Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

Check out this fascinating encapsulation of the World Wide Web. It's a fast-paced, thought-provoking, poignant video essay about the way communications and relationships have evolved as a result of the Internet. Best yet, it was produced by Michael Wesch, a hip anthropology professor at KSU who practices "anti-teaching."

Scent of a Man

You can almost smell it through the screen. This one's for Em Smith, my copywritin' colleague who recently introduced me to Bruce Campbell (am I the last to discover this guy?). For Old Spice, I smell a comeback. [via American Copywriter]

Coming into manhood at a hyper-feminist school that squeezed every ounce of testosterone from its male undergrads, I get a self-actualization from this spot that feels like reclaiming my voice. See? What real man has to reclaim his voice? Wildflowers and shame, my brethren. Four years of it.

Coming into the world under the tutelage of the side-by-side [via Schenk], I get the salty taste of payback.

BTW: Whoever came up with the name "Old Spice" deserves a medal.

Agitates! Lifts! Enlightens! Motivates bowels!

Really, what speed freak among us hasn’t dreamed of bellying up to the barista and ordering a steaming hot cup of biker’s coffee? But where’s a heavy biter on the nod gonna find a whole bean chemical-assist with enough brain-shift to slake a serious morning Jones? From San Francisco’s newest purveyor of roasted buzz, Meth Coffee. This ain’t no Lipton Tea we’re talking about, but full-on eye-opener in a cup, “the original medicinal coffee ratio for gyrotonic stimulation.”

From www.methcoffee.com: “METH COFFEE, a volatitherapeutic beverage, is formulated after chemical confetti and wakes zombies, fucks with perfectionists, straightens drunks, rattles teetotalers, revs vandals in search of impetus, brightens house chores and CUTS BOREDOM LIKE A GODDAMN RAZOR.”

We be zoomin’ permafried, baby!

Happiness

If this blog is about ideas that are sticky, I don't know how you stick better than American jazz.

Found this beautiful clip of Duke Ellington in the middle of some research this morning, decided to share. Guaranteed to improve your day.

We've been so flipping busy that little tidbits like this may have to suffice for a spell. When you watch this, think about it: Duke Ellington did this 64 years ago, but everything about this is timeless (including the babe factor at the end: chicks dig musicians).

PS: To appreciate what jazz can teach about art and commerce, go to PBS's jazz page, click the trailer and listen to Wynton Marsalis explain "negotiations."

IBM = Interactive Business Movies

Episode #176 of For Immediate Release had an interesting ten-minute discussion of online corporate video (25:41-35:47). Part of the discussion was about an online video that IBM posted to YouTube. Actually, it's a three-part series. Here's the first:

It's a commercial from IBM that has been viewed more than 62,000 times, favorited 133 times and rated four out of five stars. Oh yeah, and it's not a :30 spot. Try 2:15. If you count all three, it's just short of six minutes. The goal is to drive viewers here and get them to learn more about the IBM Mainframe. Be sure to view the other two uploaded by 360comedy.

We've been talking a lot about online video lately...much of it what NOT to do. This strikes me of a pretty good example of what online video can be. It especially works well because it's humorous, even poking fun at IBM. If a company as serious as Big Blue can pull off a humorous online video, what can you do?