Jordan 11s release causes riot at mall.

Some mace, a few f-bombs and a bunch or rowdy shoppers all come together for some holiday cheer in Dallas. The new Nike Air Jordan Retro 11s are the hottest holiday shopping item. That's if you don't mind a little mace in da face!

Funny Hockey Commercials

Check out this great batch of TV spots for the Boston Bruins. I'm not a Bruins fan but you gotta love the insightful work that Mullen put into these spots.
My favorite one is "Respect the jersey". http://bruinshockeyrules.com/BearStuff.aspx

Target Commercial - Great Visuals and upbeat song by Crystal Antlers. Did the song inspire the TV spot?

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Launches CBTL Single serve coffee makers

It's the coolest looking single serve coffee maker, ever. It's designed by the Italians who not only know alot about coffee -- but they are pretty stylish when it comes to product design, fashion, and cars. According to our friends at Coffee Bean, the new CBTL™ is an easy to use, single serve beverage system that combines the handcrafted taste and quality that is the hallmark of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. One capsule is all you need to create a single serving. One touch is all it takes to brew fresh espresso, brewed coffee or tea. So I can get rid of my espresso maker -- and my coffee maker? I think this is going under our Xmas tree.

Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept - Very Cool!

Axe Canada Anthem with Kid Cudi Day 'N' Nite - Viral Video

Robots Read your Resume!

The 24-Step Modern Resume
According to this article put out by the Ladders, if you don't follow these rules, your resume will end up in a black hole! That's right. Unreadable by the "robot" recruiter and therefore invisible. YOU ARE INVISIBLE. And don't even get started with abbreviations, misspellings and other faux pas.

Google Images can be useful

Photo credit: Nik Daum

On a recent assignment, I was looking for an image related to shipping and sending packages. I Googled those words and came across this picture of a guy in Shanghai hauling a mountain of styrofoam on his bike. I used it for our presentation and got a great response. Now, I'm either going to have to purchase it from the bolgger I borrowed it from — or recreate it! Thanks Google Images! I could never have found this from a Stock Photo source and I had never seen anything like this before. Kinda makes me want to go to Shanghai and see more inventive, craziness like this. 

Future of Screen Technology

Sustainable Marketing Makes Sense

At Scruff we are committed to brands that have incorporated sustainable practices into the DNA of their company. For these brands it only makes sense that their marketing and advertising strategy would not only communicate their “higher purpose” but also deliver it by the most sustainable means available today.

Open publication - Free publishing - More green movement

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Commercial "There Is A Soldier In All Of Us".

Check out: The Influencers Documentary

Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today’s pop culture.

Good music will find a way to get noticed!

Movies. TV shows. Commercials. It's a bummer that CDs and the music biz are pretty much erased. But flip on the TV for the latest episode of Mad Men or... YoGabbaGabba. Yeah, you heard me — YoGabbaGabba!!! That's right. The kid's show on Nick. Good music will find a way to your eardrums!

Ever notice how Apple always seems to have super cool new music in their commercials? Opening and closing credits for movies are also a fertile ground for breaking new artists. How cool was MGMT's "Time to Pretend" at the beginning of 21? And of course, video games have usually sounded like heavy metal soundtracks from another planet... but in recent years, they are also breaking diverse new acts. Even the grocery store has access to breaking artists as they tap into satellite radio or Pandora. I'm getting excited to see what Conan does for his "house band" when his new show debuts. How can you top the Roots?

So don't be too depressed about the demise of the music business. Someone will figure out a way to make it all work. But in the meantime, crank up the TV in your kid's room.

Harley-Davidson Unleashes Marissa Miller

Harley has pounced on some great trends for the 2011 model year. The new Forty-Eight, Fat Bob, Cross Bones and the Iron 883 are all super sick retro-styled bikes. Marissa rides the Nightster, with mini-apes and blacked out chrome. The rebirth of the brand to a new breed of riders! Harley is on a very cool new vibe and the 18-35 newbies will be very impressed with the direction of the brand. Go Harley!

POM Wonderful: Mythological or Factual?

I love the advertising for POM Wonderful. Kudos to the creative teams who crafted these Malcolm McDowell voiced ads. In light of the FTC and FDA bearing down on them, they have managed to create an interesting story around an anti-oxident filled fruit juice that is priced like it might actually have mythical properties. Modern science or cool marketing fluff? Maybe a little bit of both but I wish the FDA would get rid of other crap like Enzite or the guys who let the national egg supply get tainted with Salmonella.

The no frills approach to burgers.

Japananese McDonald's is launching a generic restaurant concept called "Quarter Pounder".

Super generic packaging, minimalist decor, and only two-items on the  menu. Yes, the "Quarter Pounder Restaurant" may appear to be some cool elitist hot spot but hang on a sec... apparently the McDonalds' marketing machine is in high gear promoting the concept. The "Quarter Pounder Big Secret" campaign utilizes viral online marketing, street teams, and other bizarre stuff that only the Japanese can explain.

Big Secret? Yeah, we only sell Quarter Pounders!!! Ha ha... so funny!

Converse has the coolest website.

www.converse.com

Okay, it's pretty obvious that I love the shoes... but the website really blew me away. Lots of cool features -- lots of great new product. Check out the "you might also like this" feature too.
Here's my design for a sick pair of shoes that would be right at home around the venu design office.

Spike Lee in da house!

This is in the Venu Offices in El Segundo, California. Check out these original poster comps from Nike Design circa 1990-ish.

This is the coolest poster ever...

Fresh and Easy Gets Fresh Ads

The Fresh and Easy Outdoor Advertising Campaign informs shoppers of the great values and super awesome products at Fresh and Easy. Thanks to the wunder kids at Deutsch LA -- this ad campaign really hits it on the head. Now if we could only figure out a way to eliminate all of those stupid Lap-Band billboards...

