Hasta La Creative!

The departure of Javier Moreno at Spain’s leading daily newspaper is a new sign of economic turmoil caused by slumping advertising and dwindling circulation.

The first New York-based “Tonight” in 42 years featured many cameos, including Robert De Niro, Lady Gaga and, notably, Joan Rivers.

Controversial ministry Abba's Delight has put up a billboard in Louisville, Ky., that targets "people of faith who are uncomfortable with their same-sex attractions."

Abba's Delight founder Daniel Mingo says the billboard, which tells unhappy gay people that "you have options," was intended to be a helpful message, so he was taken aback by the negative feedback he's gotten. Gay reform ministries are quackery to begin with, but they usually aren't this passive-aggressive. Abba's Delight is still denouncing homosexuality and claiming it's incompatible with religious faith, but if gay people are happy being sinful and wrong, this ministry seems to say, they can have at it.

Conversely, John Waters would say anyone who's seriously that conflicted and miserable being gay should do everyone a favor and not be gay, so there's that.

WDRB 41 Louisville News

Vans has released an ambitious new documentary project titled "Living Off the Wall" with a gorgeous scrolling website and so much great content that no one in their right mind has time to watch it all.

But of course, I watched it all for you. Check out the documentary on the East Los Angeles punk scene for some of the best-cut stuff. The documentarian Angela Boatwright has a special way of capturing wayward teen anger that capitalizes on every eye roll and seamlessly blends with the alternative perspective of the Vans brand.

While the Vans viewpoint is present with content about skateboards, tattoos, motorbikes and punk and gypsy lifestyles, the shoes are conspicuously silent. No one talks about his or her shoes. There are no shoe glory shots where you just stare at a pair of Vans. Just digestible mini-docs about the brand's consumers and their lifestyles, perfect for those with drug-altered attention spans. It's brilliant.

Vans fans who want to join in can become documentarians themselves. All of the content they submit is available at Vans Off the Wall TV network and app. The whole thing just reeks of authenticity.

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Dans le cadre de son projet de fin d’études, Murat Palta a eu l’idée de mélanger les motifs traditionnels typique de la culture ottomane avec l’univers du cinéma américain. Le résultat, mélangeant avec talent orient et occident, illustre de grands films du cinéma contemporain à l’image de The Shining, Star Wars ou Scarface.

We often wonder: Who do the kids in our favorite ads become when they grow up? Well, Lori Day, founder of the Brave Girls Alliance, snagged an interview with the girl from the famous 1981 Lego ad (above left) that recently recaptured the zeitgeist—and your Facebook feed—as a protest against the Lego Friends line and the world of pink princesses in general.

Her name is Rachel Giordano. She's 37 now, and a doctor. In the 1981 ad, which we've written about before, she proudly shows off her own creative Lego creation next to the headline, "What it is is beautiful." The copy makes no mention of gender, and the toy is described as a "universal building set." The new Lego Friends line, on the other hand, comes with narratives intended to appeal to girls, like the Heartlake News Van you see Giordano holding in the other photo above, taken recently.

The product summary for the Heartlake News Van on the Lego site says girls can "get Emma ready at the makeup table so she looks her best for the camera." The toy comes with a news desk, but the van itself is mostly a makeup trailer with a huge vanity.

To those who wonder what the big deal is, and what's wrong with the recent developments in gendered toys, Giordano says: "I know that how I played as a girl shaped who I am today. It contributed to me becoming a physician and inspired me to want to help others achieve health and wellness. I co-own two medical centers in Seattle. Doctor kits used to be for all children, but now they are on the boys' aisle. I simply believe that they should be marketed to all children again, and the same with Legos and other toys."

I agree, but let's be frank. We still need the princess toys. My son would be heartbroken without his Tinker Bell.

Demand for Coca-Cola’s soft drinks is shrinking in North America, while growth in emerging markets shows signs of slowing. CEO Muhtar Kent believes increased marketing and media investment is the answer.

During an earnings call with analysts, Mr. Kent said that by 2016 the company plans to increase media spending and brand-building initiatives by up to $1 billion. He noted the marketing investments would be felt “in every country that we operate in large or small.” Those investments will be funded through a combination of cost-cutting initiatives and improved utilization of the company’s global marketing network.

Some analysts balked at the decision, however, questioning whether the headwinds facing the company can be offset with increased marketing.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Brooklyn-based design agency HUSH (who you may remember from their unique way of ringing in 2014) were tasked with launching Lyve, a startup offering a new solution to the problem of information overload, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. To do this, they transformed two suites in the Venetian Hotel in the heart of Vegas into a completely branded space, complete with “lights, displays, and visuals to showcase Lyve’s unique offering.”

HUSH’s installation was “anchored by a large central screen flanked by a custom designed product display. The screens [showed] a collection of personal images and videos breaking into fragments and transforming into colored lighting illuminating the assortment of tablets, phones, and other devices arrayed on glowing physical pedestals below.” The visuals were designed as a kind of metaphor for Lyve’s collecting, sorting and protecting service.

As HUSH creative partner David Schwarz explains, “Lyve is an elegant solution to a persistent technological problem, and we were happy to help them define this product while introducing it to the wider world. In words, the offering sounds complex, but showing it visually feels simple – so we created a metaphor to discuss how the different technology platforms capture and share content all to one central product.”

While I’m sure you’d have to have been there in person to get the full experience, you can watch HUSH’s CES installation for Lyve in the video above, and be sure to stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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