The beginning of a new year necessitated the design for a new internal HelloComputer tshirt. I, Lauren Waller, new to the company and lucky enough to be given the task, thought I would share my experience of this endeavour with you all.
The process took quite a lot longer than I anticipated due to HelloComputer’s unyielding pursuit for perfection - something which was frustrating at times but which I learned to appreciate and adapt to. Being constantly pushed to improve and craft resulted in not only a better design but also enhanced my skills and techniques.
There is a lot to learn from the international powerhouse that is Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B). They were the first agency to rise to fame during the digital age and have a list of clients that any agency in the world would be honoured to work with. The likes of Nike, Burger King, Guitar Hero, Volkswagen, Coke Zero, Sprite and Microsoft to name but a few. It is not easy to be an innovator and Bogusky confirms this sentiment by commenting that, “It’s been pretty wild because we haven’t had anybody to model ourselves after when things get bumpy.” As a result they have set the bar and given the chance for the rest of the field to learn, adapt and innovate.
Everyone at HelloComputer is tremendously excited to be working alongside the impressive international agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, remember the amazing Burger King “Whopper Sacrifice” Campaign, Dominos Pizza “Pizza Turn Around” and another awesome Burger King project “Subservient Chicken”, on the innovative B-cycle project.
In terms of the nitty gritty of the project, HelloComputer will collaborate with Crispin Porter + Bogusky on the backend and frontend development as well as CMS customization and implementation of the B-Cycle website, and although Hello Computer usually take a strong lead on creative, Crispin Porter + Bogusky have supplied a brilliant strategy and design platform for the project.
In this day and age there is a demand for methods of renewable waste and to stop wasting precious resources. Society and popular cultures alike are embracing anyone who can do this and create products that don’t rely on cutting down trees, polluting the ozone or preventing used products from being thrown into bins.
BBC’s website is currently under-going a compete re-design to improve the information accessibility and user experience. The process is been handled by leading designer Neville Brody. Back in the dotcom boom, Neville visited SA as part of Design Indaba, and was part of the Digital Jury for the Construction New Media awards. In Mark Tomlinson’s previous role as CD of Generator, he was fortunate enough to be awarded by Neville Brody for his work in digital in 2001.
For me the weekly soapbox session has always seemed to be an opportunity to inspire those who work around you. To inspire colleagues you have to improve every facet of the work they create in or out of the studio environment. And even if this isn’t achieved, enlighten them on what your thought process is and at the least, what it is that inspires you. This power of inspiration is priceless and usually always appreciated by anyone with half a brain. Anyone with a stomach can also appreciate cupcakes and muffins, and somehow I felt it was necessary to include a small island of each in the boardroom where we hold our soapbox sessions. After all, being light hearted usually allows one to relax and open their mind to what follows a tasty chocolate cupcake. Tasty and expensive!
If you don’t get broadband in your crib, you might have missed the global movie phenomenon titled, “Avatar.” James Cameron did it again and cleaned up at the box office with a staggering $2.039 billion earning worldwide. Which converts into Rands at an incalculable, 15, 6646 billion ‘Rond.’ He over took his own previous record for Titanic as the biggest box office, money earner in history. The biggest thing to come from this success however, is the emergence of the 3D generation. The cinema experience will never be the same again.
According to Ster-Kinekor, the financial impact ($$$) of the new generation 3D films has been so great that most pundits advocate this format will become the standard for cinema-goers.
HELLOCOMPUTER APPOINTED BY THE CHANNEL OF CHAMPIONS
South Africa’s leading sports broadcaster, SuperSport, has appointed HelloComputer, to communicate the soul and gameness of the Super Diski PSL brand experience via digital platforms.
The Super Diski digital campaign will employ integrated digital media including a flash micro-site, mobi-site and social media platforms to best connect with their target audience.
The seismic shift taking place in the communications industry is well documented. As is the number of traditional agencies attempting to bridle the interest in digital media characterized by a critical shift in how consumers consume media. The coup de tat is being staged by various digital channels, platforms, devices and phenomena.
With so much in common with the traditional success factors that measure advertising, why are traditional brand agencies not dominating the digital arena? Indeed, the principles that have sustained marketing and advertising since the genesis of the communications industry are still completely relevant in digital. Successful advertising builds brands and persuades purchasing behavior. There has been an emergence of brand strategists operating strictly in the digital realm - an ever expanding universe - so where do the differences in approach exist?
Written by David Moffatt, Managing Director, HelloComputer, January 2010.
This animation by Keiichi Matsuda seems like a pretty reasonable vision of what the next iterations of augmented reality will bring. In his vision of the future, media saturates the physical world, and ads pervade everything.
