Idealog
- Business Magazine of the Year MPA Awards 2007, 2008 & 2009 Business Website of the Year MPA Awards 2009
Worth their Alt
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.
Worth their Alt
How exactly do Dean Poole and Ben Corban at Alt Group do it? Last year, the designer duo and their team hauled in no fewer than 55 awards locally and internationally. Steven Shaw went to talk to the Alt people, and discovered that it’s about design that takes brand positioning and story right up to the front, and into the brief.
There’s an important smattering of Kiwi directness to Alt’s work too, and of course avoiding those Brand Onions that make you cry.
Catch the Alt knowledge on our website.
Carbonscape Footsie Finalists
Congrats to Kiwi charcoal specialists Carbonscape for making it onto the shortlist for global Finacial Times Climate Challenge Competition. Carbonscape is one of five companies to get through to the last round.
The FTCCC is seeking exciting innovations as well as practical ideas to reduce carbon emissions, so as to make the world more resilient to climate change. Winners get a US$75,000 prize sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, and a panel of judges including Sir Richard Branson will decide who makes off with the loot.
FT readers will be asked to vote for the CCC entrants—go and check it out and cast your vote if you can.
Virulations
It’s no secret that ad agencies’ efforts to get to grips with the Internet have been a bit hit and miss. Some viral marketing goes down really well, like that Cadbury Gorilla, but others, like the Ferrit stuff, makes you wonder if a virus is eating the creatives’ brains. (And can’t we call it something other than viral? That word is just so interactive and multimedia.)
Having said that, ad agencies churn out virals like there’s no tomorrow, and they do need a home. So good on Unruly Media for creating Viral Video Chart where agencies can see their ouvres and those of others. Totally brilliant idea and guaranteed to keep both agencies and clients happy.
Here’s one for Schweppes by Publicis Mojo. It’s 12 minutes long. Let us know if it’s funny.
Bruno and the brown shirts
Borat was funny (yes it was!) but Bruno looks better. The world’s bravest comic pushes all the buttons that make you go “aiiiee!!!” We’re looking forward to the film.
Brands in the wrong hands
“Right now, we’re gonna teach you how to smoke Smarties.”
Social mediaphiles doing Smarties, crack-smoker style, is probably not the kind of brand image Ce De Candy wants to portray, but what to do? Advertising Age delved into that tricky question, and has some good answers.
Job of the Week
Intermediate Mac Operator—FMCG Company (P0497)
My FMCG client is looking for a fantastic intermediate Mac operator to help roll out an exciting newly redesigned brand over a wide range of packaging formats. You will be part of a small close in house studio and hard working marketing team.
Knowledge of the print process is essential and previous packaging experience an advantage but not essential. We are looking for someone who is proactive, has initiative and common sense. The work is predominantly packaging work on one brand and also includes general merchandise work and being involved in other brands.
There are great benefits involved and plentiful parking. You must have at least two years commercial experience.
If this sounds like you please email your CV and a PDF portfolio no bigger than 3mb to Annie McCulloch, or apply on our website.
Armistice remixed
This is from last year, but still good: the Auckland War Memorial Museum let people make their own clips in memory of the 1918 Armistice between the Allies and Germany.
The Memory Maker site was made by the government’s DigitalNZ initiative that aims to make New Zealand content easy to find, share and use. Great stuff and kudos to all the companies involved in the project.
What’s with Tim’s Widget though?
Down the nanotubes
Take silver paste, transparent tape and 25-micron carbon nanotubes. What do you get? A nantenna, of course. This is a nanotube antenna, weighing about one ten-thousandth of its copper equivalents but transmitting just as well.
Copper is becoming increasingly scarce and therefore expensive, so this is one area of research to keep a close watch on. (Via Sean Gourley)
In glorious Microsoft Vision
IT really is becoming touchy-feely, isn’t it? Look at what Microsoft thinks screens will be like in ten years’ time.
Entronsed
From the Red Bull Studio in Auckland, Live Sessions with the Trons. Eight tracks in Quicktime format. Makes us happy. Don’t forget to check out the other artists as well, like Dictaphone Blues.
Brainweek update
Hawkes Bay and Tasman are showing great commitment, but Manawatu and Southland are slacking. Women are amassing more brain cells than males, but men are registering at the Brainweek site faster than females and catching up.
The twentysomethings complete working memory and logical reasoning tasks at high rates; however, thirtysomethings complete more daily tasks required for brain growth.
Brains don’t feel pain, which is why you can operate on them without anaesthesia. (Why can’t you have a massive night on the tiles then without a headache? Hmm?)
