Show and Tell—But More Show than Tell

Product demonstration spots are generally reserved for the Oxi-clean crowd. With a loud coke-addicted (sorry Billy) pitchman doing his best Glen Beck impression. Although some companies (Apple being the only one off the top of my head) have pulled of decent product demos.

Craftsman tools isn't usually a company associated with popular interest. I mean, a hammer is a hammer after all. But I have to admit Craftsman's new demonstration ads are pretty entertaining. They play the man card pretty heavily, but when your product is power tools you can throw down the testosterone royal flush. Here are two spots for your enjoyment. (P.S. It's my secret dream to find an old abandoned warehouse somewhere and turn it into a mans play house. It's the simple things in life.)

When I Grow Up, I Wanna Write like this Guy.

I spend a lot of time gushing about things and stuff on this blog. Commercials, technology, the paradoxical notion of ideas. But yesterday I found some true inspiration. It's an article written for Outside Magazine about freezing to death.

I've never heard of the author, never read anything from him before or since—to my knowledge. But he is a true master of the language. He hooks you with a story and you are reeled to the surface having learned about the physiology of freezing to death.

We talk a lot about telling stories in advertising. And I make a real effort to be a story teller and not just a literate huckster. This author knows how to tell stories and communicate complex information while doing it. That's tough stuff.

Click the link and prepare to have your mind blown.

Cumulus Computing

I bought a laptop from my office recently. It's an old G4 Powerbook, and I love it. But it didn't come loaded with a word processor and I have lost my Microsoft suite for Mac. Not having a word processor was a real problem, I am a writer by profession. So I weighed my options. Buying another Microsoft suite for Mac didn't sit well, and pirating a copy didn't seem like a good idea either. What was I to do?

Reading through Digg one morning I came across an article about updates to Google Docs. I had heard of Google Docs but never looked into it. I read further. Then the thunder bolt hit me. I can use Google Docs' word processor for free, and from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. It was a big moment for me.

People talk about cloud computing all the time. I hadn't taken the time to really look into the possibilities of the service. Google Docs, Flickr, Vimeo, and even Facebook (to some extent) are all part of my personal cloud. Now I float my information and heavy media in the cloud instead of on my hard drive.

Having maxed out and burned up a hard drive or two in my days, I can appreciate the need for more digital elbow room. Computing from the cloud changes a lot of things for me. I'm not constantly transferring information between USB drives, or storing things on my iPod. My email inbox was a graveyard of old versions and single word subject lines. "Stuff." "Project." "Mine." I'm still sorting through pages of unopened email I sent to myself.

The cloud has set me and my stuff free. Now I don't need to worry so much about the size of my hard drive. I can start focusing on the size of my imagination. Cloud computing is definitely filed under "cool stuff."

The Right Type

Kinetic type isn't new. But for some reason I really enjoy it. Don't know why. I just do. And even though I really don't care for this Ford commercial (I think Dennis Leary trying to be a tough guy is ridiculous), the type treatment is pretty cool.



Here are some other examples of kinetic type that I think are awesome. They're all type interpretations of sci-fi movies quotes. Enjoy.

A Clown that's Actually Funny

I really dislike Walmart. I mean really. The last time I went into a Walmart (over two years ago), I walked out. But this commercial for Walmart is hilarious. It aired last night while I was watching the Vikings and Saints play (poor, poor Brett Favre). For your viewing pleasure, I present Clown:

A Glossy Future

Taking a break for the holidays was refreshing. Spending time with the people and things you love and nothing else can really charge your inspiration batteries. For my first post of the new decade—I'm looking to the future.

People have been saying that print is dead for years. I'm not ready to chisel the epitaph just yet. The video below was produced by Bonnier Corp—a major producer and distributor of magazines and other printed media. The good people at Bonnier want to know what the magazine of the future will look like. Apparently the magazine of the future looks suspiciously like a tablet PC.

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

Every now and then videos pop up with some industrial designer describing the thin form factor and intuitive gesture navigation of the future of print media. I've seen a newspaper tablet that you fold back and forth to simulate turning pages. A projector that creates a virtual screen between your hands when held out in front of you. And I've seen several of these tablet PC jobs now.

The idea is no doubt cool. And if this tablet was available to the consumer, the gizmo-geek in me wouldn't be able to resist. But there is something that all these digital-print devices skip entirely. Tactile sensation. A magazine made of paper and ink is tangible. Turning a page isn't just a visual experience. You feel the paper between your fingers as you turn the page. That's something a digital-print device like this can't simulate.

Designers are ignoring the real connection people feel to objects (which is ironic). The argument is that digital devices can bring so much more to the reading experience and I don't disagree with that. What I question is if that equates to value being added to the reading experience.

This may be the future of print media, and if it is I'm sure I'll adapt. But I'll miss the ink and page experience. I'll miss the texture of reading. And I'm willing to wager that many people will share my longing for reality. The future doesn't have to be all gloss and gesture does it?

Yay Inspiration!

Lately, I haven't come across much inspiration. I've been experiencing an inspiration deficit I guess you could say. That all changed yesterday evening. The Denver Egotist is a regular virtual stop for me and for good reason. They consitently post amazing work.

Well the Egotist didn't disappoint. They had a link to this video for Google Chrome. BBH produced this piece and I think it's amazing. I had a total "wwhhaattt???" moment after about 5 seconds of watching. You'll see what I mean. A great spot, really innovative approach, and crazy entertaining to watch. Bravo BBH.



To continue my inspiration-drought liberation, I offer this little slice of heaven from Wieden and Honda. Not sure how to describe this but it's fantastic. The complexity of editing a piece like this makes my brain hurt. Pay particular attention to the way the sound track matches the cuts perfectly. So good. It's like a visual caramel apple dipped in more, even better caramel. Feast your eyes upon this.