Nike. Be Free.

Here's Nike's latest spot, it's pretty special. For this latest campaign they are using photographer Denis Darzacq and director Barnaby Roper, I can't wait to see the rest of the work.

Music Monday 45.

Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight



I realise that from now onwards I'm going to be speaking about a lot of songs that are for the festivals and will become the background for the summer. And the new song from Friendly Fires will be up there for sure. If this track is anything to go by the summer will be filled with hands in the arm, bum-wiggling and feet moving moments. Yes please.

All The Young - The First Time



It's no surprise that this band are touring with Brother, as they bring that British indie-pop-Britpop sound that seems to have been missing for a while. Despite the fact that the guitar riffs remind me of Feeder, there is a very natural, feel good British vibe to this band, looking forward to hearing more.

Ghostpoet ft Kano - Cash And Carry Me Home (Remix)



Another very British artist, but of a very different variety, in the form of Ghostpoet here as he teams up with one of the best British MCs Kano. Ghostpoet was nominated for the Sound of 2011, and is lucky not to have won so he can go on producing the music he wants, no matter how radio-unfriendly. I'm not saying that this won't get radio-play but it's certainly no Jessie J and B.O.B. Labelled as the British Kid Cudi, Ghostpoets floats along this grimey yet relaxed beat, another sign that tracks with a lot of space are very 'in'.

Theophilus London - Humdrum Town



Yeah alright I know that this song isn't new, but if I've had it on repeat all week it goes into a Music Monday, that's just the rules. This song is just awesome, great beat and chorus, clever and smoooth lyrics. Dare I say it, a great summer tune.

The Name's Fantastic, David Beckham-Fantastic.

It's difficult to put the aura of David Beckham. He is/was a fantastic footballer, a fashion icon, family man, ambassador, sex symbol. He is quite literally the man that changed the footballing, fashion and man's world single-handedly. No one ever gets tired of seeing him, listening to him, this man is super human. Myself, along with millions of other straight men, cannot deny the beauty of this man. And this new and rare front cover photoshoot for magazine, Mr Fantastic is wonderfully cool.

Grey Nights.

Now it's time for the Brits to do it, and on four wheels. Whereas the last post was very much America suburbs, this is all about the inner-city England feel.

Cruisin'

I love the vibe to this video. It feels carefree, suburban and ever so slightly anarchistic. Some beautiful shots in there.


If you liked this, then you'll like this.

Have No Worry.

Have No Fear.

All In Projection.

If you missed the latest advertising installment from Adidas, it's pretty darn good. This campaign is going all out, there's the tradition TV spot, there's the mini videos based on all the stars of the ad telling us how they had to go 'All In' to get to the top of their game. The next step is something pretty special.



This is not the first time that this large-scale projection has been used, but it is still pretty impressive. The part when the entire building appears to collapse is a particular favourite. The quality of projection and the intelligent use of it is really something to enjoy. Good campaign Adidas.

Scarlett Gabbana.

Shot for Vogue China, this collection of shots of the impossibly stunning Scarlett Johansson by Peter Lindbergh is gorgeous. Oh, and to top it off, she's wearing Dolce & Gabbana.

Music Monday 44.

A bit late in the day but seeing as we lean into the night it seems appropriate that this week's post is very dance orientated.

Kanye West - All Of The Lights Remix (featuring Lil Wayne, Drake and Big Sean)



This should be huge, Lil Wayne, Drake and Big Sean (Kanye's new tip) giving their own account over Kanye's All Of The Lights. But it's just not. It's not terrible, it just feels a bit rushed and half-arsed which is a massive shame. Still, it's worth a listen and had to be included.

SBTRKT - Look at Stars ft Sampha



The latest offering from Sbtrkt is really cool, and I think cool is the right word to describe it. It's laid-back and intriguing and comes with a cool video, I can imagine this being amazing outside at the summer festivals. Can't wait.

Nero - Guilt



Another big dance song for the summer festivals. If this track, and past musical adventures, are anything to go by, Nero will be everywhere this summer much to everyone's pleasure.

Justice - Civilization



If you've seen the new Adidas advert, they you would have heard the much anticipated comeback single from French DJ's Justice. This is not the full version by any stretch but it'll do me for now, I'm excited.

SebastiAn - Embody



Yes another dance song, but why the hell not? Another highly anticipated track this time from SebastiAn. Love the song, love the video.

Warmed Up.

These ads from Art Versus Climate Change are wonderful. So simple. So obvious. Yet so powerful. Absolutely stunning, with great room for some ambient ideas.

