feels like there's an insight in the chronic about the division between researchers, planners and the kind of planners we want to be:
""There's three types of people in the world
Those who don't know what happened
Those who wonder what happened
And people like us from the streets that MAKE things happen""
Stranded on Death Rown (outro)
","feels like there's an insight in the chronic about the division between researchers, planners and the kind of planners we want to be: ""There's three types of people in the world Those who don't know what happened Those who wonder what happened And people like us from the streets that MAKE things happen"" Stranded on Death Rown (outro)",[] 2,psywarrior,psywarrior.html,2003-08-26,2003,8,the job,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/08/psywarrior.html,"PSYOP PSYOPS PSYWAR Psychological Operations Psychological Warfare
",PSYOP PSYOPS PSYWAR Psychological Operations Psychological Warfare,"[""http://www.pipeline.com/~psywarrior/""]" 3,tap jam,tap_jam.html,2003-08-25,2003,8,interesting,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/08/tap_jam.html,"Choke-points in traffic infrastructure are the interesting environments of the future. We spend all this time not travelling, people are bound to look for ways to put it to better use. The Tap Jam is a great example. People who tap to entertain those stuck in NYC traffic jams. Here's some pictures from 2002. I heard about it from a program on NPR called The Next Big Thing.
","Choke-points in traffic infrastructure are the interesting environments of the future. We spend all this time not travelling, people are bound to look for ways to put it to better use. The Tap Jam is a great example. People who tap to entertain those stuck in NYC traffic jams. Here's some pictures from 2002. I heard about it from a program on NPR called The Next Big Thing .","[""http://www.nytap.org/outdoorshows.html"", ""http://www.nytap.org/jampixs2002.html"", ""http://www.nextbigthing.org""]" 4,god bless hollywood,god_bless_holly.html,2003-08-25,2003,8,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/08/god_bless_holly.html,"I saw an ad for a new movie yesterday - Final Destination 2
",I saw an ad for a new movie yesterday - Final Destination 2,[] 5,future jargon,future_jargon.html,2003-08-25,2003,8,jargon,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/08/future_jargon.html,"steely knives and oily guns
U.S. Troops Said to Capture Hussein Bodyguard
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) -- American soldiers overpowered and arrested a bodyguard who rarely left Saddam Hussein's side Tuesday and said they obtained documents and information that could help them close in on the former dictator.
As ``one of Saddam's lifelong bodyguards,'' Adnan Abdullah Abid al-Musslit was believed to have detailed knowledge of the former president's hiding places, said Lt. Col. Steve Russell, who led the raid. He said documents taken from the home and information obtained from the men would be useful in the hunt for Saddam.
``Every guy we get tightens the noose,'' said Russell, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 22nd Infantry Regiment. ``Every photo and every document connects the dots.''
The stocky bodyguard struggled to break free as soldiers arrested him, and they had to wrestle him to the ground and drag him down the stairs, Russell said.
``Were we surprised? He's a bodyguard. That's why we went in with our steely knives and oily guns,'' Russell said. ``If everything else had failed and we just got that one guy, we would be happy.''
1. Three ads is a campaign
2. No left and right
3. No pull back to reveal
1. You're in a lift. The doors start closing incredibly slowly. While an alarm sounds.
",1. You're in a lift. The doors start closing incredibly slowly. While an alarm sounds.,[] 8,creative directorisms,creative_direct.html,2003-08-25,2003,8,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/08/creative_direct.html,"1. it's nice to have an ace in the cupboard (kim)
2. we're falling between two swords (tony)
3. it's staring us under our nose (tony)
4. i've changed tact (tony)
Good jargon - stationality - the audible character / identity of a radio station - everything about a radio station except the music
",Good jargon - stationality - the audible character / identity of a radio station - everything about a radio station except the music,[] 11,lobbies,lobbies.html,2003-08-22,2003,8,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/08/lobbies.html,"I've been sitting in the lobbies of lots of agencies recently. (For one reason or another) And it does seem there's an inverse relationship between the creativity of the agency and the presence of their own ads in reception. ie the more ads you see in reception, the worse they are. I think this is a good lesson. I think a creative environment that's full of its own work is going to suffer from some sort of closed feedback loop. Put your other people's ads on the wall, not your own
we were chatting by email the other day. Talking about the appeal of programmes like The West Wing and CSI and Law and Order. And sure, it's to do with ensemble casts and great writing and tight plots. But it also occurs to me that it's to do with the pornography of work. These people have rewarding jobs, the stuff they do matters, they go home having acheived something worthwhile and significant. Of course we're fascinated by it
","we were chatting by email the other day. Talking about the appeal of programmes like The West Wing and CSI and Law and Order. And sure, it's to do with ensemble casts and great writing and tight plots. But it also occurs to me that it's to do with the pornography of work. These people have rewarding jobs, the stuff they do matters, they go home having acheived something worthwhile and significant. Of course we're fascinated by it",[] 13,quotes,quotes.html,2003-08-22,2003,8,quotes,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/08/quotes.html,"'america is a vast conspiracy to make you happy' john updike
'ain't no son of a bitch nowhere knows what's going to hit' ray charles
london is a village on the thames whose main industries are music hall and the confidence trick - dan leno
optimism is an essential ingredient for innovation - robert noyce - intel founder
you can't see around corners but you can hear around them - marshall mcluhan
all people dream, but not all equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses oi their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers oi the day are dangerous, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. - t.e. Lawrence
The primary purpose of business is to create and keep customers..
Peter Drucker
Ambient fear - term coined by brian massumi in the fear of eueryday life
Intelligence is the ability to hold two contradictary ideas in your head at the same time.
f scott fitzgerald
'little arts of popularity' james madison
","'america is a vast conspiracy to make you happy' john updike 'ain't no son of a bitch nowhere knows what's going to hit' ray charles london is a village on the thames whose main industries are music hall and the confidence trick - dan leno optimism is an essential ingredient for innovation - robert noyce - intel founder you can't see around corners but you can hear around them - marshall mcluhan all people dream, but not all equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses oi their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers oi the day are dangerous, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. - t.e. Lawrence The primary purpose of business is to create and keep customers.. Peter Drucker Ambient fear - term coined by brian massumi in the fear of eueryday life Intelligence is the ability to hold two contradictary ideas in your head at the same time. f scott fitzgerald 'little arts of popularity' james madison",[] 14,brevity,brevity.html,2003-09-29,2003,9,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/brevity.html,"I'm very skeptical of the value of brevity in doing ads and strategies. But when you find a fantastic bit of compression it's worth noting. Picnic, lightning is one of those. Billy Collins has turned it into a poem, and I think it's the title of a book, but it's originally from Lolita: 'my very photogenic mother died in a freak accident (picnic, lightning) when i was three....
