THE WAY IT IS

The Way It Is Is No Longer The Way It Is

2011-11-16T13:16:00.001+02:00

Have started blogging again and until it takes over this domain you can check it out at social marketeer.co.za/

Please bare with me. There is still a lot of work to be done on it. Let me know what you think, criticism is always appreciated.

Cheers

Adidas is All in

2011-03-18T14:03:00.001+02:00

This video is pretty wild! Enjoy!

Coffee Cup Advertising

2011-03-07T13:00:00.000+02:00

Probably been around for a while but I've only just discovered it. Pretty cool use of advertising space.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

The Bieber Gets Shot

2011-02-28T09:50:00.000+02:00

I understand that the news is possibly some of the most exciting you could have hoped for on a Monday morning. Finally you feel life can return to normal and the Bieber fever that has spread through hormonal teenage girls may at last be at an end.

He did in fact appear on an episode of CSI and gets lit up like the 4th of July. He may still be squeaking his way into the teeny boppers most irritating hall of fame but there is some satisfaction in this clip. Did I mention this has been viewed over 16 million times? Enjoy!

Speaking of which, was told a joke over the weekend which seems appropriate now. What is the one thing that Chuck Norris can't break?..... Justin Biebers voice.

Theory of Happiness

2011-02-16T13:16:00.003+02:00

When working at Saatchi last year we had this firmly plastered on the wall. You have to be honest, it is hard to fault the theory behind it.

Grolsch Goes for The Geeks

2011-02-14T08:45:00.004+02:00

Spotted these the other night and thought it was a cool touch. Cursor awesomeness!

Be sure to click through to the Grolsch site here. Their website is awesome and once you establish that you are not from Poland and are in fact from "The rest of the world" you can really get involved.

Pulled Over For Being Drunk Driving a Lawnmower

2011-02-11T18:13:00.001+02:00

My boet sent me a clip earlier or what I assumed to be just another American arresting another American but this is so much more! After doing a bit of the Google I found that "DUI lawnmower Steve" is actually not unheard of. This guy is an absolute winner!

What blows my mind is that he keeps doing it. In these few short clips you will Steve do some incredibly stupid things and some fairly painful restraints being used. I cried. Enjoy!

So kids, remember, if you are going to drive a lawnmower down the highway don't drink!

Introducing The Most Interesting Man in The World

2011-02-10T16:56:00.001+02:00

This ad campaign for Dos Equis beer started in the States in 2006 and features "The Most Interesting Man in The World." Quite frankly this guy runs circles around old Chuck Norris.

Some things you should know about this man:

"Bulls flat out refuse to fight him."
"He is the life of parties he never attended."
"He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt."

I could go on but it is far more entertaining to see for yourself. Enjoy!

[Thanks Kev]

The Best of The Superbowl Commercials

2011-02-08T08:30:00.001+02:00

There will probably be some disagreement about which really were the best ads, but these are some I really enjoyed. There are over fifty and if you really want to watch them all you can check them out on The Huffington Post. Enjoy!

The Bombay Terminator

2011-02-07T09:00:00.001+02:00

This is one of the most awesome and yet most ridiculous virals I have ever seen. The video is made up of clips from the movie Endhiran. Pure Bollywood awesomeness!

"A gifted scientist constructs an equally gifted robot, who sets out into the world for the first time with some unexpected and mind-blowing consequences." - IMDB

It is a bit of a long clip but every second is worth it. The entertainment factor is priceless. Enjoy!

Volkswagon Over To the Dark Side

2011-02-04T12:29:00.001+02:00

There is nothing more I can do but apologize and send myself to bed with no dinner tonight for the lack of blogging that has been going on over the last three months. I am truly sorry, the excuse is that I am working to update the blog and it is taking more time than I thought. On that note if there is a photoshop genius out there willing to do a banner for me for very little pay, if any, let me know.

Anyway, to the main event. Was sent a link to this ad and I really enjoy it. Gathering by the 4.5 million odd views it has had I am not the only one.

Volkswagon has this lightie running around the house in his Darth Vader outfit trying to use "The Force" to move objects. The poor kid is a pretty miserable dark lord and only when the old man gets home does he look about as excited as a fat kid in a pie factory. Enjoy!

Thanks Minx!

Leaving the Blood Sucking to the Blood Suckers

2010-12-08T10:23:00.003+02:00

Shows like Dexter and Californication will keep me entertained for hours. Many people find them hugely offensive and that is okay, I mean Harry Potter is not for everyone. One of the other shows that really gets me going is True Blood, although I will admit it was not instant affection.

Have commented before on the theme song which is awesome, but now BBDO New York has come up with this for the HBO show to remind viewers to leave it the professionals. Have been fighting to embed the video but am failing so here is a link to the original article and you get a show reel until I can get the embed.

Hot and Not So Hot Advertising at Cape Town International

2010-11-29T21:57:00.000+02:00

Allan Gray. That's it really, their billboards are always creative, have a great impact and they have a great one on the way into the airport. I am no green thumb but they have some ivy or something to that effect growing out of pot and through a wire frame of the Allan Gray message.

Then the other piece of advertising that caught me was from Sanlam. Absolutely no idea what agency is responsible but I really thought this was very cool.

And as I am sure you have figured out, both of these are pretty hot pieces of above the line advertising. Was feeling pretty good driving out the other side hoping to be surprised with maybe one last gem. The absolute abomination that I instead was faced with caused me to almost swerve into a lamp post.

There really is not a hell of a lot you can say to accurately portray this thing.

The Growth of Mobile

2010-11-28T10:45:00.001+02:00

In South Africa and really Africa in general there is a huge push to develop ways to enable people with a cellphone to do more. Gone are the days of the "I just want to be able to call and message." Now it is email, apps, social networking, banking, and a whole host of other functions.

When still sitting in lectures at varsity it was not at all uncommon to look around the room and see a mass of Blackberrys sprawled across the desks. You see the same thing if you go into any Vida, except it is instead a gathering of iPhones. This study is obviously based on American usage but the numbers are mind-blowing, enjoy!

Your Facebook Book

2010-11-28T10:22:00.001+02:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted "A Life on Facebook" which really had a great response and everyone really enjoyed it. Now, how about having a book of your Facebook life, a fully printed out journal of your life and times on Facebook?

Unfortunately this particular one is in French but you get the idea. The campaign was created by DDB for the promotion of a French telecom to promote their new Facebook platfrom. It is a fun idea but a little too gimmicky for my liking. Enjoy!

When Facebook becomes a book from Siavosh Zabeti on Vimeo.

Nandos Goes 5GS

2010-11-26T17:17:00.001+02:00

Quite honestly I want to cause someone grievous bodily harm every time I see or hear Trevor Noah. Cell C have gone overboard and it is just getting annoying. So here is a surprise, Nandos has taken the gap.

They are not the work of DraftFCB and are instead from Black River FC. They feature Kagiso, the CEO of Nandos, thats the Chicken Excellence Officer (awesome, I know). Such a great ad, watch carefully to catch each and every stab they take at Cell C. Enjoy!

Read the full story on Chris Rawlinsons blog and check up on my Cell C rant here.

Free Moustache Rides

2010-11-25T12:23:00.001+02:00

No doubt someone will take a stab at the fact that this is an ad for budlight, and I am sorry about that. But for Movember it is appropriate and besides, what has been the most useful function your mo has performed this month?

