May 19, 2013  •  In Books, Entertainment, Geek, Marketing/Advertising

Game of Brands: The Game of Thrones Houses as Modern Corporations

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Stock photo website Shutterstock has followed the steps of other brilliant marketing campaigns that have used their products in advertisements to appeal to the geek crowd.
Taking advantage of today’s popularity of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice novels — as well as the Game of Thrones television show! — they have taken six of the Great Houses of Westeros, took into account their strengths and cultures, and transformed them into modern corporations with their own distinct brandings.
What’s more, they did this using stock photographs from its extensive database.
Take a look below — I’m especially loving Air Targaryen! (But then again, I…

Apr 20, 2013  •  In Beauty, Marketing/Advertising, Personal

It’s All About Perception [Real Beauty]

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There’s a good chance you’ve already seen Dove’s viral video campaign “Dove Real Beauty Sketches,” but I figure it’s worth a mention on this blog because I love the message behind it:

Women are their own worst beauty critics. Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful. At Dove, we are committed to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. So, we decided to conduct a compelling social experiment that explores how women view their own beauty in contrast to what others see.

In the experiment, FBI-trained forensics artist Gil Zamora is hired to interview and draw seven different women.…

Feb 2, 2013  •  In Art/Design, Cute, Geek, Marketing/Advertising, Toys

Lego Pop Culture Riddles

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It’s no secret that I absolutely ADORE Lego’s clever marketing campaigns — can you believe that this is my fifth post applauding them? (see: 1, 2, 3, 4)
Even if you may be getting sick of my Lego craze, I believe that this series of posters deserves a special mention because it engages the audience and sparks creativity in a world where we are hard-pressed to find toys and activities that encourage imagination. Created by Montreal-based creative agency Brad in honor of Lego’s 55th anniversary, this set of 55 minimalist illustrations feature sparse Lego bricks arranged to represent popular songs, movies, books, bands, and children’s…

Jan 12, 2013  •  In Geek, Marketing/Advertising, Personal, Toys

Go Vote for a New Monopoly Token! (And Save Your Favorite!)

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Hasbro is currently running a Facebook campaign that allows YOU to vote for a new, permanent player’s token. This kinda sucks if you don’t use Facebook, but if you do, go vote now!

As you can see above, the five candidates for a new token are: robot, ring, cat, helicopter, and guitar. Right now the cat is far ahead (cat owners can get pretty determined!), but since there already exists an animal on the board — and it has a very good chance of staying on — I would prefer another piece.
I can’t quite decide if I like the robot…

Disney Princesses Meet Haute Couture

Sigh. You know I’m a sucker for holiday-themed store displays. I personally have not yet had a chance to check out the famed NYC displays in person this year, but I have been following them via the web, and — as it seems to be the case every holiday season — each store has outdone itself once again.
Now, I am not a fashionista by any means (and to be completely honest, Vogue bores me to tears), but I am aware that there exist numerous fashion meccas around the world, and that each major city boasts its own high-end department stores.
Today,…