Lovely.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Coolest find for my obsession with Chalkboards
Other than black and green. Now you can paint your wall into a chalkboard in any colours. Brilliant. Literally.
http://www.hudsonpaint.com/
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A Manifesto on Interactive Advertising Creativity
It's an old article - I missed it but it's well written and thought-provoking.
It talks about how in digital space - there isn't any memorable campaign that you could name. And the extension of the direct marketing culture drives response that lives on and carry forward to a lot of the online media marketing we do.
I love the analysis and insights the author provides to argue we need to bring back creativity to make campaigns that evoke human emotion.
I always believe in compelling creative are the ones that you make an emotion connection with. It hard to turn a bad idea into a good idea by executing it well. That's why it's important to get the project in to right strategic direction and plentiful of time to think and rethink on an idea before going into execution. Idea always come first. A beautiful design without a concept is just wallpaper.
In conclusion, the author urges agencies/publishers to:
1. Motivate greatness among your best creative people, for their work inspires consumers and customers alike.
2. Collaborate - creative agencies and publishers - with each other and within yourselves to develop outstanding advertising and communications products.
3. Assemble writers, designers, and technologists into teams that can engage the intellect and emotions of audiences and individuals across all channels, toward the goal of creating enduring brands.
4. Prove to your customers that causing the heart to beat quick is at least as important as making the mouse click.
Pursuing the art of persuasion is what I am passionate about - and it's an art form that easy to be learnt, yet never to be mastered.
"Let's return to a time when advertising and media conversation was owned by the creatives, the editors, and the impresarios -- when it was dominated by debates about the craft of persuasion, about what moves people. After all, isn't that the reason we're in this business?"
It talks about how in digital space - there isn't any memorable campaign that you could name. And the extension of the direct marketing culture drives response that lives on and carry forward to a lot of the online media marketing we do.
I love the analysis and insights the author provides to argue we need to bring back creativity to make campaigns that evoke human emotion.
I always believe in compelling creative are the ones that you make an emotion connection with. It hard to turn a bad idea into a good idea by executing it well. That's why it's important to get the project in to right strategic direction and plentiful of time to think and rethink on an idea before going into execution. Idea always come first. A beautiful design without a concept is just wallpaper.
In conclusion, the author urges agencies/publishers to:
1. Motivate greatness among your best creative people, for their work inspires consumers and customers alike.
2. Collaborate - creative agencies and publishers - with each other and within yourselves to develop outstanding advertising and communications products.
3. Assemble writers, designers, and technologists into teams that can engage the intellect and emotions of audiences and individuals across all channels, toward the goal of creating enduring brands.
4. Prove to your customers that causing the heart to beat quick is at least as important as making the mouse click.
Pursuing the art of persuasion is what I am passionate about - and it's an art form that easy to be learnt, yet never to be mastered.
"Let's return to a time when advertising and media conversation was owned by the creatives, the editors, and the impresarios -- when it was dominated by debates about the craft of persuasion, about what moves people. After all, isn't that the reason we're in this business?"
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
TIFF '09 want to see list
Finally got some time to browse through this year's line up. Here are few that caught my eyes:
1) Google Baby
2) Air Doll (Japan)
3) My Year without Sex (Australia)
4) The Search (Tibet)
5) Bassidji
6) Green Porno
1) Google Baby
2) Air Doll (Japan)
3) My Year without Sex (Australia)
4) The Search (Tibet)
5) Bassidji
6) Green Porno
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Fotopedia
Just discovered this really neat wikipedia of photos. It has a really nicely designed UI and you can learn the world more by just browsing through and be inspired. Here's a widget I made out of an album of World Heritage sites that intrigues me.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Team Guitar Hero
We got the winning idea for Stand Up 2 Cancer to advertise in Guitar Hero game for xbox. And each of us got an xbox too!!!!
"Three teams were pitched against each other at a real time campaign competition yesterday's two-hour Microsoft Gaming workshop. Team Guitar Hero, Team Lips and Team Halo each had to create a campaign for Stand up to Cancer. The winning team was Guitar Hero (woot!), which devised a campaign whereby actor-singer Jack Black would record a song which gamers could play along and would also be available for download - spreading message and raising money at the same time."
Prize of sweet victory was Xbox 360!
http://bit.ly/dailylionnews_lily
"Three teams were pitched against each other at a real time campaign competition yesterday's two-hour Microsoft Gaming workshop. Team Guitar Hero, Team Lips and Team Halo each had to create a campaign for Stand up to Cancer. The winning team was Guitar Hero (woot!), which devised a campaign whereby actor-singer Jack Black would record a song which gamers could play along and would also be available for download - spreading message and raising money at the same time."