Where has our Windhoek man been this month? What better way to "always keep it real"? Enjoy!

Apples False Marketing Scheme

2010-11-24T00:11:00.002+02:00

Really just a heads up for all hoping that the IOS 4.2 software will give their iPod touch 2G the functionality they were hoping for... it won't. I thought I would do the update as Apple SHOWED a changed background in the 2G model. It does not allow and it is a 350 megabyte download. The only change I can figure out is the Game Center application.

Please, if any of you have figured something I have not, let me know.

The Cape Town Festival of Beer

2010-11-23T22:46:00.001+02:00

Knocking Golfballs off Lions Head

2010-11-22T20:47:00.001+02:00

Asking people the most creative way to destroy their wallets came back with some pretty outrageous ideas. One particular dude was convinced he would feed it to hyenas, he was/is a special case and we thought that some humanitarian service would come in if we actually asked him to carry through. So, for the matblac wallet Richard De Villears gets it on condition he carries out the following:

"to micro-wave and liquidize the mentioned wallet, by compressing it into a ball of melted nastiness, and then chipping it off the top of lions head with a 7 iron golf club, it will be evenly distributed on the side of the mountain (and since it is leather, have no adverse effects on the environment)"

[Adrian Stanford Photography]

So for now, well done and enjoy the potential wallet bro. Until we have photographic evidence we shall hold onto the it. Will try and get a filming of the process involved with embedding a wallet in the side of Table Mountain. Check in later.

To everyone else that entered, don't stress, will be having another competition not long from now.

Your Facebook Email

2010-11-20T10:50:00.001+02:00

But it is not email, it is an integration of all the ways you can communicate over Facebook. Someone said to me yesterday that it is going to be exactly like Google Wave, possibly similar but with one big difference. It won't be utter rubbish and make you want to curl up in the fetal position in the shower and weep profusely over how complicated it is.

There has been so much talk of what Googles big social network will be like I am not sure many of us had really cast a thought abut Facebook attacking Gmail. At the moment you can only request to be sent an invite and it does not happen immediately. Made the request a couple of days ago and have had nothing back but by all means go ahead and make a request here. Enjoy!

Red Bull Short Films

2010-11-19T10:30:00.000+02:00

As much as I can get through the content on the internet at an astonishing rate I always enjoy being sent stuff I would not have otherwise found. This came from a friend of mine who has this severely disturbing fetish for bicycles. Just saying bicycle gets him a little flushed, cross-eyed and incredibly sweaty palmed.

Anyway he sent me this clip which after a bit of digging seems to be doing the viral rounds. Who thought anyone could be so interested in a little man on a little bike, and then you watch it. Red Bull are once again the ones behind it, and it is very cool. Would be awesome if we all had such skills. People I have seen attempt things like this are normally drunk, middle-aged men on their daughters pink bikes with training wheels still attached. The result is usually at the very least a broken nose. Hard to decide which of these would be more entertaining, enjoy!

[Thanks Trist]

The Biltong Box

2010-11-15T20:17:00.000+02:00

"IT'S AWESOME!"... The end
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

matblac Wallet Giveaway

2010-11-15T09:00:00.004+02:00

I have been asked several times before about my wallet from matblac, it is a very trendy, slimline, vital piece of equipment I have where ever I go. Well, matblac found out and has given me one to give away. Here is the matblac vibe and details about how to enter. The wallet is worth R580 and I am not sure I could have made it much easier to enter.

The Vibe

Matblac products are designed for the individual.
We’re talking about products that are crafted with the same passion they were designed with. The kind of products crafted for you by someone so confident of his workmanship that if you feel let down, you can call and tell them yourself.

Matblac strives for its products to exude the Raw Design concept.
Raw Design is about going back to the basics, it’s about the reason you needed the product in the first place. It’s about utility and functionality. Once a product embodies these qualities and is assembled using the finest materials, it becomes timeless.

How to Enter

To enter simply "like" the matblac Facebook page and update your status to the most entertaining way you can think of destroying your old wallet, get creative! Be sure to tag the matblac group in your status so that we can see you have entered. To tag, type "@" and you will then be able to select the matblac group. The winner will be asked to follow through on his/her plan and post photos of the destruction.

Entries close Sunday 19 November.

Google and Treasure Island

2010-11-13T09:46:00.001+02:00

Google likes to customize its search page for holidays such as Christmas and Easter as well as for remembrance of key dates in history. They have been doing it for ages and I always think that they are quite cool and quirky but I could not place this one. Who the hell is Robert Louis Stevenson and why should we care that is is his 160th birthday?

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. [Source: Wikipedia]

Treasure Island and the Strange Case of Dr Jeyll and Mr Hyde are timeless and I am sure I am not the only one who had no idea who this guy was. Brings back a bit of nostalgia from being a kid.

A Life on Facebook

2010-11-12T09:20:00.001+02:00

Ever tried to figure out the evolutionary phases you go through in your Facebook usage? If you are reading this blog I know that you will have a Facebook page... Unless you are my mom and I think she only reads this to help in the traffic department.

This viral came out on Tuesday and is coming up to half a million views. This may have something to do with the killer soundtrack or it may be because it is an awesome video. Goes through the life and times of Alex Droner, from joining Facebook, to getting friends, all the way through to being an old toppy signing off. Given that Facebook is only six years old I wonder how we will be using it when we are sixty? Enjoy!

Old Spice 'The Mshini Your Man Could Smell Like'

2010-11-12T09:02:00.001+02:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything from ZANEWS but these cracked me up. We have by far and away the most entertaining politicians in the world and ZANEWS has never been shy to take the piss.

The Old Spice virals ripped through the internet and there are loads of Old Spice Parodies. The best one by far and away I have seen was the library spoof from Brigham Young University. But now we have a spoof a little closer to home. Enjoy!

Old Spice pulled off an awesome live response campaign through Twitter and so ZANEWS had a crack at it. Gareth Cliff, the always outspoken radio DJ was sent his own response, enjoy!

If you have not seen the original Old Spice viral ads do yourself a favour and click here.

Geek Ft Gangsta Viral

2010-11-10T09:22:00.000+02:00

Back in September I posted a video of Keenan Cahill which had guys in stitches. Keenan is a lip syncing YouTube celebrity who always gets a lot of flack for the videos that he posts. There seem to be some very sour people out there who can't handle a geeky little kid becoming an internet sensation. This will really piss them off.

I would really like to find out the story behind 50 Cent getting involved. Was not what I was expecting at al but this will have boosted the kids credibility and who knows who else will make an appearance. Little viral genius and a great bit of PR for 50 Cent, enjoy!

Chuck Norris in Czech T-Mobile Campaign

2010-11-09T09:31:00.001+02:00

There really is not a hell of a lot I can say here to convince any guy to watch these clips. Walker Texas Ranger, the only man on earth that does not age. He is making an appearance for T-Mobile in their campaign to promote their Christmas promotions. Would love to have a look at the marketing budget of T-Mobile, they are certainly spending a bucket load on campaigns at the moment.

Personally I did find the Chuck Norris jokes got old really quickly, and really, the only ones that could not control themselves were self-confessed jocks. That was probably becasue "it was cool bru". Vernon Koekemoer, the South African Chuck Norris, I think did a better job in the Nandos ads. But here we have them, enjoy!

