Heineken: ‘Yourfest’ App

Are you a music fan? In fact, it doesn't even matter. Everyone's a big enough music fan to enjoy their own completely customised and personalised music festival. And guess what? That's exactly what Heineken Live Access is offering with the ‘Yourfest’ app on the Heineken Facebook page (it's also available on www.heineken.ie/yourfest).

First, choose a music theme, then create your festival name, and finally add your dream selection of acts to play on three different stages. With your festival poster created, you can now share it with friends to compare tastes. fans can also find out how to win a trip to some of the world’s biggest real-life festivals through the app.


What is Heineken Live Access?
Heineken Live Access is offering three VIP trips to Sensation in Bangkok, Sandance in Dubai or The St. Maarten Regatta. The prize includes international travel and accommodation with entertainment along the way. Each festival features world renowned acts in an unbelievable setting, ensuring the winners will have the trip of a lifetime.


How to enter:
Pick up a special Heineken Live Access pack in-store.
Find the code on the pack.
Enter the code on www.heineken.ie


About the Festivals:
Sandance, Dubai:
Sandance is a five star, 12 hour day and night dance music festival held on the beach of the world famous Atlantis Hotel on The Palm in Dubai. The prize includes a 4 day all inclusive package for two people to Sandance in Dubai (October 12) including flights, festival tickets, hotel accommodation & transfers.

Sensation, Thailand:
Sensation has been touring the globe for about a decade now. After conquering continents like Europe, Australia and South America and attracting over 1 million people, Asia is up next hosting the Ocean of White. The prize includes a 3 day all inclusive package for two people to Sensation in Bangkok from the 17th to the 20th of August 2012 including flights, festival tickets, hotel accommodation & transfers.

St. Maarten Regatta:
The 33rd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta provides world class sailboat racing combined with the hottest concerts and after-parties! With the official slogan being "Serious Fun" it is no wonder people come from over 25 countries to attend this one of a kind regatta in the Caribbean. The prize includes a 3 day all inclusive package for two people to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in the Caribbean in March 2013 (dates tbc) including flights, festival tickets, hotel accommodation & transfers.

Celebrate A Very Chic Summer At Kildare Village

Next weekend, 21st and 22nd July, Chic Summer at Kildare Village will have a special treat for visitors. Members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra will be on hand to delight you with a repertoire of summer favourites. For those looking for something a little bit more upbeat, fashion blogger DJ Alex Donald will also be on hand with live sets. Expect a cool, chic, vibe along the open-air promenades of the Village. Finally, on the music front, shoppers will also have the privilege of hearing renowned Irish saxophone player Keith Donald.

Don't think music is the only thing to look forward to. Shoppers can also enjoy a ballet performance choreographed by Muirne Bloomer of ’The Ballet Ruse’. The performance, inspired by the birds of summer, will take place Friday 20th and Saturday 21st at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. If the performing arts are your thing, this weekend will also see a parade of butterflies that will flutter their oversized wings throughout the Village. They will land at intervals so you can say hello and capture a family photo.

The ‘Chic Summer Festival’ at Kildare Village is much, much more than just these two new additions. The festival has seen Kildare Village transformed into a garden of delights, where visitors can enjoy a host of chic summer activities from bespoke floral couture installations, an artisan food pop-up and a Heritage & Genealogy trail.

Of course, Kildare Village is always about one core activity: shopping. With more than 60 luxury boutiques offering the authentic previous seasons’ collections of luxury fashion and lifestyle brands with savings of up to 60% on the recommended retail price, and sometimes more, all year round, you’re guaranteed to come home a happy shopper.

Kildare Village is open seven days a week and offers late night shopping on Thursday and Friday until 8pm, and Saturday until 7pm.

Log on to KildareVillage.com for more details on Chic Summer Festival at Kildare Village.

NASA: Spacecraft 3D

NASA has launched a new app that lets you get up close with NASA’s robotic space explorers. The ‘Spacecraft 3D’ app shows you how the robots work and in addition highlights two actual NASA missions: the Curiosity rover that will touch down on Mars on 5 Aug 2012 and the twin GRAIL spacecraft, Ebb and Flow, currently orbiting the moon.

Using your iPhone or iPad camera, the app uses an AR functionality to display the spacecraft and then overlays content and information directly onto the 3D spacecraft.

Download the app here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spacecraft-3d/id541089908

30-Hour Videogame Marathon Sets New Guinness World Record

----- Press Release -----

DUBLIN, Ireland – July 9, 2012 — With thousands of people watching worldwide, Laura Rich of Cardiff, Wales, and Kathleen Henkel of Oakland, New Jersey, set a new Guinness World Record Wednesday for Longest Videogames Marathon Playing a Card Game, and raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity: water in the process. The event, which took place simultaneously in London and New York, involved each participant playing PopCap Games’ latest social game Solitaire Blitz on Facebook for 30 consecutive hours totalling more than 1,500 hands. PopCap has also confirmed that Solitaire Blitz is currently in development for iOS, allowing more players to experience the Guinness World Record-setting game in a new dimension when it launches on iPad®, iPhone® and iPod Touch® later this year.

All proceeds from the related pledge drive, which garnered US$92,577, will enable charity: water to build 18 new wells that each will provide 250 people in developing nations with clean drinking water for at least 20 years. Combined with PopCap’s own pledges of $5,000 per player, marathon players Rich and Henkel utilized a unique pledge mechanism created for the occasion to garner pledged charitable contributions from more than 1,400 people around the world. Both women exceeded the minimum 25 consecutive hours necessary to establish the record, and both stopped playing after exactly 30 hours, thereby sharing the record.

The most significant innovation in more than 20 years of the beloved card game played by more people than any other, Solitaire Blitz has already attracted five million lifetime players and more than 600 million games played per month since its official launch on March 12. Combining the simplicity of standard solitaire with social camaraderie and friendly competition, as well as the bonuses, power-ups and beat-the-clock excitement of PopCap’s other hit social games Bejeweled® Blitz and Zuma® Blitz, Solitaire Blitz has seen two billion hands played since launch making it a game that is incredibly easy to play and impossible to put down.

"Laura has showed resilience and an unshakeable passion for gaming over the last 30 hours, and she has certainly earned her place in the Guinness World Records family. Congratulations to Laura and her support team for an incredible record-breaking accomplishment,” said Gaz Deaves, Gaming Editor for Guinness World Records.

“While achieving a world record today is an amazing feat, the thrill of helping earn nearly $100,000 for an organization as great as charity: water is arguably just as exciting,” said Laura Rich, 31-year old mom of three from Cardiff, Wales. “To know that my love for a videogame helped bring clean drinking water to thousands of people is an honour I will never forget.”


