This video by Shimi Cohen‘s fascinating. He explains and dissects human loneliness, social order, the internet, and our personal fantasy worlds. The idea of live conversation and spontaneous reaction are the pillars behind real relationships…when you don’t have the opportunity to edit, the payoff’s much greater. Some food for thought for your Friday afternoon.
These two are really the antithesis of each other- it’s almost comical to compare the stratospheres. Sean Williams, an exceptionally talented tattoo artist living in LA, recently posted his latest work to instagram. Take a deep dive into his reel, and while it’s rather dark, you’ll find beautiful illustrations and inticate body art.
Fast forward four minutes, and I’m looking at Facebook, then Refinery29’s piece on Erica Domesek of P.S I Made This. For those who are unaware, Erica is one of the internet queens of DIY replica fashion. My brain had a fission, but when you’re visual, you can’t deny the obvious comparison, and with social media, you also can’t control or avoid the stream coming at you. Alas, I’m sharing these military tassel themes.
Any odd but poignant compare/contrasts in your reels? Would love to see…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRJ9ko0nZmI
Have you seen the latest Hanes spot? Chances are, maybe not, as the YouTube page has only 118 views. Parts of it are pretty cool, we’d recommend giving it a go. The concept reminds us a bit of Gap’s Be Bright campaign from a while back, but has clever synchronization and pattern mash-ups that transition human puzzles into cotton graphics.
Complimenting the TV spot, the social media component plays off of color, hoping to create chatter about an otherwise taboo topic. Would you tweet the color of your underwear? Hanes is hoping you will, by utilizing a Pinterest-like layout and pre-populated tweetable content, with a campaign entitled, What’s Your #undercovercolor? Have a look, play with the wheel, and let us know what you think…
Doug Smithenry’s paintings are based on seemingly inconsequential events that occur on the web. Plucking scenes straight out of youtube videos they tell the collective sad story of how lessons go unlearned and heartfelt desires remain unfulfilled. Micro-celebrities and viral videos make frequent appearances, demanding our attention. Smithenry’s artwork tends to reflect on social media and its implications, recording in paint that which we never necessarily intended to be permanent, making us look at it closely and examine the lines between art reflecting life and vice versa. Click here for more info.
Packer Schopf: 942 W. Lake St. Chicago, IL 60607
These days, social strategy should be part of every one’s growth plan. From crowd-sourced content to rewarding five minutes of fame, every brand is hoping to engage using digital technology, beyond the sweeps of yesteryear.
Here are a few snapshots of Forever 21‘s Time Square store. The video loop on their LED screens is playful, engaging and larger than life. Models “walk” up to the screen, summon the crowd then take a Polaroid shot of the street, capturing everyone who’s a fan. Remarkably, hundreds of people are willing to wait through the five minute loop to see themselves on the big screen, over and over again.
Just across the street, the monolithic LED screen that belongs to American Eagle takes a similar approach, merging their customers, twitter and a branded photo booth. Developed by the brains at RGA, customers can have their picture taken with a short caption and it will scroll down the outside of the building. Not only do the photos make their debut in Times Square, they’re also easy to share using a computer or mobile device.
Keeping with the theme of models trapped inside their own advertisements, Lara Stone‘s most recent billboard for Calvin Klein located at Lafayette and Houston is as engaging as it gets for still imagery. Similar to Forever 21’s loop, her proportions are skewed, slightly edgy and entirely engaging.
Karem Ingram is a designer, artist and animator with an impressive skill set that spans the interactive sphere. As such, her work’s been showcased in Computer Arts Magazine and Flash Goddess in addition to donning t-shirts, bags, and wallets. Ingram’s an active member in the design & digital community as an editor at Kabiler 10000 and a crew member of Design is Kinky. She is also on the board of the SWSW Interactive Festival and has judged the web awards since 2001. With her feet straddled between both tangible and intangible worlds, her tweets offer a wide range of insight that run the gamut between technology, design and general interest. Follow her and you’ll feel fully informed!