From TED: David Carson on Design

A great video from the fine folks at TED. It's part of David Carson's talk on design. It was recorded about six years ago and recently posted to the TED site. It's perfect fun for a Friday.

Thanks to Rebecca for the link.

Great Example of Symbolic Cues

On Seth's blog, there's a link to an interesting brand application. The app serves up one iconic logo at a time. Your job is to type a one word description. I'd love to see the data they're getting on these brands.

As Seth point's out, "It's a simple game where you pick one-word associations to go with major brands. The result pages are actually pretty inane, but the magical way each and every one of these brands compels you to think is fascinating."

That magic is the power of a symbolic cue. In this case, it's in visual form, but look at how that one "short-hand" element can denote and conjure up meaning, motive, identity, and emotion. Those cues can represent themes that chain out positively or negatively...or not at all. If you've never seen one of the logos, you may have no connection to it and it doesn't chain out.

Takeaways: We live in a symbolically created reality and we our symbolic reality "retribalizes" us in ways that transcend geography (the old tribalizer).

Facebook

Some digital metaphors don't hold up in the analog world. Similar to cc or bcc on emails. Hey everyone, get a load of the message I'm going to send Jim...better yet get under my desk while I yell at him and don't give him a chance to respond.

This video has a similar, but funnier vibe to it.



Hat tip to Elise.

Charlie Rose by Samuel Beckett

This video was sent to me by two associates in the past two weeks -- one a former board member of a theatre company, the other a current co-worker in the online marketing space. Equally enjoyable for the interactive and post-modern theatre fans.

Yikes

Saw this on the 37 Signals blog. Crikey!! Cool, nightmare-inspiring, and all around sublime.

Me, I'm a thinker

Thanks to Snarky Squab. She has tagged me as a thinker... or at least a thinking blogger. See the shiny, new image at the top of this post. Ah, very nice. Yes, I know. Pehaps Ben & Jerry will ask me to star in a new ice cream flavor. Dare to dream, my friend. Dare to dream.

Thanks to Squab for the shout out. In kind, she has made me think. Other blogs and bloggers may consider themselves tagged if they choose to. Some of the ones that make me think are:

• 37 Signals - I love their blog, their insight, and their software.
• Seth Godin
• Craig at LOHAD

I know you're saying, "Hey wait, these are all on his blogroll." And I respond, "but wait, there's more."

• Bloggermann
• The World's Finest News Source
• Dr. John Cragan - no blog, you have go old skool and read books, or have a beer with him -- and it's worth it.

Nissan's Key Campaign

Honorary Agent Rett sent this opinion piece from the New York Times.

As Rett points out, the article about the campaign isn't so interesting (as a viral campaign it seems to be succeeding), it's more fun to see how angry the professor gets at bending over for a set of Nissan Altima keys.

For those that don't want to leap, the joke is that the new Altima's personal driver recognition program does not require keys. It does not require one to give up on society. More about the campaign and promotion here.

Ultimate?

Will the term Sanctioning Agent make it into the general lexicon? Special Agent Cragan is "interviewed" by the local arts and entertainment weekly.

This from the City Pages:

Ticking through the impressive list of big media outfits that have cited his work in the last few weeks—CNN, the Washington Post, even that "ultimate sanctioning agent," the New York Times—Dr. John F. Cragan looks pleased.

Ultimate? Dare I dream of the Ultimate Sanctioning Agent? It may be like a new Marvel superhero...or not.

The Onion's take on this year's hot demographic

Warning: Language may be found offensive, but also very funny.

The Onion has a great article on this year's hot holiday demographic and their relative spending power.

Holiday Advertisers Seek Coveted Dicktard Demographic