Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Dealing with a PR Disaster
Negative PR is never good, but it can be especially devastating during your launch. If a disgruntled customer or business rival starts spreading harmful rumors about your business, "don't just react in a knee-jerk," says Samantha DiGennaro, founder of DiGennaro Communications LLC, a PR and strategic communications agency. "Take a deep breath, take it all in, then come up with an informed plan of action."
Find out exactly what's being said and through what medium: e-mail, blogs and so on. Though it may be tempting to go "tit for tat" on a blog anonymously, it could backfire and cause even worse publicity.
Take a few days to formulate a response and, if possible, respond through the same medium. Being communicative sends the message that you have nothing to hide. Prepare three to five key messages, talk to influencers in your industry and enlist their help in spreading your positive company vibes, says DiGennaro. "It's a really good way to reverse negative impressions."
If you've received negative customer feedback, find out if there's some truth to it and how you can rectify the situation. "Is there something at the core you need to change?" asks Ryan Prucker, image specialist and president of advertising firm Imagelight Advertising & Production. "Balance listening and acting and staying firm on your own core values and beliefs."
The key to surviving negative press? Finalize your branding messages before you start your business. "Unless you know what you stand for and really have it mapped out," says Prucker, "it's easy for others to knock you off the block."
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AT&T, Facebook Team for Black History Month
AT&T has partnered with Facebook to launch an online Black History Month effort.
The two companies collaborated to craft a microsite on Facebook called Twenty-Eight Days, which is designed to inspire African Americans. The venue encourages users to share inspirational quotes, whether taken from historical figures or their own thoughts and ideas.
The premise of Twenty-Eight Days, according to AT&T, is to shift thinking around Black History Month away from serving as a time to reflect on history and toward becoming a time to look ahead.
"Black History Month is traditionally a time for looking back," reads the site. "But what if we used every single day of this month to shape tomorrow? Don't let a day go by without finding and sharing inspiration, empowerment and motivation."
The AT&T/Facebook collaboration was conceived and produced by the Austin, Texas-based Sanders Wingo, AT&T's African American agency of record.
Besides housing inspirational quotes, the microsite features Twenty-Eight Days-themed wallpapers and photo albums, along with lists of community events like career fairs.
-By Mike Shields, Mediaweek
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VH1's Anti-Valentine's Day post: Top 10 Break-up songs
Can we just be friends? After all the late-night phone calls, the love notes, the long talks, the weeks spent making promises, that's all you get. Thanks a lot!
There's no gentle way around it — breakups blow. When your heart (and ego) has been ripped to shreds, these artists offer some solace. Walk away from the Ben & Jerry's and rock out to our "screw you" breakup ballads.
Gwen Stefani and crew visit the "woulda-shoulda-coulda" mentality that often rears its ugly head when a relationship kicks the bucket.
J.Lo shows her ex the door in this 2002 anthem. Nexxxxxt!
We couldn't have said it better than the title, which is why we heart the Ting Tings.
Kanye asks the same question on all our minds: "How could you be so heartless?"
Channel all your anger through this 2007 breakup ballad. Just don't follow Carrie's lead by keying your ex's car or slashing his or her tires. Restraining orders aren't "sexy."
Think of Pink as a burly high school football coach. In this song, she lyrically smacks your ass and tells you to get back in the game.
Long rumored to be about his famous ex Britney Spears, Justin doesn't mince words: He's pissed and he wants revenge. And after her last few turbulent years, something tells us Brit did a lot of crying.
Gather your strength and move on with the help of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. You will get through this.
Have they already forgotten about you and moved on? Alanis leaves a nasty reminder note in this ultimate breakup song.
This "American Idol" alum tells her ex to suck it! If this 2004 single doesn't bring a smile to your face, nothing will.
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Johnny Depp will narrate the 'Doors' documentary
'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor Johnny Depp will turn narrator for a new documentary on the iconic rock and roll band 'The Doors'.
Johnny Depp will be narrating 'When You're Strange' a documentary about the 60's band which had rock legend Jim Morrison as it's lead singer.
The film which got good reviews at the Sundance film festival will now get another boost with Depp's participation. An announcement about the decision to add Depp's voice to the project is expected to be made at the Berlin Film Festival, the Los Angeles Times reported.
All the footage in the film was shot between 1966 and 1970, as far back when band members Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek were still in film school, and includes concert and in-studio footage.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Newspapers trusted less than banks, says MST study
The self-regulation of newspapers in the UK is insufficiently effective, largely unaccountable and failing to reflect the radically changed media environment, according to a major review published today.
The study by the Media Standards Trust finds that an inadequate Press Complaints Commission has contributed to less public trust in journalism and now poses serious threats to press standards and press freedom.
Research commissioned by the MST for the report, conducted by YouGov, found that only 7% of the public say they trust national newspapers to behave responsibly - a lower trust score than banks.
Furthermore, 75% of people think that ‘newspapers frequently publish stories they know are inaccurate' and 70% believe there are ‘far too many instances of people's privacy being invaded by newspaper journalists'.
Working in consultation with a group of 12 leading figures in journalism - including Simon Kelner, managing director of The Independent and David Seymour, former readers' editor at The Daily Mirror - the MST report also found there is growing concern about press intrusion into people's private lives, which some in the industry believe has "significantly increased" in the past two years.