Nike: Better World

This post directly relates to the previous for two reasons. Obivously Nike and Adidas, being the two biggest sports brands in the world, go hand in hand as much as they lock their sweaty horns. But also because they have this constant awareness that sport is about so much more than football, basketball, goals, points, winning and losing. The way in which they have conveyed this over the years is so believable because it so true.

Their latest ad, a greatest advertising hits, is perhaps more explicit in explaining the power and impact of sport than previous ads, but you can't deny a single word of it.

Adidas All In.

Regular follows of Village Boy will know that both Nike and Adidas are two of my favourite advertisers of all time. Yes they are two of the biggest sports brands on the planet but, excuse the cliche, they are so much more than just a sports brand. Adidas show that in their latest spot. I love the passion, power and energy that convey in their ads, it really draws the viewer in to the Adidas world. Obvious it's featuring all the usual big names: Katy Perry, Beckham (for a second), Messi etc, but you get the feel that they're there because they should be there. It makes sense, it's more than a simple celebrity endorsement. It also features the new single from Justice, which is nice.

Another great ad from Adidas, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

Wrangler: We Are Still Animals.

Wrangler's original We Are Animals campaigns were incredible, visually, one of my favourite campaigns of all time. In particular the 2010 campaign, I loved the colour, energy and rawness that was evoked in just a simple print ad.

Now comes the class of 2011, and I'm a little let down to be honest.

They're ok. Just ok. Which is a shame. The problem seems to be that they have tried to force the We Are Animals concept on everyday urban folk, and it just doesn't work. Some are too over the top, look almost Marvel like, others are just not trying hard enough. Click here to see the entire campaign. That's not the say I dislike the entire campaign, here's my favourites.

Maybe it's time for a new concept?

Ridiculous.

Music Monday 43.

I absolutely love this week's post, a good mix.

Twin Atlantic - Free



I've literally had this song on repeat all week. Twin Atlantic provide listeners with some Scottish alternative rock, a poppy Biffy Clyro if you will. This sound is just a massive belter, it doesn't particularly go outside it's comfort zone but it's pounding and passionate with a huge chorus. And that's good enough for me.

We Are The Ocean - The Waiting Room



WATO are very much adopting the attitude of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's clear that the band are definitely going in radio-friendly direction with their new album. Now, that is not always a bad thing, and sometimes its conscious, sometimes it's a natural progression as the band matures. Liam voice is only improving with every song I hear, but I miss it being complimented with Dan's screams, personally.

Childish Gambino - Freeks And Geeks



It was only this week that I discovered that Childish Gambino is actually actor Donald Glover, more fool me. And it was this week that he released his E.P, which is pretty impressive. Freeks and Geeks is the stand out track and naturally the first single. The track is more than catchy, it is the best balance of aggression and word-play on the album, if not a little Lil-Wayne. I don't think Gambino really strikes anyone as a bad-ass black rapper, more white and preppy, and sometimes it seems as if he is trying too hard. It's hard to believe him rapping about bitches and hoes. But nevertheless he's got talent and good flow.

Alex Clare - Too Close



I love this guys approach. A great voice and some great dub/dance production behind his track, a male Katy-B if you will. This track is bound to get some solid radio play and deservedly so. I need to heard some more from this guy.

Tune Yards - Gangsta



I really wanted to finish this week's post with this track from Tune Yards. It's mental. I don't really really know what to say about it, it speaks for itself. I love it.

TED: Ads Worth Spreading.

TED recently announced the winners of the Ads Worth Spreading competition. Ted, for those not in the know, is a non-profit organisation that is all about promoting and encouraging ideas that look to change the world in a better way. From the fields of technology, design and entertainment TED "believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world". It's an incredible organisation and something you need to pay attention to.

Back to the ads, this competition really makes sense to me. I undertook my dissertation on virals and investigated if there was a trend or some sort of formula that leads to creating a successful viral. My own research proved that it's almost impossible to come up with some sort of formula, adverts that in theory should be wildy successful can flop and those that just seem to make no sense set the internet alive. However one trend that came from my dissertation, and is in fact my attitude anyways, was that successful adverts are ones that are made for consumers not just towards consumers. It sounds obvious but if an advert is genuinely found entertaining, interesting or useful you really are half way there.

Or as TED put it:

Here are the 10 winners of our first Ads Worth Spreading competition. With this competition, we're seeking to reverse the trend of online ads being aggressively forced on users. We want to nurture ads so good you choose to watch. On TED.com, ads run after our talks, not before. This means they can run longer than the TV-standard 30 seconds. And that's the key! In 2-3 minutes, there's enough time to really tell a story, share an idea, make an authentic human connection, become unforgettable. Instead of ambush, they offer pleasurable, intelligent engagement.