Don Froth & Hunter at the Kogi Truck

This is Julian and Hunter hanging at the Kogi Korean BBQ truck on Abbott Kinney in Venice. Julian is now up in San Francisco doing big time design for Levi's. Hunter will be up in SF in the fall to attend Academy of Art. Looks like we'll be spending some time up there too.

Big Client Presentation

new office entrance

night view

just another day at the office...

Okay, so it might be sort of obvious what I'm working on?

I Googled "Best Album Covers"

and this was one of the images that popped up...

Best T-shirt @ Threadless

Check out all the crazy stuff at Threadless.com
they let users upload designs and then "we the people" vote on the best shirts -- and they make 'em. Very fun, social media, art and commerce idea.
Look closely at this shirt -- it looks like something I might have done in high school.

The Coolest Art for your iPhone, Laptop or Gaming Console

Check out the insane "wraps" created by some of the best artists in the world.

https://www.gelaskins.com/browse.php

DIRECTV must be loving this.

Comcast changes name to xfinity. Hmmm. I'm guessing they didn't do any focus groups on this? I mean, maybe the bulk of revenue comes from the porn channels and they just want to be transparent about it. Otherwise, uhhh... it's a bit odd.

Fresh & Easy retool product mix.

Okay, let's face it. The Fresh & Easy Raisin Bran was like cardboard flakes and rock hard bits of raisin-like things. So it's no surprise that they decided to let the tried and true national brands occupy that shelf space. In time they may be able to sneak the private label cereal back on the shelves, but they better make sure it's better than the Post and General Mills -- or forget about it.

The "Good Morning" cereal -- a healthy looking wheat flake mix was still around as well as the Honey Oats. Hopefully the other Fresh & Easy private label products can endure or else the secret to success will be lost in the grocery wars and the sneaky Wal Mart beast will be upon us.

to see more about Fresh & Easy -- check out www.freshandeasy.com

or check out the design director at www.venuinteractive.com

American Apparel seeks “Best Bottom in the World”

Go Daddy gets their Super Bowl spot banned. Carl's Junior features Kim Kardashian eating a salad in the bubble bath. And now this...

The “Best Bottom in the World” search from American Apparel, nice.

from Flavor Pill

http://flavorwire.com/65960/the-fully-monty-casting-american-apparel-models

iPad? Really? Do you think they used a focus group on that name?

I mean, it sort of makes sense — but what happened to "iTablet" or "iSlate". The tampon jokes are floating around the office here today. iPad? Really?

PEPSI Refreshes Everything.

It's a cool idea. I mean, not very many brands have figured out how to be relevant in the social media space. Sure you can throw up a facebook page or get your intern to do some tweets but this is a really BIG idea. Of course "Cause Marketing" is the emotional hook here. Let's give money to people who will change the world. And make it a better place. All that Superbowl money might actually benefit mankind if put to use in the right way. A 'Help Desk' for low income families to get healthcare. An art project to mend the broken city of Detroit. Rerfesh Everything is funding ideas that are submitted and voted on their website. Check it out.

http://www.refresheverything.com/

Fun at the ADDY's in Seattle

Ahhh. Cold Air, hot coffee and good beer. Seattle put out it's best creative for the annual ADDY's this year and yes... there was some really cool stuff. Clever ideas, funny spots and sweet design. Oh yeah, nice judging panel -- and great hosts. Thanks George!

http://www.addyseattle.com

HELP HAITI. Send a text.

Texting is a very quick and easy way to get it done. It's so easy. Wow, this might go on record as the biggest text "giving" campaign ever. We've all seen the advertising community attempting to harness the power of twitter and texting. It seems like cause marketing creates the most emotional response that gets people motivated to reach out. Check out the Red Cross or The United Way. (see below)

Red Cross: text message "HAITI" to 90999 and make a $10 donation to support the American Red Cross Haiti relief efforts. Donations will appear on customers' monthly bills or be debited from a prepaid account balance. Message and data rates may apply. To opt-out, send "STOP" to 90999. To see the terms applicable to donations, please visit www.mgive.com/A. Receipts for donations are available at www.mgive.org/receipt.

* The United Way also is accepting donations. Go to liveunited.org or call 1-866-404-5826. People also can make a $5 donation by texting "HAITI" to 864833 (United

Walmart steps up their grocery section.

The vastly improved grocery section of the Wal Mart Supercenter looks a little bit like the high end Tesco's in London. They have displays that look like a farmer's market and wide aisles with polished concrete floors and warm warehouse lighting. Very clever. You would never think you were in a dreaded Wal Mart. The fresh produce and bread looked really good. I was completely spellbound as I ran around with my grocery cart. The game has changed and the guys at Wal Mart are leading the charge. They featured locally grown produce as well as fresh lettuce from California and grapes from South Africa. So what was I doing in Manchester, MO? Good question...

Oh Pepsi, Oh Pepsi! Wherefore art thou?

According to a report in Ad Age, Pepsi confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that it would focus on its coming "Pepsi Refresh Project," (a social responsibility campaign) which has a heavy emphasis on digital media. The beverage maker will bypass the big game for the first time in 23 years. Uhh, Facebook, you rock! Let's see if this trend starts to take over in 2010.

Avatar is the Billion Dollar Baby for James Cameron

James Cameron's science-fiction epic Avatar had another stellar weekend with $68.3 million in North America (U.S.), shooting past $1 billion worldwide, only the fifth movie ever to hit that mark.

Damn, this guy is good. With Avatar closing in on No. 2 film The Return of the King, Cameron is in striking distance of having the two top-grossing movies globally.