About charity: water
charity: water, www.charitywater.org, is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. We raise awareness about the one billion people living without life’s most basic need and invite others to join our mission. Then, we use 100% of public donations to fund clean water solutions in areas of greatest need.

About PopCap
PopCap Games, www.popcap.com, is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2011, and has a worldwide staff of more than 600 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap's games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units.

Carlsberg launches ‘Crate Escape’ in Ireland

Today, Monday 9th July 2012, Carlsberg have released the details of their latest TV ad 'Crate Escape'. This Thursday, 12th July, Carlsberg's humorous take on the film ‘The Great Escape’, will air in Ireland before any other market.

The ad is set in a remote health spa where a bunch of lads have been forced to join their partners on a luxury spa break. Obviously the lads in question would much rather be somewhere else. This leads to an ingenious plan to add a much needed element to the whole experience: a cold Carlsberg.

Our hero calls on his mates to break out and smuggle a crate of Carlsberg back into the spa, and just like Steve McQueen and the lads in The Great Escape these crafty chaps use a host of cunning and oddball methods to get the job done. To be honest though, you should just watch it...

Speaking about the new ad, Karen Murphy, Senior Brand Manager, Carlsberg, said: “We’re delighted with our new TV ad ‘The Crate Escape’ and to be chosen as the first market to air it. The commercial reinforces the Carlsberg brand message and offers some light-hearted entertainment as our hero steps up and comes good by his mates and his girlfriend. Carlsberg has a reputation for producing - memorable ads with clever wit and we believe ‘The Crate Escape’ will be really well-received amongst our audience. To coincide with the launch we are running a themed competition on the Carlsberg Ireland Facebook page to giveaway a weekend break to either Barcelona or Berlin for four mates.”

Developed by creative agency Fold7, the 30, 50, 80 and 90 second ad was directed by Peter Lydon whose work includes hit Channel 4 TV shows Shameless and Teachers, and features music from the Elmer Bernstein score for ‘The Great Escape’. The ad will be rolled out across Carlsberg's global markets, kicking off in Ireland, Sweden and Belgium on 12 July.

To view the new ad first and be in with a chance of winning some fantastic Carlsberg Crate Escape prizes, visit Facebook.com/CarlsbergIreland.

Electric Ireland: The Road To London

Electric Ireland have launched a new Facebook game to celebrate their involvement with Team Ireland at London 2012. There are lots of prizes to be won including an all expenses paid trip to the Olympics!

Check it out for yourself here.

A really nice feature to the app it that it also allows you to customise your Facebook cover photo at the end to show your support for the Irish Team.

Ogilvy Dublin Scoop Coveted Lion at Cannes Lions for ISPCC

Pictured (L-R) Lloyd Byrne, Director of Fundraising at ISPCC, Dave Smyth,
managing director, Ogilvy Dublin and Michael Duffy, managing director, Blinder Films.

----- Press Release -----

Ogilvy Dublin’s work for ISPCC was recognised on a global scale at the Cannes Lions where the agency picked up a Bronze Film Craft Lion award for Direction at Cannes. This award was the highlight of a number of accolades bestowed on the ISPCC’s “I Can’t Wait” campaign, which has garnered widespread praise and recognition on a national and international level. The ad was a collaboration led by Ogilvy Dublin working with Blinder.

The International Festival of Creativity, known within the industry as the Cannes Lions, is the world’s leading celebration of creativity in communication. The awards, which have been running since 1954, take place every June in Cannes, France. This year over 28,000 entries were received from all over the world with awards handed out in 16 categories. Ogilvy Dublin was the only Irish agency to pick up an award and furthermore was the only Irish agency to have work shortlisted in the awards.

Speaking on the agency’s success, Dave Smyth, managing director at Ogilvy Dublin said, “This is an amazing achievement for Ogilvy Dublin. The win is a credit to the incredible hard work that our team has put in and I am delighted that our work here in Ireland is being recognized as some of the best in the world. The Cannes Lions were a tremendous success for the wider Ogilvy family, Ogilvy & Mather won the coveted Cannes Lions 2012 Network of the Year Award and we were delighted to be a part of that win.”

Smyth continued, “We have been working with the ISPCC since 2009 and it is an organisation we have the utmost respect for. The work they do is paramount and we are proud to work with them. From the beginning the main aim of the campaign was to create awareness for this important cause and we believe we have achieved that.” Globally, Ogilvy & Mather topped off an impressive year with the most successful Cannes Lions in the company’s history. In addition to winning Network of the Year, Ogilvy won a record 83 Lions in total. Some of the award winning work included Lions for brands including: Coke, Hellmann’s, IBM, Sprite, Forbes, Carling and the ISPCC.

Lloyd Byrne, director of fundraising at ISPCC said, “We are very honoured to have picked up this prestigious award. In the creative process for this campaign our main objective was clear; to make an advert that would attract attention and highlight the cruelty of child abuse. From the awards and recognition this campaign has attracted we believe we have met that objective.”

Richie Smyth of Dublin based Blinder picked up the bronze for Director’s craft at the annual awards, which are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the advertising industry. “We are delighted to have been awarded with a Cannes Lion, the most prestigious award in advertising” said Blinder managing director, Michael Duffy. “It is testimony to the courageous creative work of the Ogilvy team and the willingness of ISPCC to embrace challenging ideas which has made this commercial such a worldwide phenomenon.”

In addition to the recent win at Cannes, the campaign was also recognised by the D&AD Book which is one of the most respected creative judging forums in the world. This was the first time that an Irish agency had been honoured in over 7 years. Business Insider also voted the ad as the number one ad in the world for 2011. The campaign was also honoured at the CLIO awards held in May in New York where it picked up one of CLIO’s iconic statues which are the most widely recognized and coveted symbol of the industry’s creative accomplishments. Other awards bestowed on the campaign include; a Gold Award in the “Public Interest” category at this year’s EPICA Awards; a Gold Award at the “Global Best Digital Advertising Awards” in Bangkok, Thailand; a Bronze Award in “TV Cinema/Online Film Direction” at the London International Awards (LIA). It was also named “Advert of the Year” on tvads.ie, and listed as the “#1 Ad Worldwide”. In Ireland the campaign picked up 2 Golds and 3 Silvers at the ICAD Awards. ICAD is Ireland's preeminent creative body - and the annual awards are the greatest opportunity for Irish creatives to have their best work recognised and rewarded by their peers. It was also awarded a Silver at the Kinsale Sharks. This collection of awards makes the campaign one of the most awarded pieces of Irish advertising in history.

Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale

----- Press Release -----

A worldwide audience will turn to Ireland as the Volvo Ocean Race reaches a dramatic conclusion in less than three weeks time when the six teams finish their 39,000 mile race around the planet. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to come to Galway for the finish leading to a multi-million euro boost for the economy.

