i might be wrong.

Legs McNeil: “Just as we were talking to Lou Reed, the Ramones...

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:37:59 -0400

Legs McNeil: “Just as we were talking to Lou Reed, the Ramones hit the stage and it was an amazing sight. Four really pissed off guys in black leather jackets. It was like the Gestapo had just walked into the room. Then they counted off a song – ‘ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!’ – and we were hit with this blast of noise. You physically recoiled from the shock of it, like this huge wind, and before I could even get into it, they stopped. Apparently they were all playing a different song. The Ramones had a mini-fight onstage. They were just so thoroughly disgusted with each other that they threw down their guitars and stomped off the stage. It was amazing. It was like actually seeing something come together. Lou Reed was sitting at the table laughing.”

via

aconversationoncool: Every man’s life ends the same way. It’s...

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:16:18 -0400

aconversationoncool:

Every man’s life ends the same way. It’s only the details of how he lived that distinguish one man from another. ~Ernest Hemingway

we came in peace for all mankind

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:14:19 -0400

we came in peace for all mankind

LCD Soundsystem- Thrills

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:08:18 -0400

LCD Soundsystem- Thrills

No matter your political views, this is cool.

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:31:00 -0400

No matter your political views, this is cool.

it’s a one-track town, just brown, and a breeze, too

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:34:11 -0400

it’s a one-track town, just brown, and a breeze, too

madmenfootnotes: Here’s an excerpt from the book which comes...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:15:37 -0400

madmenfootnotes:

Here’s an excerpt from the book which comes out tomorrow! It yearns it be in your elegant hands. This entry was written by Tim Siedell, is a whip-smart ad man you may know as Bad Banana on twitter.

At the end of season three Peggy is assigned a Western Union account. Tim offers our Pegs some guidance.

* * *

Great ads are simple.

The talented people who work in advertising agencies know this. But, god help them, they often can’t help themselves. A talented wordsmith may want to squeeze in just one more clever line. The art director may want to add just one more stylistic flourish. And that’s just in the creative department. The account executive might want to hedge his bets and work in some more sales copy about a second or third product line in order to please his client. And all bets are off if the client gets down in the trenches. Or (shudder) the client’s spouse.

And that’s why there are so few great ads.

This one is. Throw out the fact it’s selling telegrams. Ignore the dates headline typeface. Don’t worry, modern reader, about the lack of a website address for more information. This would be a great ad in 1983, 2003, or today.

The crafters of this ad understood human nature. Tell us to ignore something, and we won’t be able to. Snap. Which is the entire idea of the ad. Not just the idea of a clever copywriter/art director team, mind you. Those are a dime a dozen. No, it’s the very essence of a Western Union telegram. It’s not just a powerful idea, it’s a relevant idea. And those kinds of ideas are worth their weight in gold.

Now notice the craft of the art director. The layout forces you to quickly glance at the yellow telegram, but the bold typeface and dramatic white space pulls your eye upward to the headline. You’ve already noticed that there is small type in the telegram and, good grief, there’s no way you’re not going to read that copy.

Now notice the craft of the copywriter. The copy gets right to the point. Because, again, that’s the idea of a telegram. This is no time for fluffy copy or clever wordplay. And while the writer no doubt could craft a double-entendre that would make your head spin and smile in admiration, he or she should be commended for showing masterful restraint here.

Now notice the craft of the creative director. A powerful creative hand helped guide this ad through final approval, no doubt. See how there are no superfluous elements? No background texture. No colors to distract from the yellow telegram. The copy is contained in the telegram. There’s not even a need for a logo, as the client’s name is proudly displayed on the telegram itself. There’s not a single detail here that’s not needed (or organically part of a Western Union telegram). Everything has been stripped away so the focus is on the idea itself.

A single, powerful, relevant idea simply executed. It sounds easy. It’s not. Whether you worked in advertising in 1963 or today.

Eton Wall

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:48:48 -0400

Eton Wall

Atlas Sound- Quick Canal (w/ Laetitia Sadier)

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:38:01 -0400

Atlas Sound- Quick Canal (w/ Laetitia Sadier)

Am I famous yet?

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:13:12 -0400

Am I famous yet?

After all the weekend’s flag waving, we won’t blame...

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:53:00 -0400

After all the weekend’s flag waving, we won’t blame you for still seeing stars and stripes. But a new brand out of the nation’s capital has other patterns in mind.

Derringer Friday for Valet. Hope you like my new piece.

new stuff’s up.

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:33:48 -0400

new stuff’s up.

ohhoolie: Caine, shot by David Bailey, 1965.

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:30:42 -0400

ohhoolie:

Caine, shot by David Bailey, 1965.

Forest Fire- Fortune Teller

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:23:57 -0400

Forest Fire- Fortune Teller

Crystal Stilts- Love is a Wave

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:41:37 -0400

Crystal Stilts- Love is a Wave

slantback: iamdanw: Urban density and transport-related energy...

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:33:26 -0400

slantback:

iamdanw:

Urban density and transport-related energy consumption

Andrew Bird- Tenuousness (Live from the Basement)

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:30:33 -0400

Andrew Bird- Tenuousness (Live from the Basement)

andrewromano: ‘Winward Prescott’ bookplate from the Pratt Ex...

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:31:26 -0400

andrewromano:

‘Winward Prescott’ bookplate from the Pratt Ex Libris Collection.

Via HH.

"1) Everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal. 2) Anything that gets..."

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:26:09 -0400

“1) Everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal.

2) Anything that gets invented between then and before you turn thirty is incredibly exciting and creative and with any luck you can make a career out of it

3) Anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it until it’s been around for about ten years when it gradually turns out to be alright really.”

- Douglas Adams (via savingpaper)

Photo

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:12:35 -0400