Media Futures Conference 2008 - tidying up the loose ends

One of the problems with racing from one project to another is you often leave a few loose ends. Nico Macdonald (pulled MFC08 together and acted as genial host) has encouraged me to place links to my slides and images etc. My SLIDES here (also on slideshare) Flickr set HERE, Me in action HERE, Great bit on 'free' web from Alan Patrick at BroadsightHERE. More notes HERE.

Two points from the conference still on my mind.

1. The non-liberating effect of technology in communications. In other words the lack of mass availability, understanding or affordability rather than what any box or service can actually do.

2. Why do at least three speakers at every technology conference talk about their kids using DVD players?

conferance stories MFC08

Odd multi tasking audience. -final session under way.
People here are on Twitter (passing notes in class) some posting to flickr (hand drawn sign 'this is dull') others blogging including video streaming from each talk.
Which gives me the overall impression no one is actually listening to any of the speakers.
My Talk went ok, short round of applause, a bunch of questions and 14 minutes later I was off. -good experience all in all, including some one passing me a note to say i was the best dressed person here (stuff the technology feel the cloth)

Media Futures Conference 2008

This post during first coffee break, Just heard Dr Brian Winston. Professor of Communications University of Lincoln. He spoke about known knowns and unknowns in relation to technology and change. A neat theory that generated a bunch of questions from the floor of extremely variable standard. A good strand was about seeing the pace of change in society verse's its ability to embrace democracy.

Yes, that is sand on the floor!

Yes, that is sand on the floor!, originally uploaded by t7F London.

Bar Show 2008. Who needs contract carpets when you can call Wickes

Heros and villians

fiona & philip, originally uploaded by t7F London.

fiona & philip

BAR Show today

Woop Woop.
www.barshow.co.uk

Neat illustrator

Austin Shaw seems a talented chap, despite his fondness for jazz I really like his work.

A pink Golddigga and The Winking Willy

gd_car_Scarb_Wink, originally uploaded by t7F London.

Scarborough, where else? -its also Philip's home town.

A brand that really cares for its customers

Not quite broken down, yet., originally uploaded by piehead.

The AA, Coming to the rescue whether you have a car or not!

Is that pink enough sir?

Our golddigga Q7 had its first outing at the Radio1 Big Weekend. What you might call rather pink. Due to be seen (hopefully) all over the UK this summer. Jamie at Carisma Automotive did the business with a vinyl wrap.
While Fiona was driving it down she was approached by the Highway patrol at a service station who remarked '...what a fantastic vehicle you have...' we're still debating whether that was irony or not.

Cans Festival Waterloo

, originally uploaded by piehead.

My Flickr set HERE of The Cans street stencil event last weekend. Video of event HERE

woooah, sun!

Today is going to be a good day, originally uploaded by t7F London.

Today we'll be mainly working with the window open! -aircons not back on after its winter hibernation

Find your self

Now this is cool, an aggregator that actually works. Type any term or phrase to see a comprehensive list of its mentions across the web. Fab for research, but even better for checking how often your own name crops up across the net!

Starbucks innovation?

Bland Paul McCartney CD's aside, Starbucks is on something of an reinvention frenzy right now. The new iphone 'order and pay' system is rather neat. Considering the efforts the brand is putting into 'keeping it real' I really think that technological innovation is a better route than trying to re-invent its folksy past. There has been a huge amount written about how the brand was going to refocus and better understand its heritage. BUT the brand can't walk away from the strong feelings it imparts across Europe. It is an American brand. Unlike the blandness of Costa or the almost Italian of Nero's. Starbucks is a grown up corporation, albeit in jeans. I certainly would be warmer towards the outlets if they pushed technological innovation over a reworked pseudo Friends 'local'
Design of iphone interface shown on:

GENOCO by Phil Lu. All Rights Reserved. | contact@genoco.com

Great illustration

Fits the mood of today, a very sunny outlook. Brand Nu ( Radim Mallinic ) represented by Jellylondon

few words many slides

Big debate in the office right now over Powerpoint presentations. Single words and a bunch of images from Flickr or blocks of type with a few words picked out. The beauty of the latter is not having to prepare a separate handout - however I do like the drama of a single word slide. Two examples below. The first (How brands are built) with loads of text per slide that somehow still works and another (The future of ...) a triumph of sparseness. Finally I have put a link to one of the best presentations on presentations I have seen in a long while.

| View | Upload your own

| View | Upload your own

| View | Upload your own

The futures bright, the futures yellow.

Working with a couple of fashion stylist's / designers. CHECKINIT. Completely barking in the best possible way. So much energy you have to limit meeting times to 20 minutes or you are left exhausted. Huge fun however.

Best use of small space?

Fresh and Green, originally uploaded by t7F London.

Fresh and Green had a really clean, uncluttered (but very small) space at the Natural & Organic show*.

In amongst all the alternative snack bars (all taste like straw) and very earnest producers were the F&G stand. Really stood out with a clear message.

*Olympia 13-14 April

Hug Your Pet

OOh go on, you know you want to. We launched a fab set of sites today for our client Merial.

Hug Your Dog
Hug Your Cat

Its all a bit of a cute overload - as well as being rather a neat way to talk about a dull subject (flea and tick prevention)
We based the whole thing on doing the one thing you can't do if you don't look after your pets coat - give it a great big hug.
We Added a photo competition and other links for stickiness. The photo gallery features the puppy that I'm thinking of getting (my first ever dog!)

Suzie Halewood

The very lush look of our Fresh and Green TV spot is all down to Suzie Halewood.
A very top lady who came with both an amazing camera team and lighting guys.
She has just finished a feature called Bigga Than Ben starring Ben Barnes and Andrei Chadov. A jolly tale of how to rip off London. Based on the infamous book of the same name.