Amman's Top 10 summer brands

1. La Calle’s terrace, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
The end of Rainbow Street
While finding a good spot on La Calle’s summer terrace is no easy feat, it’s worth the hassle (it’s always crowded because 6:00-8:00 is also happy hour). The sunset is stunning, and the calm vibes of early evening Rainbow Street make La Calle one of my favorite summer places.
Try: Their pizza.
Total: 

2. Las Tapas’ outdoor garden, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. 
Behind the Third Circle, 06-4615061.
While Las Tapas’ service is perhaps the worst in Amman, I’m always braving the crappy customer experience to enjoy their garden. I love their dark wooden furniture contrasted again the evergreen plants and the reddish tiles. My favorite part of the garden is the pink “Majnooneh tree” (no idea what the scientific name for it is), framing the doorway.
Try: Their risotto balls and three-kinds-of-pasta platter.
Total: 

3. Vinaigrette’s open sushi bar, Sunday dinner, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. 06-560528.
Shmeisani, Al-Qasr Hotel. 06-560528.
I love Vinaigrette. The view of Amman at night through their glass walls is stunning, their customer service is excellent, and their food is one of the best in Amman. For fans of sushi, I do not think sushi can get any better in Amman (I haven’t tried Yoshi yet though, to be honest), and their 20.00JD all-you-can-eat sushi deal is definitely worth the money.
Try: Their all-you-can-eat sushi.
Total: 

4. Books@Cafe, Saturday/Friday mornings and afternoons. 06-4650457. 
Jabal Amman.
Books@Cafe is my favorite place in the entirety of this city. The staff are friendly, the space is awesome, the crowd is non-judgmental and eclectic, and the food is great.
I really hate how they covered their terrace, but that doesn’t make the place rock that much less.
Try: Their pizza.
Total: 

(Photo by Gulf Life Magazine)
5. Tche Tche, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Several locations. 06-5932020.
I actually really like Tche Tche. They have good food, logical prices, free wi-fi, and Amman’s best arageel. My only wish is that they’d have more comfortable chairs.
Try: Their salmon fillet.
Total: 

6. The guys’ terrace, Saturday/Friday, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM.
Mutran Street, Jabal Amman.
While this place isn’t open to the public, I have to have in on this list because it’s one of my favorite places in town, with some of my favorite people in the world. Great company, great conversations, and a comfortable couch.
Total: 

(Photo by Gulf Life Magazine)
7. Blue Fig’s garden, Saturday, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. 
Abdoun. 06-5928800.
Blue Fig is really cool during the morning, very laid-back and chilled out, as opposed to the vibes this place has during the evening. Their food is excellent as well.
Try: Their New Orleans Burger.
Total: 

8. Canvas. 
Weibdeh. 06-4632211. 
I like Canvas a lot, because you can sit outside or inside and feel and enjoy the restaurant’s wonderful ambiance. Their menu isn’t very good, but the setting itself is worth the bad drinks.
Total: 

(Photo by Debbini)
9. Champions. Weekdays, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Marriot Hotel, Shmeisani. 06-5607607.
This is an almost unlikely addition to this list, and I find myself surprised at its addition. Champions is a good place to watch a game with my sports-obsessed Moose; the seating is comfortable, the food is excellent, and the noise level is always optimum.

Try: Their sharing platter.
Total: 

10. Coffee and News, the sidewalk. Weekdays. 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Rainbow Street.
Coffee on the sidewalks of Rainbow Street is great, especially when combined with kaek from Abu Ghosh across the street. Coffee and News is very unassuming, and I like that a lot about it.
Total: 
Via

MTV Guide to New Zealand

Tourism New Zealand is collaborating with MTV to run a series of four-minute documentaries following local musicians Scribe, Liam Finn, and the Mint Chicks. The Mint Chicks head to Queenstown and Wanaka to perform at the Rippon Music Festival at Rippon Vineyard. Liam Finn gives an intimate look at his favourite spots in and around Auckland, from the studio where he produces his music, to Piha Beach where he loves to surf and chill out. NZ rapper Scribe unearths his favourite inspirational locations, including music venues, untouched beaches, restaurants, bars and festivals. Each of the shorts ends with an invitation to book an airfare with Pacific Blue, an international line of Virgin Blue.




