Brilliant Oscar-Nominated Short 'Logorama'

At this year's Oscar, there was an animated filmed called Logorama, written and directed by H5 / Francois Alaux, Hervé de Crecy and Ludovic Houplain. Logorama takes place in a world full of corporate and brand logos (in which roughly 2,500 appear), and it follows a few different stories that all intertwine with one another. This short is bloody brilliant, and it'll blow your brains out!

Featuring Michelin as the cops and Ronald McDonald as the villain, among many other "characters" as bystanders. It also has the tiniest details that truly make this film a work of art.

AdAge on Apple vs. Google

Ad Age dissected where exactly the two giants of Silicon Valley compete.

Apple vs. Google

Apple

Handset:

iPhone

Launch date: June 29, 2007
First-month sales: 600,000**
Tagline: "There's an app for that"
Price: iPhone 3GS $199-$299; iPhone 3G $99
Sold: Online and in Apple and AT&T retail locations
The effect: The iPhone, with 42 million units sold worldwide since its launch, has undoubtedly accelerated smartphone adoption in the U.S. What's more, it's created an entirely new content economy with apps. Incidentally, the iPhone is great for Google -- with more consumers on the web using their phones, that's more eyeballs for Google's search ads. Right now, Google search and maps are default on iPhones. For Apple, the iPhone is a direct extension of the company's existing product business of computers, laptops and iPods.

Mobile Operating System:

iPhone OS

U.S. Smartphone market share: 25%***
Distribution: The iPhone OS runs on iPhones and iPod Touchs worldwide and will soon be on Apple's new iPad. The iPhone OS is only second in U.S. smartphone market share to Research in Motion, which makes BlackBerry.
Number of apps: More than 140,000
Number of app downloads: More than 3 billion
Developers: More than 120,000

Mobile Ad Network:

Quattro Wireless

Price tag: $275 million
Gross revenue for 2009: $20 million*
Market share: 7%*
Leadership: Quattro CEO Andy Miller is now VP-mobile advertising for Apple, reporting directly to Steve Jobs.
Market position: Quattro specializes in rich media and brand mobile ads. Generally, Quattro ads demand a higher cost-per-click on more sophisticated publishers, like on a media company's app.

Quattro marks Apple's first foray into advertising. Why would it want to get into the service business? To keep the developers that create the apps that sell iPhones happy. "Apple can now provide 360-degree services for its developers," said Nihal Mehta, CEO of local-search and networking app Buzzd. "Developers have an easy way to serve ads and monetize their apps without having to maintain relationships with ad networks."

Web Browser:

Safari

Browser Market Share: 4.53%****
Distribution: Safari comes pre-installed on all Apple devices, from Macs to iPhones. It can also be downloaded for Windows machines. Before Apple launched Safari in 2003, Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape were the pre-loaded web browsers on Apple machines. Safari curbed Apple's dependence on Microsoft for web browsing.

Google

Handset:

Nexus One

Launch date: Jan. 5, 2010
First-month sales: 80,000**
Launch tagline: "Web meets phone"
Price: $179.99 with T-Mobile 2-year contract; $529.99 for unlocked phone
Sold: Only online

Sales of Google's first-ever handset have been slow, and might be a symptom of Nexus's online-only marketing and distribution strategy. Verizon's Droid, the first Google-branded handset, sold 535,000 handsets in its first month.**

The effect: With Nexus One, Google is trying to diversify its business beyond search, a paradigm of the wired web that may be rendered obsolete if apps become the primary discovery tool on phones. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said the mobile web is his company's best opportunity for growth. A Google handset is seen as a way to up appeal and adoption of Android, as well as a way to destabilize Apple's leadership in mobile.

Mobile Operating System:

Android

U.S. smartphone market share: 5%***
Distribution: Android has the smallest U.S. smartphone penetration, but the strongest growth in the last quarter of 2009; it's now on more than 12 devices in 26 countries with 32 carriers in 19 different languages. It's free and open-source, which means anyone can take Android and add code or download it to create a mobile device without restrictions. Android is Google's strategy for getting a toehold on lots of phones in lots of places.
Number of apps: more than 20,000
Number of downloads: Not disclosed
Number of developers: "Thousands," according to a Google spokeswoman.

Mobile Ad Network:

AdMob

Price tag: $750 million in stock
Gross revenue for 2009: $31 million*
Market share: 11%*
Leadership: AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui founded the company while in the MBA program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Market position: AbMob is one of the biggest players in mobile advertising; it has more inventory and a self-service, high-volume model that would dovetail nicely with Google's AdSense. "AdMob was born to be acquired by Google," said one mobile-ad executive. Initially, AdMob built its business on cost-per-click campaigns, but has since expanded to premium CPM for brand ads.