Prize of sweet victory was Xbox 360!
http://bit.ly/dailylionnews_lily
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Day 6 since baby's gone
Last night, Jakob and went to have a walk close by. We saw so many doggies. We both realized since you experienced some loss, you are extra sensitive to the surroundings. To my surprise, it doesn't hurt as much anymore, I could see them and touch them. Afterall, they are all good beings. I will still miss that little guy, becoz he's very special to me. But I can't be sad for too long, I have so many great friends want to cheer me up. There are flowers, prayers, people I don't usually hear from they went out of their way to reach out to me. Even the president of the company left me a message. I then realized this city if full of loving people. I am thankful for that. That adds to the 51st reasons why I love Toronto (Toronto Life listed 50).
Monday, June 01, 2009
Day 3 since Tiger's gone
It's rough. But I think I made some progress. I had a lovely walk with Jakob. He took me to Terroni. We had a lovely lunch. There were some setbacks when I saw some doggies on the street and it's really hard to not to think back the scene when I passed by Wellington. I had a nap, I didn't dreamt of him. When I woke up, Jakob said he had something to show me. It was few pictures of his coworker took. On those pictures, it was a rainbow that happened after the rain and sun. I was relieved. I thought that's the most comforting thing to see. I think Tiger must be on his way to heaven. Meeting Olli (Jakob's daschund dog passed long time ago). Tiger loves new friends, so he shouldn't be lonely. It's still hard for me not to see his face every day I woke up. For 3 years, first thing in the morning is his face, beside my bed. He loves to wake up seeing me. It's hard. But I think Tiger wants to see me happy. It's sad for him to see me cry. I will be strong and not to make him worry in heaven.
Friday, May 29, 2009
The saddest day of my life
Today my beloved dog, Tiger, got hit by a car and died. I can't imagine it living without him waking up with me every morning. He was there for me all the times, good and bad. I miss you so much Tiger. Please wait for me in heaven. Mommy loves you so much.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
My split second of fame on Toronto Star ^_^
One Saturday night, I was sick and stayed home. Decided to upload this personal project on cardsofchange.com a site a friend sent me. Monday morning, got an email from Diana at Toronto Star. My first newspaper appearance is as follows:
CORPORATE GRAFFITI
Take a look - it's all in the cards
by Diana Zlomislic - Living Reporter
May 12, 2009 04:30 AM
They asked pink-slipped workers to modify and upload business cards, with inspiring results
You've just been laid off. Included in your office detritus, still sitting in the trunk of the Toyota Corolla, are: paper clips, a can of Static Guard and a box of business cards.
A couple of guys in California have figured how to put one of those things to good use.
Cardsofchange.com, which launched 11 days ago, is encouraging pink-slipped workers around the world to modify their business cards – put an upbeat spin on the "What now, what next?" question and upload it to the site.
"We asked people to share one positive thing that came from their layoff," Tom Van Daele, the site's creative director, says by phone from Santa Monica. "It's a therapeutic message, actually."
Lily Tse, 31, lost her job as art director at a Toronto ad agency in mid-April. Hoping to comfort her, a friend emailed the link to cardsofchange.com.
Cliché though it sounds, she admits she started to feel less alone.
"I looked at all the people with awesome titles who worked at great companies from every part of the world," she says.
"You realize everybody's impacted. It's not local. You can't take it personally."
One card in particular inspired Tse to come to terms with her own layoff. Uploaded by Hildie Neuman, a former power broker at a top ad agency in New York, the card showed two thin X's drawn in black marker over her job title and contact information. A handwritten message filled a gully of white space in the middle: "I planned my daughter's wedding!"
Tse uploaded her own card on Saturday night.
She modified it by doodling clouds, a flower and a happy-faced sun. She kept her job title visible but added three extra little lines above it to tell the world that she's also a traveller, a chef and a photographer. Super-imposed over all that, in a cheery pink, sans-serif, ultra-modern font, is a cheeky message: "I just art-directed this card."
The abundance of folks on the site who worked in advertising is no coincidence.
The site itself is founded by ad geeks who went out on their own after losing work at major agencies. Cardsofchange.com was conceived during a brainstorming session for one of their new clients at their small advertising upstart, dubbed unknownlab, in Santa Monica.
Tamer Kattan, 38, and Van Daele, 28, worked together on the Nissan account at TBWA/Chiat/Day, a top California ad agency, when the company announced layoffs.
Kattan started at the company in 1991. "Within advertising, you have seniority," he says, "but you have seniority within a silo – depending on what brand you work on. Automotive is a category that suffers quite a bit during a recession."
After being laid off, Kattan spent time volunteering – reading to kids in libraries and schools around Los Angeles. "They're so honest," he says. "I know that I have a receding hairline now because of them. And that I'm short."
Van Daele and Kattan launched unknownlab in February.
