A Source Of Inspiration

Here’s a nice one from Portugal: Montepio Fun. Web agency View produced the interactive experience for the bank’s “future” clients, the kids.

Users learn some personal finance basics and the many online contests are a good starting point to build a relationship marketing and brand loyalty program to future generations. Great art direction and special care in bringing visitors back is something we aren’t used in a lot of sites, specially in financial instituition, so congratulations to João Fernandes and team.

Pixelbirds is the collective from old friend/co-worker Silvana Catazine and Alex Zitzmann, from Barcelona. I follow closely their installations and audiovisual experiences, so it’s nice to know they have been in Fabbrica 07.

Link to MySpace video: City Mix - Cube Pusher

Their latest work is an exploration of the cube as a pixel metaphor, with a video projection over live performers. A blend between VJeing and performance art, it’s a great showcase of their wide range of abilities. With several works in electronic media they also have some fine motion graphics and graphic design. When i met Silvana, she did mostly graphic design, so it’s rewarding to see her with such innovative projects. Bona sort, Silvana !

P.S: You definitely deserve to be at Ars Electronica !

Fallon UK won last week the One Show Award for Exceptional Innovation in Media & Marketing , with their Tate Modern campaign. The project invited music artists such as Chemical Brothers or The Klaxons to produce of a series of new music tracks inspired by works at the gallery.

It’s a bit old news, since the website is online since September, sharing the exclusive tracks, that were first available only to the visitors to listen at the gallery. Check video below for the full case study.

It’s interesting to see that collaborations between popular culture, advertising and brands are becoming more frequent. Whether it’s guerrilla or a new use of media (check also the Newsbreaker action), the future of advertising is increasingly searching for references in popular culture and inviting citizens to be/make the advertising experience.

Just in case you haven’t heard, Microsoft is taking a swing at the free and open source software movement. I hope they step on their own shit.

• Topic via: Software Livre
• Buzz heard at asterisco.paradigma.pt
• Image credits: Mandolux, hacked by me

New work from GlueLondon to UK’s Royal Navy, with some extreme video action.

It would be nice if users could share embeded videos with their own custom messages :). Surely it wouldn’t hurt the viral efforts.

Link to website: http://www.getthemessage.net/

I’m a sucker for soundtracks as they’re usually offer a great selection of music. And if you happen (as i am) to be a fan of Heroes, then you definitely have to check this blog: http://heroessongs.blogspot.com/

It’s a great community work, and provides direct links to free MP3s. My favorite tune of all episodes still is Eyes from Rogue Wave, that you can listen at the band’s MySpace page. While you’re waiting for the next episode, how about listening to this heroic playlist?

Just in case anyone is interested in the singles, below are my favorite Heroes to tracks and albums by Rogue wave, Sigur Ros and Imogen Heap.:

I’ve just attended a conference by Guillaume Van Der Stighelen at the 9th Festival of Portugal’s Creative Club.

He is one of the founders of Duval Guillaume, one of the most acclaimed European advertising agencies, and in his speech he focused on how to become a advertising S.TA.R. It goes a bit like this:

• Start with a big idea: but don’t just start running looking for ideas; instead let them find you, go out for a beer with friend or let some tune on the radio spark the creativity
• Terrorist action:after you get the idea, you have to really act like a terrorist so others don’t grind you down and kill the idea. Don’t be afraid to fight against the status quo.
• Admirable Agreeable: have a nice attitude with clients and do your best to understand their point of view.and be receptive to other points of view
• Respectable Respect the others : let other earn their share of success, and understand that we are all human beings craving for acceptation .

Other than this precious acronym gem, he also showcased his agency work and shared some great stories, specially the closing note with a scientific explanation of why society needs advertising, based on the works by Geoffrey Miller. (Buy at Amazon UK / US).

Here’s one of Duval Guillaume commercials:

One more ambient/guerrilla campaign, using street art and the medium as a message.

To remember the fact that a great number of car accident victims aren’t always inside the vehicle, the white stripes of a zebra crossing at Restauradores, Lisbon, were replaced by a painted list of dead pedestrians.

Link to Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CObdVHW9j48

Credits:
Client: ACAM
Agency: Draft FCB Lisbon (Portugal)
Creative Directors: Luís Silva Dias, Duarte Pinheiro de Melo
Art Director: Hélder Romão
Copywriter: Filipe Graça