The Federal Trade Commission is still reviewing the acquisition. The deal, with its exorbitant price tag -- triple what industry bankers and execs had projected -- makes Google the mobile-ad leader with 21% mobile search market share.*

Web Browser:

Chrome

Browser market share: 5.22%****; 40 million active users in September 2009

Google launched Chrome in late 2008 to make browsing faster, the idea being that it would help internet users search more and, presumably, click Google ads more. Google is in conversations with various PC manufacturers to get Chrome pre-installed on machines; some Sony computers already ship with Chrome.

*According to market research firm IDC.
**Sales data projected by app analytics firm Flurry.
***Market Share data is according to ComScore.
****According to Net Applications, January 2010.

Andes Beer: Teletransporter - Brilliant!

Brilliant commercial!

Many beer brands speak to men in a shared tone showing to them that they really understand their needs. Yet, up to know, all intentions where express by a message without and action plan. Andes, the leader beer in the Andina Region of Argentina, presents: Andes Beer: Teletransporter – a revolutionary invention capable of doing something almost impossible: men can now go to a bar and share an Andes beer with friends without having any problems with their girlfriends. Andes Teletransporter Booths have been installed at the main bars of Mendoza, Argentina. Einstein mentioned that teletransportation was impossible since objects could not conduct faster than light. Einstein was wrong!

Legal Notice: Teleportation does not cause any physical non psychological damages. It helps and encourages long lasting couples and friendships. To lie is a sin, teleport is not!

Advertising Agency: Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Argentina
Chief Creative Directors: Maxi Itzkoff, Mariano Serkin
Creative Director: Javier Campopiano
Copywriter: Patricio del Sante
Art Director: Carlos Muller
Designers: Bruno Tortolano, Juan Pedro Porcaro
Agency Producers: Adrian Aspani, Camilo Rojas, Patricio Martinez
Account Director: María Lorena Pascual
Account Executive: Jaime Vidal
Booth designers: AD Productions
Production Company: Primo
Directors: Nico y Martin
Executive Producer: Carolina Cordini
Photography Director: Leandro Fillol
Post-Production Service Company: Cinecolor
Audio Post-Production: Supercharango
Responsible for Client: Ricardo Fernandez, Pablo Firpo, Eduardo Palacios, Martín Cao

The 10 Most Innovative Viral Video Ads of 2009

More on Viral Video Ads. Not sure if you've seen this list. Josh Warner of Feeb Company pulled together this list late last year for the most innovative viral videos with creative approaches to the social video Web.

"Regardless of the approach, the key for marketers is a solid understanding of what a brand is, who is the brand’s audience, and what moves them. Strangely enough, this formula sounds like traditional advertising. This year’s Top 10 is certainly a glimpse of how the viral video ad business is evolving, and as marketers, what we can learn from that evolution."

Here's the list:

1. Inspired Bicycles



Advertiser: Inspired Bicycles
Ad Agency: N/A

Why it works: Inspired Bicycles’ team rider Danny MacAskill scales fences in and around Edinburgh, Scotland. The video is as mesmerizing as its hypnotic soundtrack from music group Band of Horses. It’s a solid example of how a brand pursuing a niche market – mountain bike trailblazers – can reach the masses with a brilliant viral video execution.

2. Signs



Advertiser: Schweppes
Ad Agency: Publicis Mojo and @RadicalMedia

Why it works: A love story with few words, Signs compels you to watch until its poignant end. It conclusively dispels the myth that viral video executions must be short and gimmicky to grab your attention.

3. Piano Stairs



Advertiser: Volkswagen
Ad Agency: DDB Stockholm

Why it works: “Take the stairs instead of the escalator and feel better” is something we hear but didn’t often see until this sly video from Volkswagen appeared on the Web. It’s part of an inspiring campaign, The Fun Theory, that encourages people to come up with fun ways to “do good.” The video itself did well indeed, imbuing Volkswagen with a fun new ethos and racking up millions of views in the process.

4. BooneOakly.com



Advertiser: Boone Oakley
Ad Agency: Boone Oakley

Why it works: Boone Oakley, an ad agency from Charlotte, North Carolina, uses an interactive YouTube video to tell its story and showcase client work. Audacious and attention-getting, it puts the young company on the short list of ad agencies who get it.

5. Hosting Your Party



Advertiser: Microsoft
Ad Agency: N/A

Why it works: This is the ultimate anti-viral: a video that generates millions of views simply because of how profoundly it misses the mark. Comments have been disabled, but all you have to do is talk to someone you know who’s watched it to know why it was so generously passed around.

6. YouTube HD Camera Trick Challenge



Advertiser: Samsung
Ad Agency: Viral Factory

Why it works: One cunning way to get people talking about and sharing your video is to make them wonder how you shot it in the first place. Samsung went to great lengths to protect the “trick” in the video for their new HD camera phone, which got tech geeks riled up to try solving the puzzle. Geeks happen to be the audience most likely to buy the HD new camera phone, which is why this video makes our Top 10.

