New Heineken ad

Someone said to me over Christmas, all the best ads are for beers and spirits because they can't show the product really being used, it's more about the benefits of having the product. I know what they meant, and I can agree on principle that the limiting factor of consumption is a driving force to have especially creative and off-the-wall concepts but truth be told, I think any agency or brand that approach an advertising campaign with the notion of mundane or a gp-with-what-works attitude, deserve to fail.

Advertising isn't just about selling. It's just not. Advertising is part of the marketing suite and as such it lends itself to being more then just a sales tool - it builds trust, awareness, identity and character for the brand/product.

At least that's what great advertising does. Thankfully I have just the clip to demonstrate my point...

Top 100 sites for the year ahead

The Guardian have done an amazing job and put together a list of the top 100 websites for the year ahead. They're broken down into the following categories:

• Blogging
• Browsers
• Cartoons
• Create/collaborate
• Gaming
• Geek squad
• Government/public services/politics
• Location, location
• Maps
• Money/finance/ consumer fightback
• Music
• News recommendation
• Offbeat
• Photography
• Physical from virtual
• Reference
• Search
• Social software
• Twitter, and associated
• Video
• Virtual worlds/MMORPGs
• Visualisation

The Importance of Logos

Check out this great post from Nick McGivney, and while you're at it, check out his blog - it's full of good content and well written articles.

He gives a good general overview of most of the highest profile Social Media platforms that are out there. Important stuff considering that 2009 will be the year of Social Media.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all readers and visitors. It's going to be a big year for digital here in Ireland and I am happy to say that I predict a very strong shift of non-digital activities. Social Media is going to be huge - blogging and bloggers will see even more scope for them to impact on the brands and products that drive our economy, and, social platforms will become even more prolific through development of business use.

Unfortunately we are looking at a backdrop of financial uncertainty, and we may well see a lot of smaller struggling businesses hit hard, but regardless, it's going to be an exciting year.

I hope it's a very successful year for all my friends, colleagues, business associates and readers. Have a great one folks!

Alice on Acid

Check out this fantastic piece of electronica made by a 19-year-old Australian, Nick Bertke. It takes sound and video from Disney's Alice in Wonderland and creates an eerie and somewhat hypnotic work, which seems to lull you into a state of semi-consciousness filled with Cheshire cats and dancing flowers.

Amoebas Game

Simple, addictive and completely compulsive - I'm pretty sure if you start playing it will suck you in for a good 10-15min!

Thunder Cats - The Movie

Sorry folks, I'm sure you'd like to think it was real, but it turns out that someone out there really does have the time, skills and willingness to create a fake Thunder Cats movie trailer. Could this be the inspiration that Hollywood needs to take the constant rumours to the next level?