There is a Soldier in all of us

2010-11-09T09:05:00.000+02:00

Today is the release of a highly anticipated game among the gaming junkies, at least I think so. This video has been doing the viral rounds for the last few days and is definitely just as cool as the Skoda ad I posted yesterday.

The game is Call of Duty - Black Ops and they did a great job creating the scene with everyday people rocking the game. I am not a huge gamer but even I want to have a swing at this game, preferably with cheats for immortality and unlimited ammo, what would be the point otherwise? Enjoy!

Made of Meaner Stuff

2010-11-08T09:05:00.002+02:00

No better way to advertise a hot hatch than by making the production process look like a life threatening task. The ad is for the new, "meaner", Skoda Fabia VRS and was done by Fallon London.

Yes, those are vultures. There are also venomous snakes, samurai swords, an alternative method of doing the paint job and so much more that will have every guy going, "****! That is cool!" Shock that it has gone viral... Alone, I think I have watched it six times, enjoy!

Reaction to the Heathrow Flashmob

2010-11-07T13:25:00.002+02:00

A week ago I posted the T-Mobile flashmob at Heathrows Terminal 5 and the amount of attention that clip received was quite incredible. T-Mobile certainly has created some amazing awareness, not just for themselves but for London as a destination. Future visitors will be disappointed when they are not greeted with quite the same enthusiasm but for the ones that were these were their reactions.

Buddy the Boxer Finds Zen

2010-11-05T09:00:00.001+02:00

Right, here we have the brand spanking new Toyota Yaris Zen ad with Buddy the Boxer from Draftfcb Johannesburg. I have featured most of the Buddy ads on the blog and I really do dig the brand personality that is Buddy but the flair and humour that was with the original ads just is not quite there any more. This may have something to do with me being up early and having to study but I would really like to know your thoughts.

The new Yaris is titled the Zen and the ad shows Buddy discovering the "truly enlightened decision" with his mentor Mr Miaowgy. Am sure at some point Draftfcb will do something with all of the characters that have featured in the Buddy ads which would be quite fun. Anyway, check it out and let me know what you think, enjoy!

There is a 40 second version that I have not been able to get hold of but will post once I have.

Woolworths Aligning their Corporate ID

2010-11-04T11:06:00.001+02:00

For a company as marketing oriented as Woolworths you would think that they would have never put their new image NEXT TO its old image. What is even more astounding is how long it has been like this.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Andy Irons - I Surf Because Short Film

2010-11-04T09:22:00.000+02:00

Andy Irons was a surfing legend from Hawaii who died in a hotel room in Dallas yesterday. The internet has been buzzing since then and I know that there are some fairly dedicated surf nuts out there that will appreciate this.

People Are Awesome

2010-11-03T09:26:00.000+02:00

I tweeted this video the other day assuming it to be just a great clip that some YouTube junkies put together, turns out that it is more than that. The clip is actually the music video for the song "People are Awesome"by a group called Hadouken, an English new rave band.

They put together clips from a mass of other clips on YouTube that have been very popular and made themselves an awesome music video. The video has been up for a week and has been viewed close to five million times. Enjoy!

Vodacom Surfing at Midnight

2010-11-02T09:49:00.001+02:00

Vodacom used to have really awesome ads and then they went to the Meerkat and half the nation was put on suicide watch because they really were that bad. Then they came back again and did some great stuff with Jan, better known as Players 23, and the nation was once again happy. Well, here is a new one and I think it is very entertaining.

Sourced from Between 10and5 and they reckon that DraftFCB is responsible and I am sure that they are. The general is back and more than willing to dish out orders. The campaign is called "We've been having it," enjoy!

WTF Debonairs Campaign

2010-11-02T09:19:00.000+02:00

You obviously did not click through because you were interested in Debonairs, let us face the fact that their ads are not quite Nandos material. Really nothing to write home about but this is so cheesy I kind of like it.

The agency behind it is MorrisjonesCo and they also created a very cool Facebook page where users can add pictures of their "WTF" experiences as well as offering some great prizes. What cracks me up is that they are also offering an iPad as a prize, and let's be honest, if you have an iPad as a prize EVERYONE is going to sign up. Not knocking the ad at all, I reckon it is pretty cool, enjoy!

They do have a very cool Facebook page and looks like they manage it well so wander over and have a look at their "WHAT THE FRIKKADEL?" application.

Iceberg in Cape Town

2010-11-01T09:43:00.001+02:00

A friend of mine has in the last couple of minutes pointed out something that was only too clear from the start but to which i have not accomodated for so well recently. I am talking about those guys who do not get sent viral videos, links to awesome articles, the most recent entertaining ads out (locally and internationally) and all that other good stuff that goes with it.

He asked why I had not posted about the YouTube video of the Ice Berg spotted off Clifton beach. The reason, I was sure that it had been covered enough that there was no need for it to be posted here as well. Apparently not.

I first came across the video last week through Twitter and thought it was pretty cool and left it at that assuming it was another Puma special (Greenpoint Viral). These guys seem to have pulled it off far better having had a little over six thousand views in a week. Here is the original, enjoy!

Turned out to be a Liqui-Fruit stunt for their Summer Melt Down campaign. You can read the full story and check out the other videos here, and join up with them on Facebook to win some pretty rocking prizes.

[Thanks Donovan for the kick in the ass]

BROMANCE!

2010-10-31T10:53:00.000+02:00

You've heard it and yet you have no idea, this is great, enjoy!

Heathrow Flashmob

2010-10-31T10:49:00.000+02:00

You must have seen a couple of flash mobs making the rounds on the internet, they are very cool and I am sure they take a lot of effort to pull off really well. By far and away the best I have seen have come from T-mobile in the UK. The last one that I know of happened in January at Liverpool Street Station and it really is a very cool clip to check out.

Well, continuing their "Life's for Sharing" campaign, T-Mobile has done it again. They pulled together and lit up Heathrow Terminal 5. Would have to be the most awesome welcome you could hope for and what a vibe. You can check out more on their Facebook group but in the mean time enjoy!

Life Without Cellphones

2010-10-29T09:05:00.001+02:00

This post has absolutely nothing to do with cellphones, only the idea of not having cellphones in our lives. Ten years ago they were not so big and when we think back, how the hell did we communicate. It was a primitive time and now we can't live without them.

Now to the crux of it. Facebook!

Now don't get all upset because you feel this may be another post about the importance of Facebook in marketing, if you don't know you are seriously misguided and need some insight. The reality is that for pretty much everyone Facebook has become much like our cellphones. Before Facebook how were you supposed to keep up with friends you haven't seen in the last decade, or how did you arrange events, and how the hell would you keep up with everything going on? You have no idea but Facebook has made you a more social person, and that is a fact.

I am sure that many people use Facebook without much concern about how and where it came from. They know some geeky dude at Harvard created it, but the full story is really quite incredible. Mark Zuckerberg (that geeky harvard dude) has become the youngest BILLIONAIRE in the world, are you not even a little curious to find out how? The man has had more of an influence on your life than you might like to beieve.

2oceansvibe was nice enough to sort a bunch of us bloggers out with tickets to a premier on Monday night. The Social Network is the story of Facebook and had it not been for this story our lives and relationships may have been very different. For me, this has been one of the best portrayed movies I have ever seen, even Justin "cry me a river" Timberlake does a fantastic job.

