Guinness is so well balanced

From Scaryideas

Guinness is just so well balanced... 3 pints of Guinness is the perfect amount.




You can see from the related articles that Guinness has got a lot of love.

Facebook Backlash

Some people are fighting back against the widgetisation of Faecbook.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!!!! WHAT ELSE ARE THEY GOING TO ADD TO FACEBOOK! Horoscope, Top Friends... and blah blah blah! I was satisfied with running into friends that I haven't seen in years (since elementary school) and seeing how they were doing. FB got wayyyy too much stuff going on. I feel like they are OVER DOIN IT JUS A LITTLE BIT!"

"I agree completely. It's getting way too fucking involved. Food Fights, Fortune Cookies, where the hell is the goddamned Sex Toys application? It might be the only one I'm interested in...oh well, just bitching because I'm not awake yet... :o)"

"clearly, it is trying to draw farther into myspaces my market by adding more personilization to a page, which, as far as i can see, is the only benift to myspace."

"I totally agree. Facebook should read the google story. facebook will lose all of us if they dont stop shoving these things down our throats!!"

The commment about sticking to the google model is really interesting. Afterall the simplicity of Facebook was its biggest selling point. But having said that applications are definitely not being forced down people's throats. They have added some much needed connectivity and personalisation to facebook setting it up to be the definitive catch all portal. Probably a good idea for Facebook to take heed of some of this feedback though.

Facebook Opens Up

Facebook is currently taking the world by storm thanks to its usability, clean interface and new widgets. It's a much more manageable and practical version of Myspace with more gravitas and cross functionality.

In the last month Facebook has opened itself out to programmers from outside Facebook creating useful applications to work on the Facebook platform. Twitter, Last.fm, Hotlist etc. are proving very popular if not necessarily massively useful... yet.

From A VC

"I've got two thoughts on this whole thing.

The first is I like the way Facebook has chosen to open up. It's more like the way Firefox allows extensions and less like the way MySpace and others allow embedded code. I've got nothing against the MySpace approach. That's what I use on my blog as well and embed code has moved the web forward in amazing fashion. But an open API is possibly going to be more powerful for some apps than embed code. It will be interesting to watch how this all plays out, but I am betting Facebook's gonna get some really cool apps very quickly with this approach.

The second is that I don't yet see my social network at Facebook interacting much in these applications. Maybe I've chosen the wrong ones to install. My Facebok social net will be notified via the mini-feed that I've added these apps to my profile, but beyond that what happens?

Why can't Twitter be more tightly integrated? Why can't it power my status message so that all my friends on Facbook see when I change my status via Twitter.

Why can't my Facebook friends engage with my last.fm and MOG widgets? Why can't they favorite the songs they like and message me in Facebook about that?

I am sure that's coming. Maybe some of the other Facebook apps already do stuff like that.

There's a chance that someday, Facebook will be the preferred place to read this blog because of all the social apps that will be built around it. You can already read this blog at Facebook but few people, if any, do that currently.

Mark Zuckerberg says he wants Facebook to be the social operating system of the web. That's a grand ambition. But I like it. Because its something Google isn't and is never going to be (unless they buy Facebook). At this point, nobody is closer to that vision than Facebook and by opening the system up this past week, Mark has taken a big step forward and is moving closer to that vision for sure. Well done."

It's also interesting to read Seth Godin's comments about the way the web is evolving from "the web" to "my web". Increasingly, as the amount of web content booms, people will start to explore their own personalised web world which may or not be explored via Facebook.

"The web has billions of pages. You'll see so few of them over your lifetime that the percentage is almost unmeasurable.

Your web, on the other hand, is well-traveled and familiar to you. It's the one you travel daily.

Facebook and sites like it are changing the world because they're becoming, for millions of people, "My web." Just as it's possible to do an entire day's work using nothing but email, it's now possible to live all day with your social network on Facebook. The new launch of open widgets makes that even more likely. I just discovered ztail, (which I haven't tested) which is an automatic process to let you create and then promote your auctions via your Facebook page.

It's not for every seller--it doesn't help you reach strangers, it doesn't help you teach people about who you are or what you do. But for those that are building their web around their social network, it's an inkling of what's to come. (hat tip to Fred for his insights on Facebook)."

Here's what Facebook have got to say about it on their blog:

"Last Friday, we promised more information, so here it is. We've purposely been keeping kind of quiet about Platform on the site in order to give all the new applications and functionality—on our side and on the developers' side—time to breathe and grow virally. Now that we've seen a week of activity, it's time to give you the full story on Platform and what it means for you.

When we made changes to the site back in April, we broke up the menus to differentiate between the applications people use on Facebook and the core of the site. Applications are things like Photos, Notes, Groups and Events. They live in the left hand menu and they use different parts of the core, which tend to live in the top menu—things like Facebook profiles and News Feed. But most importantly, applications use the real connections people have to help them share information more efficiently.