According to the report, six in ten people now think the government should do more to prevent national newspaper journalists from intruding on people's private lives, while almost three quarters of the public (73%) would like the government to do more to ensure that newspapers correct inaccurate stories.
Martin Moore, director of the Media Standards Trust, said: "Without urgent reform we believe that self-regulation of the press will become increasingly ineffective at both protecting the public and promoting good journalism and, without prompt action, there is a real danger that it will become increasingly irrelevant."
Called A More Accountable Press, the review has been prompted by the economic pressures now apparent throughout the industry, where print circulations and advertising spend are both on the decline.
Other key drivers behind the report were said to be "the radically changed technological environment" and the criticism of press self-regulation made by the House of Lords Select Committee in its study The Ownership of the News.
The MST is set to carry out an "extensive consultation" over the course of the year before publishing its recommendations at the end of 2009.
by Arif Durrani
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Denny's Launches Digital OOH Network
The net initially rolls out in 300 locations, but will eventually be carried in all of the chain's 1,500 restaurants.
To support marketing initiatives such as its Rockstar Menu, Denny's is rolling out a digital out-of-home network across its restaurant locations through a five-year agreement with IndoorDirect.
Initially, the network will debut in 300 Denny's diners in the nation's top markets, though the chain plans to roll out the offering to all 1,500 restaurants.
Denny's LCD screens carry IndoorDirect's theBite Network, a 60-minute lifestyle program reporting on news, entertainment, music and sports. About one-third of the 60 minutes is devoted to advertising.
The two companies will also collaborate on content showcasing Denny's Rockstar Menu, which includes dishes created by music industry talent. Offerings include Katy Perry's "Hot 'n Cold" drink or Hoobastank's "Hooburrito."
Denny's investment in the network follows a year of testing at a number of its locations.
"TheBite Network in our restaurants is great entertainment that represents an additional value to our customers, whether they are families enjoying a meal together or those who are eating after a night on the town," said Mark Chmiel, chief marketing officer at Denny's.
Adding Denny's to its network of quick-service and casual restaurants will give IndoorDirect a strong national footprint across 1,000 locations in the top markets, by the end of May. According to Michael Winton, president and co-founder of IndoorDirect, the aggregated network will reach an average of 10 million people per month.
In addition to Denny's, the firm operates networks for Arby's, Captain D's, CiCi's Pizza, Del Taco, Hardee's and Taco Bueno.
"The QSR industry is finding that the network helps improve sales and make some money off advertising," Winton said.
-By Katy Bachman, Mediaweek
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Green Day reveal new album artwork
Green Day have revealed the cover art for the new album today (February 10), just a day after they named the record.
The stencilled artwork, pictured, was apparently inspired by artist Sixten, with art direction credited to Chris Bilheimer.
As previously reported, Green Day's new album will be called '21st Century Breakdown', and will be released in May. It's the follow-up to 2004's 'American Idiot'.
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Monday, February 09, 2009
For guys who are too lazy to have sex, there's the 'Coucha Sutra'
DirecTV had a serious brand problem. How to make the satellite TV service fit in naturally inside the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Saddled with this seeming impossibility, Deutsch L.A. trotted out the "Coucha Sutra."
Consider it modern man's Kama Sutra, says the agency. "The ancient Indian spiritual text, composed in the 2nd Century AD and famous for its detailed illustrations of human sexual behavior, has been revolutionized by DirecTV to depict the multitude of 'positions' assumed in the most sensual and spiritual of places in our time … the couch." Included among the not-so-racy illustrations are "the Bogart" (women's feet on top of lap), "the bat cave" (man and woman hanging upside down) and the third wheel (woman draped on man, who shoots daggers at a friend who has overstayed his welcome).
The ad is either destined for dorm rooms everywhere or the trash.
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Mysinglefriend.com bids for Valentine's Day buzz
Online dating site Mysinglefriend.com is running a viral campaign, which shows a hostage teddy bear gagged and tied to a chair, in a bid to reclaim Valentine's Day for singles.
The campaign revolves around standalone website The Bear Gets It, which was promoted using postcards sent anonymously to journalists around the UK.
The mailing shows a picture of the hostage bear and in a ransom-note style typeset, the words: "Give Valentine's Day back to single people or the bear gets it", which included a link to the website.
Visitors to the website are met with more images of the hostage teddy bear and a countdown for the official launch date, February 10.
The website will act as an online community for frustrated singles who are tired of being left out on Valentine's Day, while promoting Mysinglefriend.com.
The site has been generating buzz across the internet on websites such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as in weekly magazines and weekend newspapers.
Nick Lisher, strategy director at Mysinglefriend.com, said: "We work in an industry that so readily preys on the "incomplete" life of the single person, and it is our continuing goal to challenge that by championing the single, while presenting a refreshing alternative to online dating.
"It was our objective to come up with a campaign that was fun, without being glib -- user-led, without being staged -- and a little dangerous, without offending.
"With this in mind, we asked our members how they felt about February 14th. With so many of them expressing their distaste for both the sickly sweet veneer and the commercial nature of Valentine's Day, it became clear to us that Thebeargetsit.com's message was long overdue."
