Russell Davies

good way to present a strategy

urban camoflage

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

anonymously taking aim

creative strategies to avoid

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.

bad things to do in presentations

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.

ah, brand as elixir of life

"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?' )

ah, upbeat and energetic

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

ah, ideation

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

the new folk art? i hope not

here's a thing I found at things. a collection of the appalling 'news-art' that CNN churn out everyday. fascinatingly bad.

lovely, lovely christmas

just walked past richard james on saville row. very nice christmas lights.