Click on the image below to play the Mint Chicks video in YouTube (HD)

Popoutwww.youtube.com/watch?v=L8XmUaI-QGY

Click on the image below to play the Liam Finn video in YouTube (HD)

Popoutwww.youtube.com/watch?v=1cEOlK1c-kE

Click on the image below to play the Scribe video in YouTube (HD)

Popoutwww.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4OTRqeNC3g

Credits

The Guide to NZ campaign was developed at MTV Brand Solutions by director Colin Blake, creative director Vanessa Zuppicich, senior creative Kate Davitt, creative Anna Snowman, talent and artist relations manager Simone Stopford.
Filming was shot by director Miki Magasiva, via Curious Film with producer Peter Grasse.

Eichborn Flyvertising in Frankfurt

Eichborn, the German publishing house, used flies to get the word out on their exhibition stand at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse). Eichborn’s logo includes a fly so it made sense to use flies to carry the logo in a “fliegenbanner” with the words, “Eichborn, der verlag mit der Fliege” (the publisher with the fly). Ultra light miniature banners were attached to 200 flies with natural wax. The flies, carrying an extra load, tended to land on people for a rest, getting the attention of people all over the display area. The Jung von Matt team behind the campaign tell us that flies were not harmed in the process. After a short time the banner dropped off by itself.

Credits

The Flyvertising campaign was developed at Jung von Matt/Neckar, Stuttgart, Germany, by creative directors Jacques Pense and Michael Ohanian, art directors Benjamin Beck and Thomas Lupo, copywriters Norman Scholl and Lennart Frank, account managers Daniel Adolph and Christine Seelig.

LG| Next Big Thing Online

It’s the Next Big Thing”, LG’s UK advertising campaign for large capacity home appliances, supplements a television advertising campaign with an online portal designed by Kansas City motion graphics and live action company Nailgun*. The overall concept of the campaign imagines a literally larger than life world of giant size clothing drying in the environment.




When visitors land on the LG ‘Next Big Thing’ website they are greeted with an overhead shot of a beautifully animated natural LG world. A sweeping camera move brings us up close to the first in a series of iconic animation, a pair of jeans hanging from a giant suspension bridge over a lush blue-green river with a green sock attached with a clothes pin to a wind turbine. Click on the arrows to the left and right of the screen and visitors are whisked away (the pages never refresh) to other animated areas of the LG world, including an Easter Island setting with the famed statues holding a pair of giant overalls; and a cityscape where an enormous men’s shirt hangs between two office towers and giant baby pajamas wave in the breeze from atop the front entrance of an impressive government building. Clicking the on-screen “+” symbols changes the perspective yet again with the camera tilting up toward the blue sky and zooming in to the clothing, revealing both specific information about LG products and the eye-catching details of nailgun*’s animation.

Credits

The Next Big Thing digital campaign was developed at VML, Kansas City, a department of Y&R.
Design and animation were produced at nailgun, New York, by creative director Michael Waldron, director of production Erik van der Wilden.
“The idea was to create these big, fun visual comparisons,” nailgun* director of production Erik van der Wilden explains. “Details are extremely important with something like this, which is why we chose to build all of the elements from scratch in 3D, even though it meant dealing with long rendering times. We also spent a lot of time choreographing the camera moves and how visitors would navigate and experience this world. Simple, elegant animation and subtle movements were key for this working creatively”.

Schwinn|Magical Bell

Schwinn, an American bicycle brand, is urging harried young Americans to step off the rat race for a few minutes and hop on their bikes. The integrated advertising campaign is centred on the brand’s iconic handle-bar mounted Schwinn bicycle bell, using it not only as a touchstone to trigger warm associations people have for their first Schwinn bike, but as a subtle ‘wake up’ call to drop that BlackBerry, put down that videogame, strap on your helmet and go for a ride. The campaign includes print and TV developed by Cossette, as well as banners, a web site (www.RideSchwinn.com), P.R. and an extensive dealer activation program.




Print work features a shot of a woman riding on the beach, her dog right behind her, with the headline, “The world needs a recess bell.” Another execution shows a father and daughter biking on a country lane by a glimmering lake with the headline, “Never stop and smell the cubicles.”