Good and evil drawn equally to the Kia Soul
Publicis Toronto and director Mark Gilbert of Untitled Films invite consumers to "Peer into a Soul" in some self-consciously quirky new spots for the Kia Soul compact SUV. Before rolling out the full ads, the agency aired these short teasers first, and I can see why they drove traffic to the automaker's Web site. The clips are tense, mysterious and heart pounding—they play out like snippets from a Joss Whedon series or hot new genre film. Alas, the full-length commercials are basically one-joke affairs. See all three of them here. In each one, the characters find the Soul so distracting, they drop whatever they happen to be doing at the time, no matter how urgent (like saving a friend who's fallen down a well) or nefarious (transporting a victim to a mob hit or stalking some babes at an isolated cabin). I've got two other complaints. First, it's an ugly car—it's not gonna turn that many heads. Also: Why would I buy an SUV that's a magnet for homicidal maniacs?
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Cate Blanchett to play Maid Marian
Cate Blanchett looks more and more of a certainty for the role of Maid Marian in Sir Ridley Scott's forthcoming film Nottingham after Sienna Miller was apparently deemed too slim and youthful for the part. "I think Cate Blanchett is set to take the Maid Marian part," says Mark Strong, who has already been signed up to play Sir Guy of Gisbourne, at the London Film Critics' Circle Awards, at the Grosvenor House hotel, in Park Lane. "She is a wonderful actress and it would make it a much classier film if she was in it."
More enemies for Sir David Hare
After angering the comrades with Gethsemane – which was deemed to be a full-scale assault on the Labour Government – and sections of the Jewish community for creating a character in the play which was considered to be a crude anti-Semitic caricature, Sir David Hare now seems to be intent on evoking the ire of his neighbours in the rarefied part of Hampstead where he resides. The playwright says he is finding it "delicious" watching the American bankers who live close to him "go broke".
Margaret Beckett's caravan stays in her garage
Since it began to snow, Mandrake has had a nagging fear that Margaret Beckett might not be able to get her 23 ft caravan out. "It's in the garage at our home in Derbyshire," the housing minister's husband, Leo, was quick to assure me at Macmillan Cancer Support's Parliamentary Palace of Varieties, at the InterContinental hotel in Mayfair. Margaret, for her part, says only a foolhardy caravanner would even try to get his pride and joy out at the moment. "Our next big expedition will be to France in the summer," she added. Incidentally, Mrs Beckett looked her usual glamorous self – and not at all "in need of renovation", as Alan Duncan, the shadow leader of the House, nastily suggested as he helped compere the evening.
Perk up with these coffee buys
Spending a lot to get a great cup of coffee isn’t necessary, despite what some coffee snobs may say, according to the editors of Consumer Reports. In fact, several of CR’s top coffees could save java drinkers $25 to $75 each year over pricier brands, even for those who drink just one 6-ounce cup a day.
Eight O’Clock Coffee 100 percent Colombian at $6.28 per pound ranked No. 1 in CR’s tests of 19 ground coffees, besting Folgers, Maxwell House and Starbucks — America’s bestselling ground coffees.
A CR Best Buy, Eight O’Clock costs less than half the price of Gloria Jean’s, Peet’s and other more expensive brands. CR’s coffee experts deemed it a complex blend of earthy and fruity, with a bright, pleasing sourness — a good thing in coffee parlance.
Starbucks Coffee Colombia Medium, $11.53 per pound, didn’t even place among the top regular coffees and trailed among decafs. While the Regular rated Good, testers noted it had flaws such as burnt and bitter flavors, though milk and sugar may help.
Following Eight O’Clock and also ranking Very Good were two Midwest brews: Caribou Coffee Colombia Timana, at $11.76 per pound, and Kickapoo Coffee Organic Colombia, at $14.33 per pound. Both had fruity aromas and beat an array of larger players among regular coffees. But both come at a hefty price.
Other trendy brands fared less well. Bucks County Coffee Co. Colombia, from Langhorne, Pa., tasted only OK, and Peet’s Coffee Colombia from Berkeley, Calif., was burnt and bitter, despite costing $14 per pound.
Among decafs, Dunkin’ Donuts Dunkin’ Decaf, $10.25 per pound, Millstone Decaf 100 percent Colombian Medium Roast, $11.59 per pound, and Folgers Gourmet Selections Lively Colombian Decaf Medium Roast were the front-runners. But even the best decaffeinated coffees couldn’t match the best regular brews in CR’s taste tests.
None of the decaffeinated coffees had more than 5 milligrams of caffeine per 6-ounce serving. But among regular coffees, Caribou and Bucks County had roughly four times the caffeine (195 milligrams) of some of the lowest-level brews. Medical experts say up to 600 milligrams per day is probably safe for most and can help keep someone alert. But heart patients and women who are pregnant or nursing should stay below 200 milligrams, which might mean sidestepping those brands among the caffeinated coffees CR tested.
CR’s testers focused on 100 percent Colombian — a bestselling bean — for regular coffee. Most of the six decaffeinated coffees tested are a blend of different beans. Testers consider a great cup of Colombian to have lots of aroma and flavor, some floral notes and fruitiness, a touch of bitterness and enough body to provide a feeling of fullness in the mouth. Woody, papery or burnt tastes are off-notes.
Weeks of sipping and swirling confirmed that even 100 percent Colombian coffee and its Juan Valdez logo don’t guarantee quality. CR’s testers unearthed other surprises: Chock Full O’Nuts and Maxwell House have pushed coffee that’s “heavenly” and “good to the last drop” since 1932 and 1907, respectively. But off-notes, little complexity and variable quality put both behind Eight O’Clock.
How to choose
- Consider how you take it. Coffees judged Very Good taste fine black. Milk and sugar can improve a mediocre coffee, but not even cream is likely to help the lowest-scoring coffees.
