LG&F made the spoof (and Michael from Duval Guillaume E sent it to me), now the guys over at TheseDays came up with their spoof, and they turned the spot into a commercial for Spotter.be / Any other agencies want to give it a go?

There’s a lucky guy named Jan. He works at an ad agency and has a beautiful wife and family. They live in a wonderful house and they’ve been having the time of their lives there. But.. the time has come to move on and now they’re selling the house… on YouTube. However, Jan’s ‘neighbors’ have noticed the clip on YouTube and decided to post their response… and now the bet is: if the response has more views than the original, Jan will buy bubbly wine for ‘the neighbors’. Other than that, it’s pretty cool to use YouTube to sell your house, but instead of showing just the house and the rooms and all that you add a story to it, you make the material thing come alive. And that’s so awesome.

See the original clip here, but please make sure you see the spoof twice, so Jan has to share the booze ;-)

There’s a lucky guy named Jan. He works at an ad agency and has a beautiful wife and family. They live in a wonderful house and they’ve been having the time of their lives there. But.. the time has come to move on and now they’re selling the house… on YouTube. However, Jan’s ‘neighbors’ have noticed the clip on YouTube and decided to post their response… and now the bet is: if the response has more views than the original, Jan will buy bubbly wine for ‘the neighbors’. Other than that, it’s pretty cool to use YouTube to sell your house, but instead of showing just the house and the rooms and all that you add a story to it, you make the material thing come alive. And that’s so awesome.

See the original clip here, but please make sure you see the spoof twice, so Jan has to share the booze ;-)

UPDATE: Hilarious !!!

While Jan is working for BBDO and Johan from LG&F made the spoof (and Michael from Duval Guillaume E sent it to me), now the guys over at TheseDays came up with their spoof, and they turned the spot into a commercial for Spotter.be / Any other agencies want to give it a go?

On March 16th, Comic Relief - The Big One - raised a massive £40,236,142 million - the biggest ever total on a Red Nose Day night and the money is still pouring in! The mammoth seven hour show on BBC ONE, featured the biggest line up of presenters ever including Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand, Lenny Henry, Davina McCall, Graham Norton, Paul O’Grady, Fearne Cotton, Kate Thornton and Chris Evans, who was overwhelmed by the success of the show, saying ‘This is by far the most exciting Comic Relief night I’ve ever been to - it’s the best comedy ever’. One of the most memorable highlights was Ricky Gervais’ special ‘appeal film’ starring Sir Bob Geldof, Bono, Stephen Merchant, Jamie Oliver and Andi Peters. It’s brilliant :)

Video Link

Via Tales Of Drudgery & Boredom

Okay, this is for the student readers who are short of educational small change and need to get educational drinks from an educational vending machine. I love social engineering :) It brings out the rebel in all of us. These skills are for educational purposes only, for instance if you want to help your friends learn how to be educational as well.

Video link

Thanks, Arnaud

Looks like our French neighbors have adapted Ricky Gervais’ concept and they started making ‘Le Bureau’ last year. The setting is Villepinte, a business park in the northeast suburbs of Paris. The series stars François Berléand as Gilles Triquet, France’s version of David Brent. Another notable actor, Jérémie Elkaïm, also stars in the series playing the French version of Tim Canterbury. Filming with the French cast was completed in early February; the series began airing on May 25. A second season is already in the works and the writer-director duo of Nicholas and Bruno say at least one show will focus on a French perennial: strikes.

Rest of the episodes I found: Read the rest of this entry »

I got an email with a load of Russian ads in it, and one of the weirdest in the series was without any doubt the one pictured below. This must be some sort of mock-up by a twisted mind because I have my reasonable doubts about the fact IKEA would ever approve this sort of advertising. Too bad my Russian is still what it used to be: totally worthless, so I have no clue at all of what’s written in the text boxes. If anyone can fill in with a translation, please do. The rest of us can wonder about this in silence.