Last week was really busy, with tight project schedules and a 24h coding marathon at Codebits. Nonetheless, there’s always time to share the latest fresh inspirations:

First, another great idea by FarFar, with Nokia presenting the next step in workload management. Just upload that boring document you have on your Documents folder and be surprised.

Speaking of mobile, and for not accusing me of a Nokia bias, there’s Samsung Omnia, a video exploration on what a mobile device has to offer, at 42goodthings.com. Also created by a Swedish agency, Projector.

Having a great time? Then grab a Heineken beer, and take a good look around the bar to know the signs.

It could be easier to understand, so i wouldn’t had to put up with the annoying voice off. The Oddcast custom video is nice though. Work by Unit9.

After the digital inspiration, a few more video bytes on creativity, starting with Lit Studio’s Interactive Mirror (not sure how it would work out on a Monday morning)

Interactive Mirror from Alpay Kasal on Vimeo

and ending with an essential talk on creativity and play by IDEO’s T shaped men, Tim Brown.

Head over to www.fly-a-balloon.be
Don’t resize your browser.
Watch what happens.

One of the best examples on how to use the browser and web technologies as a creative medium. Simple javascript effects and carefully synced video can do wonders for your interactive experiences.

With all the season premieres the past few weeks, it’s easy to forget about online video. With low production budgets, webisodes have to fight hard with outstanding content to keep their audiences. And one of the strategies involves interactive storytelling, by taking advantage of a new kind of web narrative.

That’s what “The Outbreak” is doing. An interactive movie, where choices have to be taken, determining the plot and movie’s final.

Directed by Chris Lund and edited by his wife Lynn Lund, the zombie adventure challenges the user to make the right choice or die.

Beware, there’s a lot of blood if you don’t succeed. I wonder if we’re starting a a trend with B-interactive websites ?

Patrick at Creative review shared his thoughts on how the last decade has affected our professional life, and most of it i deeply relate to, specially on how the Internet has changed the life of people that work in design, and to a broader extent, the whole society (at least in developed countries).

Photo by Eole, under a Creative Commons License

Ten years ago i was leaving university, thinking on how i would get along with Business Management, but having fun with Flash 4 on my spare time, while hanging around in IRC and building personal webpages on HotDog HTML editor. At that time, i didn’t even knew there was a job for a digital marketeer much less in advertising.

A few career changes later and past the dot com bubble, i find myself in a place i wouldn’t have dreamed of 10 years ago. The last 5 years have been a reward for always keeping my faith on the enormous potential of the web. New organizational models, the rise of social media, the fall of traditional media, the birth and rise of Google, it’s been a hell of a ride.

What about you, how was your last decade? How has it changed your career? Do you find yourself at the place you envisioned ?

Kanye West seems to be haunting me these days, as i finish listening the Lil Wayne album (produced by him) and now this: Be Kanye.

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Branded entertainment has found a new home on the web, with collaborations between brands and media industries. From sweepstakes to sponsored videocasts, the growth of online content is being fed by partnerships with brands.
One of the most active participants are movie studios, and altough many brands are only trying to cash in on the big names like “Star Wars” or “James Bond”, some campaigns actually feel relevant to the film plot.

Such is the case for Mercedes-Benz and their latest van, Viano. Together with Hamburg agency Syzygy AG, they’ve accomplished a beautifully executed website, The Best Place For Heroes.

Mercedes partnered with Disney, and based on the story of the blockbuster movie “Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian” created a interactive narrative where the beauty of their online video navigation stands out.

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From becoming a Narnia mythical creature (yes, that’s me above) to a hero message board (aren’t these the new guestbooks ?) the whole experience makes you wonder if you’re in a movie website, in a theater or just enjoying a road trip adventure on the new van. Be sure to turn you audio on and explore the online chronicle.

Source: Ars Thanea Blog

This won’t be the usual retrospective on the most famous advertising festival, only a remark on the fact that this humble site featured (and even premiered) many of them.

Halo 3 and Whopper Freakout won at Integrated .

On Cyber, Uniqlock had a important win, specially for showing that blogs are a a valid online media alternative.
Other works featured here were also winners at Cyber: Absolut Machines, A Blind Call, Who is Fermin and Orange Unlimited, Red Cross Horselstest, Coke Zero, Get Out and Play, First Few Words, Flugtag Flight Lab and Bring The Love Back.

I guess i have an eye for winners. Perhaps it’s time for the folks at Cannes to invite me as a juror?

New media festivals are usually promising, with lots of great performances and exhibitions, and yet, they do a lousy job of promoting themselves on the web. That’s what probably happened to UM, the International Festival for Experimental and Mixed Media, taking place in Lisbon, that has almost no reference in Google. Come on, is it that hard to announce the event on Upcoming.org or Rhizome ?

Of course i’m not happy about as the even occurs while i’m out. AdobeAS3Tour with Colin Moock is taking place next Monday, and no way i’ll miss a weekend break in Milan for a badly announced event. For those interested, here’s a small selection:

2008 Programme

Lisbon, 19 - 22 June 2008

Exhibition

• 
  Conscious Space, Sonia Cillari, NL

• 

  Tape Loop, André Gonçalves, PT

• 

  Crackle Canvas, Tom Verbruggen, NL

• 

  Patchery, Laetitia Morais, PT

• 

  Come and See the View, Kathy Hinde, UK

• 

  Delicate Boundaries, Chris Sugrue, US

Performances

• 

  Andy Moor, NL

• 

  A Cable Plays, Chris Surgue, US and Damian Stewart, NZ/PT

• 

  N.I.P. collective, UK/NL/PT

• 

  BOP, UK

• 

  Goodiepal, FO/UK

• 

  Rudolfo Quintas, PT

• 

  Turntable Reconstructions, DJ Sniff, US/NL

• 

  TokTek, NL

Workshops

• 

  Wearin’ it - DIY wearable workshop, André Gonçalves, PT

• 

  Wii Undressed, Frank Balde/STEIM, NL

• 

  Build your own electronic noise machine, Tom Bugs, UK

• 

  Mort Aux Vaches Ekstra Extra, Goodiepal, (FO/UK)

Enjoy.

P.S.:
Any reader suggestions for this weekend in Milan are welcome.

The Braille League (Belgium) helps blind and partially sighted people in professional, social and cultural areas, promoting also several actions to create awareness to the problems this group of individuals faces.
On a brilliant and innovative use of the omnipresent cellphone, agency Duval Guillaume challenged a ordinary daily event: You know when you happen to make a call by accident to the first recorded contact on your cellphone address book?

So how about turn that into a good action, by placing The Braille League number on the first slot ?
And so the award winning campaign “A Blind Call” was born:

• Add “A blind call” as a contact on your cellphone (contact = A blind call ; number = 070 22 22 30)
• If you accidentaly press your address book, that would be the first number
• You no longer would bother Adrian, Alan or Armando – thanks, anyway! – but rather contribute to solve blind people’s problems.
• The call ends after 30 seconds with a maximum toll of € 0,75 *.
• The campaign is live until 31/12/2008

Thousands of people made a blind call, and the much awarded campaign had a surprisingly large coverage in media. A great use of world’s largest platform for a good cause.

This entry was cross posted from Osocio.org