Nike: Just Do It - The Origins.

Nike. Just Do It. There are a thousand things you can say about this brand and this slogan. Over the years, through many campaigns and products, Nike has reached the holy grail of branding - becoming popular and cool at the same time. Very few brands reach the peak of each of these.

Just Do It has become an iconic slogan - one of the all time greats. It not only encompasses everything that Nike is - it's everything that life should be. It fits Nike and it's products, but it can be applied to almost any area of life, and that is why it is so great, so powerful and so lasting. It is work like this that made me want to do advertising, to inspire, and actually make a difference.

John Cleese On Creativity.

Though I'm unsure as to when this speech was made by the ever great John Cleese, it is still completely and utterly relevant. I will add little to Mr Cleese's words, as little needs adding, but this speech covers almost everything I have ever read about creativity. The importance of space, time, the right time of pressure, collaboration, the need and right to make mistakes, never saying no. And many other lessons. It probably takes a few listens to actually count up all the lessons. So I'll shut up and let you listen. Listen and learn.

United Colours Of Benetton: Unemployee Of The Year

The usually controversial United Colors Of Benetton, have gone perhaps a bit more traditional for their latest campaign, Unemployee Of The Year.



In a campaign that seems more reminiscent of Levi's, UCB have targeted an audience that perhaps has never been targeted by an ad campaign before; the unemployeed. But in doing so, I think they've hit the nail on the head, more than any other brand has done in a long time.

This young, motivated, creative and energised target market is constantly battered with ads, namely because they are one of the most influential and desirable groups out there for brands. But in the current climate, despite all of the above, these people are often without jobs. They are fighting to persure their passions and what they believe in, but they are also fighting to stay afloat. And for me, this ad really gets that.

This ad is supported by UCB's Unhate Foundation, a chance for youths to get funding to support their projects. Not perhaps the most unique of ideas but at least they are putting their money where their ads are, and that's more than can be said for most brands.

Jose Mourinho: Restless.

I have more trophies, more money and more desire... My career is always incomplete.

Levi's Go Forth: 2012

Last year's Levi's Go Forth campaign was one of my favourite campaigns in a while and was a huge wake up call for the brand. It really captured the teenage rebellion spirit, the (dare I say it) carpe diem (ergh) attitude of teenagers/twenty somethings without being cheesey or forced.



They have gone on to release the 2012 campaign for Go Forth. It is more great work from the people at Wiedens, and although I don't think that it's quite as strong as the first campaign, it's definitely grown. Whereas 2011 was much more about rebelling and sticking it to man attitude to it, 2012 is much more entrepreneurial, it's yours for the taking, make the world the way you want it. It's just grown up a bit, and I like that.

Muhammad Ali X Yasiin Bey (X Louis Vuitton)

In the words of Hypebeast "There stands only a handful of hip-hop emcees who have been able to successful transcend the musical culture and find high-fashion relevance. Yasiin Bey is one that immediately comes to mind as a longstanding personality known just as much for his outspoken position in the culture as well as his smooth flowing rhymes."

Yasiin Bey's (aka Mos Def) latest demonstration of his talents is a couple of short performances of quotes by a man with just as sharp and smart tongue, Muhammad Ali. Though not perhaps in the same league, there are many similar traits between Bey and Ali; provocative, mindful, intelligent, witty and semantically superb.

Louis Vuitton "Word" - Directed by Stuart McIntyre from Steam Films on Vimeo.

Bey brings such energy to the show, it feels like Ali is in the room. Credit also has to go to Stuart McIntyre for the direction of the video as the mood and pace perfectly reflects the speeches. Not entirely sure what Louis Vuitton have to do with this, but it's something...

Louis Vuitton "Dream" - Directed by Stuart McIntyre from Steam Films on Vimeo.

Nike: Find Your Greatness.

It's the Olympics, we're all well aware. But for Nike, that's not where all the greatness is this summer.



