Aug 31, 2007

How Email Travels the World

Some time ago, Google invited their users to imagine how an email message travels around the world and submit a video, being the email represented by the big, red, M of Google Mail.

Of course they received more than 1,000 submissions from around the world and they made a final cut with parts of the material they received.

Here is that final cut:



If you want to see some (or all) the original submissions, you can check them out here.

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How to Ruin a Porsche

I am all for creativity. For trying different things. I used to play with the color for my hair from blonde to violet I have tried all the colors I wanted. I am all for defying conventions when it comes to objects and try new things on them.

Now... even I have a limit! And here is a perfect example of something I would not do: transform the rims of a Porsche in "hippie rims". I am not a car fan, nor a car expert. But the Porsche is a nice car... why would you do THIS to it?




Apparently, this is the new trend in Russia. "No" to decorate the car with airbrushed designs, "yes" to decorate the rims. I can't help but wonder if someone else (appart from the Russians) like this idea.

Anyone out there that love it?

Via: EnglishRussia

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Aug 30, 2007

Russian Comrade

And talking about Russia, take a look at this ad. It seems that Russians are not so PC (politically correct) so they play freely with what we can consider one of the 'bad' consequences of heavy drinking...



...being those the allucinations!

Now, I have been in Russia in winter. I can't imagine how hard it could be to live in an isolated cabin during that time. I think I would start drinking too...!

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A "Blonde" Joke...

Sadly is not a joke. And in some weird way you can say she answered the question, not throug her words, of course. Unbelievable!

(Now with subtitles for non English speakers AND English speakers!)

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Aug 29, 2007

Where I Spent My B'day - (Lost in Translation)

For Spanish speakers, this is a "sin comentarios" (porque ademas Key West queda literalmente en la concha de la lora...). English speakers, read below the picture...


Ok, I shouldn't be teaching this type of slang to non Spanish speakers, but they should know why this was a bit funny for me.

In Spanish and more specifically in Buenos Aires (I can't vouch for all Latin America) when something is very very very far away and isolated, we say that is situated "en la concha de la lora" (Please note that this is NOTHING THAT YOU WANT TO REPEAT IF YOUR SPANISH IS LIMITED, ok?). According to my sources (thanks Scott!) is similar to the American "BFE".

This is 'not educated slang' that literally translates as located in "The parrot's conch" BUT the catch is that conch in our slang means... well... ehem... yeah... well... pussy!

So considering that Key West is not exactly near anything, that you have a long trip to get there, it was really funny once I arrived to learn that the area is called "the Conch Republic". I may even start saying that something is in "La Republica de La Concha" instead of using the parrot's one... at least I know now where the Conch Republic is...;)

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Aug 23, 2007

Beetlemania II

You may remember my previous posting about VW's reconverted into UFOs or bugs among other things... (if you don't you can see them here). Well here is the latest "development" to add to that collection:

A VW Bus converted into a very mobile pool table!

More details at Gizmodo

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Aug 21, 2007

Zoey Vs Soy

They say that dogs tend to end up looking and acting like their owners... And so it seems.
A good example is Zoey, the Jack Russell Terrier that won the 1st prize surfing with his owners at the 2nd Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition in Imperial Beach, California (note the rised paw, balancing the group).


A brave dog riding the waves!

Another valid exmaple is my dog, Soy, also acting like his owners... (note the paw, replicating "daddy's" position and balancing the couch)


A brave dog riding the perils of too many pillows!


Soy definitively adheres to the household credo about sports!



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Aug 20, 2007

Light went on? Have an idea?

"Idea" is often symbolize with a light bulb. This product may then be considered an über-idea. And it is in fact a very good one. Not only you can recycle used bulbs but you can use your creativity and make some interesting lamps for your house or office.




Here you can see some ideas of what can be done. And while normally I am not a fan of the Do It Yourself that so much seems to please the (north)American crowd, this is an exception: while you can buy a kit to make them, I guess is not so hard to try without the kit. What is the the worst that can happen? That you will ruin a couple of used bulbs? (One warning though: as they will be heated by the light in the center, make sure you use a safe glue).

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Aug 16, 2007

People Are NOT Smart

Each time I see that commercial that starts with "People are smart", I can't help it but have a bunch of mixed feelings (none of them good) that makes me either change the channel or start moving in my seat, the way you move when you are not comfortable.

And I must confess that after some soul searching, I arrived to the conclusion that the ad (among other things) infuriates me to much because of several reasons.

The first one is related to common sense. People as a group are not smart. We *may* be smarter than some other mammals (still to prove) but we are not smart as a group. I will go into further explanations about this point later.