- Choose a good coffeemaker. The best rated by CR reached the 195 F to 205 F required to get the best from the beans and avoid a weak or bitter brew. A top Michael Graves model costs just $40.
- Consider grinding for fresher flavor. Even the best pre-ground coffee just can’t beat the best fresh ground when it comes to taste. One top grinder from CR’s report, the Mr. Coffee IDS77, costs only $20.
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Outdoor Ads: How to Keep Out of Trouble
Not too long ago, outdoor advertising was thought of as a static medium defined by billboards and lifeless signage on highways, buses, phone booths and the sides of buildings. While the interactive nature of other facets of advertising dramatically increased, outdoor was not believed to be a tool for actively engaging the target and, short of incorporating some kind of lascivious or shocking content, creating memorability.
In a relatively short time, however, outdoor has caught up. Today's marketers can zap coupons, promotions and all kinds of content to a passer-by's mobile phone using Bluetooth technology. Ads can respond to the movements and gyrations of the pedestrian, causing them to not only notice an ad, but also to spend time in front on it. Holographic and augmented-reality technology, like those recently introduced in street-level, storefront displays are sure to capture attention.
As with any other segment of advertising, some of the strides made within the outdoor niche have been met with controversy and opposition. The new technologies and tools available to marketers seeking compelling and noticeable outdoor campaigns have also created challenges and landmines that need to be heeded so as to avoid unwanted attention from angry residents or politicians looking to make a name for themselves on the local news.
There are some fairly easy ways to avoid trouble:
Consider the neighborhood: Is it residential or commercial? Determine whether the neighborhood is more likely to be quiet during the day and vibrant at night or the other way around. Think about noise sensitivities if your display uses sound. Adjust the "live" hours of your display to ensure that it is not disruptive, but still active during peak traffic hours.
Mesh with the neighborhood: You should also take into account whether the cosmetic nature of the display not only meshes with the look and feel of the neighborhood, but also contributes to its aesthetic quality. If you're not familiar with the neighborhoods, a good idea would be to speak with someone at an outdoor ad firm who is an expert in the area so you can determine ahead of time whether your display is likely to cause any problems.
Use technology properly: In terms of technology use, recognize that as useful as something like Bluetooth can be for instantly connecting with a passer-by, it also could be annoying if used improperly. The teenager returning from high school might love to receive, via Bluetooth, an offer to trial the latest kung fu video game. But will the middle-aged stockbroker? Again, consider the general populace of the target neighborhood when deploying a Bluetooth enabled feature.
Avoid repetition: Finally, ensure that you are not pinging the same person repeatedly since many people often walk the same route each day and, if they are not interested in your promotion, they will not want it offered to them time after time.
Keep things cool: A general note on deploying any interactive technology: ensure your feature, cool as it may be, will not cause any kind of "freak out." Avoid anything that has the potential to startle an adult, scare a child or even enrage a dog, such as loud sudden noises or unexpected movement. This is especially important for displays that are active at night and in urban areas where most people are even more sensitive to surprises.
The opportunities in outdoor continue to evolve, becoming more dynamic and exciting. But like anything else, they must be pursued carefully and with respect for the surrounding environment to take full advantage of the opportunity and avoid any adverse outcomes. And when pursued in this manner, the potential with outdoor to engage the consumer in meaningful, active and creative ways has never been greater.
-By Steve Birnhak
Steve Birnhak is founder and CEO of Inwindow Outdoor
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Eva Green: 'I'll Never Google Myself Again'
Eva Green has vowed never to Google herself again - after she was directed to an online discussion about her nipples.
The French actress - who played Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale - admits her ego drove her to type her name into the popular internet search engine, but she was horrified at the results.
"It was when The Dreamers [2003 film] came out and I Googled myself. My ego drove me to it. It was an insane thing to do. Then I saw that weird discussion and decided never to do it again," Green, 28, tells Britain's GQ magazine.
"People can get very mean. They get angry even if it's just a dress you wore that they didn't like.
"It's actually quite masochistic to google yourself because you know that not everyone is going to like you. Or your nipples."
Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel: an underdog no more
Slumdog Millionaire - the feelgood film hit of the year or 'poverty porn'? Celebration or exploitation? Not gritty enough or too gritty? No matter the controversies surrounding Danny Boyle's award-winning film, there's one thing everybody agrees on: for its 18-year-old star, Dev Patel, Bafta nomination is just the beginning.
With his nomination for best actor in the Baftas, Dev Patel is going head-to-head with Brad Pitt. Such is his rapid rise he is staying in a suite at Mumbai's J W Marriott, the five-star hotel favoured by Bollywood stars, with its spas and infinity pools looking out over the Arabian Sea.
Given that he has never had any formal training as an actor, his performance in Slumdog Millionaire, the film that propelled him into award contention among Hollywood superstars, seems precociously assured and nuanced. There is a real stillness and depth, which may be why acting legends such as Clint Eastwood and Sir Ben Kingsley have been queuing up to praise him and shake his hand. Critics and awards judges, meanwhile, have been running out of superlatives. One consensus seems to be that he is 'a natural'.
Modestly, he attributes his being cast to pure luck.