Here is a trailer and I highly recommend it... Hell, if you go, let me know and i will come and watch it again. Enjoy!

The Truth About Blackberry People

2010-10-25T22:50:00.002+02:00

This was sent to me by a friend of mine that runs Food-blog Cape Town as he knows I am very much on the Blackberry defense. I initially went Blackberry because in all truth there was no way in hell I was going to afford an iPhone unless I started making regular, awkward trips to the clinic... You know, the ones with the little cups. Had friends that did that, very strange. Anyway, my Blackberry has since changed how I use my phone and I could never do it on an iPhone, I have been locked in!

... and look at what I have become. Enjoy!

iPad Vs iPhone - Just Tweet It!

2010-10-25T13:20:00.000+02:00

This viral caused my heart to momentarily stop beating due to excessive laughter. If you're a twitter addict you'll appreciate it, enjoy!

Saving Water and Saving Lives

2010-10-15T11:54:00.000+02:00

Social media rocks the world over when it comes to environmental campaigns. Remember the Earth Hour campaign? Maybe not, well this is me doing my thing as a blogger for Blog Action Day.

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

I Like It On a Flat, Sanitized, Preferably Cushioned Surface

2010-10-06T09:37:00.002+02:00

Last night before switching off my lights I did the usual final check of Facebook only to find that just about every girl I know overseas was being more than willing to share where they like to "do it". Being a male my mind obviously wandered until I hit the "I like it on the door knob"... Okay, too far from a solid christian girl who has never even held hands in a movie theatre.

I have had several threats on my life already this morning from some of my closest chick friends promising to do some really quite horrible things to me. But here is the deal, it is breast cancer awareness month and so there is a top secret campaign (sorry I cocked that up) going on where girls recieve this message on Facebook:

Remember the game last year about what color bra you were wearing at the moment? The purpose was to increase awareness of October Breast Cancer Awareness month. It was a tremendous success and we had men wondering for days what was with the colors and it made it to the news. This year’s game has to do with your handbag/purse, where we put our handbag the moment we get home for example “I like it on the couch”, “I like it on the kitchen counter”, “I like it on the dresser” well u get the idea. Just put your answer as your status with nothing more than that and cut n paste this message and forward to all your FB female friends to their inbox. The bra game made it to the news. Let’s see how powerful we women really are!!!

Now you are probably going, "bra colour on Facebook... last year?" My point, sorry that I spilt the beans on your joyous event but what the hell is the point if no one knows what you are doing it for? Last year rings no bells to my memory, and I tend to spend a lot of time on Facebook. So, now you know, get involved, one mate of mine actually said he would like it on Justin Biebers head, not for me but hell, why not?

The Blackberry Playbook Preview

2010-09-28T10:28:00.000+03:00

I have to be honest, this looks very cool. Takes a good stab a couple of times at the iPad during the preview, and with Blackberry having a very obvious impact in SA this could be a real option. Lets see what happens, enjoy!

We Love Real Beer

2010-09-23T12:08:00.002+03:00

At Old Biscuit Mill today starting from four is the Craft Beer Festival hosted by We Love Real Beer. There will be some great micro-brewers about and it will be just a fantastic event and not an entirely bad way to start the National Braai weekend. See you there!

The Reason Gyms Rip You Off

2010-09-20T22:49:00.001+03:00

I have always been a big fan of getting to the gym and getting my sweat on, all I need are the basics, none of this getting bent out of shape that "I need a pool." Half my friends have said that, and joined gyms like Virgin or Planet Fitness, and I know for a fact that three quarters of them float about as well as an elephant can fly, it really is stupid reasoning. This month I was given a free month at Planet Fitness, I have been once, scared that I contracted some exotic disease the moment I walked in and am have my concerns about going back. Just felt dirty. Then came the "special deals"... give me a break, like you're doing me a favour charging me R500 instead of R700 for something I can get at my current gym for free. For this very reason I have never even contemplated the personal training vibe, besides, I'm a guy and we all have natural gym knowledge as a result of Darwin and the whole evolution thing... Or not.

Only when I started at 360 Specialized Training did I see the light and realize I know very little. So today I took the plunge and took them up on their "special deal" which actually makes sense, 3 personal one-on-one sessions for R300... That I can stomach, the actual training I may not but hell you only live once. The deal is only until the end of the month so if you think you know anything give them a call so they can prove you wrong. Planet "will probably contract herpes" Fitness charges something like R530 for that.

Keep up with 360 Specialized training on Facebook and Twitter.

Intel Drops Employees off the Roof

2010-09-17T15:24:00.000+03:00

You always get that one guy that comes up with some of the most pear shaped ideas possible. At school a friend of mine wanted to get a fire engine on our last day so he could hose down all those teachers who had made our lives a misery for those six long years, those kind of guys. Now how about this Intel chap that went into his bosses office and said "sir, last quarters sales are up, I am now bored, can we drop five employees off the roof onto air mats that will be attached to horns so that we can do the chime?"

Am sure his boos just responded with a blank expression. Sure it took a bit of convincing, and then they actually did it. Intel offices around the world have apparently been competing to create the biggest chime, I think these guys have taken it in this great viral. Enjoy!

Check out the website and become a fan of the bass jump on Facebook. Great piece of viral marketing.

Cleanly Shaven for Cancer

2010-09-17T13:30:00.001+03:00

These are two mates of mine who got drunk one night and had one of those "bet you couldn't" kind of moments. Neither willing to let up both grew beards, not to their girlfriends approval, and are now using it as an opportunity to raise some money. Great thing to be doing and I am sure their girlfriends have never been happier, they get to see their boyfriends again for the first time in seven months. The facebook event is here if you would like to come show some support and have a bit of a party.

Taking a Watermelon in the Face

2010-09-15T17:15:00.000+03:00

Oh my god, this is going into the category of most hysterical f**k ups on TV. A preview was shown of the new season of Amazing Race on CBS, an American channel, and this is apparently part of what they decided to show.

Took me a while to figure out what happened, was expecting her friend to get nailed but the laws of physics had different plans. Watch it and understand how this video was destined to go viral, enjoy!

Love it afterwards when she asks what they should do and gets told she must carry on, poor chick. She probably still has a headache.

Old Spice Bears and Ravens

2010-09-15T16:59:00.000+03:00

Ray Lewis is the latest to join the Old Spice in its plans to overthrow the world and eradicate anything that smell even remotely unpleasant. Joining the likes of Terry Crews and Isaiah Mustafa, Lewis is on a Raven and teaching animals how to speak.

They will be sent all over the web but I think it will only be because of the success and entertainment factor of the previous ads. Neither of these have quite the same charisma that all other ones have had. I have no doubt that Old Spice has still got a few more tricks up their sleeve and their plans to clean the world of odor may be successful. Enjoy!

What a Cracking Viral

2010-09-09T21:49:00.001+02:00

Four years ago came out one of the most ridiculous, and most popular viral videos since YouTube began. The Starwars Kid has had almost 19 million views since then, no doubt he has is still in therapy since he never intended the video to go public. For the story check out Wikipedia, and if you have never seen the clip shame on you... I almost feel like a bad person, but you can see it here. Anyway, the scary thing is how quickly it spread and the impact it had, now there is something of a trend, guys act like morons on camera and people want to watch it, think Jackass. Digging through the viral charts earlier I came across this absolute beaut.

