Also, spot how many brands you can recognise, either mentioned directly or just implied.

download .mp4 / watch on YouTube

via Vimeo »

The Beatles

The Bealtes are now available on iTunes. This is most significant because it resolves one of the 20th Century’s most famous branding battle over the name Apple. The Bealtes’ Apple Corps record label has been in and out of court with Apple Computer since the late 70s, and it seems the two are finally willing to team up swallow a little bit of their pride so they can make sick amounts of money … together.

I’m glad The Beatles are on iTunes. While many in the tech community have yawned at this “announcement”, to me it marks a certain order being restored to the universe. The digital music community can finally exhale a little bit, and hammer that nail into the old music industry’s ever-closing coffin.

The Beatles are still a world-wide brand, even though the band split a solid 40 years ago. Wow. So will we see their names and likenesses mashup with more Apple [computer] gear? A Beatles iPod is a natural fit. A Yellow Submarine iPhone perhaps? I’d like one with the Revolver cover art on the face.

Record sleeves? I know, right.

Creative Review – Record sleeves of the month »

“I disagree that ‘Change is the only constant’. Change is accelerating.” — Ray Kurzweil at the FUSE Conference 2010

Kurzweil calls the rapid progress in our society “The Law of Accelerated Returns”. It applies primarily to electronics and information technology, where the price performance (computing power per dollar) will increase exponentially, as a combination of more power with less cost. Just think of how much computing power you had in 1970, and how much it cost — now compare that with your mobile phone today. Drastic indeed.

Ray Kurzweil is evidence that a captivating speaker does not need a graphic-heavy presentation. In fact, not only did be blow my mind several times per minute, but he somehow seemed to vanquish all the traces of Tylenol PM from my system.

Inspiration is a powerful susbtance. Now if only we could bottle that and sell it at CVS.

Luckily, the astute folks at the New York Times are highly organised, and thus they have produced for our enjoyment, a grid-based, icon-fueled look at the last ten years in news, business, culture, and other categories of time–space. Love it.

Think for a second that this was done mainly with icons. One tiny image can encapsulate such a complex and important idea or event. So the next time you’re tasked with the design of an icon or pictogram of some kind, take an extra moment, these things matter.

Picturing the Past Ten Years »

Thanks to the staff [and interns] at Pitchfork for scouring the globe to bring us this. I can never muster the motivation for these labour-intensive blog posts. Here are a few that are some awesomely bad.

Well, last night I snuck out to a preview and managed to watch the film. The two words on my tongue after seeing it: “so what?” The film is a little more than a trophy, acknowledging the rare moments in advertising that do, somehow, manage to cut through the shouting, and that can, admittedly, touch our lives. But we already knew that.

From the title, I imagined Art & Copy would be a sort of inside story into the day-to-day lives of ad agency workers. For once, the lay public will get a glimpse into how it happens, and see that behind these ads are real people, waking up and going to work. But instead, we see a reinforced stereotype of frustrated artists and eccentric creative directors who swear they are changing the world simply by breathing.

There has always been in our society a cynicism towards advertising. We don’t enjoy being interrupted, be it on television, radio, in magazines and newspapers, or even while walking down the street peering at bus shelters and billboards. We’re sick of this shit. But the film does nothing to assuage this cynicism, and instead helps solidify it by highlighting how each of the famous ad-men (and women) featured share a general hatred for their own profession. This is more apparent in the nature of the film itself — interview segments are intercut with montages of ad-saturated cityscapes. Statistics are displayed on-screen that quantify just how many ads we’re exposed to … and how the figures are getting worse over the years. So after a heart-warming tale about the golden age of the biz, we’re brought back to Earth by the reality that those days are, indeed, gone.

Advertising (at least in America and Britain) is overwhelmingly white and male. The industry continues to take criticism for this. And that lopsidedness is reflected in this film. I’m just saying. It also misleads the public by featuring only successful, distinguished industry veterans, thereby sidestepping the ugly issue of burnout, which is infamous within the profession. A lot folks don’t make it to the corner office, and are pushed out well before their hair goes white.

But to be fair, the Art & Copy does entertain. Featuring some of the most notable ad campaigns of the last 50 years, it literally makes us laugh and cry. After all, aren’t emotions slightly heightened by nostalgia?

There is an odd meta quality to the film — the whole thing is one giant ad in the sense that they use the medium of film, combined with moving music, well-chosen imagery, and clever text, to evoke emotions in the audience. And maybe we’re not supposed to notice, but I did, can still testify that in that regard, it’s done very well.