Since the start in Spain last November, the overall race leader is French entry Groupama 4 skippered by Franck Cammas with a crew of ten that includes veteran sailor Damian Foxall from Kerry. As many as three other teams could still upset the standings in the closest ever conclusion of the race.

The six boats have battled storms, ice threats, freezing temperatures and searing heat as well as a series of challenging equipment problems as their 70 foot state of the art racing yachts are pushed beyond their limits.

Ireland will be the tenth host-country in this edition of the race after Spain, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, Brazil, United States of America, Portugal and since Friday (15th June) France. Only Sweden, Germany, Russia and Britain have ever hosted a grand finale in the 39-year history of the race.

Each crew-member has worked almost 20 hours per day, non-stop for up to three weeks at a time living on freeze-dried food with no home comforts while trying to race as hard as possible. Ireland will be the setting for scenes of both joy and heart-break which will be broadcast live to a global audience.

Preliminary research for the race so far indicates a cumulative TV audience of 2.1 million viewers plus 35 million visits to the race website (http://www.VolvoOceanRace.com). Irish fans are the fourth highest Facebook followers accounting for over 13,000 ‘likes’ out of 183,000 people. These figures only account for the first five months of the race that started in Alicante, Spain in November 2011.

The previous race stopped in Galway in 2009 where crowds of 600,000 visitors led to a €55 million boost. Organisers are aiming to repeat this with the finale to this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race and hotels are close to full capacity in the Galway region as fans and crew families are expected from around the world.

The Galway port area is being transformed once again for the arrival of the boats on or after the 2nd July as they sail the final leg of the race from the Breton port of Lorient. An entertainment programme comprising mostly free events has been planned, starting on Saturday 30th June when the fleet prepares to depart France for Ireland.

The Volvo Ocean Race started as the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973 and has had two Irish yachts compete (1989-90 NCB Ireland and 2008-09 Green Dragon) for what is the undisputed top trophy in ocean racing.

Eason's Predictions For Father’s Day

Sales of sports book soared by 62% in the week of Father’s Day in 2011

With Father’s Day just a few days away, Eason, Ireland’s leading retailer of books, stationery, magazines and more, predicts a significant jump in sales of sports books amid the mania of Euro 2012 and with the Olympics not far behind.

Eason’s top five sporting books – the ideal gift for Father’s Day include:
Green is the colour by Stephen Byrne
La Roja by Jimmy Burns
Joking Apart by Donnacha O’Callaghan
Born to Ride by Stephen Roche
Beautiful Brutality by Adam Smith

Looking back at sales figures from 2011, Eason noted a huge increase in the sales for Sport, DIY/Gardening and History books during the week of Father’s Day in comparison to figures from the previous week. Sporting titles increased by almost 62% compared to the week before Father’s Day while sales in DIY/Gardening books jumped by 52%. History book sales also spiked the week leading up to Father’s Day when compared to previous week, with 37% jump.

Maria Dickenson, Head of Book Purchasing, Eason, commented, “Books make a great gift for Father’s Day and at Eason we have something to suit every dad! Sports books are a front runner with the Euro 2012 but we have plenty of history, crime, DIY and fiction too for that rare non-sporting dad!”

Other Father’s Day book recommendations from Eason include:

History
D-Day by Anthony Beevor
All Hell Let Loose by Max Hastings
Seal Target Geronimo by Chuck Farrer
The End by Ian Kershaw
Trigger Time by Mick Flynn

DIY & Gardening
Collins Complete DIY Manual by Albert Jackson
DIY Manual by Readers Digest
DIY for Less by Readers Digest
Irish Gardeners Handbook by Michael Brennock
The Complete Gardener by Monty Don

True Crime
Badfellas by Paul Williams
Game Set Murder by Michael Sheridan
Cocaine Diaries by Paul Keany

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the ISPCC's new hard hitting new campaign to combat the emotional abuse of children. Well, the next stage of the campaign is on the way and I think this is going to be something really special.

The campaign is centred around the notion that children believe what they are told, and the terrifying fact that emotional abuse shatters childhoods. In the gallery we have installed a sheet of glass on which is written one of the most resonant phrases of the campaign; ‘You stupid little bitch.’

The ISPCC's 'Break the Glass' installation and event in The Copper House Gallery will see a very large sheet of glass illustrating the campaign's message placed within Barry McCall's Pho20graphy exhibition, which is also supporting the ISPCC. Artist James Earley will be responsible for the artwork.

Members of the public are being asked to support the campaign too by tweeting #ispcc. Through a tweet counter counting down from one thousand to zero that is attached to the glass, the installation will come to life and the glass will shatter, revealing a message of hope behind the glass. This will all happen at a special event hosted this Friday (8th of June). The whole thing will also be filmed and captured in slow motion using a special high speed camera.

Be sure to check it out - this is a really cool campaign IMHO.

View the live feed here: http://www.ispcc.ie/art-installation/1791

Calor launches Community Champion 2012

This week, Calor has launched the inaugural Calor Community Champion 2012. This is Calor's search to find the local champions in each of our communities. These are the people who work tirelessly each and every day to improve the lives of the people around them. Calor believe it is time that these people were recognised and celebrated, and to do so they have set aside a prize fund of €10,000.

Leading the search is none other than TV and radio personality, Hector Ó hEochagáin. However, Hector and the team at Calor will be looking for the public's help. They need people around Ireland to enter and nominate their local heroes. And doing so couldn't be easier. All you need to do is ‘like’ the Calor Facebook page and enter your various details through the Community Champion app.

Speaking at the launch, Hector said, “This is a great initiative by Calor and one which I am fully behind. At last a platform to recognise real life community heroes, both young and old. You all know who they are, so give them the recognition they truly deserve. I am looking for nominations to come from every corner and county on the island, so get nominating today!”

Jennifer Fagan, Marketing Executive, Calor Gas said, “At Calor with our close connections and work in our local communities, we understand the work carried out every day by unsung heroes in towns and villages across the island of Ireland. The Calor Community Champion is one way you can recognise those who have made exceptional contributions to your local community. We want as many nominations as possible so that the people who have helped to make our community a better place can get the recognition they truly deserve."

The winner and inaugural Calor Community Champion 2012 will receive €1,500 and a bursary of €7,500 to give to their nominated charity or local organisation. Calor will even throw in €500 for the person or organisation that nominated them. Nominations to crown this year’s champion will close on July 6th. Calor will select the top 32 local champions, one from each county and put them to the public vote from July 16th through our Facebook app. The public will have four weeks to vote for their favourite and the top four local champions and two wildcards will make it through to the final phase. The winner will be chosen by the Judging Panel and announced on September 4th.

