Spacebarspeeds

I ventured down to Brick Lane on Sunday for the annual Car Boor Fair @ The Old Truman Brewery. There were plenty of stalls and original ideas to keep me amused – but i really loved the new jewellery designers and artisits i discovered. One photographer – Alice Mara – takes the most stunning pictures of the urban landscape and uses a computer to enhance their surreal appeal. She then transfers them onto plates, mugs, bowls and serving dishes so you can display a little piece of London at home whenever you wish. Like mini, decorative forms of art they are instantly recognisable with familar streets and skylines.

With brands such as T Mobile condoning social phenomenons like flashmobbing in their ads, i just want to express how much i love this turn towards cheap, everyman style production. We’ve all been watching Youtube for years, so it’s surprising it’s visual language hasn’t been harnessed before now. Despite the fact that ads like ‘Life’s for sharing’ elude to being genuine and homemade, they successfully manage to borrow that vibe without appearing too intrusive.

So why aren’t more of the big brands doing it just as successfully? Usually the ad industry is the first to rush headlong into the next craze, yet there seems to be very little work that is Youtube-esque. A great example of this is Carlsberg’s funny announcement to a football fan at one of his team’s games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL_EdFfmAYU

Offline, i’m pretty sure creative teams would opt for selling a film idea requiring a traditional shoot over a Youtube idea that just needs a handy cam and some free time after your 3rd pint in the pub. Digital are always trying to explore new avenues and unique ways of talking to users, and this low budget style of production is perfect for that. It makes the brand experience that little bit more believable and instantaneous.

I’d certainly Tweet about a piece of communication that targeted me specifically. Sometimes, maybe that’s all the advertising you need.

There’s a story in Metro this morning about a fossil that’s been hailed as the ‘missing link’ in human evolution. The animal, which lived 47 million years ago, has traits of non-human creatures and primates. As always, Google have been quick of the mark and paid tribute to the discovery on their homepage. Just another example of forward-thinking from the internet giants.

Are you a girl who lusts after big steaks, juicy burgers and succulent ribs? Well Meat Club (girls only) have the answer. They’ve created a cookbook purely for girls that celebrates all things meaty. For such an unusual idea, it’s been brought to life in such a delicate way with cute, hand-drawn illustrations that are perfect for meat lovers everywhere.

Should women with larger boobs pay more than those with a more modest pair? Only the best brands can admit they were wrong. They may have boobed, but Marks and Spencer have been extremely quick to the mark by apologising to the nation in Metro this morning. A brilliant example of topical advertising in repsonse to a media frenzy.