Sadly, the film represents very few campaigns (or thinking) from the 21st Century. Obviously, the Century is young, but with media and consumer habits changing so rapidly, I reckon it’s worth at least mentioning. One line, I believe, mentioned the need for more integrated campaigns going forward, and a few of the on-screen graphics acknowledged that advertising is no longer confined to the television set. But no attention was paid to the trans-cultural nature of brands, user-generated content, the push for online, the death of newspapers (and magazines), or TiVo, all of which are huge players in the constantly-evolving landscape of advertising today. With this oversight, Art & Copy might have been perfectly suited a release in 1999.

I am cynical about advertising. Perhaps because I like to focus more on the branding side of things, but I’m one of those guys who wouldn’t mind if all advertising disappeared overnight. (yes, I know there are economical logistical issues to work on) But even I, the cynic, have to give props to some of the campaigns over the years that have moved us forward. These are one that do become art, and do end up in that same corner of our brain where we store fond memories of childhood Christmases. Here are a few featured in the film. They are indeed timeless. (in no particular order)

Wendy’s – Where’s the Beef (1984)

MTV – I Want My MTV (1981)

Nike – Failure (1999)

Nike – If You Let Me Play Sports (1995)

Milk – Got Milk? (Aaron Burr) (1993)

Braniff Airlines – End of the Plain Plane (1965)

Reagan ’84 – It’s Morning in America (1984)

Johnson ’64 – Daisy (1964)

Apple Macintosh – 1984 (1984)

Apple iPod – iPod+iTunes (2003)

[someone please correct me if I got the years wrong. I'm not the expert here.]

So what’s the takeaway from all this? Basically the same thing we’ve been saying all along: advertising can push the limits of art, media, communication, storytelling, and society. But it usually doesn’t. If you’re a client, take a risk once in a while, it may pay off. If you’re an agent, try not to be a dick. Be creative. And don’t take yourself so fucking seriously. (I added that last one myself.)

PS, I think I might have voted for Reagan. A little hyperbolic, but man, what an ad.

Follow yesternight’s post, I dug up another Flickr page of gorgeous design work. This one is from Adam the Velcro Suit, who designs posters, CDs, badges, skateboards, and other brickerbrack. Love the mid-century style with reference to low-tech print making. Great sense of colour as well.

Adam the Velcro Suit on Flickr »

via Design Work Life »

If you don’t feel like reading between the lines for the past 3.5 years of blog posts here, this video pretty much explains my life and career.

Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Classic.

Summary: A solid, feature-packed, pair of headphones. I hope they fit you, and I hope they last.

The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones are one of the highest-rated headphones on Amazon.com. In fact, they are one of the highest-rated products I’ve ever seen. With over 1000 reviews, most of them positive, it’s safe to say that majority of buyers are happy with these. So far, I am as well.

Because of the design and features of these headphones, I can’t help but compare them to my now-deceased Sharper Image headphones. Obviously, I’m searching for a replacement, but these are the closest relative so far, but with a few key differences. With a rather large price tag, my picky self will likely grumble about the lack of an on-board volume control, for example, but as an overall offering, these are a winner.

Sophisticated, yet boring, packaging

The ATH-ANC7s can brag about a number of things. They come with all sorts of cords and adapters, and the noise cancellation is pretty exceptional. They’re stylish, but don’t take over your head. A detachable cord and semi-hard zipper case imply that these can be stored and cared for by audiophiles and travelers alike.

But I fear that these may not fit some people! When I first put these on, they didn’t find my ears on the first try, but took some wiggling and adjusting to get right. Unlike my Sharper Image heaphones, these aren’t the most padded ear cups in the world, but are comfortable, once you find the sweet spot. The lack of an on-board volume control means you’ll have your hand in your pocket constantly adjusting the volume, especially when turning on and off the active noise cancelation. But most of us can live with these quirks for a great-sounding pair of headphones that feel solid and comfortable.

By my previously stated criteria:

Comfort: There are certainly headphones that are softer and more lusty than these. For example, the AKG 271 MkIIs seem to engulf your head in a manner that these don’t. These offer no discomfort when wearing for extended periods, but can lead to some sweaty ears on hot days — a fault of the weather more than the design, methinks.

Sound Quality: I am fully impressed by the sound. Voice and music both sound rich and full, and aren’t terribly distorted when going in and out of noise cancelation mode. Somehow, these fill you up with bass without losing the hi-end. Not the loudest set of headphones out there, but they don’t have to be.

