She unleashed the hip-hop virus

The photojournalist Martha Cooper has specialized in art and anthropology. She is the most significant contributor to the methodically documentation of the subway graffiti during the 1970s and 1980s. There was this great TV-documentary the other day. It was fascinating to see her influence on the rise of the hip-hop culture from underground phenomenon in NYC to global mainstream. Here is a great little interview with her.
http://www.at149st.com/cooper2.html

Christmas present with nice motto

This is maybe my new favourite T-shirt. What a great motto to look at in the morning mirror.

Ain't No Cure For Human Insight

I just picked up the essential Leonard Cohen album. It has been so long since I’ve heard it.

And it strikes me what really is essential is the insights presented so simple and profound…he works as most of us strategist would love to. He capsules everything in a few verses (1/3 size of a CREATIVE BRIEF) – lyrics that are derived from large notebooks, his vast experiences, the whole history of mankind and that sort of stuff. “Everybody Knows” for instance could be interpreted to a lot touching communication…

Everybody Knows (first 4 verses)

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died

Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long stem rose
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you've been faithful
Ah give or take a night or two
Everybody knows you've been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows

Time in print

Yugo Nakamura is a Tokyo based creative director/designer/engineer exploring and experimenting with various forms of interactive system in digital and networked environment. He has won awards including Cannes Lions, Clio and the One Show and has been shown in Paris’ Centre Pompidou, Vienna’s Kunstlerhaus and London’s Design Museum.

His latest work is a handheld version of a watch in print. Cool stuff.

http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/%7Eyugo/storage/monocrafts_ver3/03/

Here’s his website

http://yugop.com/

Reinvention of a childhood icon

I just bought this book as a present for some friends of mine’s kid. It’s the story of Christmas retold with Lego bricks.

It wasn’t made by Lego off course. It was made by a graphic designer.

It made me think why Lego don’t reinvent the platforms from where their iconic bricks are made relevant to today’s more technique savvy kids.

Lego’s current economical troubles come from their failed attempts to attract attention to these young consumers. Young consumers that wants more interactive storytelling that could come from Lego bricks occurring in video games, cartoons and even good old fashioned books (It has to be said that Lego are doing a lot of innovative stuff with their Bionicle series for pre-teens but that’s another story).

Miss Sixty the next lovebrand?

The Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts are preaching his Lovebrand evangelism to a huge branding loving audience.

It seems like the guys at the growing fashion brand Miss Sixty have been listening and dedicated their whole Christmas campaign to love messages. So I guess that’s the trick talk about love and people will love you.

Stupid advertising influenced parking

Or maybe it’s just a perfect example of a clear good old product USP very well communicated. Or maybe there were just two cars on the sides of this car right before I captured this picture.

Smart parking

smart

The religious iPod spoof

This is one of the funnier spoofs I’ve seen. I saw it outside London’s St. Lukes church.

Must get gloves

Winter came with frost and snow the other day. Traffic stops. People embrace nature for a little while. Kids are enthusiastic. It’s such a nice part of the year. Then Christmas hysteria begins.