Questioning Reality

From the local independent (i.e. campus) daily newspaper, yesterday. What can I say? Unfortunate? Sad? Confusing? All I can say is I’m glad I didn’t have a hand in it.

I’m just amazed. Something so evil (or so the media is telling us) has become so popular - so well known - practically a star. A quick Google News search turns up thousands of stories. Today, I stopped in at the local fast-food burrito joint, and what did I see but a giant sign (pictured above) proclaiming they’re a trans-fat free zone. I mean really… hasn’t this gotten a bit out of hand? all I can say is I wish I had the power to turn something so bad into a household word.

I was digging through my photos from the past few weeks and came across this genius idea. The San Jose Mercury News, the day before Christmas, printed a full-page-spread of wrapping paper. Cute, penguiny, generic but unique wrapping paper. There’s the automatic association between cuteness, friendliness, and the paper. It’s one of those “aww… how nice of them” moments. The big question is, how do you get that same moment when content is branded? what does it take? I’m not sure yet myself.

In my regular deviations from the seemingly pre-determined path of an advertising major, I decided to enroll in a course entitled Re-vision of the Earth (or Earth 2.0, as some have taken to calling it). To kick it off, we’re reading Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology, a revolutionary geology text from 1830. While much of the text isn’t what I’d choose to read on a Sunday afternoon, there are some incredibly interesting passages which seem to apply to things outside of the science of geology, like - dare I say it? - advertising. Contemplate the following passage, excerpted from Chapter 5, Vol. 1:

“It is only by becoming sensible of our natural disadvantages that we shall be roused to exertion, and prompted to seek out opportunities of discovering the operations now in progress, such as do not present themselves readily to view.”

I wish I could say stuff that sounded that good. And meant that much.

I’ve been watching a few one-take videos lately, like the DJ Format & Abdominal video above, and have been doing a bit of thinking. The planning, thought, and pure creativity that is required to produce something in one take is fascinating. Take a look at the One Take Film Festival to get a better idea. One-take videos are great, but what other applications other than video can live in the same realm and under the same regualtions as a one-take video? What other types of creativity can be spawned by doing something straight through without any editing? I’m going to explore.

“What moves men of genius, or rather what inspires their work, is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.”

-Eugene Delacroix

 Right off the bat, I have to point out that needless to say, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. A cliche finder. Brilliant. and definitely worth checking out.  No point in blabbing on. click below.
cliche finder [via lifehacker]

Read this book. “But that looks like a cookbook!” most exclaim after googling it (nobody really needs links anymore… google takes care of it… but I gave it to you anyway). In my brain’s best Nick Frost a la Shaun of the Dead impression, it replies, “F^çK Yeah it’s a cookbook!” while my mouth replies, “yeah. it looks like a cookbook. trust me. read it.”

Seriously. A while back, I wrote about exposing myself to stuff that wasn’t really advertising. or anything like advertising really. Nigel Slater’s Apetite is just that. It makes you think. It makes your mind strong. There are tons of lists of “creative” or “inspirational” books out there - incredible books by the likes of Gladwell, Sullivan, Aitchison, etc. Those lists are pretty easy to find. It’s the other stuff that isn’t. Read this. It’s worth it. And it’s the one cookbook everybody should have - even people who don’t ever plan on cooking for themselves.

okay. not the problem… but at least one of the problems. I was first heard about this TV spot for Vaseline from someone who was confused and more or less disgusted and disappointed with the ad. I looked for it on-line, and within a day or two, got the pleasure of watching seeing it too many times on tv.

I then did a bit more searching and courtesy of a blurb on Adrants, I found this ad for Vaseline, one which airs in the UK.

why is a beautiful, powerful ad like the one above converted through some bizarre filter for American consumption. I could rant about my frustrations, but I’d rather just watch the UK vasoline ad and hope I’ll see it on TV someday.

“I tend to like things that already exist…”

- Jasper Johns