","I'm very skeptical of the value of brevity in doing ads and strategies. But when you find a fantastic bit of compression it's worth noting. Picnic, lightning is one of those. Billy Collins has turned it into a poem, and I think it's the title of a book, but it's originally from Lolita: 'my very photogenic mother died in a freak accident (picnic, lightning) when i was three....",[] 15,manifesto,manifesto.html,2003-09-25,2003,9,ideas,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/manifesto.html,"let's make planning the voice of provocation, rather than the voice of reason.
let's be idea-centric rather than consumer-centric.
let's be make planning something interesting to do, rather than a profession
Crimson Tide ""we're here to preserve democracy, not practise it""
","Crimson Tide ""we're here to preserve democracy, not practise it"" Glengarry Glen Ross","[""https://us.imdb.com/title/tt0112740"", ""http://www.uggr.com""]" 17,a situation,a_situation.html,2003-09-15,2003,9,interesting,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/a_situation.html,"billy wilder on movies; ""An actor walks through a door, you've got nothing. An actor enters through a window, you've got a situation.""
","billy wilder on movies; ""An actor walks through a door, you've got nothing. An actor enters through a window, you've got a situation.""",[] 18,i'm not sure,im_not_sure.html,2003-09-15,2003,9,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/im_not_sure.html,"you know this thing where magazines (especially fashion/style mags) do a bunch of different covers each month. i'm not sure it's a good idea. I can see why they're doing it - more potential ways in, maybe get people to think it's a new issue and buy it twice (well, that's what happens to me). But I think it diminishes the authority of the magazine's brand. No, that's not it. That's too pretentious. And I believe in multi-dimensional brands, so I should like this. But somehow it feels wrong. I need to think about this more. Note to self; think about this more.
","you know this thing where magazines (especially fashion/style mags) do a bunch of different covers each month. i'm not sure it's a good idea. I can see why they're doing it - more potential ways in, maybe get people to think it's a new issue and buy it twice (well, that's what happens to me). But I think it diminishes the authority of the magazine's brand. No, that's not it. That's too pretentious. And I believe in multi-dimensional brands, so I should like this. But somehow it feels wrong. I need to think about this more. Note to self; think about this more.",[] 19,good google,good_google.html,2003-09-12,2003,9,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/good_google.html,"I used to work on Altavista. We met them just as they were transforming from a bunch of dedicated and talented search engineers into a bunch of starry-eyed dotcom marketeers. Mostly because of Compaq and the infamous Rod. We did some nice ads, and arguably spent more money than we should have, but they went absolutely crazy with branding madness, doing one of the grossest launch events I've ever seen.
Anyway...while this was going on we used to go and visit them in Palo Alto (was it Palo Alto? I think so, I can't actually remember) and we'd drive by this office that had a banner saying google hanging out the window. Just a amateurish, fun, engineery kind of thing. And even at the time I thought, hello, that's what we should be doing, that's where altavista's going wrong. All this bombast is killing us. And if only I'd bothered to mention it to anyone I could be seen as a seer now.
Of course most of google's success is down to their superior technology. But it's help consderably by the warmth, humour and focus of their brand. The fact that they're willing to take the piss out of themselves and play with their brand takes the edge of their techiness without getting all slick and marketingy. This is a great example.
","I used to work on Altavista. We met them just as they were transforming from a bunch of dedicated and talented search engineers into a bunch of starry-eyed dotcom marketeers. Mostly because of Compaq and the infamous Rod. We did some nice ads, and arguably spent more money than we should have, but they went absolutely crazy with branding madness, doing one of the grossest launch events I've ever seen. Anyway...while this was going on we used to go and visit them in Palo Alto (was it Palo Alto? I think so, I can't actually remember) and we'd drive by this office that had a banner saying google hanging out the window. Just a amateurish, fun, engineery kind of thing. And even at the time I thought, hello, that's what we should be doing, that's where altavista's going wrong. All this bombast is killing us. And if only I'd bothered to mention it to anyone I could be seen as a seer now. Of course most of google's success is down to their superior technology. But it's help consderably by the warmth, humour and focus of their brand. The fact that they're willing to take the piss out of themselves and play with their brand takes the edge of their techiness without getting all slick and marketingy. This is a great example.","[""https://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html""]" 20,clever man,clever_man.html,2003-09-11,2003,9,reviews,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/clever_man.html,"I exchanged email with my old boss yesterday. He's a clever and lovely man. And I checked out his new website. I can heartily recommend a visit, and would suggest you work with him at some point if you can. He'll teach you a lot.
","I exchanged email with my old boss yesterday. He's a clever and lovely man. And I checked out his new website . I can heartily recommend a visit, and would suggest you work with him at some point if you can. He'll teach you a lot.","[""http://www.studioriley.com/""]" 21,you want insight...,you_want_insigh.html,2003-09-11,2003,9,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/you_want_insigh.html,"this is insight. a fantastic site of snatches of conversation overheard on the tube.
",this is insight. a fantastic site of snatches of conversation overheard on the tube.,"[""http://www.themanwhofellasleep.com/gossip.html""]" 22,east end underworld,just_started_re.html,2003-09-10,2003,9,reviews,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/just_started_re.html,"just started reading nobrow by john seabrook. seems very good so far. but it reminded me how slightly odd it seems when american's describe british music and musicians. he describes underworld as an 'essex-based' band which, I guess, is kinda true, but seems completely off any point. I suppose we do the same when we talk about american music, though maybe not, we're more familiar with their culture than they are with ours. still, looks like it's going to be an interesting read.
","just started reading nobrow by john seabrook. seems very good so far. but it reminded me how slightly odd it seems when american's describe british music and musicians. he describes underworld as an 'essex-based' band which, I guess, is kinda true, but seems completely off any point. I suppose we do the same when we talk about american music, though maybe not, we're more familiar with their culture than they are with ours. still, looks like it's going to be an interesting read.","[""https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375704515/104-8434517-9701558?v=glance""]" 23,inevitably dissappointing,inevitably_diss.html,2003-09-09,2003,9,reviews,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/inevitably_diss.html,"just finished reading Inevitable Surprises by Peter Schwartz. Disappointing because I really wanted to dislike it, and it wasn't that bad. Wasn't that good either. I guess it's a useful round-up of things to think about in the future. But like all GBN things there seems to be this huge gap between the scenarios they describe and the practical world we live in. Not that I'm questioning their scenarios; they're always very informed, thoughful and imaginative. But one can never quite see what you're supposed to do about it. Perhaps it's because I'm a person and not a large organisation. They'd probably say it's a failing in me. That I'm not being imaginative enough.