For example, the Facebook Photos application is actually the #1 most trafficked photo application on the entire web because it uses people's real connections—what we call the social graph—to help people efficiently share their photos. Facebook has this graph of increasingly powerful connections that people use to communicate.

We started working on Platform a little more than a year ago. Since then we've taken Platform out of beta, written FQL(Facebook Query Language), and various other tools for developers, and now we're ready for the next step. With this evolution of Facebook Platform, we've made it so that any developer can build the same applications that we can. And by that, we mean that they can integrate their application into Facebook—into the social graph—the same way that our applications like Photos and Notes are integrated.

You'll see applications integrating into Facebook in a lot of familiar ways. Applications can have a box on the profile. They may also have an item in the profile actions menu (below your profile picture). They can also have a link in the profile drop-down menu and put stories in Mini-Feed.

That's just profile integration though. Applications can also have a presence in the left hand menu, and that link can take you to whole pages that are generated within the Facebook site. These pages are in many ways the part of Platform that really enables developers to build full applications for Facebook. Applications can have anything they want on these home pages, and they can have as many pages like them as they want. It's not just a widget; it's a full application.

Since there will be a lot of applications, you will have the choice of adding and removing any applications you like. You can add new ones and even remove ours if you like. Wherever applications are displayed in some order, we try to let you reorder them. This means that you can reorder the boxes in your profile and the applications in your left hand menu in any way you want.

Maintaining the user experience is important, so we've made it so that you have to click to activate any flash object before it can start playing. This will prevent animations or videos or music from playing when a profile loads.

It's important to remember that simply seeing an application is not the same as interacting with it or granting it the ability to see your information. You will have to opt-in to any application in order for it to access your information or be put on your profile. Also, please note that we never sell your information or expose your contact information. You can manage your applications—ones you've added to your account, used on other sites or on your desktop—and use granular privacy controls for other applications in the "Applications" section of the Privacy page. If you see an application that you think is offensive or worrisome, you can report it, block it from ever interacting with your profile or information, or do both.

You can get a taste of how this all works by adding our Video application to your profile, or looking for an "add" link when you discover a new application on your friends' profile or within your News Feed.

Katie is Facebook's Director of Product."

Courvoisier The Future 500

Courvoisier cognac, is working on a new and very exciting campaign called: “Courvoisier The Future 500”: an initiative to fast-track the careers of 500 emerging, ambitious and passionate individuals in the UK. The campaign is being run in partnership with The Observer newspaper. Check out the website www.courvoisierthefuture500.com which explains the campaign in detail



In a Nutshell:
There are 10 categories (sports and entertainment, science and innovation, media, Food, Drink, Business, public life, Travel and leisure, Fashion and retail, art and design)
Judges will select the top 50 people per category – 1 winner in each who will be part of the top 10

The judges were carefully selected and make up a selection of supremely qualified individuals within their field, these include: Ruby and Millie who are responsible for one of the most successful UK cosmetics brand to launch in the last 30 years, Matt Harmer the Founder and Managing Director of the rapidly expanding Ignite Group Ltd, Ian Pengelley opened ‘Gilgamesh' offering a unique Eastern gastronomic and entertainment experience that won Tatler’s ‘Most Original’ restaurant award for 2007.
The top 500 applicants will form an online network of contacts nurturing further success
The List will be published in The Observer and the online network created simultaneously in November 2007



10 winners also receive:
Prestige and personal PR from The Observer and other media partners
Personal mentoring from one of the judges
A trip to the COURVOISIER Chateau in Jarnac and other prizes

Applications for this are currently being accepted – if you feel that this is something that you could be part of – log onto the website or click here and fill in the application form.
Each applicant will be judged on entrepreneurial zeal, ambition and determination, hunger to succeed and the ability to achieve by doing things differently.

Good luck.

Pop up Nightclub from Southern Comfort in Australia

We've blogged about pop up bars and pop up shops before on the Beam Team Blog, but this is the first time we've found a branded pop up nightclub.

From Springwise:

"Pop-up retail may be a bit passé, but pop-up-everything-else is still going strong. Earlier this week, we featured an update on pop-up hotels. Next up? A pop-up nightclub in Australia.

The SoCo Cargo Experiment, created for Southern Comfort, consists of four shipping containers that can be stacked side by side or on top of each other, like giant building blocks. SoCo Cargo can be assembled within a day, with an entirely adaptable interior. The venue usually contains a bar, stage and lounge area, but the main focus varies per location. One time it will be a nightclub, next time a live music venue or art gallery, popping up by the side of the road, near a festival, carnival or other outdoor event. The temporary club premiered on Sydney's Cockatoo Island in October. During Melbourne's St Kilda festival in February, SoCo Cargo hosted a number of up-and-coming live acts. Then it was on to Adelaide's Garden of Earthly Delights (another festival), where the containers held a slick dance lounge featuring hot DJs and late night grooves.

For an old liquor brand trying to reach a new group of consumers, specifically young adults, the pop-up approach seems to be working. Surprise creates buzz, and buzz is good, cost-efficient marketing ;-) For more examples of how to delight consumers by taking them by surprise, check out this section of trendwatching.com's transumer briefing."