Appliance yourselves for the future
The Electrolux Design Labs 2009 global design competition is on, and the Swedish household appliance giant celebrating its 90th birthday this year so it's a special event. This year, the theme for the competition is Jetsons, that futuristic cartoon family that those over 50 will remember with fondness.
If you’re a designer at Massey and Vic Uni, AUT or one of the country’s indie design schools, go read up on the Jetsons and design something funky and futuristic for Electrolux. Finalists will get an invite to London to present their entries to a jury of hip designers and experts. Judging is based on intuitive design, innovation and consumer insight.
Winners will receive a smokin’ €5,000 and a six-month paid internship at one of the Electrolux global design centres. The second prize is €3,000, and third prize €2,000.
The deadline for Design Lab ’09 entries is May 31, 2009. Students may enter one design via the Design Lab website.
Get in behind
Couldn’t have been done in Nu Zild. Dogs here don’t like being whistled at.
Quote of the week
“Innovation really emerges from the system. It’s not something you can have a fixed process for. The real meaning of innovation is that something has been accepted and widely taken up. Ultimately, that’s what we’re interested in. All ideas have to be linked to business growth.”
—Dean Poole, creative director of Alt Design
More at Idealog online
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
{Biofuels or bio-fools?} Previous
Next {Dual control}
Previously in Idealog Weekly …
October 30, 2009: Man of the moment
October 23, 2009: By the numbers
October 16, 2009: Pavlova principles
October 9, 2009: The secret of the songbook
October 2, 2009: Free and easy
September 25, 2009: What the world wants
September 18, 2009: A slice of the pie
September 11, 2009: Walking man
September 6, 2009: A calmer kind of business
August 28, 2009: We have issues
August 21, 2009: Mincing about in waistcoats
August 14, 2009: Wired on pop culture
August 7, 2009: Trust is not a commodity
July 31, 2009: Fuzzy logic
July 24, 2009: Game of life
July 17, 2009: Grape expectations
July 10, 2009: Blade runners
July 3, 2009: Free: another word for nothing left to lose
June 26, 2009: Poorly pleased
June 19, 2009: The giver
June 12, 2009: Buggy on down
June 5, 2009: Brand Cambo
May 29, 2009: When the going gets tough, go proactive
May 22, 2009: Bayerische Wasserstoffmotorenwerke
May 15, 2009: Rugger blogger
May 8, 2009: Get on our cloud
May 1, 2009: Easy Tiger
April 24, 2009: Tiki tacky
April 17, 2009: The not-so-great indoors
April 3, 2009: A site for sore eyes
March 27, 2009: Dual control
March 20, 2009: Worth their Alt
March 13, 2009: Biofuels or bio-fools?
March 6, 2009: It's electrifying
February 27, 2009: Experience-rich and theory-poor
February 20, 2009: It's a hundred-and-fourteen-pager
February 13, 2009: Own your mistakes
February 5, 2009: Rules—made to be broken
January 30, 2009: Money: that's what I want
December 5, 2008: Framed by the thousands
November 28, 2008: Spank-branding novelty next week
November 21, 2008: In the Loop
November 14, 2008: Your good health
November 7, 2008: Misfits of science
October 31, 2008: No absence of colour
October 24, 2008: Plain-speaking Peri
October 17, 2008: Rebels with a cause
October 10, 2008: Seoulipsism
October 3, 2008: Fall seven times and stand up eight
September 26, 2008: Don't label us
September 19, 2008: Bloody Graham
September 19, 2008: Dream proposition
September 5, 2008: Taxi!!!
August 29, 2008: Up-Skilling on Idealog TV
August 22, 2008: 144 pages of pure pleasure, plus politics
August 15, 2008: Wash down that Lovemark with a Steinie
August 8, 2008: Strange journey
August 1, 2008: SMElly and happy
July 25, 2008: What a dive
July 18, 2008: Softly and woolly does it
July 11, 2008: The saviour from Timaru
July 4, 2008: Last laugh
June 27, 2008: King Kev
June 20, 2008: Slow ART
June 13, 2008: Killing two birds with methane
June 6, 2008: A combine harvester
May 30, 2008: Gold paint
May 23, 2008: Rock, out
May 16, 2008: Goodwill hunting
May 9, 2008: No wine jokes please
May 2, 2008: Who's bad?
April 24, 2008: Succession success
April 18, 2008: Out now or thereabouts
April 11, 2008: Paint by numbers
April 4, 2008: Reincarnated good
March 28, 2008: Making it
March 20, 2008: Knock three times
March 14, 2008: The customer is always tight
March 7, 2008: Beautiful words
February 28, 2008: Goodnight, I'm off to work
February 22, 2008: The art issue
February 15, 2008: Straight to the top
February 8, 2008: H for hot
December 13, 2007: Nothing in common? Perfect
December 6, 2007: Who needs a beer?