I have a weird relationship with GBN, I went to a number of events through my boss and my company. And I found them really interesting in the abstract, and the website was full of provocative debate. But the events were always very off-putting. Maybe because I'm chronically unsociable, I didn't get much out of the social side and the 'learning journeys' always put me off. The worst moment was a learning journey in San Francisco at the height of the dotcom boom. The little group I was in; venture capitalists, corporate executives, senior NGO people, were supposed to go and visit various non-profits including a women's shelter. I just found the idea depressing, all these tossy business people peering at people like they were anthropolgical exhibits. I just ducked out. Didn't go back. Stupid really, but I hated their whole vibe.
Maybe it's changed now, I should revist the website and see.
","just finished reading Inevitable Surprises by Peter Schwartz. Disappointing because I really wanted to dislike it, and it wasn't that bad. Wasn't that good either. I guess it's a useful round-up of things to think about in the future. But like all GBN things there seems to be this huge gap between the scenarios they describe and the practical world we live in. Not that I'm questioning their scenarios; they're always very informed, thoughful and imaginative. But one can never quite see what you're supposed to do about it. Perhaps it's because I'm a person and not a large organisation. They'd probably say it's a failing in me. That I'm not being imaginative enough. I have a weird relationship with GBN, I went to a number of events through my boss and my company. And I found them really interesting in the abstract, and the website was full of provocative debate. But the events were always very off-putting. Maybe because I'm chronically unsociable, I didn't get much out of the social side and the 'learning journeys' always put me off. The worst moment was a learning journey in San Francisco at the height of the dotcom boom. The little group I was in; venture capitalists, corporate executives, senior NGO people, were supposed to go and visit various non-profits including a women's shelter. I just found the idea depressing, all these tossy business people peering at people like they were anthropolgical exhibits. I just ducked out. Didn't go back. Stupid really, but I hated their whole vibe. Maybe it's changed now, I should revist the website and see.","[""http://www.inevitablesurprises.com/"", ""http://www.gbn.org/""]" 24,massive or cool,massive_or_cool.html,2003-09-08,2003,9,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/massive_or_cool.html,"something occured to me today, while I was chatting with Dylan. It's simple but, I think, interesting.
UK marketing people (possibly European marketing people) assume that something can be either massive or cool. US marketing people assume that brands can be massive and cool. Or maybe that's just the difference between Nike and everyone else.
","something occured to me today, while I was chatting with Dylan. It's simple but, I think, interesting. UK marketing people (possibly European marketing people) assume that something can be either massive or cool. US marketing people assume that brands can be massive and cool. Or maybe that's just the difference between Nike and everyone else.",[] 25,what a waste,what_a_waste.html,2003-09-05,2003,9,reviews,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/09/what_a_waste.html,"just read a terrible book - Mao in the Boardroom: Marketing Genius from the Mind of the Master Guerrilla
by Gabriel Stricker. Disappointing really, because I was looking forward to it. And it's not a bad idea. Obviously it's in a fairly predictable vein but it could have been good - a playful, lateral take on marketing/guerilla marketing, but instead it's just dire. It obviously took about two days to write. The Mao quotes could have been gleaned from an average quotation dictionary in about an hour. The stories/examples are all the most usual, most predictable companies and campaigns. Swatch. And1. Target. Virgin. blah blah blah. I've heard every story before somewhere. And the attempts at cartoony Mao-based human are completely feeble and unfunny. And every now and then he just gets stuff plain wrong. Not a good book. Avoid.
Simpsons episode where Homer's in a Taxicab Confessions thing. He's a bit drunk. The driver asks him what he does for a living. He says, 'oh, you know, I'm a guy...at a place'. Damn right.
","Simpsons episode where Homer's in a Taxicab Confessions thing. He's a bit drunk. The driver asks him what he does for a living. He says, 'oh, you know, I'm a guy...at a place'. Damn right.",[] 27,earspan,earspan.html,2003-10-21,2003,10,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/earspan.html,"there's no way you could call me a dog person. yet, this makes me laugh.
I was listening to late junction on radio three last night. lots of ambient twiddling, mixed with ethnic field recordings. you know the kind of thing. pleasant but backgroundy.
it reminded me of what we used to call the echoes dilemma. why? a longish story.
i used to live in portland, oregon and echoes used to be on NPR late most weeknights, just as we were going to sleep. it was a 2 hour programme of new agey ambient twiddling. and every night I'd be kept awake worrying whether each piece of music was any good or not. was the ambient twiddling interesting and evocative in an eno stylee, or was it undemanding new agey bollocks. there's a very thin line between the two.
and i think the echoes dilemma is a very pressing 21st century issue. so much of what used to be bad has got a lot better. and so much of what used to be good has been flirting with kitsch and rubbish, that it's hard to know where the good/bad line is any more. especially with all the so good it's bad stuff going on.
of course, just thinking about this stuff makes me a tosser. but never mind.
","I was listening to late junction on radio three last night. lots of ambient twiddling, mixed with ethnic field recordings. you know the kind of thing. pleasant but backgroundy. it reminded me of what we used to call the echoes dilemma. why? a longish story. i used to live in portland, oregon and echoes used to be on NPR late most weeknights, just as we were going to sleep. it was a 2 hour programme of new agey ambient twiddling. and every night I'd be kept awake worrying whether each piece of music was any good or not. was the ambient twiddling interesting and evocative in an eno stylee, or was it undemanding new agey bollocks. there's a very thin line between the two. and i think the echoes dilemma is a very pressing 21st century issue. so much of what used to be bad has got a lot better. and so much of what used to be good has been flirting with kitsch and rubbish, that it's hard to know where the good/bad line is any more. especially with all the so good it's bad stuff going on. of course, just thinking about this stuff makes me a tosser. but never mind.",[] 29,orange will do it,orange_will_do_.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,ads,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/orange_will_do_.html,"from BoardX in Battersea Park; the Daily Telegraph pinning a lot of hopes on the transformational power of flourescent paper. A great example of inappropriate sponsorship
here's how you use one brand to position another; but it wouldn't work if Starbucks didn't mean so much
the amount of stuff we're happy to be stupid about is incredible
Border's on Oxford Street recently re-organised their shelves; do they have a covert anti-business agenda?
skate culture will appropriate anything; even middle-class kitchen fetishism
the kids talk authenticity (from The Face)
from the Mal Maison Hotel in Manchster; a great example of a company or brand acknowledging it's imperfections and talking to you engagingly and directly about them
An Italian restaurant in Central London during the 2001 riots. Shows how quickly the receieved wisdom of globalisation has been absorbed and normalised
Something I noticed in Tokyo just before Christmas; I was in a department store and there was the usual musical background. In this case an electronic version of the tinkling bells of a musical box, playing all sorts of Christmas songs, the Japanese seem very big on Christmas. Then I noticed what one of the tunes actually was - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. I wondered what that was all about. Has someone just scanned a database looking for Christmas songs? Does no-one know of the films context? Or are they not worried about it. I can imagine it was a hit in Japan as Sakamoto was the composer. Maybe it's based on a traditional Japanese tune. It certainly sounded very appropriate, a perfect blend of Christmassyness and Orientalness. Hmmm.
