I've done it again. All the channels at the Mark Spencer Hotel, Portland.
things collide
The Lovesters are looking for help with a book they're working on - on hybrid culture; the moments where seemingly unconnected things collide and blend together. More details here. Have a look and lend them a hand if you can.
what I know of coffee
Emily's organising coffee in Sydney tomorrow (Friday) as is Jason in Toronto and Ben in London. I'm going to be doing coffee this Saturday (the 4th) in Portland (Byway's at 8am) and next Saturday (the 11th) in New York at 11am. Venue will be sNice where Noah and Piers do likemind.
Anyone I've missed?
kind of culture shock
If you can stand it you can hear me blathering on on the BBC World Service website right now, here, on Culture Shock. I was asked to go back and make an appearance as sidekick, rather than interviewee. It was enormous fun, though rather strange because I was massively late for the recording and had to comment on all the features without actually being able to hear them first.
And you discover a strange thing when being interviewed in that environment, you just say stuff, almost entirely at random, just to fill the space. And I say 'kind of' and 'actually' a lot.
Listening back to it I'm not sure I agree with about 50% of what I said.
Ah well. Good fun though. And it's a great programme. Full of interesting stuff from around the world.
what is a brand?
The Staufenbergers are on a mini-roll, (as opposed to a mini roll). They've just posted a scan of Stephen King's 'what is a brand?' which is well worth reading. (Though it's the worst bit of photocopying/scanning I've ever seen. Come on Patrick. Get it sorted.) And they've also found this fantastic (but tiny) archive of old films at the BFI (only available in the UK I suspect). I'm very much looking forward to Let's Go To Birmingham.
october's post of the month
Jon's always helpful round-up of October reminds me that it's time for the Post Of The Month club. Same rules as last time. Get your nominations in by November 10th.
apples and beyond
I've just forwarded Simon about 40 entries for Assignment 10. I think this means it's going to take us a while to get them all 'marked'. I also think that it might be a good idea for us to record a chat talking about what everyone's done. That might be more useful than 40 different documents you have to open. But we won't be able to do that until I'm back in London, which'll be the middle of November. Hope that's OK. I'll stick the next assignment up before then though. Probably next week. Many thanks to everyone for entering.
(Simon, check your email)
life's a pitch
So I'm thinking I might start with this for my Campaign piece for next week. It's Jon Steel's new book. And since his last book was the best one you can read about planning, and he's a nice and smart man, I have to assume this one'll be brilliant too.
But I can't do a book review (because I haven't read it) so I was going to use it as a starting point to talk about the new business pitch. It seems to me that, as we watch the slow decline of Big Advertising, one of the skills that should be preserved and transferred out of the mess and into the new world is British agencies skill at pitching. I really suspect that no other business culture is as good at pitching. The over-supply of businesses, the frequency of account moves and the high stakes involved have created this tiny evolutionary hothouse where pitching's become this fine, refined art. And it explains a lot of why British planning is like it is, the Theatre Of Insight being a key new business strategy for so many years. That's why London won the Olympics, because we're better at pitching than the French, not necessarily because we'll stage a better Olympics.
Anyway, that's where I thought I'd approach it from. Any thoughts?
how do you like them apples?
You have one more day (ish) to get any entries in for Assignment 10. We've had a record entry so far, so thanks to everyone.
photo booth
We had a magnificent time in Pembrokeshire last week. Really lovely. But there was one day when we were trapped inside by overly vigorous precipitation and were forced to entertain ourselves. Which is when Arthur discovered Photo Booth. What a brilliant product. It entertained Arthur for hours, he almost filled my entire hard drive with pictures of himself. (I did my bit too.)
Then the whole family got involved.
I did my Pete Townshend.
My Orson Welles.
Gimli?
And this is from the flight over. This is what flying with Delta is like.