"It's less glamorous, that's for sure," Kattan says. "We don't have an indoor park. We don't have this huge warehouse and free food and all that stuff, but the actual process of coming up with ideas and solving business problems is just as exciting.
"I don't think you need to have a big budget to have a great idea."
Jeremie Goldwasser, 28, an art director laid off less than two weeks ago from Young & Rubicam in Brussels, uploaded one of the most creative cards to date on the site.
He turned his business card into a paper plane. In capital letters on the plane's side, his message: "FLYING AWAY!" – his email address hand written on a separate white slip of paper attached at the rear like jet contrail.
"I felt pretty sad at first," Goldwasser says. "I'd been at Rubicam for four years. The Belgian advertising industry is really having a very tough time."
The bad news, though, has him thinking big.
"I'm still young and I believe to be really creative you have to start all over again, all the time. It's something I'm willing to do."
He's looking to pack up and find work abroad.
Canada is at the top of his list.
"I speak perfect French and I speak English and I don't like when it's too hot, anyway."
Tse, meanwhile, is heading to Cannes next month to accept a National Advertising Award for an interactive project she art-directed.
"I'm sure someone else will appreciate my talent when the economy gets better. I can go back to doing what I was meant to, just at a different company."
Read full article here: http://bit.ly/M37Fz
Also on today's printed Toronto Star - E1 Section.
See my card here: http://bit.ly/NvTkZ
Friday, May 08, 2009
Boy. I can't sleep - still totally hyped! WE GOT GOLD BABY!
Other than this is the biggest surprise I had this year. I am happy because of these 5 reasons (in no particular order of importance):
#1 Our entries were not selected to be reimbursed.
#2 It's the 2nd time in a different category Interactive which is what I have much less experience in. TWICE - GOLD. TWICE - CANNES!
#3 I prove a lot of Simon Cowell's wrong, including bunch didn't think I am versatile enough to manage both medium.
#4 Last time, I wandered Southern France and Paris alone. This time round, I am a + 1 to Germany after Cannes with a man I love on his birthday!
#5 I am proud of myself and my partner pulling it all together despite we have been working 80 hr works weeks since New Year. And it's an unusual task for a producer to wear a writer's hat. Yet look - magic happens. How many producers can you name can write on demand to the EXACT word count max. 50 words, no more, no less to the requirement for the awards. I made him sweat/swear. A lot.
I feel a bit like Susan Boyle (Asian style) - altho I really hate her hair.
Given the awkward situation before the winning, I want to thank EVERYONE OF YOU out there - believe in me/us - helped me/us, verbally, spirtually support me/us. I know people never believe I remember when they helped, but I always keep it close my ♥. You know who you are for being kind/supportive when I most needed it.
NOW IS THE TIME TO GET TRASHED, BITCH!
The official page
The unofficial entry page
#1 Our entries were not selected to be reimbursed.
#2 It's the 2nd time in a different category Interactive which is what I have much less experience in. TWICE - GOLD. TWICE - CANNES!
#3 I prove a lot of Simon Cowell's wrong, including bunch didn't think I am versatile enough to manage both medium.
#4 Last time, I wandered Southern France and Paris alone. This time round, I am a + 1 to Germany after Cannes with a man I love on his birthday!
#5 I am proud of myself and my partner pulling it all together despite we have been working 80 hr works weeks since New Year. And it's an unusual task for a producer to wear a writer's hat. Yet look - magic happens. How many producers can you name can write on demand to the EXACT word count max. 50 words, no more, no less to the requirement for the awards. I made him sweat/swear. A lot.
I feel a bit like Susan Boyle (Asian style) - altho I really hate her hair.
Given the awkward situation before the winning, I want to thank EVERYONE OF YOU out there - believe in me/us - helped me/us, verbally, spirtually support me/us. I know people never believe I remember when they helped, but I always keep it close my ♥. You know who you are for being kind/supportive when I most needed it.
NOW IS THE TIME TO GET TRASHED, BITCH!
The official page
The unofficial entry page
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Hot Docs 2009
These are the 6 I watched/will be watching:
The Red Chapel by Mads Brügger
The subject matter of this film is what caught my attention. A crew of Danish folks convinced the North Korean government to let them bring Koreans pleasure by showing them what comedy is about, that's how they got in the closed country and got this film made. The film itself is kinda quirky. The so-called play they were rehearsing is bizarre. I admire the courage of the director. Becoz I saw the VICE travel guide to North Korea, so really this is not a surprise to see how crazy the country is. Everyone seems to try so hard to pretend Kim Song II is the greatest. The crazy thousand people synchronized dance is one thing that really creeps me out. Wasted energy goes in practicing the most useless shit. Just be thankful we live in a imperfect, but at least somewhat normal and free country.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 4/5 Stars
Burma VJ by Anders Høgsbro Østergaard
Another brilliant creation from yet another Danish filmmaker. He document a really brave young man who live in Burma, a closed country with zero democracy. No news coverage could ever leak out the country. To show the world the truth of Burma, he risked his life and recruit over 15 like-minded individuals to go and secretly record the demonstrations of Burma and sent them thru sateillite to all over the world. The 2007 Sept Burma demonstration results in a shooting of a Japanese journalist was filmed and broadcast on BBC. It's amazing how brave and single-minded these young people are. Again, thankful for being in a free country, after seeing how insane North Korea and Burma is.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 5/5 Stars
We Live in Public by Ondi Timoner
Review coming soon.