","Something I noticed in Tokyo just before Christmas; I was in a department store and there was the usual musical background. In this case an electronic version of the tinkling bells of a musical box, playing all sorts of Christmas songs, the Japanese seem very big on Christmas. Then I noticed what one of the tunes actually was - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. I wondered what that was all about. Has someone just scanned a database looking for Christmas songs? Does no-one know of the films context? Or are they not worried about it. I can imagine it was a hit in Japan as Sakamoto was the composer. Maybe it's based on a traditional Japanese tune. It certainly sounded very appropriate, a perfect blend of Christmassyness and Orientalness. Hmmm.",[] 38,biting the hand,biting_the_hand.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,ads,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/biting_the_hand.html,"Shows the value of a brand which is prepared to stand for something; even prepared to bite the hand that feeds it. Nicely written too.
",Shows the value of a brand which is prepared to stand for something; even prepared to bite the hand that feeds it. Nicely written too.,[] 39,clever CIA,clever_cia.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,ideas,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/clever_cia.html,"""A CIA operative who is assigned to read Soviet newspapers during the Cold War notices that a perennially losing soccer team in a small town suddenly starts winning all its matches. Curious, he asks for detailed photos of the area. Close scrutiny reveals a secret nuclear-weapons plant: the steady infusion of workers, it turns out, has been boosting the team's talent pool. While it would be comforting to think that today's intelligence community is similarly on the ball, that's not the point being made by Bradley Hoyt in his article ""Early Warning: The Art of Inference"" in the January/February 2002 issue of Competitive Intelligence Magazine. Hoyt's message is for business leaders, and it is this: seismic change often creeps in on little cat's feet, and the best way to spot it is to constantly scan for anomalies. Strategists, he insists, must learn both how to look (spotting change is a largely visual process) and where to look (early indications of change come not from within our companies or our industries but from the world at large -- your local Hallmark store is a good place to start)""
","""A CIA operative who is assigned to read Soviet newspapers during the Cold War notices that a perennially losing soccer team in a small town suddenly starts winning all its matches. Curious, he asks for detailed photos of the area. Close scrutiny reveals a secret nuclear-weapons plant: the steady infusion of workers, it turns out, has been boosting the team's talent pool. While it would be comforting to think that today's intelligence community is similarly on the ball, that's not the point being made by Bradley Hoyt in his article ""Early Warning: The Art of Inference"" in the January/February 2002 issue of Competitive Intelligence Magazine. Hoyt's message is for business leaders, and it is this: seismic change often creeps in on little cat's feet, and the best way to spot it is to constantly scan for anomalies. Strategists, he insists, must learn both how to look (spotting change is a largely visual process) and where to look (early indications of change come not from within our companies or our industries but from the world at large -- your local Hallmark store is a good place to start)""",[] 40,clever,darth_moderator.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,the job,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/darth_moderator.html,"Right here's all you need to know about brainstorming. Death Star is clearly a great name. And it clearly wasn't brainstormed by Darth. He wouldn't have done that. The Death Star was a conviction brand, a lighthouse brand. The Empire was not a consensus organisation. It did not look for a lot of stake-holder input.
from independent saturday mag interview with chapman brothers:
'I'm reminded of hearing the video artist, bill viola, speak in durham cathedral. He said that the romantic idea of the artist, working away in his solitary studio, was an anomaly; that for most of history the artist had worked in a collective, subordinate to an idea, which, in the middle ages, was god.
Like an agency, subordinate to a brand? Working as a collective rather than as heroic creatives. It'd be true if it wasn't so pretentious
","from independent saturday mag interview with chapman brothers: 'I'm reminded of hearing the video artist, bill viola, speak in durham cathedral. He said that the romantic idea of the artist, working away in his solitary studio, was an anomaly; that for most of history the artist had worked in a collective, subordinate to an idea, which, in the middle ages, was god. Like an agency, subordinate to a brand? Working as a collective rather than as heroic creatives. It'd be true if it wasn't so pretentious",[] 42,sugar truck,sugar_truck.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,ideas,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/sugar_truck.html,"arthur did this, but it's a good idea for a sugar bowl
","arthur did this, but it's a good idea for a sugar bowl",[] 43,segmentation,segmentation.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,ideas,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/segmentation.html,"demographic segments from Interface by Stephen Bury (really Neal Stephenson and someone else)
irrelevant mouth breather
400-pound tab drinker
stone-faced urban homeboy
burger-flipping history major
squirrelly winnebago jockey
bible-slinging porch monkey
economic roadkill
pent-up corporate lickspittle
high-metabolism world dominator
midamerican knickknack queen
snuff-hawking basement dweller
postadolescent road warrior
depression-haunted can stacker
pretentious urban-lifestyle slave
formerly respectable bankruptcy survivor
frosty-haired coupon snipper
cynical media manipulator
reticent gun nut
ufos ate my brain
mall-hopping corporate concubine
high-fiber duck squeezer
post-confederate gravy eater
manic third-world entrepeneur
overextending young professional
apartment-dwelling mall staff
trade school metal head
orange county book burner
first-generation beltway black
80's junk-bond parvenue
debt-hounded wage slave
activist tube feeder
toilet-scrubbing ex-steelworker
neo-okie
shit-kicking wrestlemaniac
sunbelt condo commando
rust-belt lumpenpaol
reticent gun nut
this is from the whatif website - ""Ideas are often the fun part of innovation - it's making them happen that hurts! Creativity without action is an expensive indulgence. Action without insight is worse!"" apart from deploring all the exclamation marks I don't know if I agree with this - action without insight often leads to a more interesting insight.
