The Open House

We're moving tomorrow! The boxes are packed, the

Culture Melt 2008

We're looking forward to getting along to Melt 2008 next week in Sheffield.

It's a great event showcasing the finest in leading cultural opinion and creative initiative in digital multimedia - speakers this year include The Future Laboratory.

We also loved the 3D invite, nice touch Nige!

More info at http://www.lovemelt.co.uk/

Bye bye Julia!

Sadly Julia leaves us today to become a full time mum to her little boy Kristian.

So we bid farewell and thank her for all her lovely work here with our clients, it really has been a massive contribution.

Naturally we felt obliged to equip her with some essential tools to being mum full time and look forward to tasting the results!

Good luck Julia and thank you, you will be missed and do keep in touch x

Opinion form vs. function

So whilst here we like to think of ourselves as an insightful group of minds we also look to opinion leaders for our inspiration. But what, we asked ourselves as we pondered on consumer trends and culture the other day, makes them such a voice of authority?

Is it that one of their observations was latched onto by another? Is that what makes an opinion former? Being an opinion giver?

Those trendpreneurs who are leading the way, include the likes of Alexa Chung or E4’s crazy haired BBLB presenter Zeze Ifore, known as much for her colourful attire as she is for her informed opinion on the show. Look to Web 2.0 and see them all craving for their own bit of the spotlight. All flying the flag as ambassadors of generation me, seeing what else they can cram into their already overflowing talent portfolio.

These are Young British Artists, DJs, Designers, Illustrators, Writers, Musicians at their fresh, self professed best. But that is what makes them the leaders in their world; they are keen, eager and fabulous self-publicists. And want what we are always striving to be; the latest in cool.

Sometimes the trend sites that we plough for all things new just don’t cut the biscuit so that’s when we go it alone and prove to ourselves, like the bloggers, Beboers, and Myspacers out there, that with a bit of knowledge, beady eyes to observe, open ears to listen and the precious time to stop and think.

We all have the capacity to have an opinion, so why not run with it and form?

Pimp my rickshaw

Now the cynics among us would say this is crafty experiential product placement by Mini...! Others would say it's an enterprising chap with a hacksaw!

Stills life

This picture is from a web site called http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com

Hugh starting taking a polaroid everyday in 1979 recording his life, his pre Flickr book if you like.

The picture here is a show he did in 1995 using the pics so far.

He continued his journal for 20 years until he sadly died from a brain tumor aged 41 in 1997.

Perhaps it's the fact that he died so young that his work has gained attention capturing a life snatched away...

On a similar path, there is this site of Mark Craig, who, in 1985 started recording and keeping every voice message on his answer machine. It makes for an intriguing and honest insight into someone who wanted to share the otherwise mundane details of their life in an interesting way.

http://www.talktome.org.uk/

Perhaps the most interesting thing to consider is what the future holds. Talk of human memory downloads... maybe there will be a time where nothing will be lost? Until the transworld Wi Fi server goes down of course - Have you tried turning it off and turning it on again?!

We are after all only human.

Sketch

Ever been to Sketch?

We paid a visit to Sketch on Conduit Street on Tuesday with Mark from The Glenlivet and what a fine night it was too!

Sketch is a pretty awesome place in terms of environment, with some really nice details and a good balance between a relaxed high end nosh experience and cool club vibe. The only thing that didn't really work was the espresso from a rubber cup - you just don't mess with something sacred!

One of the more bizarre things there are the loos. They're these weird egg like pods and when you're in them you're treated to a little in toilet sound system playing back a track of people giggling, applauding and whispering!

It's the little touches that count. Definitely worth a visit for a nice meal or just to spend a penny.

Zipped briefs...

We're pretty busy here at Open at the moment with a load of new projects, new client wins, new staff... Well We do believe in New after all!

Trouble is with all of this comes a lot of closed lips secrets to make sure things get to market without competitor brands getting a whiff.

So here's our no news new news update...

We're working underwraps with very big drinks co to launch a new cool beverage in a very special way, we're working with a whisky brand on some awesome experiential projects in London, New York & Taipei. We're working on a clear spirit brand globally to redefine their global brand design image. We're presenting some massive ambient and experiential concepts to a big phone co. We've been appointed to manage a UK wide advertising account for a well known home ins company and we're stretching our legs into the world of fashion. Oh and did I mention the new magazine and the New York office?

It's all very exciting.
More soon.

Advertising is dead

The more folks we're talking to these days, the more this statement seems to be true.

Okay, so perhaps not dead, but dying a slow death all the same. Brand communications are a totally different landscape now, with more emphasis than ever being placed on creating relationships between brands and consumers and placing a greater need to provide a more interesting dialogue between the two (see example of truck we wish we could have produced for Nike 6.0 in the US)

Now, just to clarify the Open view on this. We enjoy a love/ hate relationship with advertising - we love genuinely interesting, creative film, print and digital work for brands, but sincerely do not subscribe to the 'Disruption' concept of annoying consumers into brand recognition.

We come across endless insights about people watching TV on Sky+ to allow them to edit out ads as they go. But people are happy for brands to communicate with them as long as it's interesting and creative - So there's our brief for every project we take on.

Be interesting and creative, nothing less.