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

Computer games have had a bad rap for ages now, so the last area you’d expect to find them in is mental health care. That, however, is exactly what Whangarei’s Brightmind Labs is doing. This is not your father’s Grand Theft Auto. Read Laura Westphal’s story about Yvette Ahmad and Fraser Hurrell’s social venture that combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with gaming. Truly an attention-inducing idea.

PhD scholar Jason Smith from AUT University walks the tiles and looks at the slow business of show business. There’s not much of it here, unfortunately, Jason notes. Looking at Broadway—no, not Newmarket, we’re talking about New York—where takings are expected to hit US$1 billion annually, you’d think there’d be more plays and musicals in New Zealand as well. What’s going on here? Jason crunches the numbers and finds that though audience aren’t exactly rushing the stage, it’s not just Pakeha women who like to catch a show.
An udderly odd commercial for Oreos, by DraftFCB.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvflmBO9OWY

A trained and experienced newshound—thick-skinned, story-savvy and a phrase-turner par excellence—is wanted for StopPress, HB Media’s new online blog and newsletter for NZ Marketing magazine.
You’re a tweeter, blogger, and event attendee who knows media, marketing and advertising. This is a very cool job for the right person, so head over to the HB Media website for more details or email publisher Vincent Heeringa.
Ah yes, back to school again, this week …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drE5cHe6c3s

Logos, especially those comprising single letters, are fraught with dangers. Who remembers the aborted A-for-Auckland attempt for instance?
Melbourne has unveiled a new logo and, furore over the A$240,000 price tag notwithstanding, it’s not too shabby. Still though, should a city with a presumably democratically elected leadership have a “corporate identity”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNpa1NFsB4

Next Thursday, don’t miss out on getting your entrepreneurial fix the Open Day at the Icehouse.
Apart from meeting the Icehousers and getting expert tips for your business, there are seminars, workshops, one-on-one ideas clinics and the opportunity to swap war stories.
The mini pitch competition is on too, so have your plan for it yet? You’ll only have 60 seconds, so it pays to be ready.
Head over to the Icehouse website for the full programme for the completely free even that runs from one in the arvo to six pm on the 29th.
A reminder, too, about the up and coming Semi-Permanent 09 that hits Auckland on August 14 and 15. As always, there’s an excellent line-up of speakers, such as Kate Morross, David Carson, Alexia Sinclair, Duke Stump, James Jean, Cleve Cameron and more, from the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand.
Semi-Permanent is the prima design event of the year, so if that’s your industry and interest, it’s a must. The Auckland event is part of a worldwide touring Semi-Permanent circus and it’s great to see it here. If you’re curious about what the Sydney Semi-Permanent was like, here’s a montage.
http://vimeo.com/4719972
“Cellphone and Berocca supplied”
—Vincent Heeringa has his employee perks nailed
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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