The Perfect Cuppa

More than half of Irish tea drinkers believe “you know them” if you can make their perfect cuppa!

Today, Lyons Tea have released some really interesting research conducted for them by Amárach Research. The research shows that 51% of Irish tea drinkers feel that someone knows them if they can make them a cup of tea to their particular liking. Perhaps even more interesting, 20% of people said that they judge people on their tea-making skills.

Some other interesting facts thrown up by the research were:

• More than 80% of Irish people drink tea every day
• On average Irish people make three cups of tea each day in work alone
• Using a specially developed pantone range of tea shades; from ‘perfect tan’ to ‘milky way’, it was releaved that ‘perfect tan ’is the best tea shade for 20% of Irish people
• Also, 58% of Irish people take their tea without sugar or sweetener

The research comes on the back of the launch of Lyons Tea's newly crafted range of richer tasting tea. Don't be fooled though, there is real innovation here with Lyons Tea having developed a brand new, unique pressing technology. The new process means that the tea leaves are pressed at different stages during fermentation in order to capture and preserve the genuine and refined taste of fresh tea in each blend:

• Fresh Blend: When in need of a pick-me-up….the tea leaves are pressed within hours of picking to give a uniquely clean, smooth, golden and fresh-tasting tea.
• Gold Blend: The rich full flavour tea that tea drinkers have always loved, enriched with some pressed tea leaves.
• Evening Blend: Perfect for moments of relaxation…a delicate tasting blend that combines lightly pressed leaves and decaffeinated tea.

Speaking at the launch of Lyons Tea’s new richer tasting range, Nicola Tougher, Lyons Tea Brand Manager, said, “We’re delighted to introduce our new range as Irish people have a passion for tea like no other nation, with a very refined palate. Our new range of richer tasting tea caters for just that! The two blends, Fresh and Evening, are totally new with a unique fresh taste achieved with our innovative and exclusive pressing technology. It’s a new chapter in tea!”

Dr Eddie Murphy, Clinical Psychologist (of RTE’s Operation Transformation fame), commented on the research, “It’s interesting to see what impact tea can have on relationships. It’s about noticing the small little things, the little things that become big things that enliven relationships. Small courtesies, warm smiles and making a cup of tea the way someone likes it, shows recognition and awareness - that you care about them. When people make tea for someone they’re making an emotional connection which in turn increases fondness and trust, thus enabling the relationship to grow and develop.”

Dr Eddie Murphy continued; “Unsurprisingly an overwhelming majority consider tea as a source of comfort – the ultimate problem solver. It’s the first thing we do when we hear bad news and in turn have something to celebrate. What the Lyons Tea research also reveals is that Irish people find it increasingly difficult to switch off and even experience guilt when relaxing. In terms of support networks the Irish mother maintains her legendary status as a central support figure however when we want to be cheered up best friends or partners are much higher on the list most likely as mothers tell you how it really is while best friends tend to dress things up and tell you what you want to hear!”

The new campaign has slotted in to the existing 'Talk' creative driving all of Lyons Tea's current advertising:

Savour and Sip Smithwick’s Pale Ale at Taste of Dublin 2012

Visitors to the 7th annual Taste of Dublin Festival will get to sip and savour the craft brewed taste of Smithwick’s Pale Ale, the new addition to the Smithwick’s range. The theme of this year's festival is ‘Proud to be Irish’ and with Smithwick’s 300 years of history and heritage it's no wonder they've been invited to attend.

While it may be the newest addition to the family, Smithwick's Pale Ale's craft brewed nature make it a true artisan beverage. Brewed in individual batches using the finest ingredients: aromatic Amarillo hops, 100% pale ale malt and the prized Smithwick’s yeast, Smithwick’s Pale Ale is a delicious full tasting beer with a long finish, rich golden colour and creamy head. For those yet to try it, I highly recommend giving it a go. Its unique ingredient combination gives it a distinctive flavour.

Visitors to the Iveagh Gardens, the Taste of Dublin's home, will be treated to a feast for the senses from 20 of Dublin’s top restaurants including interactive master classes and live entertainment on two stages. The festival will be launched this year by Jamie Oliver and he will also be giving a live cooking demonstration on stage during the event. Other guests include: Rachel Allen, Valentine Warner, Oliver Dunne, Richard Lewis and Ross Lewis.

For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/smithwicks or www.tasteofdublin.ie.

New Hard Hitting ISPCC Campaign

This week the ISPCC launched their latest campaign to drive awareness on the subject of emotional abuse. The tv ad (above) is being supported by the following three 48 sheet posters (which will appear next week from Monday 28th on sites nationwide) and the two radio ads below them (the 3rd titled ‘Bitch’ was too strong for radio stations, but is available on the ISPCC website).

48 Sheet Posters




Radio Ads
Pathetic
Friendless
Bitch

The phrases used throughout the campaign are harsh and possibly offensive to some. But the sad reality is that they are mild in relation to what is really said to the children who call looking for help. The shield image you see in the posters and TV ad are used as symbols of protection for children. By wearing a shield pin, you are helping to support the ISPCC in its fight to protect children.

This is a confrontational campaign but it was felt this approach was needed in order to draw attention to the growing issue in Irish Society of emotional abuse. In 2011 over 54,000 (14%) of contacts to the ISPCC dealt with this issue.

Guinness: Arthur's Day 2012

Today, Guinness announced that Arthur’s Day will make a return on Thursday, 27th September, 2012.

Last year, hundreds of thousands of people across Ireland and millions more worldwide came together to celebrate Arthur’s Day which is the day that recognises Arthur Guinness, his spirit and remarkable legacy.

This year, Guinness promise even more surprises and plenty of excitement for Arthur’s Day 2012, but as always the pub will be at the heart of the celebrations.

Full details for Arthur’s Day 2012 will be revealed later this summer.

Lyons Tea Launches New Range

Lyons Tea's latest campaign has just gone live, promoting the launch of a new range of richer tasting tea specially designed for the Irish tea-loving palate. Made using a unique pressing technology, the tea leaves are pressed at different stages during fermentation in order to capture and preserve the genuine and refined taste of fresh tea in each blend:

• Fresh Blend: A refreshing pick-me-up - the tea leaves are pressed within hours of picking to give a uniquely clean, smooth, golden and fresh-tasting tea.
• Gold Blend: The rich full flavour tea, that tea drinkers have always loved, enriched with some pressed tea leaves.
• Evening Blend: Perfect for the moments of relaxation…a delicate tasting blend that combines lightly pressed leaves and decaffeinated tea.

The campaign is primarily driven by a new tv ad (above) that tells the story of Lyons Tea’s new pressing technology and its role in ensuring Lyons Gold Blend is now Lyons richer tasting tea. The introduction of the pressing technology presented a unique opportunity to reinforce the richness of Lyons Gold Blend, the hero product of the new range.

