Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.

Ben Fulton has a beautiful fuzzbox and he’s not afraid to use it. Better yet, together with entrepreneur Geoff Matthews, he’s making a real splash in the music world with Fuzzgod, Empress Chorus Vibrato, Deluxe Moon Phaser, Pentavocal Tremolo and others, through Red Witch Analogue Pedals.
John Mayer, Andy Summers and Sting are among the big-noters taking advantage of the fat sound that the Red Witch pedals create. Read Matt Cooney’s story about Fulton’s painstaking pedal production and his partnership with Matthews—and the pair’s big plans to build on their boutique brand on our website.
If you ever wondered just what a Big Mac is made from, now you know. Ad agency Bernstein Rein spills the beans.

Horses for courses? Yesterday Idealog publisher Vincent Heeringa visited AUT University to hear the head of the new Productivity Commission, Don Brash, talk about what he hopes to achieve in his new gig. Hey, productivity is a huge issue, and we all know what the problems are. What can Brash do where so many have failed? Vincent liked some bits of Brash's plan; others, not so much. And the biggest problem could be Brash himself. Vincent’s report is on our blog.

This magical picture is part of an Associated Press chart outlining a wonderful future where AP stories will suddenly command the premium they deserve. Soon, you Internet freeloaders won't able to enjoy the honest efforts of Big Media without paying for it. Yeah right.
Still, the AP might be buying snake oil, but change is coming to news on the web—and the National Business Review is among those who are moving content behind paywalls. Idealog editor Matt Cooney takes a look at the NBR’s plan, can't resist poking a few holes in it and suggests a different model for online news. He’s keen to hear ideas from readers too about how Idealog should invest in online.
There’s something fishy about this live Publicis poster.

Richard and Tricia Hollingum of the Department of Doing are putting together TEDxAuckland. That’s right, the ‘Technology, Entertainment, Design’ TED that the likes of Al Gore, Jane Goodall, and Bill Gates speak at overseas.
The Auckland variety has an x in it, which means it’s officially sanctioned by TED but individually organised, and it’ll be held at Westlake Boys High School in Takapuna on October 1, with applications to attend accepted from August 1.
TEDxAuckland is looking for volunteers, so check out the Facebook group or email them for details.

The Webstockers have decided to shift the ONYAs to February 19 next year—the last day of Webstock 2010, which will provide an opportunity to showcase ONYA coolness to an international interactive audience.
As you’d expect, the last day for submitting stuff has now been moved. Visit the ONYAs blog to get the full story.

August 1 sees the start of a landmark Rita Angus: Life and Vision exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery, which promises to be the largest retrospective of the work of one of this country’s best-loved artists.
Idealog readers are already be familiar with the exhibition already, as Hamish Coney wrote about this exhibition when it opened in Wellington last year. Having toured to other cities and now seen by over quarter of a million people, it’s Auckland’s turn to take part of the Angus exhibition.
Iconic works featured in the exhibition include Cass, voted New Zealand’s greatest painting in a 2006 TV poll, Angus’ sketch-books and studies that provide an insight into her practice, from the 20s to the 60s.
The exhibition runs until November 1, so if you’re in Auckland make sure you catch it. Head over to the Auckland Art Gallery website or Te Papa website for more details, including information on the apparently rather nice 230-page catalogue for the exhibition and the range of talks that accompany it.
“After seven years of doing it alone, one’s romantic notions are replaced with the simple fact that we need to make things fly.”
—Ben Fulton’s response when asked how he felt about sharing his already-humming company with an investor
Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, creative directory, Idealog TV, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.
Juha Saarinen
Ideologue, Weekly
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