Samsung Galaxy

I was sent on this really cool video by The Viral Factory. It's their latest creation for Samsung, to promote their new Galaxy mobile phone.

What I like most about this video is that it's not a Flash Mob. That might sound odd but it'd be very easy to take something like the Galaxy, which has a serious good camera, and to do a Flash Mob. Instead the guys have gone in a different direction. Plus, let's face it, that's one very adorable little kid.

Kinetic Typography of Human Rights

Some eye-candy for a grey Wednesday evening. I love Kinetic Typography and this is one of my favourite examples.

The Carphone warehouse Campaign To Highlight Cyber-Bullying

Yesterday the Carphone Warehouse, partnering with Professor Mona O’Moore of the Anti-bullying Centre in Trinity College, launched a campaign to highlight the risks posed by cyber-bullying. The campaign offers tips to parents to prevent and deal with the different ways that children might suffer from cyber-bullying.

Cyber-bullying is when a person or group makes use of electronic communication devices, particularly mobile phones and the Internet to deliberately harass, intimidate or humiliate another individual. According to The Handbook of Aggressive Behaviour Research, one in four girls (24%) and one in six boys (16%) in Ireland have been involved in cyber-bullying either as a victim, bully or both. These incidents ranged from threats, insulting and embarrassing or humiliating messages, to pictures or video clips. The bullying itself can be prejudice based, expressing racist, sexist, homophobic and other forms of discrimination. Text messaging is the most common form of cyber-bullying among both boys and girls in Ireland with over 57% of all cyber-bullying incidents originating from mobile phones. Nearly one third of girls (31.4%) and over one fifth of boys (22%) in Ireland reported receiving nasty text messages in and out of school.

The campaign features an information leaflet that is available in the 76 Carphone Warehouse stores nationwide and a special offer on the vMad.com Bully Stop application. Now retailing at just €5 (RRP €20) this application is downloaded to a child’s phone allowing parents to control who calls or sends them text messages. Parents can view the content of any blocked text or call and ensure that their child will not be bullied via their mobile phone.

Professor O’Moore commented on the launch of the campaign, saying “Cyber-bullying must not be treated lightly as it can destroy a child or teen’s emotional and social life as well as causing them to dislike school and to underperform academically. Parents can make a difference by looking out for the signs of cyber-bullying such as a child becoming withdrawn, moody or depressed, and taking action when they suspect that their child or teen is targeted or indeed, is getting at someone else in an abusive and intimidating manner. Talk to your child or teen about cyber-bullying. Do not wait till it happens. Inform yourself about how you can help to prevent or counter it. Make use of blocking devices. Most importantly reassure your child and teen that you are there for them as there is no shame in being bullied. The problem lies with the bully. It is critical that your child or teen knows that it is wrong to bully and equally what steps they need to take should they ever experience cyber-bullying.”

300 Years of Smithwick's

I've written more then once about Guinness' landmark 250 year birthday celebrations but what many people don't realise is that Guinness isn't Ireland's oldest pint, and St. James's Gate isn't Ireland's oldest brewery! 2010 marks the 300 year birthday for the Smithwick's St. Francis Abbey Brewery in Kilkenny. To celebrate the colossal milestone, the brewery has thrown open it's doors and is inviting the public to tour the brewery.

The latest addition to the rich cultural offering of Kilkenny, allows members of the public to experience a fully guided tour of the famous site, walking in and around the buildings and areas of the Brewhouse where Smithwick’s is actually brewed. The tour also takes in the stunning medieval St. Francis Abbey which sits on the site of the brewery and dates back to the 13th century.

Ian Hamilton, Operations Manager at St Francis Abbey Brewery commented: “For many years, visitors to Kilkenny and locals alike have wanted to take a tour of Ireland’s oldest brewery. In celebration of our 300 year anniversary this year, we are delighted to be able to open our doors to the public, and give them a rare glimpse behind the historic walls of St. Francis Abbey Brewery”.

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited down to Kilkenny to experience the tour myself and see exactly what it's all about. The first stop on the Smithwick's tour was The Cellar Bar where we met our lovely tour guide, Suzanne.