While seeking to communicate the new technology behind the range, the commercial still remains set in the Lyons word of talk. Once again the Lyons Master Blender and Apprentice reprise their roles at the heart of the Lyons Factory.

The 30 second commercial was created by Rothco. Shooting took place in Kiev, where the original Lyons Puts the Talk into Tea campaign was also shot in 2010 and post production was carried out in Dublin’s renowned Windmill Lane studios.

Like the originals, the commercial was directed by Irish director Steven St Leger, working with his long-time collaborator, cameraman James Mather.

Speaking on the launch of the new range, Nicola Tougher, Marketing Manager, Lyons Tea, said, “We’re really excited at Lyons Tea to introduce our two new richer tasting blends to the Irish market, Evening and Fresh Blend. The new pressing technology has been used for the whole range to enrich Gold Blend, the hero of the range together with two new blends Fresh and Evening. For our latest TV commercial we brought back our much loved Master Blender and his young apprentice. While we sought to communicate the new technology behind the range, we also wanted to ensure talk and humour were still very much at heart of it and we're delighted with the final result."

The campaign kicked off this week and as well as TV also includes radio, outdoor, digital and PR support.

Three Launches ‘Support Works’ Campaign

This week, Three launched their latest campaign, ‘Support Works’. The campaign, which is focused on celebrating the vital role that fans play on the Irish Football team's journey to Poland, is part of Three's sponsorship activity for the Irish Football team.

The campaign features two new tv ads running on RTE, TV3, 3E, Sky packages, Living, and E4:
#SupportsWorks TV Ad - First Dinner Date
#SupportsWorks TV Ad – Greens

Credits:
Art Director – Bill Hollingsworth
Creative Director – Mal Stevenson
Director – Stephen St. Leger
Producer – Jack Armstrong
Production Company – H2


Alongside the tv ads, the campaign will also feature outdoor ads of 48 sheets, 96 sheets, golden squares and metro panels. There will be digital executions of rich media banners on key websites and social media. The campaign will also be supported by in store POS across Three's entire retail division.

Finally there will be an intensive programme of BTL and PR activity calling on the supporters to ‘Go Green with Pride’ and show their support for the team, featuring a number of the Republic of Ireland footballers, on-street stunt activity and exciting events for supporters in Dublin’s city centre.

As part of the campaign, Three Ireland has launched an exclusive limited edition Samsung Galaxy Mini with supporters kit. Priced at €89 the kit includes; a limited edition Samsung Galaxy Mini featuring a branded FAI supporters mobile handset cover, a watch, a ‘Support Works’ car sticker and Republic of Ireland football supporter’s pin.

The handset is preloaded with the 3Football App and Three Football Flick Kick game, and will be available from all 3Stores and stockists nationwide and online.

The campaign was developed by Irish International.

For further information on Three visit www.three.ie

Planning, Creativity & Planning For Creative Campaigns

A really great presentation given by Heidi Hackemer for the Account Planning Group.

hat tip to Neil Perkin for sharing this :)

Smirnoff Celebrates Madonna's MDNA With New VIP Limited Edition Pack

To celebrate the start of Madonna’s 2012 World Tour and her 12th studio album ‘MDNA’, Smirnoff today announced the launch of a new Limited Edition pack that offers fans the opportunity to experience Madonna like never before.

The first part of the Limited Edition pack is a VIP access card. This gives fans the ability to unlock never-seen-before backstage content and grants access to an exclusive download of Madonna’s latest remix track ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ – Just Blaze Bionic Dub’.

Secondly, fans have the chance to win exclusive tickets to see Mags in one of her upcoming gigs. Finally the whole thing is presented in an eye-catching nightlife-inspired pack.

The pack is available from all major high street retailers.

Rocky Road to Poland

Today, Thursday 3rd May, Three announced they are teaming up with a host of Irish music talent and Today FM’s Ray D’Arcy to release the eagerly awaited Official Republic of Ireland Song for Euro 2012.

‘The Rocky Road to Poland’ has been recorded by Damien Dempsey, Danny O’Reilly (Coronas), Bressie and The Dubliners (John Sheehan, Barney McKenna, Eamonn Campbell and Patsy Watchhorn), and was written by the Today FM Show’s listeners. Also, all proceeds are going to the John Giles Foundation and Today FM’s Shave or Dye campaign for the Irish Cancer Society.

The Irish Euro 2012 Squad and Ray D’Arcy Show listeners also feature on the track which was produced by the legendary John Reynolds. Costing just €3, the song will be available to buy in all Three Stores nationwide, 3Spots, all major music retailers, and available to download on iTunes and from the 3Music Store.

Bressie, The Ray D’Arcy Show and Three Ireland are calling all fans to Go Green with Pride and support the Official Republic of Ireland Song for Euro 2012 “The Rocky Road to Poland” in the aim to scale the charts showing that #SupportWorks. In a fitting tribute and support towards one of the artists involved, the single will also be a tribute to The Dubliners’, Barney McKenna who sadly passed away recently after the recording.

Commenting on the launch, Sales and Marketing director, Elaine Carey at Three, said: “As proud sponsors of the Republic of Ireland football team, we’re delighted to be launching the Rocky Road to Poland, with Ray D’Arcy and Bressie, and supporting two very worthy causes. The song was created by real Republic of Ireland supporters and we’re calling on all the fans to support it in the run up to Poland. We will be announcing a host of additional activities in the coming weeks to give Republic of Ireland fans the chance to go green with pride, and show “Support Works” for the team this summer.”

Commenting on the launch Bressie said: “I vividly remember Euro ’88 and it was the start of my love affair with sport. To be performing on the official Irish song for Euro 2012 is emotional!”

Commenting on the launch, Ray D’Arcy from the Ray D’Arcy Show said: “We’re very proud of the song and hope lots of people buy the single to support the Irish team this summer and help two great charities.”

Richard Dunne launches Three Ireland Samsung Supporters Kit

This week, Three announced their partnership with Republic of Ireland defender, Richard Dunne for the launch of their Samsung Supporters Kit. The kit, which includes a limited edition Samsung Galaxy Mini, is available from Monday 7th May and is priced at €89.

The Kit includes; a limited edition Samsung Galaxy Mini featuring a branded FAI supporters mobile handset cover, a watch, a ‘Support Works’ car sticker and Republic of Ireland football supporter’s pin. The kit will be available from all 3Stores and stockists nationwide and online at Three.ie, while stocks last.

The limited edition Samsung Galaxy Mini comes preloaded with two great football Apps for Republic of Ireland supporters; the 3Football App and Three Football Flick Kick game.