“Magical Bell”, the TV spot, shows a woman on her Schwinn bike, riding down a suburban street, passing a young boy sitting in his yard, thumbs busy with his videogame device. She rings her bike’s bell, and suddenly, as we hear the familiar “br’ring-ding,” the videogame is gone and he’s playing on a tire swing. Next we see her headed down a city street, passing a man who’s busy yelling into his cell phone. With another flick of her bell, his phone is gone, replaced by a cuddly puppy. In the final transformation, she passes a woman with her kids pushing a laden grocery cart toward a mini-van in the parking lot of a big box store. As the bell rings, the mini-van turns into an ice cream truck.
Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

Popoutwww.youtube.com/watch?v=36_lyLmFRhQ

“The size and scope of this campaign demonstrates to both our consumers and our retail community how strong our commitment is to restoring the Schwinn brand’s traditional role in the leisure category,” says Andrew Coccari, Chief Marketing Officer for Dorel Recreational/Leisure. “Our core message is that life is hectic and stressful, and Schwinn products are designed to help you get back on a slower track, enjoying time with family and friends in a healthful and restorative activity.”
Dorel Industries’ Recreational/Leisure segment is backing up the efforts of local retailers with point of sale materials and local market support, along with subsidized co-op advertising. In addition, Dorel R/L has undertaken an extensive study of the shopping experience for bikes and bike products that promise to increase the efficiency of the company’s outreach to consumers in both retail and online environments.

Credits

The Magical Bell ad was developed at Cossette New York by executive creative director Bill Oberlander, senior art director Anthony Alvarez, senior copywriter Jason Ashlock.
Cossette Chief Creative Officer Bill Oberlander gives an overview of the campaign. “We’re out to restore people’s love affair with their Schwinn bikes. Our overall sentiment in this campaign is to gently remind them that life isn’t a race, it’s a ride. We want people to pedal slowly. The bell is a catalyst, something that takes us back to a time when we weren’t caught up with all the trappings of twenty-first century life. We felt it was a device that was ripe for the taking, and if anyone should own this, it should be Schwinn.”
Filming was shot by director Gaysorn Thavat via Grand Large, with director of photography Ginny Loane, producer Margaux Ravis, editor Vincent Velasquez, Flame artist Stefan Coory at Machina/Grand Large. Telecine was by Jamie Wilkinson at The Mill, New York. Sound was mixed by Keith Reynaud via Sound Lounge, New York.
Music is “Just a Dream” by AM60.

Diesel| Sex sells. Unfortunately we sell jeans.

After having invited people to BE STUPID, Diesel has launched a new slogan in the way to summer: "Sex sells, we sell unfortunetely jeans".

Its agency Piano B and Diesel have invaded streets once again, as they did in February during the last Music Festival in San Remo.

And what a better day than 1st April to communicate artistically on the selling power of sex in Milano.

On Thursday 1st April, a group of 12 dancers (both 6 boys and girls) have organized a short dancing show around 11 am, just in front of the Temple of Dance, La Scala di Milano.

A very surprising event, during which male dancers wore a huge gadget on their sex, what seems to have caught the attention of the audience !

Around this event, the brand also wanted to announce a free distribution in its Italian outlets of sexy gadgets: from X-ray glasses to look people naked to a gadget to make bigger your balls !

Next Generation Media

Media is one of the most exciting and fast moving forces in the world.

People spend more time consuming media than almost any other activity.

On average 18-24’s globally spend

-          over 3 hours a day watching TV

-          over 2 hours a day listening to the radio

-          purchase 2 magazines a month (Source – Synovate, 2009)

The average UK Mum clocks up over 26 hours of time online per month (Yahoo, 2009)

2/3 of Europeans stream or download video content at least once a week (Future Foundation Entertainment Futures, 2008)

Media fulfils multiple roles and needs in people’s lives:  

Entertainment, Information, Self expression, Relaxation, Belonging, Me Time, Communication

Media has become more complex – we think about the transformation of media in three ways - – technology, people and content.

Today’s media landscape is almost unrecognisable from 30 years ago.

 Technology, people and content have all TRANSFORMED.

Technology has changed – There are new devices, and more devices

iPod – 2001

Sky Plus - 2001

Nintendo DS – 2004

X-Box 360 – 2005

PS3 – 2006

Wii – 2006

iPhone – 2007

iPhone 3G – 2008

Nexus One – 2010

iPad – 2010

Web  applications which are part of our daily lives are still in infancy….

