The Thoughts Within
A look into the high stakes world of how Edward Snowden informed his messengers (Glen Greenwald & Laura Poitras) of the NSA’s surveillance programs. Part Journalism, Part Spy Thriller. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/magazine/laura-poitras-snowden.html?smid=pl-share
Nowadays Big Data seems to be the buzz word of the year! We hear how it’s going to change our lives and change the way marketers address consumers.
One of Big data’s most important applications for marketers is that it uses consumer data (buying habits, location, routine, routes etc) to better target and better inform (relevant) consumers about deals, sales, location based needs (umbrella’s for a sudden rain shower, water fountains on heat-wave days, mall maps downloaded to your phone etc.)
Privacy concerns will have to be addressed and marketers will have to learn the fine line between helpful and creepy (there will surely be some mis-steps).
Ogilvy (my old agency) gives you a peek into the near future (all the technology shown in the video is up and running) and how big data will manifest itself into users lives once companies have fully integrated it.
A bit heavy on the consumerism but that’s a bigger debate.
There are some good things about the collective hive-mind that is the internet meme and many a waste-of-time. Richard Dawkins & hallucinatory visuals better become one.
Richard Dawkins on Gen Connected
Does anyone know of a study/poll that breaks down climate believers and deniers by age group? I have a creeping suspicion that the deniers will tend to be in the higher age groups and most of the variables/reasoning that leads to the skewed data will not be based on scientific information but on the premise that to accept climate change would mean a tacit acceptance that their generation is somewhat responsible for the climate’s current state of affairs.
Sadly their denial is leading to inaction which in turn is compounding the problem. There’s no gain in blaming and no one knows that more than the one’s who will be left with a broken planet. Insecurity=Inaction. I think a study could help resolve the differences and lead to united action on the environmental front.
We must not let those who covet the coin destroy the tree to gain it.
Being an Adman myself, I can understand Banksy’s ire at the profession.
It can at times be a hollow one filled with it’s fair share of insecure individuals who are over-compensating for that insecurity with imaginary renditions of beauty, society, family anything we aspire towards. Working in advertising you’re always told the one secret to success is flexible morals. Seems like a sad way to make a living!
Advertising makes creatives a tad bitter too, cause it’s perhaps one of the few creative arts where the creator is not free to do as he/she pleases. Rather they must take instructions and perform to someone else’s subjective preferences i.e. The Client.
Artists, Musicians, Film Makers have the majority of creative control and final say on their work. In advertising that final control lies with the client and as you can imagine it breeds frustration and resentment.
In advertising’s defense though, I think banksy is giving it too much credit for influencing the public at large’s perceptions. IMHO there is a backlash to advertising and it’s messages. We have or are soon reaching a point where advertising messages are droned out and no longer the influencers they once were. Societal norms are changing and admen are no longer defining them but chasing them.
The credibility of advertisers has taken quite a beating in this media messaged generation, nothing a brand puts out is taken as gospel. In fact it is put to intense scrutiny and suspicion cause consumers are savvy enough to realize that a brand’s not paying for (media) messages that do not serve it’s purpose. Dove never ran a negative testimonial, Car companies never publicize their failures, FMCG companies don’t talk about the health hazards.
But now they all are – Coke has an ad that speaks about it’s initiative to control diabetes in America, McDonalds wants to answer questions about its food, Dove wants women to be themselves, the list is long and Hooray for that!
Quite the story! A desire to surround oneself with luxuries and vacation homes has made many a man slip. Moral – Nature will always help man find comfort away from the corrupting influence of money and it costs nothing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/rajat-guptas-lust-for-zeros.html?pagewanted=1&hp
Israeli’s use the Dead Sea Scrolls as the legitimacy for their return & occupation of Israel yet “Many believe that Palestinians returning to the original villages from which they fled, or were forced to leave, is synonymous with the end of the Jewish character of Israel.”
This hypocrisy is hurting Israel more than anyone else. Israeli politician need to make the hard choices that are required, simply beefing up your military and pandering to your voters even when you know they are wrong is not what makes leaders or great nations.
Slowly but steadily; What goes around comes around. Neon – The flag bearer of the 80’s is here once again.
Since fashion and trends do in some manner signify the general mood of the times. Is there something that drives a style to make a come back at this moment in time? If the popularity of colors can be interpreted as a reflection of the prevalent mood and times let’s hope Neon colors signify a more optimistic outlook for the future indicative of a recovering economy and a blindingly-brilliant-bright light at the end of the tunnel.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/04/29/fashion/streetstyleneon.html
Our first taste of bureaucracy and our most important piece of identification gets a much needed 21st Century make-over.
Daniel Craig has done a great job with becoming the new 21st Century Bond. It seems common sensical now to think that the Bond of yore would never have survived in the post-bourne era.
Bond had to become tougher and more action-packed, less focus on the suave and more on the martial arts and brawny parts in the movies.
The franchise recognized the need to update Bond. While Pierce Brosnan did justice to the suave facet of Bond he could never have convincingly been a lethal bond. In that role Daniel Craig has done a great job.