Want to eat off Nicole Kidman’s plate? Or drink out of a Foo Fighters’ mug? You can as part of the “Whatever It Takes” range created by the UK-based 21st Century Leaders in conjunction with Churchill China. They create products based on artworks from cultural leaders including royalty, movie stars, bands, Nobel Prize winners, fashion designers, and sports people. Each ambassador donates a symbol of hope, a self portrait and a message of hope for the future. The products (including tableware, wristbands, shoes, tshirts) are sold to raise money for charitable projects in developing countries to address issues such as poverty alleviation, child abuse and environmental conservation. In Brisbane, you can find these limited edition mugs and plates at the sparkling new David Jones in Queens Plaza. (image artwork is by the awesome band Keane).
Tag Archive for 'ideas'
whatever it takes
good is good
GOOD Magazine describes itself as “a magazine for people who give a damn” and I think you might enjoy this fun browse of thought-provoking and creative material. I especially like their “Transparency” section which is a fascinating exploration of issues and facts through clever graphics and animations. In this section you can learn about all sorts of interesting topics, that can be both serious or rather obsure. It covers everything from the situation in Dafur to public toilet ratios in major cities and from global water issues to the history of the metre measurement. Have a read and if you like it enough to subscribe, 100% of your subscription fees goes directly to chosen charities.
a picnic in amsterdam.
A lottery that shares wealth within postcodes and charities. A foundation to attract and connect creative professionals from around the world. A competition to encourage and aid the invention of great new green products and services. It can only mean one thing…
PICNIC is a seductive, exciting, intangible, unpredictable, cosmopolitan and cheerful annual event for and by the creative industry. PICNIC ‘07 will be the year’s leading European event devoted to creativity and innovation. Spanning 5 days, Picnic takes place in Cross Media Week and it seems the city comes out to play, learn, interrogate and create. With music concerts, city wide games and conferences attracting the likes of Blaise Ageura and Jonathan Harris, this is one event I would love to attend. The Picnic Green Challenge extends the appeal of this already riveting week. Continue reading ‘a picnic in amsterdam.’
Throughout history, graphic design has proved itself as one of the best means to instigate a change in society and communicate the urgency of action. In the “love your earth” design competition, Designboom and DA (Design Association Japan) are looking for graphic artworks that will raise awareness about environmental issues and provoke positive change. The graphics will be used during 100% Design Tokyo 2007, where this year’s theme is Love. It will run from October 31 to November 4th at Jingu Gaien, Tokyo. The competition is open internationally, free to enter, and closes in September - anyone can enter, so give it a go!
In the business of creativity, original ideas are highly sought after and highly valuable. The business card pictured, is for a designer whose solution simultaneously sets them apart from other designers while making fun of the increasing number of designers in the field. The result works like a miniature house plant, growing alfalfa or cress when dipped in water - a business card for ‘another bloomin’ designer’. The logo was also cut into a ’seed stencil’ that allowed the logo to be grown on either earth or lawn; on uncut grass, the message would remain hidden until the area was mown. This attempt also represents a refreshing take on often the most important item a business can produce.
another world is not only possible, it is here.
Once in a while you come across something that makes you go ‘yes, that’s unreal, it can be done!’. The roof of Terminal 4 at Madrid’s Barajas Airport, Spain is one such encounter to cause this reaction. Made entirely of bamboo plywood, the roof spans no less than 200 000 square meters with not one fluorescent tube light, ugly ceiling tiles or metal sheet roofing to be seen. This multiple design award-winning airport, is designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners and has been their largest project undertaken so far. It seems sustainability and well being are cultivated design notions in Madrid with the Atocha train station also pushing conventional and traditional standards. Home to a Jungle spreading 4000 square meters and home to 500 species of plants and animals, architect Rafael Moneo’s idea was to make waiting for the train more comfortable. Simple.
Just in time for the launch of the inaugural Brisbane Indesign 2007, what was previously known as Craft Queensland Gallery has emerged with a new name. Artisan, as it is now known, is currently playing host to the Queensland New Design exhibition, which showcases the exceptional talents of the eponymous competition’s twelve finalists. The aesthetically adept finalists, handpicked by a scrupulous judging panel, will also be exhibited alongside Launch Pad finalists in Sydney as part of this year’s Saturday In Design event. Works on show include Alexander Lotersztain’s ‘Plantation Chair’, the ‘Plonk’ stool by Paul Morris, Marc Harrison’s ‘Pinch Vessel’ (made from Australian macadamia nut shell) and the ‘vol_Luminous’ range of glowing ceramics from Peter Biddulph. Continue reading ‘what’s in a name?’
Testosterone is produced by a pregnant female to provide her young with the strength they need to grow and develop. In a litter of mice, one youngster will receive the majority of the testosterone and hence strength. When born, it will instinctively know (or defend) which teat is the richest source of milk and hence food to survive. It will constantly protect this teat from its brothers and sisters, effectively dominating its environment. This mouse has a .95% chance of living through to maturity. Its smaller, weaker brothers and sisters, have a .15% chance of reaching the same age. Which mouse do you think will be the entrepreneur?