Controversy and acclaim, acclaim and controversy: one or the other can make for a decent showing at the box office. But add them together and you have something combustible, something rare, a cultural phenomenon. Such is Slumdog Millionaire, a film about a boy from the slums of Mumbai who is one question away from winning the Hindi version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? When arrested on suspicion of cheating, he tells the police chief the tragicomic story of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost. By turns savage and sentimental, his flashbacks explain how he knew the answers.
The momentum for this film began a few weeks ago when it won four Golden Globes. Then came 11 Bafta nominations, with the winners to be announced tonight. Slumdog, as it is now customarily shortened, looks set to sweep all before it at the Oscars later this month, with 10 nominations.
Yet barely a day goes by without the film finding itself mired in a new controversy. Reports that the eight-year-old actors in the film were exploited, or rather, paid a pittance before being returned to the slums, made the front pages – the criticism seemingly tapping into perceptions of Western paternalism and guilt. The following day, there were riots, with hundreds of protesters in Bihar state's capital, Patna, clashing with police, tearing down posters and ransacking a cinema after objecting to the 'humiliating' word 'dog' in the title.
And while for some Indians, the affluent ones, at least, Slumdog is too gritty – a negative film that dwells on the poverty of modern India and ignores the prosperity – for others it is not gritty enough, glossing over the grim realities of slum life to make audiences feel better about themselves (they even have slum tours there now). Then there are those who resent the film for trading in clichés and national stereotypes, for its unflattering portrayal of Indian life, rich and poor.
They argue that this is an India seen through Western eyes – after all, not only is the director British (Danny Boyle, best known for Trainspotting) but also the screenwriter (Simon Beaufoy, creator of The Full Monty) and Patel, the 18-year-old star of the film. He's from north-west London, where he still lives with his parents.
Whatever the validity of these accusations, this film is proof of one old saw: that there is no such thing as bad publicity. And its success has happened with remarkable speed, breaking records with the largest UK box office increase on the second weekend of release. Such is the pace of its world domination, indeed, when I ring Dev Patel in Mumbai the morning after the premiere there, he has not heard that Slumdog is number one at the British box office. 'No way, man!' he says. 'Wicked.'
The word 'man' punctuates many of his sentences, along with 'you know' and 'wicked'. He's young. Was 17 when filming began last year. At the time of casting, indeed, he was still a pupil at Whitmore High School, Harrow.
He also has the teenager's habit of raising his intonation at the end of a sentence, turning statements into questions. He is articulate, though, with a low and measured delivery and a dry sense of humour. His defining characteristic, he tells me, is that he can't sit still. And when at a club, he is the one standing at the back sipping his drink, not knowing quite what to do with himself. He also describes himself as bewildered and star-struck at the moment, which is fair enough.
He thought the premiere in Mumbai was 'wicked', by the way, partly because traditional Indian drummers turned up and began playing. The cast did an improvised bhangra dance down the red carpet. 'We really partied, man. There were big crowds. Lots of flashbulbs.' There were also about 25 protesters from the slums. I ask whether he picked up on any of the negative reaction. 'There was none that I could see. There is a lot of buzz about the film here because it's the first Western film to come out of Mumbai. Since it got the Golden Globes and the Bafta and Oscar nominations people feel really proud of it here. They want to see it. It's got them talking. It's not the kind of film cinema audiences here are used to. It's not Bollywood, apart from the dance sequence that comes with the closing credits.'
That choreographed dance scene was filmed on the platforms of Victoria Terminus, the Raj-era station that is a recurring location throughout the film. It is something of a parody of Bollywood, untypical of the European mood and style of the rest of the film. Bollywood movies are an acquired taste for Westerners, I suggest. What does he make of them?
'Actually, I love them. I've grown up around them. There was always one on at my grandmother's house. I loved the big fight sequences and dance sequences when I was a kid but then I grew out of it a bit in my early teens. Recently I've got back into them.' He's not sure if he would like to appear in one, however. 'Don't get me wrong though. I love this place. I would love to come back here and film something. I've fallen in love with Mumbai. It is magical.'
Patel thinks it unfair to criticise Slumdog for being unrealistic. 'It has never claimed to be a documentary. It is a movie. It is entertainment. I spent five months out here filming and really got a chance to see the slums close up and I think the film depicts them accurately enough. Mumbai really is a city of extreme contrasts. If you step out of a five-star hotel here you can be facing a slum. You sense this massive tide of humanity. The film has caught the energy and pace of Mumbai. As soon as I stepped off the plane I felt I was thrown into it. The intense wall of heat. The noise. The colours. The air smells different. Saffron and sewers. You do get used to it. And you do get numbed to the poverty.'
The film depicts slum dwellers as cheerful, but is this a cosy myth perpetuated by Western tourists?
'No, that really was my impression. The most striking thing is how happy people are in the slums. They don't seem depressed. They don't pity themselves. They are communities that flourish on their own. They elect their own head of the slum. Such a sense of community, all working together to make their slum a better slum.'
As a political campaign slogan 'make your slum a better slum' might need some work, but I take his point. Does he sense any resentment that he is a British actor taking this lead, rather than an Indian one? 'Before I came out here for this premiere that was my biggest worry, that people would think me an impostor. But everyone has been nice so far. People are looking past my background and focusing on the character I play.'
His mentor, he says, is Danny Boyle, the man who 'discovered' Ewan McGregor. What advice has the director given him? 'Keep things in perspective. If you are put on a pedestal you have further to fall off. I guess this film is selling itself. We don't need to push it too hard.'