Nike's 'Olympic' ad, wasn't one of my favourites, but it has really started to grow on me. Although the advert itself doesn't wow you to the extent that other Nike ads have done in the past, it's a really nice sentiment to it and wonderfully written. The entire campaign ties in really nicely with the rest of their activity - for example London underground ads - "Greatness doesn't stand on the right" - especially the jogger ad below. This ad is probably one of the most simple Nike ads I've ever seen, yet it is one of the best written. It is inspiring, it's compelling and like many great Nike ads, it's not about the brand, it's about the person wearing them.

London 2012 Olympics & Paralympic Ads

Incase you hadn't noticed, this summer is all about the London 2012 Olympics. Because of the nature of sport, it has always been a fantastic subject area to advertise around. However that does mean you get almost every brand under the sun trying to be a sports brand.

And as the Olympics are the greatest sporting event in the world every ad under the sun is now an Olympic ad. This has unfortunately led to a lot of dire and dull ads on our TVs, computers and bus stops.

However, as there always is in ad world, a small glimmer of hope. Adidas and Channel 4 have both produced incredible ads for the Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. Both ads capture the what the events are about. They don't sell too hard, they're not cheesey, and although both are very emotional (as is sport) they feel very genuine and relavent to the games.

Adidas - Take The Stage



Channel 4 - Superhumans

Maria Sharapova: Never Listen. Never Give Up.

"No matter how tough it was or if people didn't believe in me, I never listened. I only listened to my own voice which told me that I would succeed again and I did. No matter how many punches I took, I didn't care. I always got back up again. There were no excuses - I love this work of playing tennis. I could have said I have had enough when I was injured. I could have said I have enough money and fame, but when your love for the sport is bigger than those things, then you still get up to practice when it's freezing or when others have no belief."
BBC

Dissecting Creativity: Pharrell Williams

I always believe that one of the hardest traits to keep a hold of is to remain relevant. Pharrell Williams is someone that manages to diversify himself and his work to such extremes but always uphold the highest level of integrity, creativity and yes, relevancy. Therefore he is always someone who's words should be listened to and has much to offer.



Blame HypeBeast TV for the awful audio.

Jake Davis: Japan's Classic Style.

Another trip to Japan, this time with one of my favourite short film directors, Jake Davis. His Test Shot series has become a bit of an obsession of mine. I really like the way Jake approaches the subjects he shoots, his attention to detail really manages to bring out the characters and personalities. He's got a great sense of pace with his videos, letting them unravvel before you as you become more and more involved in the films. His choice of music is always on point too.



In his latest project, he was sent by K-Swiss shoes to discover examples of classic style. Japan has always fascinated me in the sense of it's dedication to both the old and the new. It is famous for the traditions it has upheld for many centuries, but it is just as famous for the creative and innovative output it has, enough to match any Western culture. This clash is captured perfectly in this series, as Jake finds places as traditional as they are fresh. His exploration took him to an opticians, Globe Specs; a coffee shop, Bear Pond; a record shop, Bonjour Records and a more traditional shop, Bedwin.



As I mentioned earlier, Jake manages to capture the energy and culture behind not just the shops themselves but also the people that created and run theses on a daily basis. Each is different in their own way, and there is a lot to be learnt from each video. Scan through Jake's blog to read more.

Life's Work.

This is how you should feel about your job:

Caine's Arcade.

This is a story of two people, Caine and Nirvan. One is a boy, one is a man. One is the kid you wish you had and the other is the man you were. One had a dream and the other made that dream come true.

Caine is a kid in East L.A who decided to create an entire arcade out of cardboard in his Dad's shop. He thought of everything; tickets, prizes, loyalty schemes, branding, staff t-shirts, right down to creating a homemade claw machine. So impressive. Caine showed such inventiveness, endeavour and creativeness, he had an idea and he went balls out on it. However as he sat outside every weekend, swept the floors and kept the prizes stocked, no one ever paid him a visit, not until Nirvan came past. Dumbfounded at the brillance of it all, he was terminated to get Caine's Arcade known. He get it known he did...

