Deadlines Deadlines


Last day before MCCA Best Awards deadline, are we ready? are we? lets just say the 'late' entry deadline of next Thursday is look more and more appealing

Our new Zantac campaign has just gone live.


Good use of left hand page position with our new Zantac creative. The campaign is going to run until the end of December. This comes in a set of four image versions, all photography by Charlotte Tolhurst, who normally shoots gorgeous food. The shoot was arranged by freelance production manager Samantha Adam, a really useful find and an absolute star to work with.

Twitter Trend Topics + Google Maps + Geek = Woooah



This is another wonderful way to while away the time you should be finishing that report. A lovely looking mashup of Maps and Twitter trending topics data (plus a bunch of clever geek stuff) Good contextual use of the BBC news feed as well (currently covering tweet reaction to the momentous news Chas & Dave are retiring).
A good spot via Mashable
"..Trendsmap is the loving work of Stateless Systems, creators of RetailMeNot amongst other things. This remarkable vision couldn't exist without our extraordinary software engineers, Twitter's open data policy, Google Maps, What The Trend and anyone who ever tweets..."

Telegraph online features a quote from us.


The posters, devised by M&C Saatchi, evoke the ‘guilt’ of shoppers who advice on expensive purchases such as flatscreen televisions in helpful High Street stores and then buy them cheaper online.

The self-deprecating tag line, ‘The Last Place You Want To Go’, is a nod to the store’s poor reputation for service when it used to be a High Street retailer.

Philip Slade, creative director of promotions agency t7F London, said: “As a sign of creativity it is better than the corporate whimsy that dominated so many ads last year. This could be corporate turning point for the Dixons: open and honest about what they actually are and facing up to the reality of online shopping habits.”

Olivier Blanchard : Basics Of Social Media R.O.I

A good view on the realities of getting a social media budget approved, worth noting that with the explosion in SM projects, there is a parallel increase in creative ways to explain it.

The continued rise and importance of the Socialnetworkosphere*

* = soon to be a real word, honest.

The actions of Facebook users have become too important for brands to ignore.

The temptation is to address the users1 rather than the circumstances that drive its popularity2.

Facebook is not the answer, It’s the social skill it teaches3 that brands need to understand.


1. = Theo Papitis interview in The Daily Mail Online

2. = Dr Norman Lewis on Futures-Diagnosis.com

3. = Marta Kavan of Espresso (bonafidemarketinggenius.com)

Front page of the new IPA web site with an ad for our new Account Director


There is a lot you can say about the IPA having been less than in touch with innovations in communication. But the new site that launched the other day is actually rather good. Feels a lot more like actual humans are behind the organisation from the look of the front page, unfortunately going in deeper and you are confronted by a sea of grey blocky type which is a shame. But a good change for the better. -and yes I know this post comes with full 'Glass houses' inclinations.

Augmented Reality (AR) applications launch on the iPhone.

This is going to be huge

While I have spent years getting excited by the possibilities of mobile apps like semapedia, (unlike most of my clients, who dispite my best efforts, passed on the opportunities). Now with the launch of a raft of genuine AR apps Like this from DiscoverAnywhere there appears to be a real case for commercial use. While it is true the actual audience of iPhone & Android users is really small compared with total universe of mobile (cell) phones, in time this should be the standard for 'whats that?' questions in the street. The answer being you aim your phone at the object and heh presto the phone overlays a label telling price, location, availability or simply its name.

Very interesting that Amazons tech division A9 have brought Snaptell, which basically puts Amazons prices and availability information over the top of any item you see in a shop, (currently only works in the US)

Like most people I often emerge from a station and ponder where is? (the nearest bar) having an interactive live map to overlay reality is a fantastic bit of black magic to delight. This last bit, is in my opinion, the key to any new techs ability to succeed, is it a joy to use and do you want to tell you mates about it?

Just look at the footage below of the yelp.com trial AR feature, yes you really do have to shake the phone three times for it to show the hidden button, how charming is that? -there is also a neat London Bus AR demo HERE from Presselite. The Next Web has a bit about a live tweeter layer which could see even more tourists actually being hit by buses (while tweeting), the guys at Presslite had us tracking.


(reposted from Piehead blog; www.homeslade.com)