'consider - act' is less inventive than 'act - reflect'
they also talk about the value of environment. which I agree with and I've been there, and it's a good environment. But it's a cliche. it's all beanbags and children's drawing. it's too comfortable.
Actually that's a thought. Perhaps the problem with whatif and all their stuff is that it's too easy. it's too comfortable. They're so concentrated on getting people to relax and be comfortable with putting ideas forward that they forget to stretch people. What the world needs is an 'extreme brainstorming' company. Because people who are used to having and evaluating ideas find brainstormings deeply frustrating - too much timewasted pursuing dumb thoughts. Because their genuine experience and pattern recognition abilities are there to help them weed stuff out. So you need a way of stretching creativity out of people who are used to being stretched.
What would that environment be like? It would confront you with stuff you'd never seen before. it would allow you to act then reflect; rather than consider then act. I guess it would allow for rapid prototyping. (It would concentrate on quality rather than quantity) (this is problem with brainstorming - it can easily becomes an intellectual game about creating a set number of ideas, so everyone can say look we made 200 ideas - rather than a creative exercise about actually solving problems.)
whatif? are like an outward bound course - taking regular folk out into the wilds. what creative companies need is the equivalent of ray meers - stretching their expertise. or do they? isn't this what makes them good? isn't this what they already do for themselves?
stuff from the mailroom by david rensin
'what's needed' says jeremy zimmer, a william morris mailboy in 1979, who for a time ran the training program at uta, where he is a partner and legend, 'is a person who says, 'hey, i can take care of it,' and then takes care of it.' = page xvii
'working at a talent agency is like working for the cia - you get to know what's going on at the networks, at the studios, you have access to all this talent, on-screen and off. At sony or disney or nbc they only know what they know about themselves. At an agency you know everything about everybody - even in the mailroom.' rob carlson, william morris
the coverage is too long. Do coverage of the coverage. - page 249
This is a great image. It says a lot. Apparently it started out as a Time Out cover. Done by one of the great ad luminaries. But then it became an early Howies t-shirt, co-produced with Paul Smith or something. They're both on the label anyway
when american advertising is big and brash like this, it just can't be beat.
and here's some new additions (feb 04). not quite so good as ads. but an interesting response to US BSE scares.
Indeed, his (Berlusconi's) close friend Confalonieri concludes our interview with a rather fetching analysis. ""He is the same as an American. He wants everybody to be happy now. For years in Italy, we've been plagued by two philosophies that put off happiness into the distant future. The church says it will come after you die. The Communists say it will come hundreds of years from now when everyone is equal. It isn't difficult to compete against such ideas.""
from Joe Klein's articles about Europe for The Guardian and Slate
","Indeed, his (Berlusconi's) close friend Confalonieri concludes our interview with a rather fetching analysis. ""He is the same as an American. He wants everybody to be happy now. For years in Italy, we've been plagued by two philosophies that put off happiness into the distant future. The church says it will come after you die. The Communists say it will come hundreds of years from now when everyone is equal. It isn't difficult to compete against such ideas."" from Joe Klein's articles about Europe for The Guardian and Slate",[] 49,timeless,timeless.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,interesting,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/timeless.html,"This was a letter written to the proprietors of the refreshment room at Swindon station in 1845.
Dear Sir,
I assure you that Mr Player was wrong in supposing that I thought you purchased inferior coffee. I thought I said to him I was surprised you buy such bad roasted corn. I did not believe you had such a thing as coffee in the place; I am certain I never tasted any. I have long since ceased to make complaints at Swindon. I avoid taking anything there when I can help it.
yours faithfully
I.K. Brunel
quoted in Parallel Lines by Ian Marchant
I show this to lots of people and tell them it's the future, and they assume I'm joking. But somehow, of course, it is. We want the technology bit small and the interaction bit human-sized and familiar. That's just what we want.
this is how brainstormings normally feel to me.
",this is how brainstormings normally feel to me.,[] 52,great bag of type,great_bag_of_ty.html,2003-10-14,2003,10,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/great_bag_of_ty.html,"exactly the kind of authenticity brands would love to buy. look at the type on that bag. lovely
this is a great idea. a walking tour of new york you get via your cellphone. this is symptomatic of the way ubiquitous technology will change/influence things.
",this is a great idea. a walking tour of new york you get via your cellphone. this is symptomatic of the way ubiquitous technology will change/influence things.,"[""http://www.talkingstreet.com""]" 54,the worst quentin,the_worst_quent.html,2003-10-07,2003,10,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/the_worst_quent.html,"
i just discovered the origins of the word 'cliche'. It was originally a combination of words so common that printers didn't bother breaking up the words in type-form. When you know that it somehow becomes a more interesting idea. Makes you think about the visual/advertising equivalent.
",i just discovered the origins of the word 'cliche'. It was originally a combination of words so common that printers didn't bother breaking up the words in type-form. When you know that it somehow becomes a more interesting idea. Makes you think about the visual/advertising equivalent.,[] 56,in mexico there are no rules,in_mexico_there.html,2003-10-02,2003,10,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/in_mexico_there.html,"
""reward excellent failures, punish mediocre success"" phil daniels. not that phil daniels. the phil daniels who's CEO of something.
""let's make a dent in the universe"" - steve jobs
",""" reward excellent failures, punish mediocre success "" phil daniels. not that phil daniels. the phil daniels who's CEO of something. "" let's make a dent in the universe "" - steve jobs",[] 59,ad cliches to be avoided,ad_cliches_to_b.html,2003-11-26,2003,11,ads,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/11/ad_cliches_to_b.html,"no 15. the training academy. as in the British Gas ads. normally a spoof training academy demonstrating the extraordinary lengths a brand will go to.
",no 15. the training academy. as in the British Gas ads. normally a spoof training academy demonstrating the extraordinary lengths a brand will go to.,[] 60,banal use of beauty,banal_use_of_be.html,2003-11-26,2003,11,quotes,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/11/banal_use_of_be.html,"read a quote yesterday which seems like it might apply to brands somehow. I think it's Byron but I can't find any reference to it anywhere; 'we are a portion of everything we've ever loved'
",read a quote yesterday which seems like it might apply to brands somehow. I think it's Byron but I can't find any reference to it anywhere; 'we are a portion of everything we've ever loved',[] 61,target redefinition,target_redefini.html,2003-11-13,2003,11,interesting,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/11/target_redefini.html,"good phrase I heard on the radio yesterday - 'nothing moves faster than a set of goal-posts'
",good phrase I heard on the radio yesterday - 'nothing moves faster than a set of goal-posts',[] 62,form,form.html,2003-11-10,2003,11,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/11/form.html,"apparantly, a distich is a stricting rhyming couplet containing a complete thought. which would make it a useful planning tool.