Photographing The Yakuza: It's All Luck.

Though not being much a photographer myself, I have always been fascinated by photos and the stories they tell, how one single split second can be so defining. And I can come across few projects that are as fascinating as photographing the Japanese Mafia, The Yakuza.

The photos taken by Anton Kusters all beg to have their stories told. They all look dark, rushed and as if they were shot from the hip, probably because many were. It must have been a terrifying and exhilarating experience all at the same time. You instantly get the feeling of what it must have been like to be surrounded by some of the most dangerous men in the world whilst they conduct some of the most illegal deals in the world.

Luckily enough for us Anton conducted a TED talk to speak about his project. You get the feeling he could talk for hours about the crazy stories and situations that he found himself in. But what really stuck me about his talk is the importance of luck. But not just hoping for luck, making that luck for youself. And you do this by getting experiences and knowledge. The more of these you get, the more you have to relie on, the more prepared you are for any situation.

Steve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippie

We have all read pages and pages of text on the late Steve Jobs, his stories and quotes are very much part of modern folklore. Steve Job was genuinely one of the most important people of the modern era, he has changed the way we live our lives in a very real and tangible way. Jobs was a man who, most importantly for me, understood so many different areas of the world. He understood consumers, the technology and the market and manage to blend them all seemlessly. He was a man who trusted his instincts over anyone and anything else and, more often than not, he was right. The man was a contradiction, as much of a hippie as a hardcore business man. He was a beautiful contradiction and combination.

There are few people that you can learn lessons from that are so relevant to the current world, which makes the BBC's Billion Dollar Hippie program a must-watch.

TED X Observer: Plan B

Now this may not be one of the most slick or smoothest TED talks I've watched, but it is by far one of the most relevant, compelling and important ones I've watched.



Plan B, aka Ben Drew, is a phenomenal talent, I've thought that since his debut album, Who Needs Actions When You've Got Words. That was an album that, like many hip-hop albums, I could not necessarily relate to, but it was one that I could understand and appreciate. The content of his songs, the aggression in his convinction and language he used, although all intelligent and true, was never going to make it mainstream. Plan B knew this. So he made an album that would, in the form of a concept album Strickland Banks. And it did. Not only did it reach number 1, he recieved an Ivor Novello award for it. Plan B's talents lie not only within acting but also movies, directing and acting in Harry Brown and Adulthood, both to much critical and commercial acclaim.


But perhaps the most important thing about Plan B is his need and desire to do something good, to help those that he believes he can. He has used his talent and hardwork to put himself on a platform that enables him to do just this. From this TED talk you really get the impression that, not only does he want to do good, but he understands how to make a difference, perhaps the most important thing. He talks on the power and importance of hip-hop, something I've mentioned before, the need to listen and look after youth, not encourage the press to chastise them and also the importance of hope. He is relevant and intelligent, somethings that most politicians will never be. Kids will listen to him, he is putting his real power to real use. And as he says, it's not just him that is doing it, we all can. Brilliant stuff.

We Stopped Dreaming.

Maybe this video overplays the importance of going into space and exploring. Maybe not. Make tomorrow come. Rather than thinking short-term, about budgets and elections, we are urged to get excited and to dream. To create adventures and to create heroes. Something in our day and age that is often forgotten. Heroes rarely exist anymore. Those that do the really incredible are shunned to focus on the celebrities and their mundane lives. Those that adventure, do less so than ever before. Many are constantly connected online or to safety. The adventures of today and not as they were. Again, I raise the point, maybe the importance of NASA is overplayed, and the budget is complicated and dangerous, yet it gives us something to dream about. And that is something that shouldn't have a price on it.

You Have To Begin.

Connect Things.

Jay-Z: Life + Times

Greatness. It's in all walks of life.