7. United Breaks Guitars



Advertiser: Dave Carroll
Ad Agency: N/A

Why it works: A traumatic experience for one flyer becomes a public relations disaster for United Airlines, when musician Dave Carroll uses a YouTube video to vent frustrations after his guitar is damaged at Chicago O’Hare airport. The takeaway: Viral video is a wonderful tool for consumer advocacy because chances are you’re not the only one who is upset. In this case, United was inundated with additional complaints after United Breaks Guitars.

8. All The Single Babies



Advertiser: singlebabies.com
Ad Agency: User Generated

Why it works: The huge popularity of this video, a baby dancing to a Beyonce (beyonce) song, is channeling ad revenue and donations into his college fund. This quick reaction to a YouTube hit shows us the toddler’s dad has moves of his own — something sluggish advertisers can learn from.

9. Guy Catches Laptop With His Butt



Advertiser: MSI Computers
Ad Agency: N/A

Why it works: In much the way Airplane parodies disaster films, this cheeseball video spoofs last year’s viral video hit Ray-Ban’s Guy Catches Glasses with Face. The inside joke is why we picked the video for this year’s Top 10. If you’re not on the web, you don’t get it. But for the millions who saw Ray-Ban’s video, it’s a wink and a nod, and an ironic sign that the viral video medium is maturing (or not).

10. JK Wedding Dance



Advertiser: Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz
Ad Agency: N/A

Why it works: A couple’s wedding entourage dances down the aisle to Chris Brown’s (chris brown) song “Forever,” springboarding this video into viral history (at least for ‘09). Instead of stripping the video of its music — something copyright owners are permitted to do on YouTube — Sony used its popularity to sell more Chris Brown albums.

語癌? - McDonald 2010 CNY Commercial

快高長大 or 快睪丸大? 八寶進袋 or 八寶春袋??

But I've to say, the kids are so cute and adorable :)

iPad Hands On by TechCrunch

this is just plain cool! could be the gadget of the year!

Here's the detailed tech specs of the iPad - http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Nexus One - Ninja's Unboxing

Speaking of Viral Video and Social Marketing in my previous blogpost, found this excellent video (stop-motion again) from friends passing around on Facebook.

This is cool, hip, and most of all, very viral-able. For those who're looking to create a viral video, this is a good benchmark. Only videos like this will attract people to share it with their network of friends.

iPhone vs Nexus One

A lot of friends asked me which phone is better, the iPhone or Nexus One. I've decided to write this little blogpost (rather than a review) so to give a little personal opinion on the 2 smart phones.

I'm a huge fan of Apple, and I got my iPhone 3G (not 3Gs) in 2008 once it came available on the web (not cling to any mobile networks). And since I once worked at Google and I'm also a huge supporter of Google services, I got my Nexus One as my Christmas gift in 2009. I now use the Nexus One as my primary phone, but still have my iPhone in my backpack whereever I go.

OK, now let's get started:

If you use Apple computer and uses all the i- software such as iTunes, iPhoto - definitely iPhone!

If you use Google services heavily such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Gtalk, Google Latitude, etc. - definitely Nexus One!

What happens if you use both? That's me! I still prefer Nexus One since it gets you connected online simpler and faster.

Hold on, but there're still lots of iPhone users out there would disagree with me. Of course! Cos when it comes to multimedia and games, iPhone still outperforms Nexus One. So here's a little comparison I've made:

Email addict - Nexus One (or BlackBerry :)

Music addict - iPhone

Photo addict (taking photos, standard) - Nexus One

Photo addict (taking photos, enhanced functions i.e. polaroid, lomo) - iPhone

Photo addict (viewing photos sync with iPhoto) - iPhone

Photo addict (viewing photos sync with Picasa) - Nexus One

Photo addict (resolution conscious) - Nexus One

Video addict (shooting and editing) - iPhone

Video addict (viewing movies sync with iTunes) - iPhone

Video addict (YouTuber) - Nexus One (with HD video too)

Map addict - Nexus One (with Google Latitude too)

Games addict - iPhone

HK local info addict (Openrice, Cinema, etc) - iPhone

Traditional Chinese input - still iPhone for now but heard Nexus One will have it soon

Multitouch addict - iPhone

Background/Themes addict - Nexus One, though you can crack the iPhone and install themes

Facebook addict - Nexus One has a better Facebook contacts sync, but iPhone has a better Facebook app. For Nexus One users, you may try http://touch.facebook.com using the Browser

If you're all of the above, the truth is there's no perfect phone out there. Like me, I use the Nexus One for day to day connecting with the world (Phone, Email, FB, Tweets, etc) and keeping the iPhone for entertainment (Music and Games) and also a BlackBerry for work emails and chats.

So you decide!