The other day I was watching Cali Lewis on GeekBrief.tv and she remarked how “Halo is Microsoft’s iPod”. Truer words were never spoken.

// a tale of brands & branding, video games
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My blog-pal Tina is the mother of a one-year-old. Alas, I am not. So my commentary on this new child puzzle with shapes of some of the most famous brand icons is a little less endearing. (her post)
Now, as much as I love a brand achieving cult status, I dunno how much I like the [...]

// a tale of brands & branding, design: product
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It’s always Fashion Week somewhere. (this week, Milan)
Pantone, our favourite folks in the realm of colour standards, last week unveiled the Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2008.
According to the report, the spring ‘08 palette is defined by classic, versatile neutrals punctuated by splashes of invigorating brights, empowering consumers to explore new and creative ways to [...]

// a tale of design, fashion
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A traditional Chinese cafe has opened in the Forbidden City where a Starbucks had been. The Starbucks was forced to close from the torrent of protests and accusations of “tarnishing the historical site.”
BBC tells the story of how the Starbucks had been a sore spot for the Chinese since it opened in 2000.
Of course this [...]

// a tale of China, brands & branding, national identities
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David Carson wrote The End of Print back in 1995. Looking back, that was a truly infantile era of electronic media — with the exception of computer games and the odd CD-ROM, there really were no media sources that were being tested and pushed. The web was new. And oh so ugly.
Cut to today, in [...]

// a tale of design: web, the internet
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A few weeks ago, this ad for Time Warner Cable popped up on local TV. Overall, it’s a pretty good spot; it paints Verizon as evil and greedy with their constant surcharges and fees, and therefore offers Time Warner as a cheaper, friendlier alternative.

Introducing the character of “Sir Charge” is where it gets sticky. While [...]

// a tale of advertising: tv/radio, national identities
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No, this is not a spoof, it’s the actual Steven Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, advertising Windows 1.0, back in 1985, or something.
I don’t think I can say any more about it.

// a tale of advertising: tv/radio, computers & gadgets
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