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live surprise

Turning a classic London bus into a mobile studio

One of the more unusual projects I’ve had to manage was the transformation of a classic (but battered) Routemaster bus into a fully-functioning mobile studio for outside broadcasts.

In late 2005 as those much loved icons of London had been decommissioned en masse, I’d dreamily floated the idea of turning one into a roaming studio. And yet, I was in unchartered waters when my boss said, “well, sort one out then”.

So it was on a rain-splattered day in December 2005 that I found myself handing over £8,000 and collecting RML 2573 from some Godforsaken windswept depot in South London. Showbiz indeed.

Here you can see the transformation in a series of rather shoddy shots, culminating in an appearance of the breakfast show team at Gray’s School in June 2006

Bonus detail for bus fans – the renovation was by Southeast Coachworks

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likeability Misc monetisation surprise talkability

A mad idea

Nice transmedia support for Mad Men.

reissued by Grove Press after being out of print for 45 years

Via BoingBoing

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branding likeability low cost marketing surprise talkability

Talkable, likeable, edible

I know it’s clinical old CRM, but it still made me feel good that O2 sent me a surprise bar of chocolate

Categories
humour likeability mobile surprise

Not just bug fixes…

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disruption get famous invention likeability surprise talkability viral

A glimpse into the future of the web

This collaboration between Google and Arcade Fire to show off HTML5 is amazing.

Be sure to choose your childhood postcode.

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advertising humour low cost marketing surprise talkability viral

Your mother clicks ads in hell

Bang on the money guerrilla marketing.


link via the next web

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advertising authenticity branding invention likeability staying relevant surprise talkability

Amazing Johnny Walker advert

This extraordinary ad/short film from Diageo makes for compelling viewing. Aside from the green screen magic (presumably?) and great choice of actor in Robert Carlyle, it is notable for two other reasons:

  • Use of story
    Appreciation of stories is hard-wired into our beings, and this is a good yarn with arcs, conflict, ambition and resolution. We’re being fed a brand story, but in such an engaging way that we accept it.
  • Breaking media format
    They’ve made an ad that is six and a half minutes long. Up until recently, such a length would have been laughably prohibitive, and indeed the days of 60 or even 90 second spectaculars seemed to be on the wane. But of course nowadays, good content spreads on digital channels where media cost is free and not constrained by programming breaks or convention.

thanks to the excellent Word magazine for the spot

Categories
humour likeability mobile surprise talkability

conference call

Like most people, I get much unsolicited email inviting me to a wide range of dreary sounding events, so it was a pleasant surprise to receive something that actually made me laugh.

Planet of the Apps is a great name for a conference. Getting noticed always matters

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advertising crowdsourcing get famous humour likeability staying relevant surprise talkability viral

If Carlsberg did action replays

If Carlsberg are behind this, then full respect for speed and creativity.

If they didn’t, then credit is still due to them as a testamant to the power of their campaign idea

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likeability pr product staying relevant surprise talkability

Creating a nice buzz

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humour likeability surprise talkability

1UP for Google

Surely the most talkable Google Doodle for a while? A fully playable pacman, even with “Insert coin” button for two player mode!

I wrote last year about how staying likeable would help lessen worries about Google’s size and influence. After a year of fairly flat launches (Wave, Buzz), it’s good to see they’ve got their playfulness back (and some cool products too).

Meanwhile, facebook is the new 200lb gorilla that could do with a refresher in the importance of likeability. The current concerns about privacy seems to be getting real traction.

Categories
advertising low cost marketing surprise talkability

Damn fine media buying

Spoofing ‘missing’ posters might be a touch questionable, but this ad for Twin Peaks certainly made me look twice

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get famous humour likeability surprise talkability

A logo that stands up

Way to get noticed

Via Boing Boing

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advertising get famous surprise talkability

To be classified as dead good

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humour likeability product surprise talkability

Marmite shower gel

Fabulous.

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get famous humour surprise talkability

Print out this idea and claim it back

What a brilliantly risque way to promote a restaurant specialising in business lunches – a tongue-in-cheek microsite that creates credible fake receipts to the value of the extravagant meal you’re trying to get away with expensing.

Now you can eat at Maloney & Porcelli as often as you like and never worry about your expense report raising any eyebrows

Thanks to b3ta for the link