insights, ironies and idiosyncrasies in communication and design

from the wide, wide world and the world wide web

Thursday 22 January 2009

End to a Bushy tale.



Positioning is everything – as this cheeky ad for hair removal professionals Veet testifies in the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

Respect to Euro RSCG Sydney.

Saturday 17 January 2009

Bagsy.


The only thing worse than finding your bag has been thrown around by airport 'chuckers' is not being able to find your bag at all – and that doesn't always mean that it isn't there, it's just hard to distinguish from the luggage of all the other people who benefitted from that Samsonite recession sale.

Handily, Jump and Artoyz have developed customizable luggage that lets you verbally or pictorially tag your bag in a way that hopefully sets you apart from the rest. Not sure how much use this would have been though on US Airways flight 1549.

Via Notcot.

Wednesday 7 January 2009

Worthy ape.



When a piece of work that was conceived in 2007 is being toted as best ad of 2008, you know it must be good. And it is.

And when a piece of work has been spoofed and reworked online as much as it has (with popular Wonderbra and Children In Need parodies) you know that it'll take a truly special remix to even be worthy of really mentioning in the same breath. And it has.

The abstract and much lauded viral spot, 'Gorilla' by Fallon for Cadburys – which secured 500,000 Youtube hits in its first week of release and over 3 million hits in total – has finally been aped perfectly by this worthy work for IFAW. 

Via Happy Thought.




Monday 5 January 2009

iPhone Mini.


It's one thing copying a best selling brand name but an altogether different matter second guessing corporate giants and adding to a product line with fake versions of products that don't actually exist (yet). With Asian markets feeling the pinch of the global credit crunch though, it's really not surprising that second to making your own money is making up your own merchandise.

Available in IT malls regionwide, the iPhone Mini comes in three colours, first-gen grey, black and sparkly pink, and according to vendors boasts a key USP – the size of the iPhone Mini makes the tiny device particularly suitable for one's Asian mistress' petite hands.

Friday 2 January 2009

Make note.



The counterfeit racket in Southeast Asia it seems is not just limited to fair-game FMCGs and luxury goods like VCDs and Gucci handbags. Over the last year or two, street vendors have stepped up production to include specialist items like guide books and even pharmaceuticlas to their respective product ranges. And now, hard hit by the world economic collapse, those desperate enough – taking initiative from the US Federal Reserve – have moved into the big time and have started printing their own money (adding support to my case over the increasing fragility of the power of the message communicated by hard currency.)

In spite of anti-counterfeit features, over the last few weeks thousands of fake 1000-baht bank notes have been found circulating in Thailand – though the real sting is that's it not just the forgers (if caught) who get punished, but any unsuspecting citizen found passing dodgy cash along, unwittingly or not it seems.