livingbrands

Liar liar

I know getting links to the no.1 spot on Google has a name, but I can't remember what it is. Anyway, I was just searching using 'liar' (I wanted some images), and I got this, which made me laugh...

Not sure whether Sir Ian Blair is being tarred with the Tony brush though, or if he is genuinely the worlds second biggest liar!!

Love my sausage

Some rather nice reviews in last week's Campaign, for our recent Mattessons Smoked Pork Sausage commercial.

Grudgingly nice from Gerry Moira (click for bigger version)...

And gushingly nice from Armando Iannucci...

Just goes to show, you can't beat a good old fashioned sausage gag.

The horror, the horror

No matter where you stand on R-Kelly (personally, I think he's R-Ubbish), you can't but admire the chutzpah which results in 'Trapped in the Closet', his 12 act 'hip-hopera'. Or cringe at how toe-curlingly awful it is. And then laugh, when your toes have returned to normal.

Can't work out whether this proves how gloriously brilliant Youtube is, or is evidence that Youtube is without doubt the home of all that is rubbish in the world. It's probably both.

Anyway, episodes one and two are below. And you can find all 12 here. Because you will, of course, want to see the one with the midget (I jest not). Won't spoil the surprise by telling you what episode he's in though.

Swim fan

Probably of little interest to anyone else, but what the heck.

Anyway, swimming is our family's sport of choice (although, personally, I find it all a bit wet), and for the second weekend running I was offering support (and feeling rather proud) from the touchline.

Last weekend it was the club championships, where Josh set 8 PBs, and finished 3rd in his age group. This weekend it was the ASA National Masters, with Jo putting in a great performance (and PBs all round again) in the company of former Olympic finalists and world record holders (although not in her events!).

Just goes to prove how great families are!

Word of Bowie

There can't be a creative presentation that goes by nowadays, where someone doesn't say those immortal words: "and it will create great word of mouth". Naturally, this sends the WOM purists into apoplexy: advertising can't make a brand worth talking about...it has to be worth talking about to begin with. Which I do agree with. But there is no denying that advertising can really be a catalyst of and turbo-charger for conversations. And even if it doesn't happen as often as we like to think, it's nice when it does. So this is what Bowie fans have to say about our HMV campaign.

What if people believed what we said

Marketing makes sometimes ludicrous claims. But what would happen if people took what we said at face value. Adam & Joe find out.

New media models

Was about to stick this post by Jason, over at LB Toronto, into my list of October's best posts (to be published shortly). But as his analysis of the flaws in media neutrality, the importance of social interaction in communication, the need to free ourselves of the straight-jacket of rigid executional consistency, and the benefits of complexity touched on so many things I also believe (but haven't written up so cogently), that I thought it should be able to fly solo. So go an have a read here.

I'll be your dog

Another addition to my blogroll. And Beeker most definitely deserves inclusion for digging up this tartrazine packed blast from the past, which has had me reliving those childhood trips to the cinema.

So altogether now...

Getting the balance right

Now here's something I would value people's opinion on (I know the answer really, so just indulge me the group therapy that comes from writing it here).

I am now a couple of months into working a 4 day week. This was something I tentatively mooted before I joined Quiet Storm, and which they generously offered. So Friday's are now all my own. It's definitely a big life stage/style change, and one I feel very privileged to be able to enjoy. The problem is, things aren't quite turning out as I (undoubtedly unrealistically) expected them to, which I'm finding a bit of a culture shock...and in a way quite stressful.

Apart from having to fit 5 days work into 4 days (which I kind of expected!), I also had all these things I was going to do and (over) achieve on my day off: I was going to write, to read, to study, to learn how to paint (well maybe not...but you know what I mean). But I have quickly come to realise there are only so many hours in one day, no matter how early you get up (which I do - maybe a lie in is one benefit of a day off that I need to be considering).

Then there's the way real life has suddenly impinged...albeit in very nice ways. Going out for walks or lunch with my wife (hey...who are you!?). Picking my son up from school, and hearing about his day when it's still fresh in his mind. Taking him to swimming training, and realising he is really rather good at breast stroke and fly. And many other things.

All of this is brilliant, and stuff I wouldn't get to experience otherwise. Which is maybe the point: I should just chill out and enjoy it. But then my 'Protestant work ethic' side kicks in (not helped by people asking me all the time about what I'm 'doing' on my day off): I feel guilty I'm not at work when others are; I feel I need to be achieving something 'worthwhile' (oh the irony - as if bringing up your children isn't way more important than coming up with some 'clever' marketing idea).

I know how lucky I am, and that this must come across as a load of unnecessary whinging. And I'm sure I will read this in a year's time and laugh at my own stupidity. But even though I know I know (so to speak) what the answer is, I would value any advice or thoughts from people who have been in a similar situation and felt the same way (or, indeed, felt very differently!).

FutureScope 55

Just to let you know, the latest edition of my trends newsletter is now out: "emerging trends, new ideas and general thought stimulation"...or so it says on the cover.