Unfortunate looking post-pubescent isn't he, but he has some confidence in his lip syncing abilities and does the most ridiculous music videos. His name is Keenan Cahill (Twitter) and what I quite enjoy is he does not give a shit at all. Even puts a link to a Boston Blog that absolutely tears him to pieces, as a result the exposure he gets is massive. The video was uploaded on August 28th and has had almost 3 million views... Am pretty sure that kicks the socks even 2 Oceans Vibe, enjoy!

Now, how do you take advantage of this from a marketing perspective?

James Cameron Resident Evil

2010-09-09T20:44:00.000+02:00

There is something about any zombie, undead, whatever movie that makes me get excited. Granted that it probably is the resident sixteen year old within that feels the need to jump on the couch when something gets blown up, usually a zombie head. Now coming is the new Resident Evil Afterlife, and I digged the last ones, the whole exploding zombie head thing really got me.

Now, you probably are quite excited about James Cameron being involved but sadly he is not. The new Resident Evil uses the same technology that was used in Avatar and is meant to be (as it says in the trailer) "the most advanced". The sixteen year old within is truly excited now, enjoy!

They have jumped on the social media bandwagon and you can check it out on Facebook.

Springboks Advertising

2010-09-08T14:57:00.002+02:00

I still get blown away by how sports personalities overseas get paid enough money to retire on an island somewhere and yet here in SA they get some pretty kak opportunities. Let's be honest, what was the last endorsement deal that you sat back and thought was just awesome. Maybe Tendai "The Beast" Mtawarira rocking the new BIC Easy, encouraging you to "unleash your beast." I laughed so hard I cried the first time I saw it.

The Beast could probably be forgiven for using BIC since he has the hide of a grasslands buffalo. Bryan Habana in the mean time was doing Gilette in a deal which I am sure paid him out very well. In fact that was not an embarrassing brand to represent at all, it is hard not to when it is an international campaign with the likes of Tiger 'can't control my wood' Woods and the rest of them. Then he gets himself involved with Protex soap to break a world record for the most people to wash their hands at the same time in the same place (read here). We are very proud, but look at the aftermath, on front of an exam pad.

Personally I think it is ridiculous, hope he got paid lots for it. But now we have the new ones from Outsurance featuring Pierre Spies and, yes, Bryan Habana.

God I love the cheesy poses. I hate to admit it but I do find the ads mildly entertaining except for when Habana actually calls mark... Lame, but hey, it works. The whole vibe behind these two is around "if Pierre Spies was always with his car he wouldn't need insurance but because he is not he has Outsurance." If you have not seen these yet you need to do yourself a favor, enjoy!

Everday Advertising

2010-08-31T21:43:00.000+02:00

Just saw this and thought it was awesome.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

The End of Garfield

2010-08-29T17:04:00.002+02:00

For all those that frequent this blog I would like to apologize for the complete lack of content that has been going up recently. Have been dealing with my thesis for the last month and haven't had all the time in the world. One thing that does happen when you find yourself spending hours in front of a computer screen is that you find yourself procrastinating by actually checking out everything you get sent, and occasionally you find a real gem. This is mine.

Meet Simons Cat, my new replacement for Garfield which has lost its touch. For anyone that has a cat it is ridiculous how much Simons Cat resembles the real deal. They are bloody hysterical, enjoy!

Good Reason to Be Fat for Summer

2010-08-22T21:36:00.000+02:00

There isn't one, nothing, you will just end up doing a lot of waddling, sweating and panting. The image is really not a great one, so bad in fact that your waiter at Kauai recommends you just stick to a glass of water as they are concerned that your wrecked body may at any point give up the ghost, and they really don't want to have to go through the effort of scraping up, and removing your obese corpse... I think I have put the point across quite well, it is really not a great vibe at all.

So, 360 Specialized Training has put together a package to get us kitted for summer. The details are on the Facebook event and if you are serious about getting into shape I recommend checking it out. I started a month ago doing their Warrior workouts and I'm going to be honest, it was pretty tough at first, they really push you and it wasn't uncommon to blank out for extended periods of time. When you wake up you find that your body has kept going and is now being pushed for another 500 meters on the rowing machine.

Check out some of the training pictures and let me know if you need some more details. Cheers for now.

What Happens When You Put a Hamster in the Microwave

2010-08-16T22:06:00.004+02:00

There is no graphic video of what would actually happen, I am not that bad. This is straight off The Oatmeal and I just thought it was too funny to post. This may be a hit and miss but the christians may appreciate it. Enjoy!

Lets Please Talk Cell-C

2010-08-12T22:33:00.003+02:00

Right so this is the vibe, Trevor Noah, a fairly well known South African Comedian got up on stage one night and went off about the kak cellphone service providers in SA. Quite honestly I don't think some of them are so bad, it is the cost that kills me (thank you Vodacom for the Blackberry contract, you have changed my life). Focus! Sweet, back to it, a YouTube clip of Trevor was posted by some chap, SABobbyT and with it being his one and only video upload things are suspicious as it is... It is very entertaining all the same, enjoy!

The Batman and Alfred bit had me in stitches. Moving on swiftly we hit the bit that go my attention which was actually in a lecture I had at varsity. My lecturer pointed out a full page apology letter in the Sunday times (he was half-chuffed to be quoted) that came straight from Lars Reichelt, CEO (will get to this later) of Cell-C. He asked us if we knew what the apology was about, and having not read the paper I stuck up my hand and offered the suggestion that it has to do with their new branding. Check it out.

Apparently it had nothing to do with it, instead it was an apology to Trevor Noah for their kak service and was offering a reason for it. That letter, is right here:

(Click to Enlarge)

So now we have a clip of Trevor Noah on YouTube, an apology letter in print (can see the thought process there?), all of which coincided with their new branding... Coincidence, yea right! Just as a cherry on the top they have created a website and have Trevor endorsing it, telltrevor.co.za, and, HA-PARENTLY the domain was purchased before the YouTube clip was sent out. Trevor is now their new Customer Experience Officer, CEO, doesn't get better than that does it.

And, you know what, I think it is awesome. I don't know who is behind their marketing but I think they have done quite a cracking job, even if it is completely obvious that it has been a stunt right from the start. They have never been such a big player and have always been dominated by MTN and Vodacom so it is about bloody time they got their ducks in a line and did something.

I am certainly not the first to have voiced my opinion about this and would really like to know what you guys think. Let me know.

Old Spice Campaign Case Study

2010-08-10T21:20:00.002+03:00

There is absolutely no surprise that the Old Spice YouTube channel became the most watched branded channel ever. The company behind it, WK, has released the case study and it is awesome. From the first ad to going viral, to the spoof ads and then to the personalized responses. The sheer number is minblowing, enjoy!

[Source Digital Buzz]

Check out some of their stuff here, and here..... and here.

Terrifying the benchmark that MK and Old spice have created. Has been so exciting and I wonder if they will be taking it further. Will also be fun to see how other brands decide to get their voices out there.

Footlocker Turns to The Nude

2010-08-10T20:34:00.001+03:00

Three quarters of you will have come here expecting some smut with some incredibly good looking bird with her kit off. Sorry, you must be horribly disappointed, instead it is this burke.