The 3Football App features regular newsfeeds on all of the action in Poland, squad announcements, fixtures, live match commentary, results and tables. It will also feature a Fanzone that will incorporate all the details of additional exciting initiatives from Three to support the Republic of Ireland Team as they’re announced, competitions to win lots of goodies, and a special Club Offer.

Commenting on the launch Richard Dunne said: “I am delighted to be in Dublin today to announce the launch of the Three Ireland Samsung Supporters Kit. As we get closer to June, we need our supporters to get behind the team and show their support! The 3Football App will give fans the chance to have all the updates on the squad, live commentary on the matches and the chance to win lots of football prizes at the touch of a button.”

Commenting on the launch, Sales and Marketing director, Elaine Carey at Three, said: “As proud sponsors of the Republic of Ireland football team, we’re delighted to be launching the Three Ireland Samsung Supporters Kit, marking the first step in our campaign to support the team in the run-up to Poland in June. The limited edition Samsung Galaxy Mini handset is preloaded with the fantastic new 3Football App - a must have for all Footie fans to show their support for the team and keep close to what’s happening on the ground in Poland. We will be announcing a host of additional activities in the coming weeks to give Republic of Ireland fans the chance to go green with pride, and show “Support Works” for the team this summer.”

For further information on Three Football visit www.3football.ie

Guinness Mid-Strength Taste Test Tour

As you may have heard, Guinness is rolling out its Mid-Strength 2.8% brew across the country, and to celebrate the roll-out they have announced details of a taste test tour to Dublin, Cork, Mayo and Belfast. The tour will be kicking off in The Leopardstown Inn, Brewery Road, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin from 7:30pm tomorrow, Thursday 26th April.

Hosted by Guinness Master Brewer Fergal Murray and former Irish rugby international and Guinness Mid-Strength ambassador Mick Galwey, the free events are an opportunity for Guinness lovers to do the Guinness Mid-Strength taste test and get a fascinating insight into the brewing process and history behind the iconic Irish stout. Fergal and Mick will also teach people on the night how to pour the perfect pint and award prizes for the best attempts.

Murray said, “I’m really looking forward to visiting The Leopardstown Inn as I know they are passionate about Guinness too in that part of Dublin. I’m interested to get feedback on Guinness Mid-Strength. We invested a lot of time in developing this product so that there is no compromise on taste. I am always delighted to share the history, stories and heritage of the brand with people. It’s also great to have Mick Galwey with me on tour. I admired him as a sportsman and he is a friend of ours for a long time.”

As a Guinness Master Brewer and a global Guinness ambassador, Fergal Murray has poured pints for a huge number of important and famous people including the Queen of England. Murray has also taste tested Guinness in almost every country where it is served and is the international spokesperson for the brand.

Tour events will take place as follows:
Cork - 9th May - Fox & Hound, Ballyvolane, Cork City
Mayo - 17th May - Matt Molloy's, Westport, Co Mayo
Belfast - 23rd May - TBC

To register for the free Taste Test tour events and for a list of Guinness Mid-Strength sampling events and bars serving the stout, go to facebook.com/GuinnessIreland.

In other exciting Mid-Strength news, from mid-April you can walk into any pub nationwide stocking Guinness Mid-Strength and ask the bar tender to do the Guinness Mid-Strength Taste Test. This is a cool pub activity where you can blind taste a complimentary Guinness and Guinness Mid-Strength to see if you can taste the difference.

Guinness Mid-Strength is currently available in 750 pub outlets across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Three Expands Free Bitbuzz Wi-Fi To All Smartphones

Pippa O’Connor revealing Ireland’s biggest Wi-Fi hotspots this spring

Today, Three announced that they will be expanding their partnership with Bitbuzz to provide free Wi-Fi to all their Smartphone customers. Since July 2010, all Three’s iPhone customers have been able to avail of free Wi-Fi through Bitbuzz, but today's news means that Three’s Android users can also avail of Bitbuzz Wi-Fi. The agreement marks the most significant data offload deal to-date in Ireland.

Elaine Carey, Sales and Marketing Director at Three commented: “Three are delighted to expand our partnership with Bitbuzz, offering free Wi-Fi connectivity to all our smartphone customers. Three is committed to leading the smartphone marketplace forward and see this enhanced offering as not only offering our customers more choice but also continuing to deliver on this promise.”

“Following our success with the initial offering for iPhones, we are confident that the demand for free Wi-Fi will increase with our expansion across Three’s other smartphone customers,” said Shane Deasy, Managing Director, Bitbuzz. “It is very clear that Three has a real belief in Wi-Fi, and this agreement underscores that. It is also a fact that handhelds are a significant force in the explosion in demand for Wi-Fi.”

The partnership, which features hotspots nationwide, including all Three’s thirty retail stores, is open to both Three prepay and bill pay customers. This also means that on top of Three’s iPhone Bitbuzz Wi-Fi App, Three will now also offer a Bitbuzz App in the Android Marketplace. Both these developments represent a significant strengthening of the strategic partnership between Three Ireland and Bitbuzz.

Click here for a full list of Bitbuzz hotspots in the Republic of Ireland.

Ballygowan Launches 'Drink It In' Campaign

Ballygowan has just launched a brand new campaign, "Drink It In", celebrating the brand's new look and design and driving uptake within the 20 to 30 year old market. The campaign not only features a TV ad, but also utilises radio, PR and social media.

Speaking today at the official launch of the new campaign, Head of Marketing for Ballygowan, Leonie Doyle said “Water boasts so many benefits to both body and mind that help you to feel your best inside and out, and we wanted to celebrate this power and brilliance with a whole new look for Ballygowan, encouraging the nation to drink it in."

She continued: “Our ‘Drink It In’ campaign brings this celebration to life. We wanted to create something that would resonate with our target consumer and the result is a really uplifting, positive and engaging production that we are really excited about sharing. It shows water doing some amazing things and people having fun with it.”

Meeting House Square in Dublin’s Temple Bar was selected as the location for the ad for its fresh new look, offering an undeniably Irish contemporary backdrop. The advert dives into the everyday lives of modern Irish people who have been delighted and captivated by the power and brilliance of water using an innovative water display mechanism called “Aquagraphics”. The technology creates aqua visuals which tell the story of Ballygowan’s journey from rainclouds to the bottle.

Speaking about the making of the ad, Director, Gavin Kelly of Piranha Bar said “Ballygowan set us an exciting challenge and we are thrilled with how the piece has come together. We searched for something that would allow us to use water in an impactful way and decided to let water do the talking. Using Aquagraphics are telling the powerful story of a great Irish brand – the clouds coming in from the Atlantic, filtering through limestone for centuries and flowing into Ballygowan, the pure mineral water as we find it today. The end result is an outdoor water spectacle that celebrates both Ballygowan and water itself, and is the centrepiece of the ad that we believe will draw viewers in.”