","apparantly, a distich is a stricting rhyming couplet containing a complete thought. which would make it a useful planning tool.","[""http://www.onelook.com/?w=distich&ls=a""]" 63,quote,quote.html,2003-11-10,2003,11,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/11/quote.html,"from Father and Son, by Edmund Gosse; ""a gloom, cold and dismal, descended upon our morning teacups""
","from Father and Son, by Edmund Gosse; ""a gloom, cold and dismal, descended upon our morning teacups""",[] 64,alternative names for planning,alternative_nam.html,2003-11-10,2003,11,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/11/alternative_nam.html,"1. experimental philosophical club
2. total information awareness
3. office of special plans
this is a great idea.
Urban camouflage
Public safety gear catalog
My Jeep is camouflaged to look like a commercial fleet vehicle. I made up a fake company name, appropriated a 1950s-era logo that once belonged to a nuclear energy mutual fund, painted safety stripes on the back, and plastered a fake vehicle number all over the place. I also added flashing yellow lights in the rear window, and a police-style spotlight and rubberized push bumper to the front. VERY FUN accessories ... and useful too (when used with discretion). The spotlight is incredibly versatile -- you can point/rotate it while sitting in the driver's seat -- and it's come in handy countless times for roadside emergencies, setting up campsites, or finding house numbers on dark streets.
This urban camouflage guise is very useful for parking in yellow zones, urban/industrial exploration, and crime deterrence. And the thing is... it really works!
The spotlight, bumper, and rear flashers came from my *all-time favorite* mail order catalog: Galls, ""The Authority in Public Safety Equipment and Apparel.""
It's a gold mine, full of handy things that you didn't think you were allowed to buy.
-- Todd Lapin
1. vote for X - 'it'll be like a mock election, we'll have candidates and everything, and we can actually create a character who can stand at a by-election. It'll really seize the popular imagination' No, it won't.
2. parody of existing advertising style - who hasn't yet done a parody of 'the best a man can get' style stuff? Irn-Bru did it. Fray Bentos have done it, Miller have done it. I think. And everyone's done 70s cheesey stuff. Just don't do it.
","1. vote for X - 'it'll be like a mock election, we'll have candidates and everything, and we can actually create a character who can stand at a by-election. It'll really seize the popular imagination' No, it won't. 2. parody of existing advertising style - who hasn't yet done a parody of 'the best a man can get' style stuff? Irn-Bru did it. Fray Bentos have done it, Miller have done it. I think. And everyone's done 70s cheesey stuff. Just don't do it.",[] 69,bad things to do in presentations,bad_things_to_d.html,2003-12-02,2003,12,the job,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/12/bad_things_to_d.html,"1. characterising your target audience as 'darren and tracey'
2. saying 'this is going to enter the language and/or popular culture' It won't. It might have done 20 years ago, but unless it's the best ad ever, it won't.
","1. characterising your target audience as 'darren and tracey' 2. saying 'this is going to enter the language and/or popular culture' It won't. It might have done 20 years ago, but unless it's the best ad ever, it won't.",[] 70,"ah, brand as elixir of life",ah_brand_as_eli.html,2003-12-02,2003,12,stupid,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/12/ah_brand_as_eli.html,"""word of mouth will be the new advertising""
""word of mouth is set to become tomorrow's TV""
""the ultimate stage is brand as elixir of life, the spark from which a new life grows, and the unique DNA that shapes the development of every aspect of an organization is formed. This is what I mean when I use the word 'brand'.
all from Brand Storm by Will Murray (the website is well-worth a visit for students of bollocks: 'if you cut your company in half, does it read customer?' )
","""word of mouth will be the new advertising"" ""word of mouth is set to become tomorrow's TV"" ""the ultimate stage is brand as elixir of life, the spark from which a new life grows, and the unique DNA that shapes the development of every aspect of an organization is formed. This is what I mean when I use the word 'brand'. all from Brand Storm by Will Murray (the website is well-worth a visit for students of bollocks: 'if you cut your company in half, does it read customer?' )","[""https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0273650955/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/026-7679898-0886865"", ""http://www.team-murray.com""]" 71,"ah, upbeat and energetic",ah_upbeat_and_e.html,2003-12-02,2003,12,stupid,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/12/ah_upbeat_and_e.html,"Procter & Gamble Rolls Out Pringles Pop Quiz Summer Concert Promotion
Procter & Gamble and SFX have launched a music-themed game show called the Pringles Pop Quiz at 31 of SFX's amphitheatres across the country during the 2001 summer concert season.
""We think our patrons will really enjoy Pringles Pop Quiz,"" said Paula Balzer, Chief Marketing Officer of SFX. ""It will provide a unique pre-show experience that's not only fun for everyone attending the concerts, but will enable Procter & Gamble to effectively interact with multiple demographics directly in an upbeat and energetic setting.""
","Procter & Gamble Rolls Out Pringles Pop Quiz Summer Concert Promotion Procter & Gamble and SFX have launched a music-themed game show called the Pringles Pop Quiz at 31 of SFX's amphitheatres across the country during the 2001 summer concert season. ""We think our patrons will really enjoy Pringles Pop Quiz,"" said Paula Balzer, Chief Marketing Officer of SFX. ""It will provide a unique pre-show experience that's not only fun for everyone attending the concerts, but will enable Procter & Gamble to effectively interact with multiple demographics directly in an upbeat and energetic setting."" P&G/SFX press release","[""http://www.creativemag.com/onlweekly070901.html""]" 72,"ah, ideation",ah_ideation.html,2003-12-02,2003,12,stupid,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/12/ah_ideation.html,"Our mission is to uncover the key insights that build and drive groundbreaking brand solutions. By employing a brand-centric (rather than advertising-specific) focus, we create ideas that can be communicated across all points of contact. We have extensive experience in researching visual identities, names, Web sites, POP materials, and advertising. And we've created a number of proprietary tools and ideation techniques to better understand a brand's current equities as well as possible new positionings. We strive to gain the greatest insight in the least amount of timeall in an effort to build your brand quickly.""
from the Martin Williams website
here's a thing I found at things. a collection of the appalling 'news-art' that CNN churn out everyday. fascinatingly bad.
just walked past richard james on saville row. very nice christmas lights.
i walked through soho square the other morning and found myself completely affected by this bench. it always slips my mind that there'll be no more kirsty maccoll albums. gorgeous voice. lovely songs.
seeing this reminded me of a great thing, which i've not seen, because richmond park is too damn far. an ian dury memorial bench - where you can plug in your headphones and listen to music and interviews. and it's solar powered. this is the designer.
it also made me think about those bbc4 benches on the south bank. 'everybody needs a place to think'. i'm surprised people aren't doing more benches as (dread words) 'ambient media'. at least you're giving something back when you do that, rather than just creating more clutter and crap.