There are two ads from Sapient Nitro, a Florida based agency. They take the angle of that it matters not what the person looks like only that they have some slick stylish shoes. Enjoy!

The Braai Accessory You Need!

2010-08-03T12:07:00.001+03:00

The Heineken "walk-in" fridge ads all went viral and I see very little reason why this wouldn't. They have maintained the same feel of the original ads and apparently now the happy couple has had child (we are all very happy for them).

If you have not seen the original ad you can search the blog or you could be a lazy sod and click here. This new one is just as funny and look like it involved a lot more work than the original ad, they probably are not so phased anymore because I certainly feel the need to go out and sink a cold Heine, enjoy!

Awesome Football Viral

2010-07-28T11:11:00.001+03:00

In every football game when a goal is scored there is normally a very routine way of celebrating, it usually involves the entire team jumping on the guy that scores the goal until they hear a very obvious crack of a rib. They all then pile off and leave the glory boy to peel his now limp carcass off the field. These guys don't conform to the norm.

The video was uploaded two days ago and has had almost a million views already, it is hectic! The game was Stjarnan against Fylkir in the top league in Iceland and the goal was the winning goal in extra time. Makes nice change from back-flips, front-flips, side-flips, dog piles and blinding oneself with your jersey and running aimlessly, I really think this is cool, enjoy!

Jacuzzi Full of English Chicks

2010-07-28T10:00:00.005+03:00

Let's be honest guys, we generally are pretty kak at taking in the small details. If you are one of those lucky bastards that actually notices that your girlfriend has had a haircut (without prior knowledge) you have an incredible talent. For most of us they need to have a G.I. Jane crew cut special for us to realize anything has changed. Lynx is all over this very obvious problem and so has set out this campaign to "Wake Up and Stay Alert". How did they do it, easy, a semi-naked Jessica Jane Clement and... really, would you need more?

Again, you really think that for Lynx's target market they would need more? What I enjoy about these is that even though they are all incredibly sexy, they are bloody funny and, if we are honest, not all that far from the truth, enjoy!

And just because I dug up the out takes you get to check those out as well... If you haven't already murdered your internet quota for the month, am sure that if you have you've already bookmarked this page and will be itching for the first of next month.

When Forking and Sporking are No Longer an Option!

2010-07-27T12:56:00.000+03:00

Stumbled across this earlier and decided that it was way too good not to share. Had me in hysterics, real educational stuff this, Enjoy!

Aking Rocking With an Educated Model

2010-07-23T13:15:00.003+03:00

What is it that people can't stand about models, that's right, their complete lack of grey matter... Many of them will already be half way to Google to find out what grey matter is, let me help you out, click here (do it anyway, you will want to use it again). So, when you put Business Science Honours Degree and model in the same sentence it makes things horrible confusing, how the #### does that work? Which is what brings me to Robyn Hobson, I studied with her at UCT and had no idea she had anything to do with the whole modeling vibe... Apparently she has a LOT to do with the whole vibe!

Hideous, I know

She has done really well for herself and seems to be on the up and coming list of South Africans making waves. I was impressed, and then spotted her tweet earlier that she was in the new aKing music video, "Against All Odds," now not only is the song rocking, but so is she. Well done china! Not to leave you hanging without the music video, check it out, enjoy!

This girl rocks the social media world and you can catch her on Twitter and her blog. If you head to her blog hoping for skimpy photos of her you will be disappointed, this chick is all about the marketing!

The Naughtiest City in The World

2010-07-22T12:54:00.002+03:00

To promote their new S60 model Volvo ran a campaign around how "naughty" people are. They carried out a very cool social experiment at an organized party without the party people knowing. Apparently Paris is the naughtiest capital of the world, the video explains it so much better than I ever could so check it out, enjoy!

Awesome, but it does not end at the viral video. When you go through to the website they have some awesome clips of the car and how "naughty" it can be, with four varying levels of naughtiness.

They have linked the website with their Facebook page which is perfect but what is odd is that it takes the user to an Emissions blurb, which, after watching the clips is the last thing you would be thinking about. What I do really like is that they have made the Facebook link subtle and not in your face like a lot of other sites do. the concept of linking websites through social media is still relatively new in South Africa but for a UK based site they have done a great job. Very cool!

Nike, Now in Lingerie

2010-07-21T12:04:00.002+03:00

So after my earlier post about the new Toyota Buddy ad I was in dire need of something to get me going again so I went in search of what has been going viral recently. On that note of viral videos there are several sites I usually go shifting through and I find it very interesting that the majority of videos online that go viral are music videos. Being able to head straight to YouTube is so much easier than sitting around waiting for the song to play again on whatever your preferred media channel (all of which are becoming increasingly digital as well).

Because of all of this music being shared through YouTube and other similar social networking sites it has made it very difficult to rank an actual viral. Then again there are some videos that you just know will have been doing the viral rounds and this is one of them. Nike is responsible for this and they took the easy route to viral:

Step 1: Find a model who could stop traffic - Justene Jaro
Step 2: Put above mentioned model who could stop traffic in lingerie
Step 3: Supply above mentioned model who could stop traffic wearing lingerie with a pair of Nike Air Max 90's.
Step 4: Place above ingredients on bed/couch and ad a killer sound track.

You can see where this is going, enjoy!

Dirty Uncle Buddy

2010-07-21T11:10:00.001+03:00

I love Buddy the Boxer, he is such an awesome brand personality for Toyota and every other ad has had me in stitches, but not this one. Sorry, but Buddy just does not have the same charisma he has had in all the past ads. It is very cool that they have now bought in "Junior" but now please lets get the vibe back! Memory lane, emotion and all that but it just doesn't do it for me. You can read Screen Africa for the thinking behind it which is all good and well, just wish the humour was there. Let me know what you think, would say enjoy but I didn't.

[Source Ads Mitchell]

A Weekend Away With @grolschza

2010-07-19T14:29:00.002+03:00

Earlier I was hit on twitter with one of the "Have you seen....?" you know them, they are normally from some ass you've never even heard of, with a link that directs you to some stupid website you really couldn't care about. They are hugely irritating and normally leave you wanting to get together an angry mob with stakes and burning torches to hunt them down and cause them grievous bodily harm.

Today that fortunately was not the case, and it was instead Grolsch getting hold of me and letting me know about a competition they are doing for a weekend away in their new, and very magnetic, Grolsch Airstream. I thought it was pretty cool so thought I would share it with you good people. The caravan is one of the new ones at the Old Mac Daddy where you can get away for a weekend and chill-out away from the Mother City. Have a ganders at some of the pics off their Facebook page.

I think it looks awesome and I dig the whole concept of it being magnetic and the fact that it has a full size pin wall. Just very different and pretty cool. To enter for the weekend away just suggest a name for the new Airstream by posting it on their Facebook page... At least as far as I can tell that is what you need to do. Sent my entry in but I know there are a bunch of you that would dig this so I figured I would let you know.

Old Spice | New Spice

2010-07-19T11:47:00.000+03:00

The Old Spice ads and their uniquely personalized YouTube responses has has given them a lot of attention recently which is why it is no surprise that the parodies were bound to start. This one appeared at the end of last week and is from Brigham Young University in the States. Old Spice from a student angle and it is very good and so well put together. Enjoy!

Can read up here about how they got themselves to this point.

#FollowFriday #FF - What's The Deal?