Patel felt under considerable pressure to get the Mumbai accent right. Arriving weeks before his scenes were scheduled to shoot, he immersed himself in the atmosphere of the locations in order to absorb the mannerisms and tone.
When filming finished five months later he had what he calls a 'dead period'. 'I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. The tricky thing will be working out how to follow this film up. The next role has to be right. I don't think I should be playing 30-year-old married men yet. It's weird though. No one knew whether this film was going to be a hit or not. It was filmed on what by Hollywood standards was a modest budget.'
Five million dollars, in fact, which perhaps explains why there are no big Hollywood stars in the film, and why the child actors picked from the slums weren't paid much, by industry standards. When I ask to what he attributes the film's mass appeal there is a pause.
'It is the generic underdog story, I think. Jamal, my character, has come from nothing. And everyone loves an underdog. But it also has that rare combination of being able to make you laugh and cry and feel good and feel shocked at the same time. The most enticing thing is the location. Mumbai is like a character and audiences around the world can get a sense of it without spending money on a plane ticket.'
The slums are a character too. Some 800 million of India's population of 1.1 billion are thought to live in them, surviving on less than $2 a day. An estimated 60 per cent of Mumbai's population live in them, the largest being Dharavi. As you fly into Mumbai you get a sense of the scale of it, because it is alongside the airport – a sea of blue, plastic-roofed shanties where more than a million people are squeezed together, seemingly poised to wash over the airport in a giant, crashing wave of humanity. In one tableaux, the modern and the ancient India are merged.
At one point Patel's character, Jamal, runs away from the slums with his brother, after their Muslim community is attacked by a Hindu mob and their mother is killed. After this the orphans scavenge on a rubbish dump before being lured to a 'children's home' by a Fagin-like character who later tries to blind one of the boys with acid so he can earn more from his begging. Other scenes include a girl becoming a prostitute, a child crawling through an outside lavatory pit to get a glimpse of his Bollywood film hero, and a boy becoming a hired killer. Small wonder that on the blog of Amitabh Bachchan – the biggest star of Indian cinema and the star whose autograph the child crawls through the sewage for – the film was criticised for its focus on the country's seedy underworld.
Yet Slumdog has also been called the first film of the Obama era, because it is a feel-good movie with a fairytale ending. I wonder if there is an element, too, of it helping to heal the city of Mumbai after the recent terrorist attack. 'Possibly,' Patel says. 'Restoring the city's confidence, you mean. I was out here for five months and I couldn't believe it when I saw the Victoria station on the news being attacked by terrorists. The heart of it was destroyed. But I got a real sense working here that it is a place of optimism and that it will always bounce back. Things move at a million miles an hour.'
Before filming began Patel did not, he confesses, know much about India. He had first visited the country as a 10-year-old attending a wedding in Gujarat, and wasn't impressed. 'I was bitten by mosquitoes, got the runs, the toilets were holes in the ground. I hated it. But going out eight years later, I really appreciated it.'
I ask about the opening sequence in which his character is tortured by Mumbai police. How has that gone down? 'I don't know what the police made of it. I haven't seen much of that side of Mumbai, but I have read a book called Maximum City by Suketu Mehta and that goes into the interrogation techniques the police use. But this is a movie, people need to take those scenes with a pinch of salt, you know.'
The torture scenes were realistic, though. Was a stunt man used? 'No, that was me. There was a fine line between making it look realistic and it becoming an over-the-top Jim Carrey scene. But it just clicked. We did a pre-shoot in which we searched for locations and the torture scenes were actually my first unofficial day of filming. My introduction to film acting was being slapped and having my head pushed into a bucket of water to simulate drowning. Nice.'
Although Slumdog is his first feature film, Patel had appeared in front of a camera before, as a priapic teenager in Skins, the cult E4 series aimed at teenagers. 'I didn't really know what I was doing in that. I had to learn to pitch my performance to the camera rather than doing it for the benefit of my parents in the front room at home. I look at my performance in Skins now and I cringe.'
His character in Slumdog falls in love; has he ever been in love? 'No, man. I'm too young. I was 17 when I was playing that character and I was having to imagine what it was like to be in love. I guess I got to learn about it in a controlled environment.'
After their first love scene his beautiful co-star, Freida Pinto, told him she felt like a paedophile because of their age difference (she is 24). Does he have a girlfriend now? 'No, no time, man. No time to sleep or eat, let alone have a girlfriend.'
What about the groupie side of film stardom? 'It's crazy,
man, you do get some very clinging people, but usually they are well wishers.'
Diplomatically put. His maturity and confidence is striking. 'I think I have matured. I matured five years in five months during filming. And I think after Skins I was really eager to show I had a different side. The thought that Danny cast me out of all these people gave me confidence.'
Modestly, he attributes his being cast to pure luck. Danny Boyle's daughter happened to be a fan of Skins and suggested Patel. Until that point Boyle had been looking at Indian actors, who were proving too muscular, the wrong physical shape. Young Indian actors tend to work out a lot in the gym, it seems, as that is the look favoured in Bollywood. Patel felt like crying after his audition, thinking it had gone badly. When he went off for a consolation pizza with his mother, it tasted sour. Then the call came.
'As it turned out Danny was looking for someone like me who looks like they grew up in a slum, someone lanky and skinny and not particularly handsome.
'I guess the casting could have gone either way. I believe in fate a bit because of that. I guess I have to. I feel incredibly blessed right now. I'm a bit religious. Not much. Not like my parents, who are practising.'
