Ho Ho Ho Hovis

I seriously cannot believe nobody has thought of this idea before.

It's so damn obvious.

Then again most big ideas usually are.

It just takes someone with fresh eyes to spot them.

Love your work

I know it says designers but I think we all know this graph applies to anyone who gets paid to come up with ideas for a client.

And yet we all continue to turn up to work and re-live this graph over and over again.

Are we all mad?

Or do we simply love what we do no matter what?

Simon Sinek talks and talks

Simon Sinek is one of those names that pops up regularly in my Linkedin feed.

He's a smart guy with smart things to say about work and the workplace.

His chat with Debbie Millman is well worth putting on your iPod for your commute to work. 

Great print copy lives!

Good to see a powerful headline in print is no longer a thing of the past.

The ad's by Adelaide agency KWP!

Took me back to my early days in advertising when ads like this really got me pushing my thinking.

New John Lewis sails in

 Simply beautiful work by Adam&Eve DDB. I'd like to add a personal opinion but really there's nothing more to say except click the pics for a better look.

The Giant Crumpet Show

Shudder to think what it cost to get The Muppets for the ad. But man oh man it was worth every penny. 

Run run run

Great song. Great writing. Great job Nike. 

McDonalds everywhere

Every time I look at this McDonalds home delivery ad it sends shivers down my spine.

And not in a good way.

McDonalds is everywhere. And a lot of people love it.

But the sight of those Golden Arches in beautiful old streets always gets me down.

So you can imagine how I feel looking at this press ad by DDB Vienna. 

Give the gift of home

Very touching spot for an air freshener.

Yes you read that right. An air freshener.

Well I guess if anyone can crack that brief Droga5 NYC can.

Good to see it also involves a partnership with Habitat For Humanity to help benefit families and their homes.

Things I wish I'd said

This is a very long book.

Not exactly sure how many pages.

Probably because every time you turn a page another is added at the back of the book.

So how 'bout you put your copy of the book down.

And go make something happen. 

Avoid #GiftFace

 I'm one of those people who is notoriously difficult to buy gifts for.

What can I say. I'm a man of well considered taste.

Suffice to say I am appallingly bad at hiding my disappointment in a gift.

Which may explain why I love the Harvey Nichols #GiftFace campaign.

It's by the always reliable Adam&Eve DDB.

There's a nice tv spot too. You can find it on YouTube.

Creative horror stories

Bit late for Halloween but perfect for Friday 13th.

How good are these client comments re-imagined as title screens from old horror movies?

They're by a design agency called Serious Studio based in Manila.

You can see more fun stuff on their Instagram.

Lack of govt vision

Spotted this conversation on Twitter over the weekend.

If you don't know her Martha Lane Fox was co-founder of LastMinute.com and is a very high profile speaker and thinker on all matters internet in the UK.

Judging by the conversation playing out I'd say the UK government is as shortsighted as the Australian one when it comes to a national broadband network.

Given the rapid rise of China over the last few years. Plus the continued growth of India. I'd say there's a strong possibility that Australia and the UK will be third world countries by the time my kids are my age.

Pretty sad really. 

Kate Spade & a girl from Girls

I have a real soft spot for the Kate Spade brand. I love it's kooky kitsch vibe.

Which may explain why I'm a sucker for this short film for the brand.

As well as Kate Spade regular Anna Kendrick it also features my favourite girl from Girls - Zosia Mamet.

Keep an eye out for the very clever plug for Uber.

And I can't tell you how happy I am to finally know how to pronounce Zosia properly. 

Chatting to Michael Beirut

Terrific episode of the Design Matters podcast with Debbie Millman chatting to esteemed designer Michael Beirut. 

The timepiece template

If there's one thing Dr Draper understands it's what makes people (especially men) spend five grand on a watch when the shops are full of timepieces for under a hundred bucks. Genius I tell ya!

KitKat Mr Bond?

Phone colour

It's easy to think that the fetishisation of the phone is a relatively new phenomenon. Obviously it's not. 

Look after your beer'd

Just in time for Movember. Beer enhanced shaving products from Carlsberg. I imagine these could quite possibly be the best shaving products in the world. 

Don't go changin'

Get your years right

I wrote about the importance of attention to detail in an earlier post today.

Whoever made this ad obviously has no interest in it.

If they did they'd have chosen a Stones song from 1972 rather '78.

They might also have used the Cuervo bottle from '72 as well.

But hey. What would I know!? 

Attention to detail

I've always been an attention to detail kinda guy. Which may explain why i loved this 20 minute film so much. Pretty sure you'll enjoy it too!