Where We Work – the book

Last year I wrote about ‘This Aint No Disco‘, a website where creative (ad) agencies can show their often amazing offices. In 2010 their first book will come out! Check it out here.

by Ian McCallam

Uxus Office Amsterdam

 

My fav TEDxAmsterdam talks online!

On the 20th November, the very first TEDxAmsterdam took place at KIT. On their website they claim the following about the limited group of people who will be able to attend due to a strict invite only policy: “The diverse audience – CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists – is almost as extraordinary as the speakers, who have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Frank Gehry, Paul Simon, Sir Richard Branson, Philippe Starck and Bono.” I think there was an extra category created for me, namely ‘lucky bastard’.

Anyway, they finally managed to post the talk I enjoyed the most, which is Bjarke Ingels’ ‘Yes is More‘. Here you’ll also find a beautiful performance by Amsterdam singer Karsu Dönmez, love the second song. One last talk I would really recommend is photographer Hans Aarsman’s about the mysterious ways of beauty in photography

There is no such thing as useless knowledge

And that’s definitely not the case for the daily facts they put up on Learn Something Every Day. UK design agency Young is behind this website filled with funny comics with random facts. You can order the prints and t-shirts here. Cool is that you can submit your own fact at fact@learnsomethingeveryday.co.uk and they might just use it!

Since I had a very intelligent tweet about ketchup today, this one made me smile:

I love to read

Test

Daily smile

I follow the online comic Toothpaste for Dinner every day (just as the Dutch comic Fokke & Sukke). It’s always good to start the day with a smile so here’s today’s comic:

 

Talking with Asteriks - (c) Toothpaste for Dinner

Check out one of the other 2,000 comics here, or even order your own personalised comic.

 

Data is beautiful

 At least according to PLOT, Wieden + Kennedy’s (renowned ad agency for those who don’t know) own line of “contemporary jewellery, with a conceptual twist”. Lisa Prince and Nicholla Longley, both working at W+K London, noticed in their daily job that data can be presented in an aesthetical way. They decided to bring data and beauty together in the form of a jewelry line and PLOT is the result. Below for example you see a piece of jewelry which are actually the silver and oil prices from 1979-2009 when you take a closer look.

PLOT - Silver & Oil price 1979-2009PLOT - Silver and Oil Detail 1979-2009

PLOT - Silver and Oil Detail 1979-2009

 I love the concept, although the execution might need a bit more work. Of course W+K wouldn’t be so good if they didn’t know how to launch this well, so you can either visit the PLOT website, their online shop, the Facebook page or check it our irl at Beyond the Valley, Newburgh Street, Carnaby Street. Luna & Curious, Brick Lane, both in London.

 

Not just another brown bag

 

Newspaper bag by theindiashop.co.uk

Cleaning up my room made me come across a little souvenir from my Munich trip in September. I got this cute, paper bag when I bought some stuff at Aroma (great lunch place with an awesome collection of crazy gift and gadgets, must see when in Munich!). The bag is made of recycled Indian newspapers. It’s produced by a NGO which donates all income to street children around the Delhi station. Cool looking, eco-friendly, humanitarian bag, win³!

 

Got some ink

I’ve mentioned previously that I believe in the statement ‘What Goes Around Comes Around’. Well, I believe in it so much that I decided to get a WGACA tattoo. I got the font Soraya (by Jakob Nylund) through the great Copenhagen Bitchslap Magazine.

What Goes Around Comes Around ftw

What goes around comes around

I’m a firm believer in this statement, and that’s why I love the following ad by Big Ant International for Global Coalition for Peace. Great example how the form strengthens the message! Simple yet brilliant. Maybe that’s why they won the Gold Pensil for Design at the One Show Design Awards?

via Molblog

Fiat 500 by DIESEL

I love it when great brands come together and create something new! And I love it even more when it concerns a product that I absolutely adore. I’m talking about a  co-creation between two true Italian brands, namely Fiat and DIESEL.

The new Fiat 500 has been redesigned by Renzo Rosso, DIESEL’s designer. He gave the sport version of the Fiat 500 a typical look with DIESEL logo rims, special buffers and mirrors. The inside interior is partly in denim, with a funny detail being DIESEL’s typical 5th pocket on the two seats. And of course the car is available in different colours: DIESEL green, black and brown. Interested in this limited edition (10,000)? For around €15,000 you can order it online…

This ain’t no disco – it’s where we work

I recently stumbled upon a link to a very cool website called this ain’t no disco. Anyone who has had something to do with ad agencies know that their offices generally are a reflection of the creative nature of the business. This ain’t a disco gives you a peek in some of these offices, which according to the website are ” environments to nurture creativity, fun, frolics and damn right posing”. Do you work at such a place? You can actually add your own agency here. The picture below is a Dutch office called UXUS.

UXUS Office in Amsterdam