one part truth, two parts mixer

Irresponsible lending

Seeing as banks make the most money off people who are terrible with their money (interest charges, fines, etc) wouldn't it be nice if a week after they've hit their overdraft limit the bank gave them a tenner treat.

I know, I know, why gift the bad spenders, they shouldn't be in that mess in the first place, BUT people who are good with their money have the eternal smug glow of being prudent and the gesture wouldn't mean as much to them as it would to the eternally broke. Also, the prudents personally make the banks less money (obviously it's their cash that is being gambled to make more money).

I know that this could never happen for many good reasons including the fact that banks shouldn't be encouraging irresponsible borrowing and spending, but wouldn't it be lovely if they did?

In praise of the four day week

It is glorious, isn't it? Seeing as we all have to opt out of the 48-hour working week as a matter of course (and not just in name) I think that, in the months without bank holidays, we should get our own special opt-out holiday. Basically we would get an extra Monday off in the months without days off already. Come on, bosses of adland 0 at least do it in June and July! For a relatively small investment, think about the goodwill and happiness that will spread across your workforce. Remember, a happy worker is a productive worker. Unless they're happy on happy juice, then it's a different story.

On this policy alone, I think I'll get enough votes to be Presidentress.

Talking to strangers

(Drunken) ramble alert!

This post by Dave Trott has been stuck in my mind over the last week or so. In the comments, "john. w." quotes David Abbott: 'If you don’t have a life, what are you going to put into advertising?', which I'd never heard before and has been chasing the John Webster anecdote inside my pretty little head.

Maybe it's because I'm getting a bit pipe and slippers (or at least wine and telly), but I find myself thinking a lot about how many interesting situations I used to find myself in. Or to put it another way, how many interesting people I bumped into by being in these situations. My life then seems more random and surreal than the humdrum cycle of work, media and TV that I live in now.

I've been trying to pinpoint the cause of this descent into homogenity, and it stuck me that maybe it's because I talk to strangers less.  Sure, I strike up conversation with people I don't know at coffee mornings and networking evenings, but these are events set up for exactly that and conversation is usually ringfenced within certain topics (unless you're talking to me, and then you will be talking about food).

The most interesting people I have met, the most interesting stories I've heard have been on a random, whether that's been at the bar in a pub or protesting against the capitalist forces of evil in Genoa (don't worry kids, I'm free market socialist now). In fact, a lot of the more random things I've done have been while I'm away (driving round Moscow with Armenians, handling firearms in the projects). Maybe that's because when you're abroad and out of your comfort zone you are more likely to strike up conversation with someone that isn't a lot like you.

Anyway, after much mulling, I've come to a conclusion. I don't talk to as many strangers as I should.

"Like Allan Bennett and Peter Kay, John Webster knew how to take ordinary things and turn them into ideas." Anyway, that was Trott's takeout. But I'm all about using extraordinary things because we're entering an age of fantasy - ask Collyn -  and I believe we respond well to managed fantasy. And where better to be inspired rather than things that actually happened? Truth is stranger than fiction etc, etc.

I can't belieeeeve it

I can't believe I missed this ad. I really like it.

One person hoping for bad weather

Last week I went to the opening of the Social Suicide store with Jamie. I liked this little promotion they're running, but could be dangerous if the prediction of an Indian summer comes good.

They've got a link up with the Met Office that updates hourly instore and daily online. Basically, you get a percentage discount based on the temperature. Very clever. Check out their pop-up shop on Ganton Street over the next couple of months, especially on those days when you bring out the factor 30 (although that is everyday for me).

At least they've done it in centigrade and not fahrenheit ;)

More complaints please, we're British

I'm sorry that I've been very ranty (is that even a word?) over the last week or so, but hopefully this will be the last one. Everyone has been going mad over Tossed, the salad place, since it opened a couple of doors down from our office. There are a couple of things they do which I find offensive:

1. Charge 50p to heat up your wrap.
2. Charge you for swapping ingredients out of their house salads and wraps - they are made up on the spot not pre-prepared so it wouldn't be too difficult to swap a like-for-like.

For a brand that trades in the Innocent/Pret lovely food brand category, those are pretty unfriendly things to do. So even though the banana custard is really good, I may have to stop my patronage and stick with Pure California (less options, happy about swapping).

Tunnel of love

I haven't harped on about how public spaces need more elements of play in them for a while, but I haven't seen any good examples for a while. Really like this by artists Bar&Shay in Tel Aviv.

via Wooster Collective

Bridging the gap

Obviously loving this. Jan Vormann's Dispatchwork project using Lego to fill in holes in wall. As seen here in Berlin, but also in Bocchignano and Tel Aviv.

via Wooster Collective

Ugh, sort it out

I found this mildly annoying. I was rating my friends short film (btw watch it) and I would actually like to hear more about the competition, but my only options are hear nothing or hear everything. Why can I not hear more about Virgin Media Shorts without being bombarded with crap from Virgin Media (which I can't even get) and Virgin Mobile (which I don't even want)? Surely the whole point of doing stuff like this is (or should be) to make people warm towards your brand? A soft-sell if you like. Not just a way to build a database for mailings about mobile offers.

And anyway, it's not like you couldn't advertise to the 'Shorts info only' people. I'm sure you're allowed to put  adverts within emails that are about the thing they've signed up to.

I know I need to stop ranting, but brands need to stop being annoying first.

Awww, more heart for Howies

This is from the most recent Howies catalogue. I love love love the fact that you can borrow books off them. A company that is just genuinely nice.