One Single Life

This a great concept for an iPhone/iPad game, beautifully designed.

It's called One Single Life. And it's free.




























So, yeah, you only get one life. When you die, that's it. You can't play it again.

It's so good because of the pressure, made all the more heated by the dramatic music.

I got to Level 7. Not good enough.

Ant vs Spider

Zangief is watching you

There's a man in our office who looks like Zangief from Street Fighter 2.

Sometimes he watches us work...

The idea is dead. Long live the idea.

Remember ideas?

Those little things that hold together advertising campaigns. The likes of 'Reassuringly Expensive', 'What's the worst that could happen?', 'Don't die before you've lived'...off the top of my head. Ideas that you pushed for as a student in order to make your portfolio better than anyone elses? Ideas that you actually had to work hard to get to? Hours spent in a room with just a layout pad and your bare wit for company? Well my friends, it seems to me as though the big idea - the strategy - that should be at the core of every campaign, is dead.

I was down in Cornwall at the weekend and paid a visit to my old creative partner - he runs a lovely hotel down there now. We had a chat about this and that, during which he asked me if I'd seen any decent ads recently. And literally, I couldn't think of any. Absolutely nothing came to mind. It was incredible.

And it's not surprising really. After all, it's all about things that just look cool nowadays - style over substance as they say. And the bigger problem - you can't sell in an idea without a reference. Of course, coming up with a strategy from scratch and then finding a reference is much too hard/time consuming nowadays. It's much easier just to find something on YouTube or Vimeo, add a vague end-line and voila. Done. Which is why nowadays shit like this appears:



This spot for Lucozade sums up everything that is going wrong with the industry. It feels generic and easy. Get some celebs, shoot it like a music promo and add a vague line.

One thing's for sure, it's no 'Good things come to those who wait.' It's no 'Hate something, change something.' It's no 'Don't let a mobile ruin your movie.'

In it's defence some will admire the simplicity of it. But for me it's the wrong side of simple...it's empty. I'm all for simple, but with a proper idea please.

Interactivity is of course where it's at now. But marry the two together - a strategy AND interactivity - and you're onto a winner in my humble opinion.

And the moral of the story? More thinking, less stealing please children.

Reality Check-in

Football. Footballing. Football Goals. Win!

I used to hate football and love skateboarding. Until, that is, the day my dad took me to watch Aston Villa in February 1993.

At that point in time Villa were 2nd in the first Premier League, pushing for the title. And from the moment Dwight Yorke scored the winner that fateful day I was proper hooked.

18 years later, all I've really witnessed is two league cup wins and a number of false dawns. But it's always an interesting ride with the Villa. Unlike other teams around us, not even a billionaire chairman has managed to turn our fortunes round. Indeed we're flirting (mildly) with relegation this year after pushing top 6 for the past 3. In the past 2 seasons we've been knocked out the Europa League by the same team: Rapid Vienna. And for the past 2 summers we've sold our best player to Man City.

I don't really know where this is going...and actually that sums up what it's like being a Villa, or indeed a football fan. I love the game, but where is it going? I'm not talking about 'the future of the game with all the crazy money etc', more like where's it going in general - I mean, its never ending really isn't it? It just goes on and on, until you win something I guess. Anyway, rambling now.

The photo above was taken after our last minute winner (always a pleasure) vs West Ham last weekend. There's no real reason for my posting of it, other than it makes me incredibly happy. I promise never to write about football on here again.

Neat Freak

Neat freak alert.

Well, certain things I like to be super organised...like if there's a load of crap on my desk, I can't even start to think about ideas. Or, if there's washing-up to be done, I can't even begin to start cooking. I also like to line up trendy toys on my shelves and make grids out of my SNES games (OMG).

So anyway, this website appeals to me...

Joe in Pubs

Joe likes being in pubs. Look here.

'Press Here'

This is a beautiful book for kids that is so simple, yet so clever. Interactive without having to be techy.

Little Memories

A really great little installation idea that enables old memories to be brought to life.

RESPEC'!!!

We did a voiceover recording yesterday with a true British film legend - Julian Glover.

The man has starred in the 'Holy Trinity' of movies: Star Wars (Empire), Indiana Jones (Last Crusade) and Bond (For Your Eyes Only). Nothing else needs to be said, apart from he signed my DVD...

You smell like you look amazing

I simply can't tell you how much I love the woman's line at the end: "You smell like you look amazing!" THAT is exceptional writing, right there people. Right fucking there. Lines, in my opinion, don't get any better...with the exception perhaps of 'the man your man could smell like.'

Inspirational. And yes, it is a patch on the original before you say it.

Fake Swimming Pool Awesomeness

http://www.designrulz.com/architecture/2011/01/fake-swimming-pool-leandro-erlich/

This jumper is DOPE

I cannot stress enough how much I want this.

Super Scope!

An exciting package turned up on my doormat today - a SNES Super Scope!

Bought for a handsome fee of 0.99p (plus £7 postage) on Ebay, this classic bit of gaming kit always eluded me at the time. But now, my time has come...

Stay tuned for a review. You can't wait, I know...

Suwappu

Awesome AR enabled figurines from Dentsu London.

Stories appear around the characters when looked at through your iPhone App. Swap heads and bottoms to change their stories.

AR seems to be busting into new levels of awesomeness at the moment. I think.

Dogboarding

Naff. But well done. Someone's put a lot of love into this!