2010-07-16T11:08:00.001+03:00

This post is really for those who have no idea what is going on with Twitter and to hopefully give those who do something to go away with. Most who have not yet joined are sticking to the argument of "it is just a bunch of peoples status updates!" Well, yeah, sure if you follow the likes of someone like Paris Hilton (note, no link attached) who does not have an intelligent or useful thing to say, "I'm on a plane to London,".... fantastic, life changing, or not!

Twitter I suppose is best described as a way of obtaining all the information you have an interest in, in a completely personalized way. If you are new to the whole Twitter scene you will be surprised how many companies, brands and even high profile personalities use it daily. If you are just getting into it check these guys out, I have broken it down and made it easy for you to figure out who does what. For those of you who are Twitter veterans I guess this is my #FollowFriday list that I would spit out each week if it was not for the fact that it would just get irritating. Please feel free to add a comment with anyone else you can recommend.

Restaurants & Bars - @underthetableCT, @BeerMonkeyZA

Lifestyle - @2oceansvibe, @CapeTown_Girl

News - @ewnupdates, @SAfmnews

Marketing & Advertising - @GabeElliott, @Cherryflava, @Draftfcb, @10and5

Companies - @vodacom, @Saatchi_Sisomo, @PicknPay

Weather - @cpt_weather

Humor & Gen. Entertainment - @hayibo, @donpackett, @RichMulholland

Sports - @SARugbydotcom

Digital - @JustinHartman, @robstokes, @ChristopherM, @allankent

Bloggers - @bangersandnash, @TalyaGoldberg

This is really just a small list, I would be here forever if I was going to try and classify everyone that I follow (please don't be offended if you are not on the list). The point is to follow people that benefit you, don't follow your mate for the sake of following him, if all he is doing is telling you about his day catch up with him on Facebook. Does knowing that he just filled up his car really give you any benefit at all?

The A-Team Is Back!

2010-07-15T11:22:00.002+03:00

On the 23rd of January 1983 The A-Team was first introduced to the world and every dude on the planet paid thanks for the awesomeness of the "Heroes for Hire." The series ended in 1987 but for many of us we grew up watching re-runs of the show, and our dream car was always the big black van. Well we can give thanks again because the movie has been released and with some South African influence in there in the form of Sharlto Copley, fantastic! Started in the States on the 11th but unfortunately won't be here for a while, to be honest I have no idea when it will be here. I do however have the trailer for you because I am awesome like that, so enjoy and let me know what you think.

Can't wait!

Brand Personalities Rocking Social Media

2010-07-14T13:00:00.000+03:00

For all those that are not into the whole Twitter vibe you may be surprised by how many brands have taken to it. I often have spoken about the increasing interest that brands have in evolving their brand personalities (MNET's Gary The Toothfairy, Toyotas Buddie the Boxer, The Windhoek Man, Old Spice, Vodacom's Player 23, etc), and they do this because above the line advertising is more and more being filtered out by their target markets (when was the last time you watched an ad on your PVR?). Brands no longer just need to create a perception of themselves, they now are forced to create an actual relationship with their target markets.

There is a very obvious position that opens up in every company that manages a brand personality to actually "be the brand." I know that sounds like the age old "live the brand" that employees seem to have beaten into them by their organization but i am talking about actually being the brand. Most recently Old Spice has been creating waves through viral videos (and here), their website, Facebook and their sponsored trending topic on Twitter. With every tweet and conversation that goes on there is someone sitting behind a desk who is the "Old Spice Brand."Companies need to decide straight from the beginning how to manage their personalities and who will be carrying out their conversations because if they are not speaking the brand they are going to confuse the target market and will be a significant cost to the company.

Bakkies Headbutt on Cowan

2010-07-12T21:54:00.002+03:00

I unfortunately did not manage to watch the Springboks game on Saturday against New Zealand but when I was getting updates on Twitter it was sounding like Bakkies had done something uniquely stupid. Now we have just dealt with a month of soccer players who seem more fragile than an 85 year old senior citizen, it was ridiculous, bet if you promised to knock ten grand off the weekly pay for every fall they make it would never happen. The thing is though is that they are professional sportsman who are paid to play the game, which is why it really gets to me when a professional player does something stupid like this. Nice one Bakkies, see you in nine weeks.

360 Specialized Training Special

2010-07-12T16:29:00.004+03:00

So after last week when I first introduced you to 360 Specialized Training they have come up with another special. You know that over the past month you have pretty much destroyed your body, there is no way I am the only one. I'm getting started this week and am only mildly concerned about the shock it is going to have on the system.

Yoda says "Turn Left You Must"

2010-07-09T15:40:00.000+03:00

Described by my the majority of my friends as family as a "blind, dyslexic homing pigeon," none of them were surprised when I was first paid and went straight out and picked up a GPS. To be honest I still get lost but that is more to do with the choice I make to ignore the annoying chick that belts out demands, must be what it is like being in prison being forced to do what you are told for fear of becoming someones "bitch". Well now there is a great solution from Tom Tom (yea, i know, apparently not as good as Garmin, we get it). They are getting the voice of Yoda to direct you to your destination, I think it is awesome, and they have released a great viral of the behind the scenes recording. Too funny, enjoy!

Finally Twilight for Guys!

2010-07-08T13:41:00.000+03:00

This clip has gone viral... Wonder why? Still been unable to comprehend going to watch any of the teen, vampire Twilight rubbish but this is making a whole lot more sense, enjoy!

Great Stuff!

BMWs Sexy Sin

2010-07-08T11:29:00.005+03:00

I know this was sent around a couple of weeks ago but I decided that it was worth bringing it up again. You may want to click the image to read the copy.

That F**king Octopus!

2010-07-08T10:45:00.001+03:00

I apologize for the overly aggressive title of this post but for the last couple of days people have been rambling on about Paul the Octopus that has predicted the outcome of the World Cup games. Yes, an octopus that predicts the outcome of the football games, sound much like guys overseas have been indulging in a few too many narcotics?

I probably would not be so upset had it not been for the fact that Paul (who should be served up at Cape Fish Market) has been right... And that Germany was beaten. Apparently in all the time he has been making predictions he has only ever been wrong once and it was for the European Cup Final, probably the most important game of the tournament to get the right prediction...

Check him out and please let me know what you think because I feel he needs to be served up with maybe some lemon and tabasco, or am i just being too harsh? enjoy!

Spud - The Movie

2010-07-05T15:08:00.001+03:00

Am sure that at the very least most people have heard of the Spud books written by John van de Ruit, the story of John Milton, a kid just starting out at boarding school in Natal. There are currently three books out which are written in the form of a diary and record Spuds hugely entertaining life through the years at the school. Don't think of it as anything like that Harry Potter nonsense, for the most part it is very easy to relate your own high school years to Spud and you will always be able to have a good laugh.

Well, now there is a movie coming out towards the end of the year, 'Spud - The Movie' and looks like it will be nothing short of hysterical, verging the edge of heart failure, cannot wait. Enjoy!

Keep up with whats going on through Facebook and Twitter.

360 Specialized Training Sorting World Cup Damage

2010-07-05T12:55:00.001+03:00

You may or may not have noticed some new advertising that has appeared on The Way It Is for 360 Specialized Training over the last week. There is a good reason for this, for the duration of the World Cup there has been an obvious dip in the amount of exercise and obvious spike in alcohol and rubbish consumption. The result is a nation of individuals slowly beginning to resemble the former South African Minister of Health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, a fairly hideous sight!

