Festive Musings

There was more than a bad hangover lingering after our Christmas party on Thursday night.

For some unknown reason this ‘decorative piece’remains in our boardroom…

Famous Objects from Classic Movies

Here’s a great new game called Famous Objects From Classic Movies.
You’ve to guess which movie each object comes from. I challenge you not to get addicted!

Bairbre

Pukka

I remember seeing Jamie Oliver interviewed around the time of his first TV show. He told a story about a big, tattooed bloke who shouted across the street, “Oi! Jamie!”, and started walking towards him. Jamie’s initial, and understandable, thought was that he was going to get abused, verbally and possibly physically. But low and behold the man in question reached out his hand and said (along the lines of) “I cooked your linguini for the missus. She loved it. Nice one”. So, did Jamie single handedly make cooking cool? I certainly think the modern celeb chefs have a lot to thank him for. Before him, Delia was the queen of culinary entertainment. She made it accessible and homely, but not what you would consider cool. The other chefs on the telly at the time, Gary Rhodes and Rick Stein for example, tried their best to bring more entertainment, but still maintained that crisp, chefs coat exterior. And it often felt like they were trying too hard (Ainsley anyone). It was still about instruction, not experience. OK, Keith Ffloyd certainly stands outside of these, but Ffloyd was not a chef, he was a reporter, turned army lieutenant, turned failed restaurant owner who made very successful and fun travel programmes with food in them. In this case it was all about the experience.
Jamie brought youth and fun to cooking. And also the right balance between instruction and experience. You wanted to be hanging out in that kitchen with your mates, eating good food and having a beer. What is interesting of course is that all this was realised by a TV producer who read the trends, saw a gap and happened to see Jamie in a brief snippet from the River Cafe TV series. Marketing savvy people formed and directed Jamie, which helped create the mega brand he is today.
So why the blog? Well the latest addition to the Jamie Oliver Brand juggernaut is, as it turns out, a juggernaut. The truck will be bringing the Food Revolution message all across the states using its eight kitchen stations and an inflatable band shell. Brands do grow up, sliding down railings gets replaced with serious food issues, but rock and roll never dies…not if you have a tour bus like this.

This winter as I enviously followed people wrapped up in their warm/water-proof jackets, I was reminded of exactly what brand I should be wearing!

Putting The North Face logo on the back of the shoulder is an example of really collaborative branding and design thinking.

Margaret

Remade in Switzerland

Rarely do you come across a product whose website is as stunningly executed as it is itself. ‘Remade in Switzerland’ is the fashion label of UK designer Christopher Ræburn. His collection is constructed from re-appropriated Swiss military fabrics such as sleeping bags, parachutes, blankets, and wool coats—some as old as 60 years. Each item is a limited-edition of 100 pieces. I can’t tell whether it’s the clothes or the website that’s the reason I want one of everything. Check out the video below…

Shane

Kinetica Press Campaign

Here’s our latest work for Kinetica.
It’s a UK press campaign, photographed by Rich Gilligan, starring Tommy Bowe, Stephen Ferris, Bryan Keane, Sinéad Beasley and a lot of blue body paint.
Pat and Patrick are down in our agency gym pumping iron as I type.

Bairbre

Not a giant Smurf.

Vote Bavaria?

Hidden out there, among the Election posters fastened to every available surface, lies a campaign for Bavaria lager. It blends in so well you may not yet have found it. It features Mickey Rourke sitting at a bar, a pint of Bavaria in hand. He looks well-hard, nearly as frightening as Mannix Flynn (which is quite some achievement).

It urges us to Vote Rourke No 1, hoping that the 18-25 year old men of this country will spoil their vote and elect instead to change their beer brand. At such a serious time for the country, the merits of such an approach are questionable, but even if you take the campaign as much-needed levity at election time –should the posters be so hard to find among the clutter?

Rory