From The Cellar Bar, Suzanne brought us out into the original brewery courtyard and gave us a run through of the history behind the Smithwick's family's long brewing heritage and the various ups and downs that the brewery experienced in 300 years. From here we were shown out and around the main building to St. Francis Abbey. The abbey itself is a beautiful building, though obviously in ruins, that really gives a sense of history and contrast to the modern building around it.


The next stop was the Tasting Room, where Smithwick’s official tasters check and ensure the quality of every brew. Here there's a short video explaining the brewing process. After the Tasting Room it was on to the brewery floor to see the fermentation and maturation processes in action before finally finishing up the tour up with a tutored tasting session back in The Cellar Bar with a complimentary pint of Smithwick's.

For our particular tasting session we were lucky enough to have Ian Hamilton and Billy Power, Global Quality and Program Director, on hand to help us out. Basically we had the two single most qualified people possible to bring us through the subtlety and complexity that sits before you in a pint of Smithwick's. To say I felt lucky is a complete understatement. Ian and Billy were full of craic and happy to answer any and all questions that our group had, from what Smithwick's target customer is to what to look for in taste, aroma and appearance in a pint (see here!).


Beyond the tour itself, the brewery also now offers visitors the chance to experience the story of the evolution of the St Francis Abbey Brewery. From the founding of the Abbey in the 13th century to the present, the story is brought to life through visuals, artefacts, pictures and audio in the new exhibition space. The exhibit covers the generations of the Smithwick’s family involved in the Brewery, the ingredients & brewing processes, the prestigious brewing awards won since 1892, and the advertising and packaging of Smithwick’s.

In short, there is a whole lot to see and experience and every bit of it is well worth it. Smithwick's have developed a really great attraction here and something that I would highly recommend to every visitor, not just to Kilkenny but to Ireland.

Tour Details
The Smithwick's brewery tour takes approximately 1.5 hours, is fully guided and includes a complimentary drink in the Cellar Bar. Tours run from Tuesday to Saturday inclusive at 12:30, 13:00, 15:00 and 15:30 daily. The tour is closed on Sunday and Monday. Admission is €10 and all visitors must be over 18.

Booking Office: Call +353 (0)56 779 64 98.
E Mail: smithwickstours@diageo.com
Advance booking recommended.

Wheelchair Access:
St. Francis Abbey Brewery is a production facility. Therefore, we regret that we cannot cater for wheelchair users or persons with impaired mobility due to the structure and layout of our 300 year old site.

Footwear:
For your safety, please wear appropriate footwear (i.e. no high heels or open toe shoes).

Full details can be found at www.Smithwicks.ie

Adidas Originals Street Art Competition

Champion Sports have just launched a pretty cool competition to find Ireland’s most talented urban artists to create an original piece of street art that will embrace the theme of ‘celebrating originality meets street art’. The prize is a masterclass with Krooked Type and the chance to get your art displayed on your own billboard. The competition is part of the launch campaign for the brand new adidas Originals clothing and footwear range.

The winner will get a two-day masterclass featuring Maser, Albert Hooi and Fraher, which should be a dream come true to any budding young artist. Or even a 30-something scribbler to be honest ;) Krooked Type will be judging all entries.

The new adidas Originals range is driven by adidas' history and looks to bring the spirit of adidas’ past and present to life in a fresh and modern range. The range combines typical adidas quality and materials with creative and luxurious street fashion, creating urban wear that blends timeless and modern designs echoing the brand’s heritage.

Coinciding with the competition, and offering a great place to pick up some inspiration, adidas and Champion Sports have specially commissioned a new collection by Maser. His ‘Originals-inspired’ street art installation can be seen at The Bernard Shaw, Richmond Street, Dublin 2, as part of the launch of the new adidas Originals range.

Speaking about the campaign, Emily Barry, Marketing Executive, Champion Sports said, “We are truly excited at the launch of the adidas Originals range in our stores. It has been a great experience to work with Krooked Type on the installation, which we feel really celebrates the spirit of both the Champion Sports and adidas Originals brands. We’re looking forward to receiving lots of entries to the Street Art competition and working with the winners to create their very own billboard!”

To enter simply email your artwork to celebrate@champion.ie before Friday 8th October. Submitted entries will be uploaded to the Champion Sports Facebook page, as they are received. The three winning finalists will be announced on or around Monday 11th October.