The chosen track to accompany the ad titled “Outdoors” by up-and-coming County Down band Kowalski, was selected for its “sense of vibrancy and flow that works in perfect harmony with the movement and energy of the water”.

The Ballygowan campaign was developed by Irish advertising agency Cawley Nea TBWA and post produced by Piranha Bar, a Dublin based Creative Content Studio and Production Facility.

“Drink It In” will air on television screens for the first time tomorrow, Thursday, 12th April 2012.

For more details and behind the scenes footage log onto Facebook.com/BallygowanIrishWater.


Making of the ad FACTS:

• It was filmed over a 15 hour shoot day. It required two days transcoding, 4 days editing and several days compositing and grading, together with several days animation time also.
• It is a sophisticated blend of high end digital film with green screen compositing, computer generated assets, relighting tools and skilled retouching.
• The final look of the film is created with Lustre - a film grading tool regularly used on blockbuster films like Lord of the Rings and King Kong!
• The ad would not have worked using CGI along - which augmented the real thing, so when people get wet in the ad – they really do get wet!
• The Aquagraphics installation consists of two layers made up of 380 separate nozzles per metre (the main screen was 9 metres long!) which are linked to a computer which then triggers the action of the nozzles by scanning the lines of a computer image. The nozzles trigger on and off in a fraction of a second, creating 'water pixels' which cascade downwards in the pattern of the original image.
• The Aquagraphic screen recycles all of the water it uses from a small reservoir making it completely sustainable.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning claims the lives of approximately 75 people each year in the UK and Ireland. In the UK it is estimated that 20% of homes have a working CO alarm installed while in Ireland only 10% homes are thought to have an alarm.

CO is totally invisible to the human senses and can be produced by appliances that use gas, oil, wood, coal, or other solid fuel. It is a highly poisonous gas with no colour, taste or smell, and the only reliable way to detect CO is with an audible EI Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

I was recently given a Carbon Monoxide Alarm to try out by ElectricIrelandStore.ie. It's a small device and resembles a Smoke Alarm very closely in appearance. The CO alarm constantly monitors the home, providing an early warning of any CO presence.

The alarm is compliant with BS EN 50291:2010 and BS EN 60335-1:2002 safety specifications and incredibly easy to install with no wiring of any kind. The heart of the unit, the sensor, has an operational life of 6 years, and most importantly the alarm is incredibly loud. Just to wrap it all up nicely, it's also an Irish made product.

The alarm is available directly from the Electric Ireland Store and is priced at €37.99.

ElectricIrelandStore.ie focuses on energy-saving products designed to reduce home energy costs, while also providing consumers with a wide range of items to make their home warmer, safer and more secure. The online store also hosts applications developed by Electric Ireland such as the appliance calculator that help consumers understand what drives home energy use and how best to reduce it.

Katy Perry Sweetens Life For The Sims

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that the next collaborative project between The Sims and Katy Perry will be available this June on PC/Mac. In The Sims 3 Katy Perry’s Sweet Treats, players can sweeten up their Sims’ lives with Katy Perry-inspired, candylicious items that will enhance their game experience such as décor, furniture, objects and of course, fashions and hairstyles.

Players will sink their sweet tooth into all new in-game goodies and turn the homes and neighborhoods of their Sims into a whimsical Candyfornia, complete with cupcake-themed guitars, candy playground equipment and delicious cotton candy trees. Outfitting their Sims in an array of new clothing and hairstyles, players will make their Sims look good enough to eat! Three pre-built venues will help transform the world for the Sims characters with a game packed full of Katy Perry-inspired content.

“I’m delighted to bring you more with The Sims 3 Sweet Treats," said Perry. "I love some of the accessories so much that I am going to get some of them made in real life! It's one of my small life goals to sit on a banana split couch."

Additionally, players will rock out to a Simlish version of Katy Perry’s hit song, ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F),’ which she recorded for The Sims 3 Katy Perry’s Sweet Treats. Simlish is the official language of The Sims.

Perry comments on singing the Simlish version of the track, saying, "'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' is a really fun song to sing along to in any language, so I thought why not in Simlish?"

In The Sims 3 Katy Perry’s Sweet Treats, players can indulge their Sims in an array of exciting and colorful items to turn their surroundings into vibrant candytopias. From banana split sofas to lavish fountains made of candy, and even a waffle cone picnic table, this game really captures Katy Perry’s spirit. New sugar-coated fashions and hairstyles really sweeten this game. The fashions are straight from Katy Perry’s red carpet appearances, music videos and concert performances, which have now been recreated for The Sims in a true to life way.

Even more delectable are the pre-built venues that are included. Players can take their Sims for a dip amidst the sweet surroundings of Patty’s Natural Baths, an all-new pool venue, complete with bubble gum pink lounge chairs and a licorice-themed slippy slide. They can stroll over to the Bonbon Lawn Park where they’ll find loads of fun-for-all-ages, candy playground equipment. Players can also take their Sims to the Cake Pleasure Dome, the town’s charming local hangout, where even more tasty sweet treats await.

Samsung Galaxy Note & Peter The Elephant

TVF have just launched the above video to promote the Samsung Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Note is Samsung’s smartphone / tablet hybrid featuring a much bigger screen than your average smartphone. Based on the idea that “bigger is better”, and inspired by recent videos like the frog and lizard playing with smartphones, TVF took the Galaxy Note to Thailand and gave it to Peter the elephant.

The footage is apparently all real, and to prove it TVF uploaded some unedited out-takes as well.


Campaign Credits
Project name: Elephant plays with Galaxy Note
Client: Samsung
Creative agency: The Viral Factory
Director: Matt Huntley with The Viral Factory

Guinness's Green Carpet For All The Patrick's

Tomorrow, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness Storehouse will be putting out the green carpet again for all the Patricks and offering them free entry into the Storehouse. As you may remember, last year everybody by the first name of Patrick, Patricia, Paddy, Padraig, Trish, Tricia or Patsy and all the variants thereof, were treated to a special VIP Patrick experience in the Guinness Storehouse on St. Patrick’s Day.

This year will be no different!

On arrival at the Storehouse, Guinness's VIP Patricks will receive a specially designed Very Important Patrick Pass, free entry, complimentary food tastings and Pour the Perfect Pint Sessions during the day. The exclusive St. Patrick’s Day menu offered will be complete with authentic Guinness beef stew specially designed by the Guinness Storehouse cuisine team on FIVE.

Aside from great food and delicious pints, the three day St. Patrick’s Festival will play host to a fantastic selection of live music from home grown and international talent including Four Men and a Dog, bluegrass collective Tupelo, vocal ensemble Eclectic Spree and London jazz band Brassroots plus many more.