But the second reason that makes me hate that commercial is from the advertising point of view. One thing you teach to aspiring copywriters is that is always better to make feel your target empowered: it tends to be better to say overweight than obese, is better to make them feel that something is to "prevent" bad breath than to say "hey you that you have bad breath...". Under that precept you may think that "people are smart" is a good idea. Well, as any rule, the rule of empowerement has its exceptions, and "people are smart" is one exception.

Why? Because of the generalization. I am smart. Or you are. Or we may agree that we both are. But the moment you generalize, it loses any appeal it may have. Very simple put even the less smart may think about themselves as smarts ones, but "we" as a group we do not tend to think about "we" as a group as a smart group. On the contrary, people go to great lenghts to prove they are "smarter" than their neighbor, sometimes by just buying stupid things (but those things that makes them feel "smarter").

So you may get a point by saying "you, that you are smart, you know that this product is better because this and that" but the moment you say "people are smart" you may get from everybody the opposite reaction, being that the one of "what people?" "me and who else?".

To make things worst, it is still the most raw and basic type of advertising. Almost all advertising works on the premises that you have to convey to your target that buying your product or service is convenient for them, therefore, that they will be smart by buying it. Now, you normally don't want to just say "you that you are smart..." in that simple way. Is too direct and obvious.

So, I am sorry but people are NOT smart. Still I believe that most are smart enough as to hate the ad as much as I do, maybe for same the reasons or maybe just for the reason that they dislike the generalization. "People are smart" is simply a bad idea.

Now, going back to my first point (common sense) pls let me know how "we" as a group can be labeled as smart when a majority (therefore the biggest group) backed Bush and his war on Irak when "we" have access to a lot of information like the video (dated 1994) that you can see below?



"We" as a group we are not smart. We are lazy, we do not want to think, we do not want to go into further detail, we buy what is sold to us. Maybe this opinion is what makes me not a really good "people person" ;)

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Aug 15, 2007

Nothing is "imposibl"

Note: If you do not speak Spanish, you can enjoy the first commercial and you can guess what the second is about...

Gracias a Paulo (marido de Odra y padre de Benjamin entre otros títulos), me llegó este material que me hizo morir de risa. Cualquier hispanoparlante puede disfrutarlos, aunque claro, si conocés la picardía cordobesa de primera mano, te reís mucho mas.

He aqui el aviso original (de Adidas):



He aqui la parodia de "La Mole" Moli (cordobes el muchacho y boxeador):



Si tienen alguna otra parodia buena, se agradece el dato! (y de nuevo Paulo, gracias!)

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Aug 14, 2007

Skulls are Lovely

I have always loved skulls. I find them interesting and at the same time a reminder of our mortality and of the fact that under our ugliness or beauty, we all have (more or less) the same structure.

I think it runs in the family. My father has a couple of things (like the ashtray I was telling you in a previous post) with the shape of a skull.

And as a team we, ahem, ahem, we *tried* to get the skull of his grand grand mother, but without results..., he wanted to have it in his studio and I wanted to inherited it and make a lamp, --but that is another story.

Going back to the skulls, they are the symbol of danger (from the pirates' flag to the poison icon), as well as the the symbol of death (do you remember the brand of cigarrettes called "Death" that was originally from the UK? That was a great idea!).


Now, "For the love of God", a skull has become a jewel, and one of the most expensives ones in the world, considering not only material used but the time and dedication that it took to become one.

"For the love of God", that is the name of the piece, cost 28 million to be done and is selling for 100 millions but makes all the sense in the world if you see how much work it means. You can see how it was done, step by step, here.

And below you can see some pictures of the finished piece.














What is your take with skulls? Indifference? Like them, love them, hate them...? What do they represent for you?

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Aug 11, 2007

Tryvertising

There is a trend out there that is being called "Tryvertising": it works on the idea that letting some customers have the product for free allows them to a) Get some feedback sooner rather than later and b) push the word of mouth about the product.

Trendwatching talked about this concept almost 2 years ago and it is becoming more and more popular.

Now, a site called "give away of the day" is more or less using the same concept to give users the option to download commercial software, the real thing, not just a trial with an expiration date. The software product will be presented in its full functionality. The only limitations are that the software usage has to be non-commercial only, and in some cases there may also be limits for software updates and technical support if you got it free by this method. Still is much better than trials with expiration dates or limited (that you know... you have to ehem, *tweak* to keep it running).

So Giveaway is giving a new soft for free everyday, in most cases, JUST FOR THAT DAY.

The good news is that you do not need to go their site everyday to know what soft they are giving for free each day. You can visit me at Ugly Doggy and look in the right column..., you will find there what soft they are offering for free that day.