For more on this project click here and here. It's only been around for a few weeks and the blogosphere has gone wild about it. Just pop it in google to see.

New Absolut Campaign

Jury is out on this one...

From Absolutads:

"I spent last few weeks in hospital so I was not able to update AbsolutAds.com. But there was nothing special anyway. Until yesterday. Absolut Vodka announced new campaign called “In an Absolut World”. Read more in their press release:

ABSOLUT VODKA announced its next groundbreaking global advertising campaign titled “In an ABSOLUT World.” The new advertising challenges the status quo by presenting a bold and optimistic world view. The global launch is supported by a fully-integrated marketing campaign, including print, broadcast, out-of-home, public relations, on-premise promotions and viral activity. Created by TBWA/Chiat/Day/New York, the campaign will break in the U.S during the week of May 15 with a broadcast spot and print executions in June weeklies.

The global campaign will also roll out in 12 international markets this year, beginning with a broadcast execution titled “Disco Moon” in Germany on April 27. Additionally, the campaign will be complemented with executions tailored to their niche market consumers along with an interactive experience at ABSOLUT.com.

“In an ABSOLUT World” is a powerful campaign that provides a rich framework for the ABSOLUT brand that builds on the foundation established by ‘The Absolutes’ campaign last year. Our consumers are intelligent, and we hope they have a gut reaction that sparks conversations and challenges them to think about their vision of an “ABSOLUT World,” says Tim Murphy, Senior Brand Director, The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.

The first U.S. broadcast spot, titled “Protest” depicts an epic scene that opens with a tense standoff between protesters and police. As the clash ensues, the viewers witness a massive, friendly pillow fight — demonstrating an alternate way to resolve conflicts. Filmed in Uruguay by Director Frederik Bond and Director of Photography Guillermo Navarro — an Academy(R) Award winning Cinematographer — this production was the largest in the country’s history.

The first U.S. print advertisement to launch is a photo of Times Square with iconic works of art installed in lieu of advertising. Other print executions include a factory emitting harmless bubbles instead of smoke, a pregnant man with his wife at a cocktail party and a bar scene where people wear buttons labeling their dating status and mindset.

“The new campaign visually answers the question: what if everything in the world was a little bit more Absolut? It’s not necessarily about perfection, but about making the world better by seeing it with fresh eyes. As the story unfolds you can expect commentary on topics and ideas big and small, serious and humorous, timeless and of the moment,” said Rob Smiley, Creative Director at TBWA/Chiat/Day/New York.

The new campaign also includes an industry-leading social responsibility broadcast spot. Titled “Taxi,” the spot illustrates a young couple exiting a club. As they press the key fob, instead of unlocking their car it signals a taxi, suggesting that in an “ABSOLUT World” people would always call a cab or use a designated driver after they drink. “The campaign speaks to consumers on multiple levels. The topics range in scale and tone but use the same clever voice ABSOLUT has used for more than 25 years,” adds Murphy.

“In an ABSOLUT World” will also be supported by viral elements that will bring the idea to life for consumers. On May 14, ABSOLUT will begin a week of guerrilla activities in New York that will make the city a better place for one week. Consumer activities include rickshaw rides in Soho and the Meatpacking District, music downloads in Union Square, Metro Card giveaways and VIP treatment at select downtown restaurants and clubs, all compliments of ABSOLUT.

The campaign will continue this summer with customized out-of-home executions in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas and Chicago that speak directly to these geographic communities."

Absolut 100 - Sexy Black Bottle

This looks incredibly alluring. I want one! Design job done!

From Absolutads:

"Singapore Changi Airport and DFS Singapore will be the location for the debut of the new Absolut 100 premium vodka this month before the brand is offered elsewhere.

“The world premiere will be held at Changi airport in Singapore in March,” says Anders Olsson. “We will then roll out the launch of ABSOLUT 100 worldwide throughout 2007, executed by MAXXIUM Global Travel Retail, who handles the V&S brands in [the] global duty free and travel retail market. We are convinced that the market will be as excited about this new product and concept as we are at ABSOLUT.”

ABSOLUT 100 is the first ever ABSOLUT product to be initially developed and launched exclusively for the global duty free and travel retail market.

The company says: “We have created the unique qualities of ABSOLUT 100 by adjusting our production processes in order to achieve a smoother high proof vodka. ABSOLUT 100 is rich and full bodied. The taste is distinct, yet smooth and mellow, with a grainy character and notes of dried fruit. The stylishly rustic, masculine qualities of ABSOLUT 100 are emphasized in the tough, no-nonsense design concept and imaging, based on a bold minimalistic colour palette of opaque black, chrome silver and subdued grey.”

The launch of ABSOLUT 100 will be supported by a tailored marketing campaign in the duty free and travel retail market. ABSOLUT 100 will then be sold exclusively in travel retail/duty free outlets worldwide. During the introductory phase of the launch, ABSOLUT 100 will only be available in 100cl bottles."