Orgasm Inc by Liz Canner
A film about how pharma companies love to make up condition and sell drugs to healthy normal people. It's not a huge revelation but then the investigation of how lack of sexual desire of women being linked to huge profit is fascinating. The film was well researched, and narrated with multiple point of views. The most educated 2 hr I spent for a sat afternoon.
Lily's hotdoc rating:4.5/5 Stars
Carmen meets Borat by Mercedes Stalenhoef
I was initially drawn by the eye-catching title. I thought it's a jackpot for the filmmaker that when she was filming a girl in Romania, it would turn into the fact that that village was about to sue Borat's film co. Although I find it's a stretch to say that little girl actually meets Borat - it's an interesting study of how lives is like in Romania. Just wonder if that girl got paid for being filmed in this doc again.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Art and Copy by Doug Pray
Some of the ad campaigns are well documented and well known, it's interesting to see how some of the veterans of the ad world despite their age, their minds are still sharp and as charismatic as the were in their young age. Ad people are entertainers and performers, as the film director put it, I found that It's totally true. It's inspiring to see how many of those ad legends' upbringings are extremely similar to Don Draper in Mad Men, meaning Matthew Weiner the Mad Men producer really did his home work for the show.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 4.5/5 Stars
The Red Chapel by Mads Brügger
The subject matter of this film is what caught my attention. A crew of Danish folks convinced the North Korean government to let them bring Koreans pleasure by showing them what comedy is about, that's how they got in the closed country and got this film made. The film itself is kinda quirky. The so-called play they were rehearsing is bizarre. I admire the courage of the director. Becoz I saw the VICE travel guide to North Korea, so really this is not a surprise to see how crazy the country is. Everyone seems to try so hard to pretend Kim Song II is the greatest. The crazy thousand people synchronized dance is one thing that really creeps me out. Wasted energy goes in practicing the most useless shit. Just be thankful we live in a imperfect, but at least somewhat normal and free country.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 4/5 Stars
Burma VJ by Anders Høgsbro Østergaard
Another brilliant creation from yet another Danish filmmaker. He document a really brave young man who live in Burma, a closed country with zero democracy. No news coverage could ever leak out the country. To show the world the truth of Burma, he risked his life and recruit over 15 like-minded individuals to go and secretly record the demonstrations of Burma and sent them thru sateillite to all over the world. The 2007 Sept Burma demonstration results in a shooting of a Japanese journalist was filmed and broadcast on BBC. It's amazing how brave and single-minded these young people are. Again, thankful for being in a free country, after seeing how insane North Korea and Burma is.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 5/5 Stars
We Live in Public by Ondi Timoner
Review coming soon.
Orgasm Inc by Liz Canner
A film about how pharma companies love to make up condition and sell drugs to healthy normal people. It's not a huge revelation but then the investigation of how lack of sexual desire of women being linked to huge profit is fascinating. The film was well researched, and narrated with multiple point of views. The most educated 2 hr I spent for a sat afternoon.
Lily's hotdoc rating:4.5/5 Stars
Carmen meets Borat by Mercedes Stalenhoef
I was initially drawn by the eye-catching title. I thought it's a jackpot for the filmmaker that when she was filming a girl in Romania, it would turn into the fact that that village was about to sue Borat's film co. Although I find it's a stretch to say that little girl actually meets Borat - it's an interesting study of how lives is like in Romania. Just wonder if that girl got paid for being filmed in this doc again.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Art and Copy by Doug Pray
Some of the ad campaigns are well documented and well known, it's interesting to see how some of the veterans of the ad world despite their age, their minds are still sharp and as charismatic as the were in their young age. Ad people are entertainers and performers, as the film director put it, I found that It's totally true. It's inspiring to see how many of those ad legends' upbringings are extremely similar to Don Draper in Mad Men, meaning Matthew Weiner the Mad Men producer really did his home work for the show.
Lily's hotdoc rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunset in St. Lucia
7 days in heaven on earth. Sun, sea, sand, drinks, stress-free. Oi. What could be better.
Monday, February 09, 2009
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