Blog Mesh

A number of random updates, observations and congratulations.

Firstly, a round of applause for my sister J who completed the Knysna Forest Marathon (21km) on Saturday. Well done sis! If I'm still running regularly this time next year maybe we can do it together - ok, stop laughing already. I designed her this t-shirt for the event.

A photo album from yesterday's Party In The Park is up. Taken with my Casio because I was expecting more of a rock concert vibe, but it turned out to be more like a giant (100 000 people) picnic, with a huge stage featuring the biggest names in pop for a radio. Unless I had Golden Circle clearance, I too wouldn't go again, which doesn't imply that it wasn't a good time. It just lacked that vibe. I avoided getting sunburnt (it's not often you buy Sunblock over here) but I found a nasty cold which I'm currently nursing. Now to decide if I should buy a ticket for the Reading/Leeds Fest which takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Check that line-up!

Word of the week?
microsleep. noun. A brief period (usually only a few seconds) in which the brain enters a sleep state regardless of the activity the person is performing at the time.
Characterised by the familiar head-nod action. I haven't microslept since I started freelancing full-time; I used to do it daily on the tubes on my way home. How blind!

More words you probably aren't familiar with. Personal favourites include: male answer syndrome, technosexual (females can't be technosexual?), jump the shark, butt call, egosurfing.

MTN's redesigned website. *breaks for mental fit and then settles down to write something constructive*. Well, it might be nice - if it worked in browsers other than the repeatedly-proven flawed IE. Their application of standard-compliancy sadly starts and ends with their XHTML Strict Doctype, after that the site layout falls apart. I've e-mailed them about the issue, although I suspect (and hope) that they'll receive a number of similar complaints. It does look smooth in the browser it was designed for though.

I wonder if I've found potential for a new business model. The pay-off line will read something like "We tell you how much your website sux. You give us money."

Lastly, via Biz-community: New Sprite ad (download).

Greg Gray of Velocity Films has delivered another edgy piece of cinematography with the new Sprite commercial directed for agency Ogilvy & Mather RSTM.

The ad is a clever portrayal of young white boys pretending to have grown up in the "hood" and acting like the archetypal rappers but not quite cutting it. The big clothes, big car and bling bling is made all the more transparent by their bad ass rapping...

The public respond:

"Unless you are into hip-hop or have lived in the Bronx, you won't understand that ad. I blame the agency."

"it's also a stolen idea - smirnoff ice did it in the US over a year ago."

"Hardly edgy more like tired, why do we always have to emulate Americans, what do WE do back here in SA that could have atleast been potrayed. All agencies seem to aspire to be americans. chicken licken, hansa pilsener to name but a few all have voice overs in american accents and american culture now Sprite is boring us to death,get a life people you are in Mzantsi.I'm young and open minded but this has really gone too far."

I respond: Pretty fly (for a white guy).

While over at gapingvoid: the ad biz.