His parents are Kenyan-born Hindus, his mother a carer, his father an IT consultant. How has his success changed his relationship with them?
'I don't think my relationship with them has changed, actually. That is what keeps me grounded.
'I come out here and live out of a suitcase and I do press and I get treated like an adult, but when I go home I'm treated like a kid again – an 18-year-old kid who wants to play with his friends. Still use public transport. Still have a messy room. Still get told off by my parents for not doing the washing up. Still annoy my sister. That's me, you know.'
He says that as far as he knows none of his friends feel envious of his sudden fame.
'No, they are really proud of me. They have been really supportive. It is your peer group that forms your character. If it hadn't been for them, you know, having them to mess about with, and having them encouraging me to become the class clown, then… ' He trails off.
'That's why I got a reputation and got dragged into the school play. I wouldn't have thought of it otherwise.'
Drama was his best subject at school. English second best. Did he have a nickname? 'Big Ears. I'm proud to have big ears now, though. I mean, look who's the most powerful man in the world. Barack Obama. Big ears are in fashion.'
Dev Patel is 6ft 1in and has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do; presumably people don't call him nicknames any more. 'I'm harmless. Wouldn't hurt a fly. But they do still call me nicknames, now I'm known as Slumdog.'
sourceDave Grohl Comes Out!
Add Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl to the list of straight celebrities coming out to support gay marriage.
The singer is one of the first in Hollywood to start wearing a white ribbon as a show of same-sex solidarity.
“Anybody know about whiteknot.org?” Grohl asked on the red carpet at last night’s MusiCares benefit and tribute to Neil Diamond. “You know what that’s about? It's I believe in love and I believe in equality and I believe in marriage equality.”
Rock on, Mr. Grohl!
Meanwhile, could freshman American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi actually be afraid of being on the receiving end of Simon Cowell’s nasty zingers?
DioGuardi says she has no plans to perform “Temporary,” her duet with Nick Lachey from the former Newlyweds star’s upcoming album, on AI anytime soon.
“I think we’ll stick to the contestants,” DioGuardi said with a laugh.
Lachey has said that when he and DioGuardi wrote the song together, she had no plans to be on the final cut. "Initially, just in the studio, we thought, 'All right, let's sing it together and then we'll maybe find someone else to be on it,'” he recently told Access Hollywood. “But she did such a great job on it."
DioGuardi also reiterated her hope that Prince would stop by AI to mentor the young singing hopefuls. Sadly, she doesn’t think she has the juice to convince the Purple One to do it. “I think there are bigger people than me to get Prince, you know what I mean,” she said.
Diamond, who has been a mentor on AI, reminisced about his start in music. “My first guitar was ten dollars,” he told me. “I paid for it a dollar a week because I wasn’t sure I’d like playing guitar. My parents were behind me a hundred percent…I don’t have that guitar. I wish I did. I wish I did.”
Across town, über-producer Timbaland was spewing not-so-nice words about the Grammys. "The Grammys are on Sunday,” he said while performing during the Verizon and BlackBerry party at Boulevard 3. “Y’all excited about all that bulls--t? That's all the Grammys is—bulls--t. For those who are going to the Grammys and for those who are looking for me, I won't be there. Cause it's bulls--t.”
Okeydokey, Mr. Timbaland.
Rihanna also performed a few of her hits for a crowd that included her boyfriend, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Sean “Diddy” Combs, T.I., Twista and Warren G.
Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas were spotted at a table with a gaggle of pals. But I'm still wondering if Joe was there with rumored-to-be girlfriend Camilla Belle. Perhaps they were hiding in a dark corner, because earlier in the night at the MusiCares shindig, they made sure to keep a very safe distance between them. Belle didn’t even sit at his table.
source
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Commercials that entertain
These days, it's all about content, right? Not just pitching people on good old attributes and benefits, but engaging them. Getting them to spend some time with you. Getting them to talk about you.
Yeah, you've heard it before, all about the death of the :30 second spot, the rise of relationships, the era in which peers - and, as it turns out, dogs - rule.
But, how the heck do you make that all happen when your deliverable is, in fact, a :30 second spot? A couple of my favorite examples below. Ones that not only entertain, but also take on the core challenge of branding: showing who you're for and what you're about.Pedigree "dogs rule": Connecting with dog owners over the simple joy of fetch. (TV version/Internet version):
Esurance "lucky today": Making connections over music. Does it get more "friendly" than that? (TV version/Internet version):
source
Bjorn Borg, let's break up!
Swedish underwear brand Bjorn Borg is online with a new, amusing campaign that exploits the digital media at its best, providing visitors with witty sense of humor, interactivity, media integration and even a dating service!
The concept is all about breaking up in the name of love and then starting the hunt for a new partner. Bjorn Borg knows how hard it is to finish a relationship, so he starts by offering us a service to help us sendind the SMS message which will change our lives. But first of all, you have to take the test to understand whether you should break up or not with your partner.
Once you've sent the break-up sms to your current partner, make sure to continue the online experience clicking on "Find your next love here". The best as yet to come!
The agency is Farfar that once again did a wonderful job coming up with a great concept but also with a great execution.
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Britney's supposed abortion and other rumors from "stolen diaries"
The issue claims Britney is in a "panic" over stolen journals and video interviews "done during some of the darkest days of her life," said an insider. "She wants so desperately to tell her side for her boys, so there is a written record for them when they are grown and can understand better."
