CapsuleBlog

She's Crafty

I've spent some time in Michaels. Those trips represented a particular month or two for four years in a row. No, I will not tell you why every August/September from the years of 1998-2002 I was crafty. I will not. With the exception of one ill-fated attempt at D.I.Y.ness, I have not set foot in one for ages. But, to get to the point as this post is not about my inability to scrapbook, the new logo and tagline are great. It gives the impression that the mark was indeed handcrafted, as well as individualized, and talented-like all of their customers. Overall, a great improvement.

via brandnew

Naming, The Pitfalls of Coincidence, And a V.P. Nom

Naming is a tricky slippery slope of a task. It requires many minds, and those minds have to remain open at all times, no negativity, though it may be difficult at times. There's always a name that reminds someone of something, usually something bad, you just have to deal with it, not everyone had the same awkward 3rd grade recess issues as you. Once names are chosen, only those that induce the warm fuzzies, it's time to see just how creative and original you are, or they are. This is where hearts are broken, talent questioned, and morale crushed. Time to pick yourself up and get back at it, and hope for the best.

However, no matter what name you and the client decide upon, the future has plans for it not even dreamed of in your most drug-induced hallucinations. Take for instance, the Palin Syrah. Name look familiar? Click here to learn the fate of this once wildly popular glass of wine.

The future is a cruel and ironic old hag.

Martha Steps It Up

Pretty hi-tech for Martha, no?

"It's finally happened. QR codes are making their major magazine debut via the unlikely suspect of Martha Stewart. Go on Martha with your bad self! The Winter issue of Martha Stewart Weddings will be the first women's magazine to allow readers to snap a picture of the ads with their phone and through a shop called, SnapTell, instantly get back content from an advertiser.

QR Codes, semacodes, etc. have been in use in big games from companies like area/code to ARGs from interactive agencies like Deep Focus to having front placement on Korean business cards for years. However, this is the first time I've seen their use marketed to the middle American women. I love it.

You may be asking the same question I am. It's not "will this demographic want to use it." The question is "can they?" QR codes are only read by a certain set of phones (iPhones, N-series Nokias) and semacodes have been basically phased out, but you still have to download software, which could be an extra step that un-tech savvy consumers are unwilling to take. Yet, SnapTell says that their reader works with all phones, but do consumers need to download software? It's unclear. Can't wait to see the results of this major media experiment!"

Pretty cool,not sure how much I would need something like that, or anyone these days thanks to the so-sorrowful economy.
from mediabistro.com

Jerry and Bill. Part Deux

Well naysayers, how does the egg feel all over your face? Ok, maybe for a brief minute there I was one, but I quickly amended my erroneous thinking.

The first spot was a little all-at-once, craziness, and without a lot of strategy, but, as I suspected, it set the following spots up quite nicely. And this little gem gets better by the minute. My favorite line? It's gotta be, "It's been in our family for 6 years."

So funny.

While they have yet to really discuss anything substantial about Microsoft, I am willing to overlook that, and just enjoy.

October Marks the Beginning of the 21st Century

Or, at least that is what Esquire Magazine is telling us via the, "World's First E-Ink Cover." All I can say is that while the technology is impressive, though no cancer curer, it's pretty f-ing distracting. In fact, almost nauseating, a bit like Times Square in New York, but thankfully limited colors and sans prostitutes.

Maybe I'm a hater, but I actually like my glossies and newsprint to be just that, print. This e-ink thingamagig makes me think of the ads media buyers are now placing on the ceilings of mass transit. Who the hell looks up there? And David Ogilvy forbid that if there is a message up there, that it's longer than 5 words. I digress. I am acutely aware that advertising and brand messaging need to transcend the traditional boundaries of tv, print, and radio, but do they need to be so intrusive that I begin to seek out places, and apparently mags, that won't cause head- and tummy-aches? Apparently so. Hmpf.

Supremely Offensive Friday

This is a new type of "Slightly Offensive Friday," as it is not slightly offensive but completely disturbing, and not posted in jest, as the previous S.O.F's were.

This my friends, is disgusting, and is a great example of the pitfalls of utilizing third-party advertising. Walmart for all it's poor press and lawsuits should know better. They have inadvertently paid for some ignorant neanderthal white supremacist to spread his hate.

Well done. It's over. No matter the new logos, or community involvement, or any other band-aid, they've just-in my opinion-hammered the last nail in their own coffin.

If you can't quite make it out, click the image to make it larger, but I'm sure you already knew that.

Sorry for the downer. Below is an upper.

It happened and I didn't even know it was happening

I know I posted the air date of the new Microsoft spot, but unlike my infatuation with Gossip Girl (I will not be shamed!) it completely evaded me. That is, until it was happening right before my very eyes. It was so just so sudden, I got no warning, as it goes with commercials. So, there it was, and about 90 seconds later it was fin.

Immediate reaction? Meh. The churro was a fantastic touch, as would a bagel dog or Annie's Pretzel...But really, it was spaztastic. I mean, the whole situation was amusing; Bill Gates in a discount shoe store, The Conquistador, and again the churro. It was just a whirlwind of Sienfeldian humor. Now, I'll say this, while they didn't get down to anything till the last few seconds, Seinfeld did what he's great at and set up the soon-to-be-seen following spots.

So, verdict. I'm down.

Ok, let's go apple picking. Happy September.

Google, the new Apple?

I mean that in the sense that Apple is always releasing the updated versions of, well, everything. That said, I highly doubt it.

The Google kids have released, "Google Chrome," in beta. I'm a little scared to try it as it may throw a curve ball into my otherwise stable life. That, and I'm not so much of a computer nerd that I need to be up on everything. Check it out, let me know what you think.

Here's what the kids are saying:

"At Google, we spend much of our time working inside a browser. We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And like all of you, in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends - all using a browser. People are spending an increasing amount of time online, and they're doing things never imagined when the web first appeared about 15 years ago.

Since we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if you started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build.

So today we're releasing the beta version of a new open source browser: Google Chrome.
On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple. To most people, it isn't the browser that matters. It's only a tool to run the important stuff - the pages, sites and applications that make up the web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go.

Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better . By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built V8, a more powerful JavaScript engine, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.

This is just the beginning - Google Chrome is far from done. We've released this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible. We're hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and we'll continue to make it even faster and more robust.

We owe a great debt to many open source projects, and we're committed to continuing on their path. We've used components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox, among others - and in that spirit, we are making all of our code open source as well. We hope to collaborate with the entire community to help drive the web forward.

The web gets better with more options and innovation. Google Chrome is another option, and we hope it contributes to making the web even better.

But enough from us. The best test of Google Chrome is to try it yourself."

It's too funny

I know this video has been floating around the internet for a while now, but it never ceases to make me laugh. Make sure the volume is up. Enjoy.

Kill to serve?

Ok, so, I've never been to a Gander Mountain location, ever. I've seen them along the interstate and heard them referenced when talking about gearing up for a big fishing/hunting trip, and that's about it. I am however thinking about making a trip as I'm really impressed by the work Duffy & Partners did for the retailer's new restaurant concept, Tall Tales.

It's got a look that could live well beyond the Gander Mountain locations, and evokes a certain kitsch plus panache. If it were me, I'd go just to leave with a five finger discount on their goods.

But, I'm wondering if anyone had the same initial reaction to the new restaurant addition as me...I see a truck stop, and a large grazing range in the back where you can try out their new line of guns and kill your lunch at the same time. Anyone?

via thedieline