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Aug 8, 2007

Giant LegoMan wash out in Netherlands' beach

From the news: A giant plastic Lego man has been fished out of the sea at the resort town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands.

Workers at a beachside drinks stall saw the the smiling giant, which is 2.5 metres tall, floating in the sea and dragged it to shore. It has the distinctive trademark yellow Lego head and hands, a blue torso and red legs.

'We saw something bobbing about in the saw and we decided to take it out of the water,' one of the workers of the Skyline Beach bar told said. 'It was a life-sized Lego toy.'

While it is currently unknown as to where the Lego man originated from, some believe that it swam across the channel from England.
One women said: 'I saw the Lego toy floating towards the beach from the direction of England. Nobody knows what it is – or means.'

Regardless, it has now found a new home on the white sand beach at Zandvoort, where it is becoming something of a star attraction with families holidaying in the area.



Now, from my point of view, it seems a pretty clear marketing campaign, especially considering that Lego will be celebrating the company's 75th birthday tomorrow (Master carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen started the company on August 10, 1932 in his studio in Denmark).

Still I am a bit amazed that no one has said anything about from where it comes, not even the company. If it was a campaign there should be another Lego washing out somewhere else. Or a good number of them. Or maybe they were supposed to appear after August 10th and not before that date?


Now, is it fair that the poor guy gets grabbed by the ass by the girls?
There is no respect anymore for strangers in Netherlands?

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Aug 7, 2007

Conscient Ashtrays

My favorite ashtray in the world is the one my father has in his office from before I was even born. It has the shape of a skull and inside is carved as a skull and under the smiling "face" it reads:


"Asi vas a quedar,
si no dejas de fumar"
("This is how you will end if you don't stop smoking")

When I started smoking, my father would always offered me THAT ashtray if we were at his office and it was a pleasure for me to use it. Of course, my thinking was that I would end like that ANYWAY, smoker or not smoker. (I wish I had a picture of "skull ashtray", I have to remember next time I go back to visit my parents to take a picture... or better still I can come back with the ashtray!)


Now, some company is designing a similar but better idea, if you want to give someone an ashtray to make them think about quitting.

Is still in concept stage and the idea behind it is that the ashtray would measure the ash in it to estimate or better said guesstimate how many days or months or years you are throwing away each time you light a new cigarette.

THAT is an idea. I may not worry about the skull, I would end like that anyway, but having a constant reminder that is telling me that I have less and less and less to live... that may work.

Via: ImovateDesign Uk

Now, if you don't care about how long you want to live but you care about smoking in your car with your non smoking friends, (and you are a bit geeky) this is the ashtray for you:



Powered by the USB tether or by a couple of AAA batteries, drop the top and on come the headlights and fan to keep the air free of second-hand smoke. Of course, the ashtray section can even be removed for a quick wash.

Via Engadget

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And while we are making photocopies...

My previous post was an ad that involved uhm..., one special photocopy. But at least was an ad.


Take a look to what this office camera captured...



...and now pls answer me this question...

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO YOUR BOSS???

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Aug 2, 2007

Chocolate is a Sin

There is something about chocolate that makes us (especially women) do whatever it takes for it. And sometimes, as this commercial points out, it can be our downfall.

Enjoy!

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Aug 1, 2007

The Programmers Haiku

Is just perfect. It won the contest organized by ThinkGeek. And again, is just perfect.

Judge by yourself:

Client with no specs.
Wants results in two weeks time.
Must. Not. Kill. Must. Not.

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The good, the bad and the ugly (dog)

The good: Wisconsin legislators have introduced a bill that outlines how divorcing couples and the courts should handle custody battles over pets. Of course as a pet lover, I am glad someone can understand that, for some of us, that could be an issue. My dog has been with me for almost 9 years now and while he loves Glenn as much as he loves me, I consider my dog "my child" --as simply as that.

The "bad": On the other hand, a dog with voting rights, seems to me a little too much. But even when the law call him a "bad dog" (well, not him...., his owner) I truly believe that what was done, was done for a greater good. I think the owner shouldn't have to pay a fine. She made a pretty good point about how easy can be to have 'registered' voters that .... should not vote. I would have fired a couple of guys instead of giving a fine to the woman.

The ugly: No doubt here. This dog, Elwood (see below) was the winner of the ugliest Dog Contest that took place in Sonoma, CA. Now, for the last years the winners have all been "Pure bred Chinese Crested" or a mix between Chinese Crested and Chihuahuas... I don't get the popularity of the Chinese Crested ones... I mean, poor little things they deserve to live, but why breed something SO ugly?

Here is Elwood, the last winner:
To see all the contestants, click here.

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