Facebook – 2004

YouTube – 2005

Twitter – 2006

iPlayer – 2007

Hulu – 2008

iPhone App Store – 2008

“In the last few years Facebook has been the most important thing in my free time activities.” (Source - Synovate, 2009) 

People have changed

In 1950 29% of the world’s population lived in cities – now it’s more than 50% (Source – UN Dept of Economic & Social Affairs, 2005)

In 1960 the average age for a woman in America to marry was 20 – now it’s 26  (Source – The Rise of the Real Mom, Advertising Age, 2009)

In 1960 38% of women in America went to college – not it’s 66%  (Source – The Rise of the Real Mom, Advertising Age, 2009)

The number of single person households in the UK has doubled between 1971 and 2008 (Source – Social Trends, ONS, 2009)

The average French midday meal now lasts 38 minutes, less than half the time taken in the 1970s  (Source – Datamonitor, 2006)

In 1997 34% of women in Spain worked; in 2008 it was 55% (Source – Eurostat, 2006)

In 1960 Americans spend 24% of their income on food – in 2002 it was 12% (Source – US Department of Labor / VisualEconomics 2009)

Content has changed: 

Content can be consumed any time, any place, any device
Channels have fragmented
Content has become social in new ways

In 1979 there were 3 UK TV channels; in 2009 there are 512 (Source – Aegis)

The number of channels available on Pay TV in Italy is rising: from 120 in 2003 to 199 in 2009 (Source – Aegis)

Formats are proliferating in TV – 445 original programme formats were exported globally in 2006-8, twice the number from 2002-4 (Source – The Format Recognition and Protection Association (FRAPA) 2009

Online videos have driven broadband uptake, and led the demand for cheap access devices

Talent shows have increased interactivity with media, for example through texting

Social networks have driven mobile internet adoption, and daily internet usage

24 Hours of video were uploaded to YouTube each minute in March 2010, up from 6 hours per minute in 2007 (YouTube, 2010)

Content is “always on” – there is more content available and more ways to consume it

Understanding how people choose, engage, create and interact with content has become more complex

Media is transforming, communications are transforming….

“The world will go faster. Something that takes 30 minutes today will take 10 minutes tomorrow. We’ll save time.” Italian male

New media is transforming communications

Old media is transforming and evolving

People/content/technology will continue to evolve

Welcome to Next Generation Media

Toyota Vs. Hyundai - Getting it Wrong and Right.

We now know how Toyota sped to the back of the pack, led by self-accelerating gas pedals, reluctant recall practices and bad PR. Less obvious but more informative as an advertising or marketing tactic is how Hyundai drove into the lead.



Viewed as a bargain-basement alternative for people who couldn't afford anything else, Hyundai saw the handwriting on the wall back in the day, and responded. It countered the brand perception with perhaps the most comprehensive warranty on a non-luxury vehicle at the time: five-year/60,000 miles on major powertrain components, and 10 years/100,000 for corrosion.

The warranty's effect was two-fold. Sure, it offered peace of mind for potential Hyundai buyers. But the brand message, that Hyundai must be a pretty good car for them to offer such an extensive warranty, was the image engine. In short, the brand recognized its reality, and dealt directly with how consumers related to it.

The same is true today, and Hyundai, is reaping more rewards.

The Hyundai Assurance Plan. Empathy as a Marketing Strategy

When the economy tanked last year, Hyundai didn't just show a price tag: It showed empathy. If you bought their car, and lost your job within the first year, they would take the car back, no questions asked.

When I heard that offer, it stopped me in my tracks.

Of course the Hyundai Assurance plan had some fine print. Only buyers who experienced problems outside their control - like losing a job or driver's license for medical reasons, or becoming disabled - would qualify. Also, purchasers must have made two payments before returning the vehicle, and would receive the depreciation on the vehicle, limited to $7,500. But it all, sounded reasonable.



In fact, it sounded like a car manufacturer, a foreign one at that, really gave a damn about my situation. Especially when Jeff Bridges - the commercial's announcer - said, "We're all in this together."

And the numbers prove it. According to the blog Cars.com, "Toyota fell from its perch as the leader in brand loyalty among car shoppers, slipping to third place while Hyundai surged ahead to first, according to Kelley Blue Book...."

"Hyundai increased its percentage of Hyundai owners looking at new models within the brand by 10.4 percentage points, to 56.3%. Toyota fell 4.4 percentage points to 53.3% from 2009 to 2010, mostly because of its highly publicized recall issues. Honda managed to increase its loyalty by 0.7 percentage points to 55.8%."

In other words, it pays to understand how your brand is perceived, and how your customers are feeling about their world, and then promote accordingly.