Strange abandoned Disneyland-a-like

Film by Catherine Hyland on Vimeo

Wonderland from catherine Hyland on Vimeo.

The Chinese give up on an attempt to build a knock-off Disneyland and leave the half built buildings to the farmers they had tried to kick-off the land in the first place. Also good photoset of it at The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/see-chinas-wonderland-an-abandoned-fake-disneyland-photos/2011/12/13/gIQA5vDAsO_blog.html

Simple is best.

I do like a simple chart. This from  on Smart Insights pretty much does in one page what others take a whole deck to explain.

The caption for this chart is; "..It’s almost a year ago since we created our blueprint for content marketing infographic – and with so much conversation now around the converging of digital and ‘off-line’ media, the proliferation of mobile and the increasing popularity of marketers talking about paid, owned and earned media we wanted to update our blueprint for 2013.."

Why did you call your agency 'Wibble Fish' ?

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/design/2013/1/taxonomy_of_advertising_agency_names.jpg

A very handy, cut out and keep guide to agency names, By Rob & Joe, seen at The Inspiration Room. This chart should be first port of call for any start-up. Best advice, take a really, really long step back before you choose.

My best was 'Hicklin Slade & Partners' sounded solid even when there was only 3 of us in my front room, but even better when there was 90 of us in an office opposite Nike Town. My worst? 'Passion' not least because there are a ton of creative agencies called similar AND a stack of porn suppliers, still, kept our bank amused when we named the account; Give me passion, as our clients finance departments had to make all references to what sounded like an escort service!

Post Linkedin, the battle for your professional profile.

Choice can be a cruel option. A few years ago an online professional profile meant Linkedin. Now due to the success of the latter we have loads of options. But do you go for one of the flasher new boys or stick with the increasingly spamy Linkedin? tough call, because most peps recruiting/booking gigs go to Linkedin as first port of call.

I have been trying out a couple of the new ones recently. Vizify looks great and is a doddle to set up. Maybe a bit too style over content, but I do like the look of it. Upmo is more Linkedin-a-like currently a bit buggy and some features are in 'coming soon' mode. It does feature a 'score'  number, but a bit like Klout its debatable as to how valuable that may be.

Data nerd alert

Screen_shot_2012-10-07_at_11
This is just awesome. ALL the news broadcasts of 30 top news gathers since 2009 in one place. Fully searcable with instant results. Shows what is being said (and NOT said) about key subjects across the world.

"..The Internet Archive, a giant aggregator and digitizer of data, now includes all the television news produced in the last three years by 20 different channels. The collection includes more than 1000 news series that have generated more than 350,000 separate programs..."

Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, told TheNew York Times that his company, based in Richmond, CA, “wants to collect all the books, music and video that has ever been produced by humans.”

27 Friday 2012


Img_4530

Few of us in the normal run of things get to perform. Fewer of us still to a big audience, but today in front of the biggest TV  audience in the world we will perform. What's more we're doing it live baby, no replays, no cuts, and one chance, one hit. We’re going to nail it because we are brilliant. So brilliant because we’re caught on wave of energy only an amateur, a volunteer can produce. Freed from the concerns of a season professional. We, the volunteers for London. Friday is our day. We are the show. We’ve raised the bar, a bunch of the most random people the country had to offer, but we will nail it. We will make the world stand up. We will make the world think. Real people, doing real stuff for a country they live in. No Government, No Sponsor. Just passion for the show.

I love what we’re doing. I love my new friends. Today is our day. The people’s day. The athletes will wait. Because today we will be us. Thank you Danny for this chance, We will not disappoint you.

What does the internet smell of?

Screen_shot_2012-05-30_at_13 Screen_shot_2012-05-30_at_13
See the full gallery on Posterous
This is such a funny idea. Olly is smart connected thing that will deliver a customised scent whenever you get a social media mention. Simple, easy to understand but weighed down a bit with a large 'why?' 

Best bit however with the whole idea is the fact its an open source start up with everything posted online for you to build your own. The process of making and connecting becomes part of the values to the whole enterprise. Very much an internet of things project.

Benjamin Redford from Mint Design the people responsible will be speaking about this tonight (May 30) at the Hospital Club in London. WC2H 9HQ