Dove: Evolution of a model

Brilliant video showing the amazing effects of make up and photoshop. What would we do without it?



It's all intended to put an end to girls feeling like they should change the way they look such as those in this video...



If ever there was an example of a brand that lives off talkability Dove must surely be in the reckoning. The Campaign for Real Beauty seems contrived to many but owing to its roots in an undeniable truth its success is guaranteed. The debate about will continue for years and Dove will always be in the centre of it.

Blends for Friends

I recently read about Blends for Friends in the BBC's excellent cooking magazine, "Olive". Alex Probyn is a master tea blender who has cut loose from the corporate world and has set up his own Global Microbrand called "Blends for Friends".

Visitors to the site are encouraged to submit a brief pen portrait of their friend they want their tea blended for and Alex will set about creating the perfect of tea for them, which will arrive beautifully packaged, customised and very swiftly. It's an idea that has really caught my imagination.



You can imagine a similar concept working for a small batch whisky... or as a prize for a competition.

Alex writes...

"After years as a master tea taster, blending for one of the world’s leading tea brands, I started to get frustrated with the restricted styles and flavours of tea I could use for large-scale commercial packs of tea. In an attempt to exploit my knowledge and to test my creative skills, I began to blend individual teas and herbal infusions for my friends and family based on their personalities. My creations became world famous (well, family famous at least!) and they asked me to blend for their friends so they could give a personalised gift that really meant something to the recipient."

To visit his site and possibly make an order click here.

For more about Global Microbrands you simply have to visit Gaping Void.

Maker's Mark Whoops

Maker's Mark recently did a promotion at Selfridges where the over dipped bottles are showcased as part of the brand's individuality.






To see some amazing examples of other Maker's Mark images from Flickr see below and click here.

Starwood Hotels Aloft Second Life construction

Click above to see the construction of Starwood Hotel's virtual enterprise. It's a great example of what global brands can do and highlights the importance of brand's entering Second Life understanding what consumers are interested in.

Click here for previous posts about it.

BBH's Second Life agency

BBH has pipped Leo Burnett to the post by launching their agency in Second Life.

Have a look at the video below to see what the space looks like. There has been plenty of chat about the functionality of these spaces. But crucially the idea of bringing creative thinkers together virtually is very powerful - especially for global networks.



To see more stills and description of the space see this article from Adverlab.

Heineken Grab Poster

Really cool poster site for Heineken.

Thanks to Paul for this.

Viral advice viral

Watch this before making a viral - don't think it's going to be quite so viral as some of the videos it references though!

Thanks Paul for this.