Tidbits:
Britney hears voices in her head - and answers them!
"Britney writes she has heard voices talking to her for years. She still hears them, and they tell her to run away and hide."
The real reason Britney shaved her head:
"...She was out of her head at the time and was suffering from delusions. She believed that someone had planted an electronic bug in her hair and couldn't think of a way to get rid of i except to have her head shaved!"
Justin Timberlake's heartbreak over her pregnancy - and the guilt from her abortion:
"Justin was crushed when Britney told him she had an abortion. She said Justin was really hurt.
Britney never intended to divorce Kevin:
"She just wanted to show Kevin who was boss. She still loves Kevin, and she wants her boys to know that.
What really happened the night Britney took her child hostage:
"She was threatening: 'I'll kill the kids!' Out of her mind and wired on the drug methamphetamine, Britney refused to let her visiting sons Sean and Jayden return to Kevin."
The singer bares her soul:
"Britney wants to have closure and start fresh. Britney's gift to the boys is her truth."
source
Lady Gaga: "You can't have love and success."
Lady GaGa has revealed she has no interest in love - because she is too in love with her music career.
The 22-year-old Just Dance singer, who was born Joanne Stefani Germanotta, told New! magazine: "You can't have love and success. But that doesn't bother me because I don't want love, I want my music.
"I don't give a f*** about love. I'm married to my art! You can only marry one man, so I'm married to my art."
Lady GaGa is also known for her eccentric outfits and feisty persona, which she said she has purposely cultivated in order to succeed in the music industry.
"I think I'm very pretty, but I think it's more about the shapes, the emotions and the visuals behind the music, more than it's just about a hot girl in a catsuit," she said. "You've got to think about every f****** thing you put on your body when you're doing this [pop music] because everyone's looking at you."
She added she considers herself a "control freak" and likes to look "strong".
She said: "I hate it when I see photo shoots of women all curled up, looking kind of weak, meek and vulnerable. It's one thing to look innocent in a sexual kind of way, but I think it's important to be stoic and strong and iconic - especially when you're singing about things in such a sexual way, like I am."
source
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Jenny Craig doesn't want Jessica Simpson
Just when Jessica Simpson was preparing to turn the page on her rough week, she misses out on a sponsorship deal.
Seriously, weight-management purveyor Jenny Craig has no intention of working with her. None!
What the heck? Sister Ashlee, Heidi Klum, Kim Kardashian, Carmen Electra and even her ex Nick Lachey have spoken up in her defense, but according to authoritative nasty bloggers, Simpson has gotten huge.
"Over the past couple of weeks, a lot has been made about Jessica Simpson's purported battle with her weight and more recently Jenny Craig's interest in partnering with Ms. Simpson," read a statement issued by Scott Parker, VP of Marketing and New Business Development for Jenny Craig, whose recent spokeswomen have included Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinelli and Queen Latifah.
"Ms. Simpson has publicly stated that she is healthy, feels great and is very happy with her body. We would agree. Ms. Simpson looks fantastic and we see no reason for her to participate in a weight management program."
source
James Whitmore Dies of Lung Cancer at 87
The son of James Whitmore says the versatile actor has died of lung cancer.
Steve Whitmore says his father was diagnosed with the disease a week before Thanksgiving and died Friday afternoon in his Malibu home.
"My father believed that family came before everything, that work was just a vehicle in which to provide for your family," said Steve Whitmore, who works as spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "At the end, and in the last two and a half months of his life, he was surrounded by his family."
Whitmore was a many-faceted character actor who delivered strong performances in movies, television and especially the theater with his popular one-man shows about Harry Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt.
The Tony- and Emmy-winning actor, who was also nominated for an Oscar, was later known as the long-time pitchman for Miracle-Gro plant food.
Besides Steve Whitmore, James Whitmore is survived by his third wife, Noreen; sons James Jr. and Dan; and eight grandchildren.
source
Wellington Zoo: Adults Only
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Wellington, New Zealand
Creative Director/ writer: Tim Hall
Associate CD / Art Director: Scott Henderson
Agency Producer: Tom Ackroyd, Anna Kennedy
Marketing Manager: Beth Houston
Manager, Marketing & Communications: Stephanie Gray
Typographer: Geoff Francis
source
Martin/Williams anti-gun ad
Martin/Williams of Minneapolis and production house Blind collaborated on this spot for EndGunViolence.com, the Web site of Citizens for a Safer Minnesota. It builds to a "surprise ending." This tactic almost never works, because it means the commercial loses impact once viewers know what's coming. That's not the case here. The sterile computer-generated environment makes the sudden appearance of a small human form especially poignant. The visuals are, in fact, refreshing for an ad of this type and effectively play against our expectations. There's no overt tugging on heartstrings until almost the very end. By that point, we've followed a hypnotic and ultimately sad trajectory. Such journeys often end with a whimper after starting with a bang.
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Men's adventure
Men's adventure is a genre of magazines that had its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. Catering to a male audience, these magazines featured pinup photography and lurid tales of adventure that typically featured wartime feats of daring, exotic travel, or conflict with wild animals.
These magazines are generally considered the last of the true pulp magazines; they reached their circulation peaks long after the genre-fiction pulps had begun to fade. These magazines were also colloquially called "armpit slicks", "men's sweat magazines", or "the sweats", especially by people in the magazine publishing or distribution trades.
Friday, February 06, 2009
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