Great writers concoct utterly convincing imaginary worlds but how do they feel about the planet they live and breathe in? Does it fill them with hope and pride, or sadden them to their socks? I happened across the Nobel Prize in Literature website which holds the acceptance speeches by Nobel laureates since 1943, including such literary greats as Samuel Beckett (1969), Patrick White (1973), Saul Bellow (1976), Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1982) and J.M. Coetzee (2003). Each of their Nobel lectures provide some insight into their view of the world from history, to politics, love, hate, war, peace, art, music, sustainability and of course, writing. The 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Turkish writer, Orhan Pamuk, “who in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures”. Pamuk’s lecture is almost a short story in itself, and in part of it he explains why he writes. While his words are inspiring for writers, I also think he speak to any passionate person who is ever asked, “Why do you write/ paint/ sing/ dance/ run/ laugh/ breathe/ live?”
An Australian has won a global brief posted on OpenAd.net, the world’s first online market for creatives to pitch ideas in the hope of snaring big prize money. Winning a pitch that asked creatives to convince people to holiday in their own backyards, Melbourne’s Steve Lopez caught the judges’ eye with his campaign Hidden Gems. His work, which used print and digital activity, won him a US $1000! Lopez is a freelance art director who has won a number of previous awards, the most recent being his recognition as a finalist in the John Caples International Awards, an international advertising contest unique in direct marketing.
Jo Smith, UK general manager of OpenAd, told B&T that Lopez’s campaign was versatile enough to appeal to many countries and was impressed with the way the he extended the campaign idea. As would be expected Lopez is thrilled about his latest win. “ I’m over the moon, how can I not be? A brief that allowed a world of creatives to respond, and I was the winner!” he told B&T.
America’s 7th biggest sport (in dollars, not in participation, presumably) is “bull-riding”, apparently. Why does this not surprise me? And the good news, folks, is it’s coming to Queensland. Just what we need! More bull and plenty of dust. Bring it on, eh! Forget the musical, which, as we all know, is way too expensive to stage and people aren’t going to the theatre so much any more. Dainty Consolidated Entertainment has announced that they’ve joined up with PBR _ that’s Professional Bull Riders, Inc _ to present the inaugural PBR World Cup. And bully for us _ they’re presenting the world premiere right here, at the Gold Coast. Fittingly, at the Jupiters Casino. This is all happening in June, and there’s big plans for filming it, so we can beam the snorting, stamping, bellowing (and that’s just the audience) around the world. Paul Dainty reckons this is “true gladiator stuff”, and he’s probably right in one respect: the bulls have about as much choice in the matter as the ancient Christians. If you’re keen to be involved (and I’m betting our Carl will want to put his hand up for this one), there’s a Touring Pro circuit of “20 sanctioned bull-rides” (whatever), already underway, and will qualify riders for other events, including something called the Tough World Finals held in Las Vegas, which does make me wonder what’s the different between this premiere World Cup and the Tough World Finals…. Could it be that marketing whacks “world” on everything these days, and then hyperventilates about how big, how exciting, how fabulously entertainingly, noisily, nasty it all is? Can we get any more crass and silly? You know, I’m sorry I asked that question…. But here’s another one: isn’t this just a rodeo without the horses?
a little insight goes a long way
I confess – I don’t watch much television at all, and while I realise I’m doing myself a service by avoiding the insulting mish mash of reality and ‘current affairs’ programs, I also know I’m missing out on a lot of good stuff. This realisation was reinforced on Friday night (funny that I should choose this night of all to start watching) when I found myself leaping off the couch, pacing the room and gasping incredulously at the screen with the intensity of watching a football match (another thing I’m not good at). The show was Insight and the channel was SBS but it was a rerun – the program airs on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm. For those who are also a little naive when it comes to television and are hence new to Insight, the program tackles one issue each week as a discussion forum with participation by the studio audience. The issues are inspired by current themes in the public arena and the host is Jenny Brockie, a Gold Walkley winning journalist, who I think is fantastic. She’s intuitive, knows how to keep the conversation flowing and is fair but also pushes the line when panelists are hiding behind vague responses or purposefully tangential points of view. Continue reading ‘a little insight goes a long way’
the eternal quest to live in the moment
On holiday: standing at the top of a mountain, overlooking the awe-inspiring city and sea below me. I enjoy what I see, but I don’t truly SEE it and understand it and LIVE the amazing moment that I am experiencing. I feel the need to capture it, so I take a photo, to say “I was here, look how beautiful it was.”
At work: super-busy, multi-tasking, a million ideas running through my head; my untamed thoughts run wild, unable to be corralled. I start a project, and am distracted by the ping of an email arriving so interrupt my work to open it. Plus, I’m a Gemini, with terminal wanderlust, which doesn’t help when there is a task at hand.
In my life I have seen so many amazing things, but sometimes can’t remember the detail. I can recall the instant or time on a basic level, but it is difficult to picture it in my mind. I am simply ‘going through the motions’ and rarely truly engaging with experiences. I decide I need to s l o w d o w n. I am walking blindfolded through my life. Continue reading ‘the eternal quest to live in the moment’
It’s definitely a global village out there with opportunities limited only by hard work, creativity and an unrelenting passion to succeed. It seems these days it doesn’t matter who you are, what’s on your C.V or even where in the world you live because talent speaks for itself. This is the case with Openad.net, a global platform for buying and selling advertising, design and marketing ideas. This site claims to be the world’s biggest creative department and it’s here that creative types, from agencies to freelance designers and copywriters (even students), showcase their ideas to a worldwide audience. Even more enticing is the fact that it’s not just a creative outlet for showing off creative talents, but it’s also a place to be discovered and paid by multinational companies.There are two ways to submit ideas, either through sending unsolicited work to be critiqued and displayed in the Gallery or by responding to a creative brief set by a client. Continue reading ‘if you’ve got talent they’re open to ideas’
