Unlike the rest of my coworkers, I’m not an not a hardcode Pandora user, though I do like the product.  From an advertising standpoint, I think their homepage skins are a really nice touch and whenever a brand  places a strong execution, I need to see it.  The other day Yahoo ran their own homepage skin and it was interesting to see the direction they took.  I think the idea of incorporating the Pandora “thumb up/thumb down” was a nice touch, but of the two I would have surely chosen thumbs up. What brand wants to be connected with thumbs down?  Additionally, the copy seems off, asking the user to search for more songs on a band they just skipped.  Lastly, I think there should have been emphasis on music videos as this is a core difference to what Pandora offers.

What do you think?

Great time tonight at the launch party. I think it goes without saying – I <3 Lynn!

With industry buzzing around mobile, Twitter, Google and Apple, how anything else had a chance to be talked about is beyond me.   Well, there was on medium that broke through the clutter  in 2009 and that was Augmented Reality.

Brands around the world jumped on the augmented reality bandwagon in attempt to deliver a  memorable consumer experience. Below is a list on my favorite marketing tactics that leveraged augmented reality.  As cool as these example may be, we have only scratched the surface of what an augmented reality experience could be.

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Designed by Pauline Carlos as part of a sustainability contest sponsored by Dell, the Dell Froot concept saves the planet courtesy two projectors: One for the virtual keyboard, and another for the monitor.

via. Gizmodo

“In 2009, if it wasn’t happening in real time, it wasn’t happening at all.”

If the above quote from British trend research company Contagious does not sum up the evolution advertising in 2009, I don’t know what does.  No matter if you are an agency or a client, how many times did the idea of Twitter, Facebook, and/or Mobile Applications come up during brainstorm meetings…if only because talking about impressions and CPM’s all day can become tiring.  So, how often?  Well if I were a betting a man I would say – 100 percent of the time.  In 2009 alone Twitter (founded in 03/2006) saw mass adoption from news channels to celebrities, brands and probably your father – even if he doesn’t know he has a page (i.e. @shitmydadsays).

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This latest app was desgined in classic Facebook style to connect dog owners with each other, locate the nearest dog park, or even issue an “Arf Alert” to other users within a 15km radius.

Over the top? Or another great way for people to connect? You decide.

In promoting a bigger, better, tastier double cheeseburger which was just added to their value menu, Burger King has launched a new augmented reality banner showcasing the menu. You can hold up any dollar bill to your webcam to get an idea of what the current value menu offers. Though in my opinion the Big Mac always beats the Whopper (BK compensates with better fries), BK definitely has a much better value menu.

After soaking up an English soccer triumph over Croatia at Wembley Stadium (for videos of this check out my twitter page) on Wednesday night, I jumped over to Amsterdam to meet up with an old friend of mine.  As this was my first venture into the hedonistic culture that attracts and engulfs droves of curious travelers to the Red Light District, I was not too sure what to expect. Would there be total chaos and flocks of disoriented foreigners clogging the streets or would there be a level of sophistication to their indulgences? From my experience, there seemed to be a little bit of each. While the streets were alive with the smell of sin and inebriated souls, it didn’t feel like it was out of control. In fact, there was a level of congeniality I hadn’t anticipated. One working girl was even kind enough to open her door and give us directions when we were a bit lost, which I thought was very courteous of her. We ended up getting outside the District to go to a local club, Paradiso, for the better part of the night, which was just like any university dance party back home. Although, I found it a bit concerning when a Kid Cudi remix made the crowd go silent while the Black Eyed Peas had the girls hot and bothered.

Overall, the 24 hours I spent in Amsterdam were much enjoyed. The canals make for a good looking city and there was lots to keep us busy. If we had more time I am sure we would have been able to check out some of the museums here as there is some interesting stuff. In my opinion,  Amsterdam could be enjoyed in a weekend but I don’t think you’d need any more time than that. The scene is what it is, nothing more and nothing less.  Now I am off to Paris for the weekend so I will post on that later. I already know its gonna be ridiculous.

With only a few hours remaining, we are getting in our last licks and visiting our fav haunts of our trip. This place has the best burgers going. What goes perfect with that burger – a Longboard beer – the local brew.

It has been a good vaca, but I’m ready to return. Kids are ready as well. There was plenty of “reflection” on this trip regarding T360 and I feel ready to jump back in head first. Major decisions await and the next evolution of the company is upon us. Strategy, Media and Creative are busy and new opportunities are showing up every day. The final push to ensure 2009 goes down in the books as a successful year happens now. But first a stop on “The Big Island” to make our connection.

Expect big things …