Storehouse visitors will also have the oportunity to take part in a global Guinness World Record Attempt to create the biggest welcome and make St. Patrick’s Day the Friendliest Day of the Year. Part of this will see a friendly Phone available for Patricks to call family or friends for free anywhere in the world.

For full details on the festival and the World’s Friendliest Day Guinness World Record Attempt log onto www.guinness-storehouse.com.

Use The Force With Xbox360 Kinect

----Press Release----

KINECT FOR XBOX 360 – TRANSFORMING FAMILY TIME IN THE LIVING ROOM
Feel the force as a Jedi and explore the magical world of Pixar with Kinect for Xbox 360

Ever dreamt of becoming a Jedi and battling with Darth Vader in your living room? Or joining Woody from Toy Story in a fast paced adventure in your own home? Soon these dreams will become a reality with Kinect for Xbox 360 and two highly anticipated partnerships with Disney·Pixar and Star Wars, which will see these iconic brands come to life in fun and innovative ways for families to enjoy in the home.

Exciting new games such as “Kinect Star Wars ™” and “Kinect Rush: A Disney·Pixar Adventure”, will give both parents and kids the chance to jump in and out of the fun with no controller required. The power of Kinect places you in the Star Wars Universe to live out the ultimate Jedi fantasy. Stunning visuals and graphics transport you into many of the worlds in the movies where you can train to be a Jedi, pilot iconic ships and Speeder Bikes, race Pods, dance for Jabba the Hutt and much more.

In “Kinect Rush: A Disney·Pixar Adventure”, Kinect transforms you into a unique character to help your Pixar friends and dive into five exciting movie worlds to discover hidden secrets and solve puzzles. Become a superspy in “Cars”, save the day as a robot in “Toy Story”, adventure through Paris as a clever rat in “Ratatouille”, stop the Omnidroid as a superhero in “The Incredibles”, and help Karl as an intrepid Wilderness Explorer in “UP”.

In addition to these titles, Kinect for Xbox 360 is also home to the best and broadest selection of games and experiences for the whole family to enjoy including “Double Fine Happy Action Theatre”, “Kinect: Disneyland Adventures” and the “Kinectimals” franchise.

Parents and caregivers will also be assured by the Family Settings provided by Xbox 360. These offer tools and resources to help them decide who their children can interact with online, what video games can be played and for how long, and what movies can be watched etc. to ensure safer and healthier gaming habits.

Kinect for Xbox 360 is a great value for the whole family. The all-in-one Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect includes the new Xbox 360 4GB console, Kinect sensor and “Kinect Adventures,” priced at ERP €299. Or for those who have an Xbox 360 console1 at home, the stand-alone Kinect for Xbox 360, priced at ERP €149.99, includes the Kinect sensor and “Kinect Adventures,” and works with the 45 million Xbox 360 consoles currently in homes worldwide.

Smirnoff's St. Patrick's Day Cocktail

Chances are when it comes to March 17th most people will reach for a pint of Guinness or even a snifter of Irish Whiskey to celebrate St. Patrick. If, however, a pint or straight short don't tickle your fancy, Smirnoff are on hand with their St. Patrick’s Day cocktail, the Smirnoff Irish Shamrock. This zesty cocktail is crafted using Smirnoff vodka infused with natural lime flavours and muddled with sugar cane syrup and fresh limes.

Jo Gibson, Smirnoff Brand Manager for Western Europe said, “Smirnoff Irish Shamrock is the ideal cocktail for those wanting to celebrate both St. Patrick’s Day and the onset of spring. Designed to tickle the taste buds, it’s easy to make and tastes great”.


Smirnoff Irish Shamrock
Ingredients
Smirnoff Lime 50ml
Limes 1 chopped (16 pieces)
Sugar cane syrup 20ml

Method
1. Muddle limes & sugar cane syrup in base of highball glass
2. Fill glass with crushed ice
3. Add vodka stir thoroughly
4. Retop with crushed ice and garnish with lime wedge & straw

PopCap Launches Solitaire Blitz

This week, PopCap Games announced the launch of Solitaire Blitz, their social twist on one of the world’s most popular card games. The aquatically themed social card game debuted in February through a gradual beta launch before becoming available to the entire Facebook user base four days ago.

“We’ve taken the world’s most well-known card game and created an exciting new social version using PopCap’s incredibly popular time-based Blitz mechanic made famous by Bejeweled Blitz and Zuma Blitz,” said Scott Willoughby, marketing manager for PopCap Games. “We’ve evolved a traditionally solitary pastime into a friendly, shared experience that’s fun for all ages.”

PopCap Games is a leading developer, publisher and operator of video games. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2011, and has a worldwide staff of more than 600 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap's games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units.

Become A Character in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Sony is offering the chance for one lucky Irish person to be a part of gaming history and create their own character in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception for PlayStation3.

In 'Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception' the game characters are not just animations, they're played by real actors, acting out the scenes in a performance capture studio. Sony is offering the chance to be part of Uncharted history and become a playable game character through a new competition launching this Friday 9th March on the Sony Ireland Facebook fan page - The Uncharted Audition by Sony!

However, not only will the winner get to create their own in-game multi-player character, but they will get to do it in L.A. while also meeting the Naughy Dog Inc. creative team behind the game. The winner will also get the unique opportunity to experience the behind-the-scenes of motion capture.

To win, competition entrants will partake in a series of three challenges to prove they have what is takes to be as good as Nathan Drake.

The three challenges which include:
‘Name like Nathan Drake’, creating a compelling name for themselves as an action hero
‘Move like Nathan Drake’, submitting a video of themselves demonstrating their moves and agility
‘Act like Nathan Drake, recording a voiceover to a muted game scene, testing their creativity and voice acting skills

From across Europe, there will be 10 finalists selected to compete at a live event in L.A, where one lucky winner will be chosen to win the grand prize of a trip to the Naughty Dog Inc. studios to be a part of gaming history and leave their legacy in the

The competition opens this Friday 9th March and closes on Sunday 18th March at 24:00 GMT.

The Appys Launch App of the Month

Today, The Appys announced their new plans for ongoing monthly activity throughout the year. In conjunction with Newstalk Breakfast The Appys will now be running 'App of the Month'.

What this means is that each month they will be appointing a guest judge and asking their App development community to submit their work. Entry will be by the same simple process as The Appys themselves and each monthly winner will be featured on Newstalk Breakfast, www.newstalk.ie, Digital Times and all the Appys and Digital Times Social Media Platforms.

The monthly winners will be also be entered into the main Appys competition and get a specially-engraved App of the Month Trophy.

For more information see here.