What’s in the box: The headphones, an airplane converter, a 1/4″ converter, one batteries, a semi-hard zipper case (with smaller zipper pouch for the accessories inside) and two 1/8″ to 1/8″ audio cables (one of the cables boasts itself being “iPod compatible”, although both of them work fine with an iPod. Not sure what’s going on there.

Insulation/Noise Cancelation: The noise cancelation on these are superb. External noise is reduced and marginalised, with powerful low-end clunking reduced to some high-pitched whining, at best. The one quirk is that the requisite whoosh-and-snap first experienced when turning on noise cancelation is rather severe. The volume of the before and after states are quite different, and will require an adjustment. Like I said, this is made further inconvenient by the fact that there is no on-board volume control, as I’ve seen on other pairs. Also, the noise cancelation takes more than a second to fully kick in, which is a little odd to experience. But you’ll get used to it.

Style: Black with some silver, these aren’t terribly flamboyant. I have the feeling that the largest style consideration was how large to make these smaller, and pack all the goods into a smaller package. I’ve worn headphones that are a little bigger (and therefore, slightly more comfortable), but the designers probably made the decision to keep these subtle at the smaller size. I have the feeling that someone crunched the numbers and concluded that making them 5% smaller will save 10% on supplies, alienate 12% of buyers with large heads, but attract an extra 20% new customers who don’t want to look like a jackass with massive headphones. I can’t complain about the design or how I look when wearing them, but they aren’t exactly next season’s style accessory.

The look

Commuting mode, with hat and glasses

The Dredg Test: Pretty good, considering I really forgot that Dredg was even playing in the background. I guess that’s a pass. With noise cancelation it’s even better.

The Subway Test: These things eat the subway for lunch. Honestly, your train ride will be nearly silent, especially while on the car. The loudest rumbles will still make -some- sound, but that’s impossible to eliminate. The one drawback of such powerful isolation is that you might miss announcements or warning bells. And you won’t hear that pushy woman behind you, who will no doubt become twice as pushy due to your non-response. Get used to feeling like a bubble head.

Does it have: A carrying case? [semi-hard zipper case] A detachable cord? [yes!] Volume adjustment? [no, sadly.] The ability to fold up? [folds flat to fit in the case].

Overall Build Quality: It’s hard to tell the long-term endurance of a product, but they don’t feel cheap, which is a big plus. While I would like to see more metal and less plastic, these do give me some confidence when adjusting the main overhead band — instead of the vague sliding, we are treated to a confident system of clicks. This also helps in remembering where your sweet spot is — 3 clicks on each side, for example. I’m glad to see that the forks attaching the headband to the earcups are designs to reduce tension. See, whenever you put on a pair of headphones, you have to stretch them slightly, but if the parts that stretch aren’t really designed to hold tension, eventually they will break. It’s called failure by fatigue, and it’s taught first year in every Engineering school in the world. I previously had a pair of headphones break at that point when a plastic peg simply snapped. Fortunately, the engineers at Audio-Technica decide to let the headband carry the tension, and everything else stays rigid or pivots on a hinge, as it’s designed to do.

Price/Value: Retailing for over $200, they’re expensive, and not for the casual user. Still, if I feel that most commuters and frequent air travelers will be happy to spend for something that finally ticks those boxes. While I’m happy with them now, the real test will come down the road. In other words, if they break in a year’s time, they will officially be the most expensive headphones I’ve ever owned.

I should also note a bit of cleverness in the design of these headphones: the battery that powers the active noise cancelation is concealed beneath the forks, and simply popped on the side of the ear cup. This helps keep everything streamline and reduces the profile of the headphones, making them slimmer and more attractive. Also, the battery slides in at an angle into a narrow channel, instead of the typical cavity with a door and those stupid springs like you find over every remote control, for example. It’s hard to explain, but trust me, it’s clever.

The jack for the detachable cord is set rather deep into the left ear cup, which means that it won’t get snagged so easily, I hope. That’s a good idea.

Overall, these are awesome. They sound great, have brilliant noise reduction, and come with a number of clever engineering features. With any luck I’ll be using these for years to come, and will be one of the thousand+ positive reviews on Amazon. However, if you have a massive head (or ears), these might not fit you. And if you’re like me, you’ll constantly be wanting more, making the lack of a volume control apparent. No one likes taking their iPod out of pocket on the subway so frequently, right?