I found this image at snarkhunting. is there an industry on earth more confusing and pointless than the US automotive industry? the SUV gets popular because of a tax loophole. they make thousands of different models, have all kinds of pointless brands, and then do things like this. sell incredibly similar vehicles in slightly different ways.
","I found this image at snarkhunting . is there an industry on earth more confusing and pointless than the US automotive industry? the SUV gets popular because of a tax loophole. they make thousands of different models, have all kinds of pointless brands, and then do things like this. sell incredibly similar vehicles in slightly different ways.",[] 77,snakes,snakes.html,2004-01-30,2004,1,images,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/01/snakes.html,"i like this, this is the snake-oil that advertising often gets compared to. and look, it's made in portland, oregon. home of my beloved wieden + kennedy.
this is just a great example of the power of consistent design. it's not a hugely original advertising idea, lots of people have done something similar. but it's a great testament to the product designers.
from American Invisible.
Sagan was known to have a bit of an ego. In 1994, Apple Computer began developing the Power Macintosh 7100. They chose the internal code name ""Sagan"", in honor of the astronomer. Though the project name was strictly internal and never used in public marketing, when Sagan learned of this internal usage, he sued Apple Computer to use a different project name. Though Sagan lost the suit, Apple engineers complied with his demands anyway, renaming the project ""Butthead Astronomer"". Sagan sued Apple for libel over the new name, claiming that it subjected him to contempt and ridicule. Sagan lost this lawsuit as well.
rd
from an interview with Anthony Lane:
""The truth is, that if you're working on a piece at three in the morning, you're not Keats; you're just late. The glitch in this argument is that I'm not a creative writer. I don't write poetry or novels or drama but criticism, which is the eunuch of the family. I watch other people doing it and talk about what they're doing in a squeaky, high voice.""
","from an interview with Anthony Lane: "" The truth is, that if you're working on a piece at three in the morning, you're not Keats; you're just late . The glitch in this argument is that I'm not a creative writer. I don't write poetry or novels or drama but criticism, which is the eunuch of the family. I watch other people doing it and talk about what they're doing in a squeaky, high voice.""","[""http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;$sessionid$X5XYFBIVMQ0B3QFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/arts/2003/12/14/bolane.xml&sSheet=/arts/2003/12/14/bomain.html""]" 81,you can't argue with the data,you_cant_argue_.html,2004-01-26,2004,1,advice,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/01/you_cant_argue_.html,"this is a graphic from The Economist. And we were thinking of buying a house too.
this is a great site; snapshots of hand-crafted and hand-painted signs - often of course, ads or ad-like things. it's good to remember that in a world where everything is easily produced, and desktop publishing makes everything neat, that there's an intimacy that only the hand-painted can achieve.
for a more professional take on the same thing you can visit the american sign museum.
","this is a great site ; snapshots of hand-crafted and hand-painted signs - often of course, ads or ad-like things. it's good to remember that in a world where everything is easily produced, and desktop publishing makes everything neat , that there's an intimacy that only the hand-painted can achieve. for a more professional take on the same thing you can visit the american sign museum .","[""http://www.norelevance.com/signs/index.html"", ""http://www.signmuseum.org/index.html""]" 83,push pull,push_pull.html,2004-01-26,2004,1,thinking,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/01/push_pull.html,"this is me ranting about design again. and the brain in some way. this is the inside of a yo sushi. looking out through the door. and what do you do when you see this sign? you pull. which, of course, is wrong. your back-brain or unconscious or whatever you're supposed to call it decodes what it says and tells you to pull. you need your conscious brain to go the step further - ie decode what it says, work out that it's on the other side of the door and that means you need to push. you shouldn't be engaging your conscious brain in decisions about getting through doors. hmm.
Office Of Strategic Services (America's first intelligence service - created during WWII)
",Office Of Strategic Services (America's first intelligence service - created during WWII),[] 85,great quote about creative endeavour and work/life balance,great_quote_abo.html,2004-01-12,2004,1,the job,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/01/great_quote_abo.html,"you must be regular and natural in your habits like a bourgeois; so that you may be violent and original in your work.
flaubert
",you must be regular and natural in your habits like a bourgeois; so that you may be violent and original in your work. flaubert,[] 86,good/bad,goodbad.html,2004-01-08,2004,1,huh?,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/01/goodbad.html,"this is my favourite example of a horrible thing with a beautiful name. the saffron hill ncp.
right here's a lesson in design. i just happened to see both of these plumbers vans the same week. and they're both trying to engage with you a little, have some fun. but only one of them actually makes you want to phone them - only one of them delivers the values you want in a plumber. and isn't it interesting that what you want to see in a plumber is really old-fashioned stuff, not leading edge technology or anything. just a man from the fifties and his van. infact pimlico plumbers give out all the signals you want, even on their website.
this is the perfect response to all those ambient-media sticker-wielding tossers who deface our shops and street furniture. well done to the hiphop folks at mr bongo.
generally, I'm a big fan of architects. i like design and buildings and all that. but there's something they do (or designers or someone) which drives me mad. this lloyd's shop is a good example. but you see it on 'prestige buildings' all the time. they design a gorgeous, thought-through door / entrance / portal / reception area. and make no provision for the inevitable stuff that people are going to want to stick on the door. so you see a fantastically glamorous building with a badly printed bit of paper saying 'deliveries round the back' or 'please use other door' or whatever. they just don't think about the real usage of the things.
there's someone who could have done with some consultancy. 'committee' just doesn't seem the right word to go with 'visit brazil'
are the ads working?
we cannot possibly know
so let's just say 'yes'
It's been around a while but I was recently reminded how much I like the bootleg objects idea. And it shows the value of a brand and a design ethos, that it can sustain this kind of tweaking. If only braun did it themselves.
","It's been around a while but I was recently reminded how much I like the bootleg objects idea. And it shows the value of a brand and a design ethos, that it can sustain this kind of tweaking. If only braun did it themselves.","[""http://www.bootleg-objects.com/objects.htm""]" 93,grey day,grey_day.html,2004-02-24,2004,2,sites,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/02/grey_day.html,"Today (Tuesday 24th ) is grey tuesday. The website explains it like this:
It's time for music fans to stand up and demand change from the music industry's copyright cartel.