Here are the ads, some I agree with, some I don't, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts:

Chrysler



Topsy Foundation



Savory Institute



Nike Foundation



Nokia



Intel



Batelco



Dulux



Target



Hornbach

Exploding Graffiti

This is just very cool, very original and very impressive.

Sartorial Sounds.

This is just a simply lovely project from the boys over at Street Etiquette, named the Satorial Sounds. If you're not aware of Street Etiquette, you really should be, they run a fashion blog capturing garments and accessories in their finest detail whilst travelling across America and further still. Their most recent project, Satorial Sounds, involved together a group of talent, creative and truly insightful people and basically have a jam and to see what it would produce. Have a look for yourself.



In hindsight, this was a very good idea as the consequences are splendid, no matter which way you look at it. The music they produced was wonderful, the pictures they captured, equally so. And the words that every person here speaks need to be carefully listened to and appreciated. Click here to download the six minute track that was produced as a result of the session and simply sit back and enjoy.

Music Monday 42.

It feels like I’m going back to my music roots with this week’s post, guitars. Over the past 12 months for one reason or another I’ve been listening to a lot more hip-hop and rap music, but this week is all about guitars, drums and British rock.

Arctic Monkeys - Brick By Brick



They’re back! The first Myspace band, the proud face of British indie music are back, and in fine form. I wasn’t a massive fan of the last album but as the Monkeys roll on to their 4th album, it seems as they are heading a new direction. It’s a very American blue-sy feel as they steady cruise through the song and then pick it up and go full blast. It’s very cool. No doubt I will get sick of it due to excessive radio play though.

The Wombats - Anit-D



Another back on the comeback, albeit only for their second album, are The Wombats. I am not ashamed to admit that I absolutely rinsed their debut album. It was a perfect piece of indie pop and was just a joy to listen to. Now onto the second album. From this first new song, it’s difficult to work out what the new album will head in, only that it is a much more mature sound from the band. Excited to hear it.

Wild Beasts - Albatross



A different sound now from Wild Beasts, but nevertheless something pretty magical from the boys that are Wild Beasts. Wild Beasts are without doubt a pretty unique band, however Albatross seems like a taking a step away from Two Dancers and is a much more approachable sound from the band. It’s wonderful, narnia-like and a beautiful track. Can’t wait to hear the new album Smother.

Brother - Still Here



Now here’s a band that are definitely not on the comeback and very much on the rise. I have written my hopes for Brother before and with their next single, Still Here, it appears that they are very much still in the mood to bring back Britpop. For me, this song is the most reminiscent track to The Verve and Oasis than their other tracks and is unfortunately not as strong for me as some of their other tracks. But it’s good to hear something new from the Slough boys.

InsideOut.

I've seen some of the work of this project but never really knew what it was about or simply assumed it was just some cool street artist with some cool images. However open reading more about the Inside Out project I discovered that it was so much more than just something 'cool'. Like all great art it had something substantial and meaningful behind it, something that connected and mattered to people.

The project by the artist simply known as JR has recently been given it's awarded by the TED foundation to support JR's "wish to change the world". The project involves people from all across the world as they upload black and white images to be converted into these huge prints. This prints of the community members themselves are then put up in communities to create hope, a stand or simply a smile. This project has notably visited Israel, Kenya and Brazil.

Wred-neck Metals

This could not be any more American. The sound of modified motors purring across the vast open fields, through farms and along the endless stretches of tarmac has never appeared more beautiful than in this video by Josh Clason. Add in The Black Keys and this is really something nice. Wrecked Metals is an old-fashioned ethic hot-rod garage guilty of producing some stunning machines. Take a lookie for yourself:

Videos , Videos and VIDEOS!

Ok so I just got home and all of a sudden I came across 4 pretty cool music videos at the same time, I felt I had to share. Be warned it is a pretty random bunch, from the absolute madness of Lil Wayne (would we expect or want anything less?), the beautiful abstractness of Junip, the stylish and clever approach from the Strokes and also Lykke Li (ok the video isn't another crazy special but I like the song).

Lil Wayne - 6 Foot 7 Foot



Junip - In Every Direction



The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness



Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers

Advertising: If it's not sex and booze, it's certainly fun and games.

In the same way Mad Men failed to dispel the rumors that advertising, especially in the sixties, was full of affairs, booze and affairs. This clip from TV show Portlandia also fails to dispel the notion that ad agencies are full of crazy arty people running around doing something 'crazy and wacky' to come up with new idea.

Not that either of them even tried.