Tuesday, November 27, 2007

new media douchebags


from makemarketinghistory via zeroinfluencer

conversation marketing in action
























Had to laugh at this card I saw.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Brijole


Had a week off and been doing some cooking.
Here's my take on an Italian/American classic dish.
Famously featured in that great episode of Everybody loves Raymond where Deborah and Marie compete over who's was the best. Its also cropped up in a couple of Soprano's episodes (I'm now mid-way through Season 4 by the way)
The correct name for the dish is Braciole howver its been Americanised into Brijole over time. Go on, do it and get fat as a rat.

ps...
Purists would say do it all on the hob, however this douchebag chef is happy to stick it in the oven.

Beef Braciole/Brijole

Serve with your favourite pasta or gnocci with a rocket and parmesan salad.

1 lb beef / 8 steaks approximately 1/4 inch thick
8 slices of prosciutto
1 packet pine nuts
Big pile of grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
8 garlic cloves, chopped
Bunch of fresh flat parsley, chopped
Olive oil
3/4 cans imported Italian tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 bay leaves
Bunch of fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 celery sticks, chopped chopped fine
Red wine
flour spread on a plate for dredging
salt & pepper to taste
Serves 4.

1.Pound steaks with a meat pounder until 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt & pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto on each one and sprinkle evenly with with the crushed pine nuts, cheese, garlic and parsley. Roll up the slices and tie with kitchen string or fix with a cocktail stick..

2.Heat a good glug of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Dredge the braciole in flour shaking off any excess, then place in the pan. Cook until browned on all sides then remove and place in a baking dish.

3.Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add a couple of glasses of red wine and cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Pass the tomatoes, with their juices through a seive into the pan. Half fill one of the tomato cans with water and add to pan. Add tomato puree, turn heat to low and cook at a simmer for about 10mins.
Add the sauce to the baking dish with the braciole, mix in the basil, place in a low ish oven (about 120-150) and bake for 2 hours (or until the beef is tender and crumbly).
Top with mozzerella with 20 mins to go if you like,
Serve with the pasta or gnocci and salad.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Mighty Boosh on Brick Lane


Wandered down Brick Lane for a legendary Salt Beef bagel just now, and I passed this shopfront, taken over by the Mighty Boosh to promote series 3 which starts on BBC3 this week. It's bluetooth thingy sends a clip from the new show to your phone.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

obsessive compulsive disorder of sorts

I am compelled to purchase The soaraway Sun at least once a week, just to get my blood boiling by whatever the latest spiteful, racist, ignorant bile is being spewed forth by their 'star' columnist John 'Gaunty' Gaunt. I can't help myself, I have to read it.

For almost the same reason, I am likewise a compelled to seek out the ad industry rag Campaign each week just to rile myself with their self-regarding, complacent bollocks.

I'm glad I'm not the only one...

Friday, November 09, 2007

'Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with the important matters'

Something about Facebook's social ads thing doesn't smell quite right to me.

Yes, a referral or recommendation from a trusted source/friend is worth a million ads, but the key word in there is trust. Its got to be genuine to have any meaning.

So I add myself as a 'fan' of a particular brand and give them permission to market to my friends on facebook via my updates in the news feed. i don't see much revolutionary thinking in this, it's the same old intrusive model except now the individual is the advertising channel.

Trusted sources? Listen, its probably the 3 strikes rule if you start spamming me.
After all, for me anyway, a decent percentage of my 'friends' on facebook are fairly vague acquaintances whom I've connected with via this blog, their blogs, twitter or met at social or business events etc. I can just about tolerate the majority of zombie bites or sheep being thrown but I 'll draw the line at flogging stuff.
And to think, we all had a good laugh at get paid to twitter.

Its not the same as genuine referral because it's the advertiser controlling,
we trust our friends precisely because they do not spam us like this (and if they start they won't be 'friends' for too much longer methinks)

For a start, the early adopters where this is initially targeted at
will more than likely utilise the blocking mechanism ie opting out of social ads.

How will these brands sign up fans anyway? banners? ads? bribery?

Here's an idea. What if brands spent more time trying to make their products, services and (yikes) even their ADVERTISING so good and so cool that people genuinely want to rave about them?

And for Facebook theres the trust question too. Beware the fickle users of social platforms...

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.

Don't normally mix up work with this journal, just to keep things seperate but this project has been taking up most of my time for the last couple of weeks , hence not much blog action round here.

It's an interactive tv ad - viewers can txt numbers shown in the 'never ending' journey - for various freebies and offers from Orange - if they are inclined.

There's also secret stuff hidden in the interactive, have a play if you have Sky digital tv at home and see if you can figure it out.

All the models and animation are handmade and shot, by the way, in classic Tony Hart style (thats a ref for oldies who remember early 80s kids tv).