If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

Great behind-the-scenes movie photos  and great movie gifs (thanks, G).

Kurt Cobain met William S. Burroughs (thanks, L).

How to write a Star Trek script (thanks, G).

Beardvertising (thanks, J).

Typography addiction (Thanks, A).

The known universe (thanks, G):

Stupendous new Lonely Island song:

Funny yearbook photos (thanks, G).

Fat guy ate good (thanks, J):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJsKIExcgiY&feature=player_embedded

Principal Skinner’s ‘Nam flashbacks (thanks, G):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx2f_uRRFuE

Ahhhhh, remember 1986 (thanks, J):

Another fine Adam Buxton video (thanks, V):

Amusing recipe reviews (thanks, J).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=m1yir-p68xM

Where will it end?

Funking ice holes?

Mike Hunt?

Eh? Nah le violation.

Back in 2008 I met a bloke called Dave Trott.

He’s an an advertising legend who writes blogs in short sentences.

Like this one.

Over the next few years he gave me the best advice I’ve ever had.

He literally changed my life.

So I think he’s worth listening to.

A few years ago he brought out a book that collected all his blog advice together.

And now he’s written a new one.

You can buy it here.

And while you wait for it to arrive you can watch this interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUXijPBEh9Q&feature=youtu.be

‘If you spend your time trying not to get fired you’ll slow down to the speed where you won’t get fired.’

You can’t argue with that.

Thanks, Dave.

http://youtu.be/LKOColHQmKw

(Thanks, S.)

This one (regular readers will know I can’t post images, so here’s a film that circumvents that disability):

It led me to this site, which I spent about a minute looking through.

Why did I click on it? After all, it’s the only banner ad I have deliberately engaged with – EVER (those Mac cleaning things that get between me and my dodgy Arsenal feeds really don’t count).

Well, I do think my wallet is a bit capacious and wondered if this might actually show me a solution.

I also like the design and the name. It feels all warm and handmade.

I dunno if that helps you banner designers, but with click through rates at around 1/1000th of a percent I guess you need all the positive feedback you can get.

Hi Ben,

Anyway we hope you like them and it would be amazing if you could make our Friday with a post on your lovely blog. Or even better still if your ever in the area pop by and we’ll give you a free tee

*sigh*

My old art director Daryl has showed me up again.

He’s had a rather smart idea for Qantas: they’ve sent their frequent fliers a set of books of different lengths that will last for the exact flight time of their most popular routes. They’re all by excellent Aussie authors and the covers have been designed by Paul Belford.

It’s a business solution rather than an advertising one, and it’s a lovely bit of analogue in an increasingly digital age.

I doff my hat to it.

Check out the explanatory vid thing.

Famous authors’ outlines of classics (thanks, T).

London in colour  circa 1927 (thanks, G):

http://vimeo.com/7638752

Point Break as directed by Wes Anderson, David Lynch and two guys I’ve never heard of (thanks, T):

Excellent movie trivia (thanks, G).

Commentator sings Eye Of The Tiger with Paul Scholes lyrics when he scores (thanks, G):

Bet you can’t do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6rX1AEi57c

Insert me anywhere (not rude; funny. Thanks, J).

David Lee Roth is quite 80s (thanks, G):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cedqZ7_o1kk

People running for trains in slow motion (thanks, J):

Billy On The Street – Quickfire Round (thanks, G):

Ryan Gosling won’t eat his cereal:

Celebrity face mash-ups (thanks, G).

Michael Jackson rehearsing (thanks, G):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jcOdfMlgi4

When I buy a Mars Bar (admittedly not that often these days) the newsagent doesn’t pester me with weekly phone calls about the other chocolate bars I might be interested in. And when I get off a bus I’m not concerned that the rest of my life will be littered with visits from the driver, asking if I’d like another journey at some point.

But when I buy absolutely anything on the internet I then receive regular emails telling me about new offers and other products from the place I shopped at.

And that would be fine if I had deliberately ticked an opt-in box, expressing my further interest in what these sites have to offer, but that never happens. I know if never happens because I’m always surprised to receive yet another email pointing out that it’s Valentine’s Day, the perfect occasion to buy some Lego.

This morning I voted for a friend’s card design on some site. Of course they asked for my email address and IMMEDIATELY sent me some spam which began with ‘thank you for signing up to our newsletter’. But I didn’t, and now I just feel negatively about the company in question.

Of course it’s an effective marketing tool that probably brings in more money than pissed off customers, but would it be so awful to have the chance to opt in instead of having my email address used as permission for constant bother?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9AzodsVF-M

I literally have no idea what that means, but it’s great that some cider-guzzling tramp had a good go at explaining it to me.

If ‘now’ is a good time, what about that good time I had several years ago after one too many margaritas when I jumped into a bin in St John’s Wood High Street with my pants on my head? Why is now a better time than that?

Answers on a postcard.

UPDATE: Apparently last September was also a good time…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Udg8doqOes