Tuesday, February 24 will be a day of coordinated civil disobedience: websites will post Danger Mouse's Grey Album on their site for 24 hours in protest of EMI's attempts to censor this work.
DJ Danger Mouse created a remix of Jay-Z's the Black Album and the Beatles White Album, and called it the Grey Album. Jay-Z's record label, Roc-A-Fella, released an a capella version of his Black Album specifically to encourage remixes like this one. But despite praise from music fans and major media outlets like Rolling Stone (""an ingenious hip-hop record that sounds oddly ahead of its time"") and the Boston Globe (which called it the ""most creatively captivating"" album of the year), EMI has sent cease and desist letters demanding that stores destroy their copies of the album and websites remove them from their site. EMI claims copyright control of the Beatles 1968 White Album.
Danger Mouse’s album is one of the most ""respectful"" and undeniably positive examples of sampling; it honors both the Beatles and Jay-Z. Yet the lawyers and bureaucrats at EMI have shown zero flexibility and not a glimmer of interest in the artistic significance of this work
Whatever the legal rights and wrongs a) it's a really interesting thing to listen to b) copyright legislation is going to have to change if the music industry is going to survive
","Today (Tuesday 24th ) is grey tuesday. The website explains it like this: It's time for music fans to stand up and demand change from the music industry's copyright cartel. Tuesday, February 24 will be a day of coordinated civil disobedience: websites will post Danger Mouse's Grey Album on their site for 24 hours in protest of EMI's attempts to censor this work. DJ Danger Mouse created a remix of Jay-Z's the Black Album and the Beatles White Album, and called it the Grey Album. Jay-Z's record label, Roc-A-Fella, released an a capella version of his Black Album specifically to encourage remixes like this one. But despite praise from music fans and major media outlets like Rolling Stone (""an ingenious hip-hop record that sounds oddly ahead of its time"") and the Boston Globe (which called it the ""most creatively captivating"" album of the year), EMI has sent cease and desist letters demanding that stores destroy their copies of the album and websites remove them from their site. EMI claims copyright control of the Beatles 1968 White Album. Danger Mouse’s album is one of the most ""respectful"" and undeniably positive examples of sampling; it honors both the Beatles and Jay-Z. Yet the lawyers and bureaucrats at EMI have shown zero flexibility and not a glimmer of interest in the artistic significance of this work Whatever the legal rights and wrongs a) it's a really interesting thing to listen to b) copyright legislation is going to have to change if the music industry is going to survive","[""http://www.greytuesday.org/""]" 94,the front nine at broomfield,the_front_nine_.html,2004-02-20,2004,2,images,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/02/the_front_nine_.html,"Miniature Golfer (via things again) goes a long way to rivalling martin parr in being a simultaneous celebration of, and lament for, contemporary british life. Though that probably wasn't their plan.
(these fantastic shots are from the minature golfer galleries)
","Miniature Golfer (via things again) goes a long way to rivalling martin parr in being a simultaneous celebration of, and lament for, contemporary british life. Though that probably wasn't their plan. (these fantastic shots are from the minature golfer galleries )","[""http://www.miniaturegolfer.com/"", ""http://www.thingsmagazine.net"", ""http://www.martinparr.com/"", ""http://www.miniaturegolfer.com/pictures.html""]" 95,lost in marketing,lost_in_marketi.html,2004-02-20,2004,2,stupid,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/02/lost_in_marketi.html,"Another great spot from things. The Park Hyatt in Tokyo is promoting the fact that it served as 'inspiration and backdrop' for the film Lost In Translation. I can do no better than quote 'things' : It seems strange to advertise the fact that your hotel was the central, defining element in a film about ennui, alienation and dislocation, emotions that were just as much a result of the Park Hyatt's globalised impersonal lobby aesthetic, all tinkling lounge singers, muted conversation and shiny surfaces, as by the soporific effects of jetlag.
","Another great spot from things . The Park Hyatt in Tokyo is promoting the fact that it served as 'inspiration and backdrop' for the film Lost In Translation. I can do no better than quote ' things ' : It seems strange to advertise the fact that your hotel was the central, defining element in a film about ennui, alienation and dislocation, emotions that were just as much a result of the Park Hyatt's globalised impersonal lobby aesthetic, all tinkling lounge singers, muted conversation and shiny surfaces, as by the soporific effects of jetlag.","[""http://www.thingsmagazine.net"", ""http://tokyo.park.hyatt.com/"", ""http://www.thingsmagazine.net""]" 96,mag cover design decline shock,mag_cover_desig.html,2004-02-20,2004,2,interesting,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/02/mag_cover_desig.html,"There's a great little piece here (via things) about the decline in American magazine design. From the heights of Esquire etc in the 60s to the celebrity obssessed type nightmares of today. A good, quick read.
Not so sure if it's as true about British magazines. I'm not saying that Nuts and Now are great pieces of design, I'm just not sure we ever had an equivalent golden age.
","There's a great little piece here (via things ) about the decline in American magazine design. From the heights of Esquire etc in the 60s to the celebrity obssessed type nightmares of today. A good, quick read. Not so sure if it's as true about British magazines. I'm not saying that Nuts and Now are great pieces of design, I'm just not sure we ever had an equivalent golden age.","[""http://www.designobserver.com/archives/000103.html"", ""http://www.thingsmagazine.net""]" 97,positioning madness,positioning_mad.html,2004-02-18,2004,2,stupid,https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2004/02/positioning_mad.html,"I was loading the printer today, and I noticed what it said on the paper we have: 'multifunctional communications paper' Now I'm a big fan of the paper industry. Paper does not get the recognition it deserves. But this is positioning/marketing nonsense of the highest order.
You don't need a lot of room to make a brand statement. Good language, surprise, standing-for-something, imagination and a little square of blackboard and you've got a distinctive brand.
This is both sides of barber's board on the eve of Valentine's Day. On a dug-up Kingly Street in Soho.
it's clear, it's cheap, it's cleap
This coffee shop in Soho reminded me of the days when shops used to have half-day closing. All the shops in Derby used to close on Wednesday afternoon. It would be a different day in different towns. And it get me wondering whether some of the current disatisfaction with brands is to do with their completely easy accesibilty. There's no specialness any more. Think about the shop Labour and Wait, half the intrigue in that place is that I can never work out when it's actually open. Same with the Rivington in New York. And it's not just about exclusivity, it's also about integrity. It's about a shop that's not just there to serve you. I think there's a difference between service and abject subservience. We respect brands that aren't all about us.