HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THAT ALL BACK IN?

A proper plumber never brings more than he needs.

ADVERTISING - Print campaign by Bates United, Oslo.

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SIGHT UNSEEN

Sight Unseen 'takes readers inside the worlds of design, art, fashion, food, photography, and other creative disciplines. Through revealing interviews, first-person accounts, and behind-the-scenes documentation of process, Sight Unseen uncovers the stories, inspirations, and obsessions of people who love to make things'.

The photography on the site is just as pleasing as the editorial content - www.sightunseen.com

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FOR ALL YOUR HEAVYWEIGHT SHIPMENTS

ADVERTISING - DHL billboard by Ogilvy & Mather, Makati City, Philippines.

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THE FIVE DOLLAR COMPARISON

FINANCE - The Nokia design team poses the interesting question, 'What can you buy for $5?' The project aims to "explore the relative value of five dollars we are collecting examples from around the world by asking people to submit photos of objects or services that cost the equivalent of $5".

There are some really interesting examples of what $5 can get you. Above, a two colour screen by entitled 'Free' by Mike Perry. Below, Strawberries going cheap in a grocery store in Japan as they're too ripe to keep any longer.

Click here to go to The Five Dollar Comparison site.

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MINI ME - DOVER STREET MARKET GOES POCKET SIZED

RETAIL - Our favourite retail space Dover Street Market (DSM) has teamed up with the Reload space within the St. Martins Lane hotel. The space has been dubbed Dover Street Market Xtra Small. What we like most about the space is how they have used photographs of the full size DSM to decorate the space and recreated to feel of the full size DSM.

Products that will be stocked in the space are Comme des Garçons Shirt, Dover Street Market label, Comme des Garçons’ perfume, Wallet and PLAY collections and other little goodies. The space will be open from 12.00 to 22.00 until 7th January 2010.

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THE FIELD HOUSE

RETAIL - One of our favourite retailers has extended their network of retail spaces. Blackbird has recently opened The Field House, located in Seattle. The store will be stocking the likes of Pendleton, Woolrich Woolen Mills, April 77, Filson, Bee Raw Honey and Cire Trudon.

The story behind the space is:

"the field house is reminiscent of general stores that were once at the heart of rural towns across America. Its shelves are stocked with a wide variety of merchandise, including classic work wear, vintage goods, basic groceries and candies, flowers, and perfumes and candles. It captures the history, geography, and folklore of times past, when goods were less disposable and had more meaning, a time when people canned their own food and took a moment to converse with strangers."

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WHERE DID GOOGLE COME FROM?

TECHNOLOGY - This 2minute 13 second video takes you on a whistle stop tour of the history of the little known company called Google. If you watch the video you can find out what Google was first called... I have no doubt that it will be a question in a pub quiz, if it isn't already.

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FAO SCHWARZ

Better rewards, better kid.

Better rewards, better kid.

ADVERTISING - New York based advertising agency Gang Of One created these fantastic print campaigns for FAO Schwarz the American toy retailer.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUNGE BOHEMIA

GRAPHIC DESIGN - When the owner of my favourite bar in London, Lounge Bohemia, called to let me know about their second birthday party, I couldn't wait for the invite to follow.

Without doubt, Lounge Bohemia serves the best cocktails in London; they vary from the best Old Fashioned you could ever imagine passing your lips to molecular concoctions.

The invite arrived, delivered by hand, which was a great touch. Given the postal strikes most invites that we have been sent are arriving about two weeks late. It came in a Czechoslovakian urine sample tube. I'm not sure how this relates to the party... maybe I don't want to know.

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THE WEAK SHOP

ADVERTISING - There's nothing we like more than an advertising campaign created around a funny little product. So when we saw this effort by DDB, Canada for the BC Dairy Foundation we were in awe.

The Weak Shop sells products aimed at people who don't have the energy to go about their daily lives and need a little help. Our favorite product is towel clothing; it's something that would certainly benefit some of our contributors. Also, if you think you can do better you can submit your own ideas for a product to The Weak Shop here, the competition closes on February 1, 2010.

This campaign certainly contains all five key elements needed for success:

1. Simplicity
2. Reflective of the values of the brand and/or product
3. Memorable
4. Playful
5. Collaboration

If you buy anything from The Weak Shop, they will throw in two pints of milk [in bottles, we hope].

I wonder what my first purchase will be... That's if I have the strength to complete the purchase.

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THE FUTURE

PHOTOGRAPHY - Styling by Webster + Stokes photography by David Sykes.

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UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR

Get a world view. Read The Economist.

ADVERTISING - This billboard for The Economist by BBDO, New York, no doubt resonates with the readership and reflects the global nature of magazine's editorial content.

Thumbs up from us.

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I THINK YOU'RE WONDERFUL

GRAPHIC DESIGN - The good things in life are not free, they actually cost £1 and are designed by Supermundane and if the postmen decide to do some work one might well drop through your letterbox (provided you are wonderful, obviously.)

The postcards are available at Present Joys - if you email them the details of your suitably fantastic recipient and the message you wish to communicate with them, they'll send the little beauty for you. Perfect for all those lazy buggers out there.

We wont take credit for finding this gem, Fever Zine gave us the heads up.

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BOUNCE TO POGO

MUSIC - The first time we heard Pogo's mesmerizing beats we were in awe. Pogo makes his beats by 'recording small sounds from a single film or scene and sequencing them to form a new piece of music.' In essence a simple idea, but the execution is anything but. The tracks are emotionally filled masterpieces with hooks, melodies and riffs that get your head nodding.

If you want to give it a go the equipment Pogo uses is 'Adobe Audition for sampling, FLStudio for sequencing and Sony Vegas for video editing.'

It's no surprise that the film and music industries have taken offence to the inspiring aural and visual creativity of Pogo. Sony Pictures Entertainment contacted the artist claiming that 'Bangarang', a rework of the Steven Spielberg film 'Hook' with some added bass and cymbals, was an infringement of their copyright.

You should check out his YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/Fagottron. Our personal favourites are Alice [featured above], Expialidocious and Bangarang.

ENJOY

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IT'S NICE THAT ISSUE 2

PUBLISHING - Despite all the problems with the Royal Mail at present they delivered the new issue of It's Nice That's bi-annual on time yesterday. Perhaps they realised the brilliance that was enclosed in the thoughtfully stamped brown box?

A real treat for illustration fans with not only a beautiful Rob Ryan print slipped inside the front cover but also a cracking Tom Gauld postcard, complete with hand written thanks from the It's Nice That gents themselves.

The issue acts as a great reminder of the service that It's Nice That provides - similar to the Now That's What I Call Music albums during the early nineties - but all killer [design] without the filler.
Bill Freeman