Hasta La Creative!

It’s been 28 years since HSN first debuted, cultivating a reputation for past-their-prime celebrities hawking cubic-zirconium baubles to housewives. But today it’s a starkly different business, with partners including the likes of Coca-Cola, Disney and – and HSN wants consumers to know that.

To that end, this month the network launches a rebranding, complete with new tagline, an upbeat campaign from Deutsch and a makeover of everything from packaging and fonts to sets and scripts, with the goal of reaching people who may not have shopped the network before. The new tagline, “It’s fun here,” replaces “There’s no place like HSN.”

HSN may have pioneered televised sales of consumer products, but now it’s working overtime to embrace the digital and mobile space, which accounts for about 40% of all sales. More than half of all new customers are coming in through digital platforms.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

(TrendHunter.com) If you’re living in San Diego, you’ve probably spotted tons of Comic Con costumes that make you itch for Halloween to come sooner. But costumes don’t necessarily have to be for big…

(TrendHunter.com) Snuggling up in bed is often the most comfortable way to relax after a long day at work, and if you’re looking to capture that soothing feeling outdoors, then these DIY outdoor swing beds will…

(TrendHunter.com) In lieu of its name, people may assume that the Tune Table does in fact play a tune. Instead, the Tune Table is an ultra-minimalist piece of furniture that was created to complement the creation of…

(TrendHunter.com) The ELLE Sweden ‘Miami Beach’ cover shoot has a bit of a boho edge in spite of showcasing rather typical, skin-revealing swimwear. This is due in large part to the types of coverups used…

The statistician who writes the FiveThirtyEight blog for The New York Times is said to be moving that franchise to ESPN.

After nearly a decade in the service of the major film studios and their blockbusters, Comic-Con appears on the verge of a next iteration.

Like Sylvia Plath and Joan Didion before her, Meg Wolitzer spent the summer as a guest editor at Mademoiselle. A look back at a time both heady with promise and tinged with the sadness of an era about to end.

Hug-giving coat invented as “substitute girlfriend” for lonely boys.

From Adbusters #108: The Epic Human Journey: Part 2, Summer

From Japan Daily Press.

Scientific studies have shown that hugs really have the power to make humans feel better.

At one point in your life, you probably wanted one but then there was no one around to give it to you. Some students at the University of Tsukuba have developed a new machine that can give you hugs whenever you want one.

Called the Raiju Coat (Fulfillment Coat), the machine simulates the feeling when a girl hugs a guy around the waist from behind. Well, at least that’s what these students were trying to achieve with just two robotic pincers and a pre-recorded voice to complete the hugging experience.

The jacket has motors attached to its back to operate the “arms,” which are controlled through a computer using a USB connection.

The wearer of the jacket has to put on headphones to hear the recorded sound of footsteps running from behind, and a voice then says these pre-recorded sentences: “I’m sorry, were you waiting?”; “Watch your back!” (in a cute way); “Guess who?”; and “Blind side!” – then followed by the robotic hug.

Advertising Agency: Dez Comunicação, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Creative Director: Carlos Saul Duque, Thiago Bizarro
Art Director: Juliano Weide, Andrey Damo
Copywriter: Matheus Lehenbauer
Illustrator: Meca/Márcio Negherbon