November 30, 2007: Dirty secret goes public
November 23, 2007: Don't speak
November 16, 2007: Worthy work (and free beer)
November 2, 2007: East meets best
October 25, 2007: Raid the fridge
October 19, 2007: Looking good
October 13, 2007: Can't miss it
October 5, 2007: Fresh meat delivery
September 28, 2007: If the walls had eyes
September 21, 2007: Phoenix rising
September 15, 2007: Can we fix it? Yes we can
September 6, 2007: Feats of social engineering
August 31, 2007: Doesn't bite
August 24, 2007: Telling us where to go
August 16, 2007: Tomorrow time
August 10, 2007: Going West
August 3, 2007: How to ... be your business
July 27, 2007: Freaky food
July 20, 2007: Meet the neighbours
July 12, 2007: Free Hollie
July 6, 2007: Green queen
June 29, 2007: The truth about youth
June 21, 2007: Walk this way
June 14, 2007: Times ten
June 7, 2007: The ape woman needs a label
June 1, 2007: Impossible is something
May 25, 2007: Yeah, we're still here
May 11, 2007: Trophy time
May 3, 2007: Friends with the band
April 23, 2007: Why worry?
April 19, 2007: Done by the big jobs
April 12, 2007: A rockin' good read
April 5, 2007: No fear
March 29, 2007: Out to pasture
March 22, 2007: Hip-hop and The Human Touch
March 15, 2007: Crazy Frog and Billy T
March 10, 2007: The Benadryl edition
March 1, 2007: We can be Xero
February 22, 2007: Back on board
December 15, 2006: Free beer
December 8, 2006: December 8, 2006
December 1, 2006: December 1, 2006
November 24, 2006: November 24, 2006
November 16, 2006: November 16, 2006
November 9, 2006: November 9, 2006
November 3, 2006: November 3, 2006
October 26, 2006: October 26, 2006
October 19, 2006: October 19, 2006
October 12, 2006: October 12, 2006
October 6, 2006: October 6, 2006
September 28, 2006: September 28, 2006
September 21, 2006: September 21, 2006
September 14, 2006: September 14, 2006
September 7, 2006: September 7, 2006
August 31, 2006: August 31, 2006
August 24, 2006: August 24, 2006
August 17, 2006: August 17, 2006
August 11, 2006: August 11, 2006
August 3, 2006: August 3, 2006
July 27, 2006: July 27, 2006
July 21, 2006: July 21, 2006
July 13, 2006: July 13, 2006
July 6, 2006: July 6, 2006
June 29, 2006: June 29, 2006
June 22, 2006: June 22, 2006
June 15, 2006: June 15, 2006
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Audi designer Wolfgang Egger brings the A5 Sportback to life right in front of our eyes. It’s all about three lines, apparently, but those three lines have been obsessed over. Enjoy the autospeak: the rear comes complete with both accent and elbow.
Latest issue: Under the sea
Tweeted
- Fetching tweets …
Overheard
- steer seo on Bigger, faster, more productive:
It's got to be good for online retailers selling to the US. They will be able to offer a better multi-media experience. - Mark on Bigger, faster, more productive:
Fantastic! Finally some vision in establishing a key infrastructure to support New Zealand's future prosperity and commercial competitiveness. Good work Rod, Sam and Steve - your country thanks you for your patriotism! … - Margaret Holmes on NZ Institute thumbs down Key's agenda:
Unfortunately it is not just red tape - it is also the laid back kiwi attitude, compounded by educators who think achieving national standards is a bad thing. - Tim Marshall on Smile, you’re in New Zealistan:
The target of higher GDP per capita is all wrong. Aiming for it encourages more production and consumption, often at the expense of quality of life. We need to construct a Genuine Progress Index (GPI) to guide policy. Fr … - Peter McL on New note:
"You got caught up in events at EMI.." and yet shes STILL with EMI - their local branch is distributing her new album. Wonder why?
I blogged some more of Hollies comments on the details behind the fallout … - Phil Wollerman on Smile, you’re in New Zealistan:
Brilliant, insightful article, VH.
This situation has principally arisen because - simplistically - the world no longer wants what we are intrinsically advantaged in supplying.
And yeah, it doesn't look like our co …
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Comments
Andy
March 23, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Thanks for the DigitalNZ Memory Maker shout out... and as for Tim... well, we don't know Tim, but we hear he's a nice guy. Looks like we need to start filtering out the test search widgets that people create. Thanks!
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