So, I have had a chat with the lads at 360 training and they are willing to offer a limited number of complementary sessions to get "stomach in, chest out" and not "stomach out, chest in." I have already got myself in there to sweat out all the toxins from the last month and will probably go for a session early next week (if this blog stops getting updated you will know they have broken me).

360 is run by a young bunch of professional trainers who are all over living the lifestyle and helping everyone else get their lives in order. If at all interested in a comp session get hold of me by leaving a comment or catching me on Twitter, otherwise check out their website, and if you want to find out more you can contact Gareth on 021 461 0360.

A Parlotones Explanation

2010-07-02T16:49:00.001+03:00

Just recently there was an uproar by all the supporters of all good things that are Proudly South African. Why? The deal was that the Parlotones (Proudly South African) went and did a song for Germany (Not Proudly South African) and the song (here) pretty much was asking the German team to bring the World Cup back to Germany (obviously not Proudly South African). The Proud South Africans felt horribly let down.... They were not even stoked that the song was actually not half bad. Anyway, Don Packett (Proudly South African) did a little skit a couple of weeks ago and it had me in stitches, check it out, chill out and get ready for the weekend, enjoy!

More Strange Sightings Around Green Point Stadium

2010-07-01T16:46:00.000+03:00

Last week I gave you the new Puma viral, well, it hasn't been that long and they have already done a new one... And right in FIFAs yard! Great clip and another great viral, enjoy!

[Source Cherryflava]

Old Spice | The Man You Want Your Man To Be

2010-07-01T15:38:00.001+03:00

On this blog i am all about viral videos, especially the good ones. Justin Bieber is not a viral video anyone wants to see and a friends cat recently commit suicide to get away from the drill pre-pubescents voice not that long ago. Enough of that, the Old Spice ads came out a couple of months ago and they are great, check out the new one, enjoy!

If you mildly enjoyed that you can have a look at the others here.

[Source The Book of Revelations]

GARY IS BACK!!!

2010-07-01T13:55:00.000+03:00

One of the top South African brand personalities is back, Gary The Tooth-fairy! Wrote a post about Gary a while ago which you can check out here but let's get straight to the main event, Enjoy!

One For The Nature Junkies

2010-06-29T11:54:00.000+03:00

I am a full blown "townie" and I am okay with that. I did my fair share of Safari's and camps as a kid and I am quite content with life now, Cape Town is hardly the concrete jungle that Johannesburg is anyway. There is always the exception of Kariba, send me out there with a fishing rod, can of worms, a flint and a case of cold beers (Bear Grylls eat your heart out) and I will be in seventh heaven... Apart from being a terrible fisherman.

Anyway I stumbled across this on AdFreak earlier and it cracked me up. There are a series of ads for Travelers Insurance, which you can check out here, but the one that really got me was the one titled "Watering Hole." Takes a look at the African wilderness where everyone gets along, the monkeys racing the hippo and elephant really did it for me. Enjoy!

The Ad Apple Didn't Want Us To See

2010-06-27T13:04:00.000+03:00

There are a lot of complaints that have been popping up since the iPhone 4 was launched. Some people even seem surprised that the phone has flaws, not really sure what they were expecting, maybe a phone that had time travel capability. Shame, they must be incredibly disappointed now. It does not matter though because they all want one anyway, everyone wants one, my maid while inhaling my tea, sugar and milk supplies told me she wants one, think she may be on some major narcotics. Here is a great knock-off of why some guys really want it. Enjoy!

The Banned Marisa Miller Ad

2010-06-27T12:44:00.000+03:00

Apparently too racey for television and so it was banned. Now is being sent all over the place because lets face it, Marisa Miller plus lingerie plus guitar hero equals an ad people will go out in the search of. Enjoy!

Saatchi New Directors Showcase

2010-06-25T14:23:00.013+03:00

With Cannes going on at the moment there has been some great stuff popping up that I had not seen before. The New Directors showcase "Pixels" by Patrick Jean was the apparent favorite (Adage.com) but this twisted love story got me, it is a very cool clip and has been put together superbly. It is "Luv Deluxe" by Saman Kashavarz, enjoy!

Check out the official site by clicking the image and if at all interested you can watch some of the other work on their YouTube channel here, there is some great work.

VW Going Viral!

2010-06-25T12:11:00.008+03:00

Volkswagen have taken their gear viral, and without a car around. They have started "The Fast Lane" campaign and from what I have been able to dig up, it looks as if they only went live a couple of weeks ago. They have three great videos, two of which seem to have gone viral popping up on blogs all over the place. They direct viewers to the Facebook Volkswagen Fast Lane Page where they picked up over 5000 supporters in just 12 days, awesome!

All videos were filmed in Germany (probably because Health & Safety in the UK are schmucks) and they are very cool, Enjoy!

Sex Sells So Well

2010-06-24T17:21:00.000+03:00

If you have put a scantily clad girl on your product and you have not managed to sell even one unit there is something very wrong with your product... Or the girl you chose happened to look like a cross between a hyena and Martha Stewart... HIDEOUS!!! The girl in this however is not at all unattractive and the product was unexpected, enjoy!

I will never use anything but BIC from here on out.

Sweet Valley Primary - A Must See For the Chicks

2010-06-23T18:21:00.000+03:00

This is very cool from Sweet Valley Primary where they had a day to celebrate the World Cup. The video is hectic and I think would be great viral, the chicks will love this. Enjoy!

Green Point Stadium Viral

2010-06-23T14:34:00.001+03:00

Now what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't jump at the opportunity to share a great viral like this? A pretty kak one would be the appropriate answer. It is obviously for Puma who run with the whole "football = love" and have become very good about creating these virals. Remember the valentines day one (here) or their world cup one (here), they are really good. Let's see what this develops to, enjoy!

[Source Btwn10and5]

Woolworths French Toast

2010-06-23T13:10:00.002+03:00

So I have been sent this four times today and it has only just twelve o'clock. I feel that warrants it a position here. Woolies stepping out and taking a little stab at the Frenchies, it is great.

A couple of months ago I took a good stab at Woolies for their new corporate ID (article here). It made no sense to me, it just seemed to have lost the "Woolies feel", and I am beginning to realize that was the point. Traditionally Woolies has been an upmarket shopping line that Constantia residents could pick up something quickly on their way home from work. Now it is so much more, it is a convenience shop, coffee house and a lifestyle. They have grasped social media and they are going for it balls to the walls, it's great!

So, this is my little apology for taking a stab. Because I have taken to it and I love the new branding. Nice one guys!

The Makaraba Story

2010-06-23T12:53:00.000+03:00

An ad for Heineken tells the story of the Makaraba, or as the myth goes. Done by Velocity and is quite cool, at least I dig it. Enjoy!

Gandalf Goes to The World Cup

2010-06-20T20:54:00.000+03:00

This is f**king hysterical. Has has over three hundred thousand views in the last twenty four hours... That would make it viral and it is not hard to see why. Enjoy!

My Cape Town

2010-06-18T11:46:00.003+03:00

Great song by some locals, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

"My Cape Town" by I Scream and the Chocolate Stix - Music Video directed by Porteus Xandau. The Emergency Hours. from Mannequin Pictures on Vimeo.