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UK's Channel 4 Explores Sunnier Side of Islam

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Channel 4 enlisted London-based doctor Farrah Jarral and filmmaker Masood Khan to discover what it calls "the sunnier side of Islam." (Not to be confused for the Sunnier Side of Truth, which is slightly more musical.) The pair went out to meet 500 men named Osama over the course of 50 days. Each was asked the question, "What do you love?"

This Osama loves freedom and that Osama loves life, family, photography, friends, snow, skate, surf, music, art, "being me" and flashing gangsta-gangsta peace signs.

See more at the Osama Loves website. This one is probably my favorite. He ought to be bearing a sign that screams "Osama loves CUTE OVERLOAD!"

by Angela Natividad    Aug-20-08   Comments (1)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Guerilla, Packaging

After all that Fasting, Pop Open an Ice-Cold Ramadan Coke.

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Tailor a piece of Americana to your global village!

Coca-Cola's chosen ATTIK to help interpret its brand across a number of events: for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, for Coke's Christmas 2008 effort, and for Ramadan in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Morocco, Tunisia, and other countries with a great many Muslims.

At left is the official Ramadan packaging, courtesy of ATTIK/Leeds. Tell me that doesn't make you feel more pious.

by Angela Natividad    Aug-18-08   Comments (5)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Packaging, Strange

World Peace Finally Gets Just Desserts

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To honor the legacy of John Lennon, Ben & Jerry's have launched Imagine Whirled Peace, an ice cream flavor loaded with toffee cookies and fudge peace signs.

Upload shots of yourself in a peace mosaic at the Imagine subsite. (You know, like the song. Note Lennon specs on twitchy cow.) The ice cream company also partnered with The Lennon Estate and Peace One Day to host a bed-in, nodding to Lennon and Yoko Ono's lavishly-covered bed-in for peace -- a golden opportunity to lie around all day, preach peace, and play King and Queen Meet Lowly Serfs with scandalized reporters and photographers.

More here about how Ben & Jerry's poaches the Baby Boomers by canonizing idols with frozen treats. Frankly though, I've always been the Phish Food kind.

by Angela Natividad    Aug-15-08   Comments (1)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Celebrity, Online, Packaging, Strange

Evian Shrinks, True Blood Examined, Multimap Lets the Pigeons In

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- It's targeted you with limited-edition designer bottles and luxury facial sprays. Now Evian wants your kids. Introducing Evian Les Petits!

- Greenwich aspires to seize the spotlight as soon as it's off Beijing.

- Microsoft UK's Multimap uses pigeons to promote its "bird's eye view" feature. Created by digital agency LBi, it marks the first time Multimap has used cartoons to advertise.

- Check out the Word Clock typographic screensaver, which one Bos AD thinks is the "coolest screensaver EVER." It's pretty cool. Kind of like UNIQLOCK without the girls, or the music, or the colors.

- If you're following HBO's online campaign for True Blood, you should catch this 3-minute Ad Age video about virals. True Blood premieres September 7. Dude, sometimes it sucks to not have cable.

by Angela Natividad    Aug-15-08   Comments (1)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Packaging, Promotions, Strange

Because Even Religious Paraphernalia is Fair Game

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Some guy who makes Presidential kippahs is experimenting with a John Edwards "cheater" kippah. But he's not sure if he really wants to sell them because he read The Secret and doesn't want to send negative energy into the universe.

Go help him make up his mind.

by Angela Natividad    Aug-14-08   Comments (1)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Online, Packaging, Political, Strange

Bottle Art Won't Make You Cooler. But If You're Already on a Modding-Spree, It Can't Hurt.

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When last we reviewed Mountain Dew's Green Label Art project, its trussed-up bottles were gleaning inspiration from mean tattoos and revisiting their hillbilly roots with artist Peat Wollaeger.

The bottle art in Green Label Art Volume 2 is slicker and more computer-graphicksy. There's also a batch of new proteges on call, including Mike Sutfin, who's done artwork for Dungeons & Dragons and skate brands like DC; and Mark Smith, CD at Jordan (yes, THE Jordan) Brand.

Smith's bottle design, Happy Heads, almost matches my Macbook Gelaskin (now with matching iPhone skins!). Beverage + tech coordination = total identification with the idle style aristocracy. Modding every item in your Muji bag may not send you to heaven, but it will distinguish you from the other cafe/cubicle cogs that also use Macs, own iPhones and drink cold beverages. And getting a foot in front of them is about as close to heaven as you can get if you're alive, agnostic, overpaid and insecure.

View galleries and artist videos, or create your own bottle art at the website (tutorial here).

by Angela Natividad    Aug-11-08   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Celebrity, Consumer Created, Packaging, Trends and Culture

Cactus Prick Gets Girl Knocked Up, 50 Cent Sues Taco Bell, Kanye West Champions Healthy Self-Image

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- The Social Path drew our attention to this perplexing Oasis ad where a girl gets knocked up by a cactus -- not for its own sake, but to justify half-assed Myspace campaigns.

- 50 Cent is upset with Taco Bell. Yeah well, we are too.

- Support your Presidential contender of choice with a handy-dandy kippah. Goes with everything.

- This is kind of neat. By the way, save water.

- Just what you need: a Samsung Instinct miniseries.

- Kanye West helps improve self-esteem. With vodka. But you probably already know that trick, don't you?

- Philippe Starck and BBC Two are doing an Apprentice-style series called School of Design. "Vous etes fired." Heh.

by Angela Natividad    Jul-25-08   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Celebrity, Commercials, Online, Packaging, Political, Strange, Video

No, Cinnamon Sticks are Not Made of Sweet 'N Low.

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Healthy Food Brands is reintroducing the Sweet 'N Low candy line. Chadwick Communications was selected to spread the word, so it created a print ad campaign that I guess makes the candy look low-fat yet saucy.

"Light my fire" is at left, and here's "Get off my cloud."

"Sweetened with isomalt and acesulfame potassium." LOL.

by Angela Natividad    Jul-24-08   Comments (1)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Magazine, Packaging

University Of Phoenix Allies Itself to Bloggers

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Awhile ago, The Economist published an article about digital nomads, a growing class of workers that aren't anchored to an office. (Typically they're anchored to wi-fi, possibly the cruelest micro-manager of all.) People like this now constitute 30 percent of the US workforce.

I don't think most people think all-online professions are very realistic ("Clearly she's a trustafarian!"), so articles like The Economist's are a big step toward legitimizing them to pinstriped peers and bummed-out parents.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jul- 9-08   Comments (2)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Good, Online, Packaging

What's That? It's a Phone Charger, Powered By My Mooooves.

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European mobile carrier Orange has launched a phone charger powered by dance energy.

"The Orange Dance Charge is the result of months of research into alternate, sustainable energy sources to power mobile phones during summer music festivals," says the pressie with a straight face.

The unit was developed with help from GotWind, whose unfortunate name refers to renewable energy research, not the thing that happens when you pull Uncle's finger. The charger's system of weights and magnets provides an electrical current when a person flails about.

Orange Dance Charge was tested at the Glastonbury Festival last month. A promotional Dance Charging Man helped newbs charge phones in exchange for a dance.

Yeah, I've fallen for that one before. Just one dance, baby ... and I'll give you a charge, all right.

by Angela Natividad    Jul- 9-08   Comments (1)    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Cause, Events, Good, Mobile/Wireless, Packaging, Promotions, Strange

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