Creative Ideas, Food Replicators and 3-D Printing

Call me .....   "Late to the Picnic."  I really can't believe my eyes sometimes.  Advancements in technology continue to surprise, engage, and impress me.  And remember, I'm supposed to be a forward thinker.  The latest piece of technology to WOW me is an item that's actually been around for a few years.  The 3D Printer.  Now many of you are quite familiar with 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, and you surely have a great understanding of the potential of these devices and technology.  Others of you are wondering..  "What's with all of the hype? My inkjet printer works fine.  Why would I even consider an upgrade?  Cartridges cost too much already."

So here's the deal...    I have always been a fan of the series  Star Trek (all versions).  I wouldn't exactly consider myself a "Trekkie" but I do like the concept and franchise.  Over the years, many things have captured my attention from the show but at the top of my list  are two items I've always longed especially for:

The "Holodeck" and the "Replicator."

In short, the Holodeck is a simulated reality area where crew members could venture to explore and experience practically any virtual reality experience imaginable.  Imagine walking into this virtual recreational paradise and saying "Make me the Captain of a Pirate ship." You then spend the next few days Pirating, pillaging, swash buckling, and yelling Argh!  You get the drift.

The Replicator, also referred to as the "Food Replicator" was a device used to build or create virtually anything you wanted.  Usually a food related item.  See below...

 

So advance now to the year 2014 and the modern day version of what could have been considered to be only science fiction fantasy.  Arrive at a time when human body organs are being printed from the patient's own cells,  guns and aerospace equipment are being constructed  to meet very specific standards, and an practically an entire motor vehicle (Urbee 2),  all are being produced utilizing  3D printers and CAD technology.  

Wow.  This is crazy.  I've got to get one of the printers in my office.  In the meantime, can someone print me up some BBQ Ribs, French Fries, and a Very Cold Beer?

And after that, Please fix me up with the perfect sunset and a soft pillow!

Want more?  See - Nursing homes in Germany serve up 3D printed food.

Or -  3D printing Food, helmets and more at CES 2014

Thinking ahead -  How much does the ink cost?  Is this a good investment?

Creative Ads! Clean Bottle Shows us Guts and Glory!

One thing I hate more than just about anything is trying to clean the bottom of some glasses and bottles. My hands are sometimes too big to get to the bottom. I've tried brushes and sponges with handles but it's still very challenging.

So guess what? Someone came up with the obvious solution!

I just had to post about this....

Not only is this just a great idea.... A removable bottom that you can clean thoroughly.... But I love the creative approach to advertising and branding this product. (How did they film this clip?)

Personally, I think the price point might be a tad bit high but I love the concept!

See more at: www.cleanbottle.com

Good luck guys!

Excuse me sir, do you have the time? Creative minds strike again!

A few years back, I was standing on a street corner waiting for the traffic light to change when a young kid approached me on a skateboard.

"Excuse me sir, do you have the time?"

I wanted to look at the kid and say... "Yes, It's time for you to invest in a watch you little brat!"

But instead, I glanced down at my watch and said:

"Yes, it's 3:05."

The kid looked at me and said...

"Oh $h!T, my Mom's gonna be pissed. I'm late again!"

I thought to myself- Kids today! They all have cell phones. But none of them seem to wear watches. I guess this is the sign of the ever-changing times. Kids without watches. When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to get a watch. My parents made me promise that I'd take care of it 15 times before they bought me one. It was a Timex. I got it for Christmas one year. It had a cheap vinyl band that I broke in the first week. It was about three weeks before we could find a good replacement for the band so I carried the watch around in my pocket in the interim. But that was years ago and I've had many watches since then...... (smile)

Fast forward until today, when I was sitting in the waiting area of a local business establishment patiently awaiting my turn and paging through a magazine.....

I came across this great photo:

Arben Bajraktaraj by Technomarine

I'll admit, I laughed out loud. The silliness of this photo really struck me. Imagine walking around town like this...

"Eye just don't know where the time has gone"

But it sure feels good to post again.

Here's to Nicolas Guerin and TechnoMarine for putting together something wickedly attractive and slightly sinister in their new watch ads. You know me, I'm a sucker for a creative ad.

See more of Nicolas Guerin by following this link: click here.

More Crazy Commercials

Let Go of my Wiener schnitzel!

Creative Card Tricks!

You look like you could use a break from the grind!

Watch this guy....

James Galea at The 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala for Oxfam Australia.


He's good!

Lady Gaga speaks on "Creative Energy"

If you google "Creative Energy" you'll be led to a variety of sites. And if you follow the links from there, one link will take you to the "premier Hot Spring Spa and Avalon Stove dealer for the entire San Francisco Bay Area!" Another will lead you an advertising, marketing, and public relations firm. Still another takes you to the "creator of the most energy efficient Roman shade."


But if you Google Lady Gaga about Creative Energy .....

(Don't you just love the way that sounds?)

You get an entirely different answer. Just ask Vanity Fair!

Photograph by Nick Knight.

I'd like to point you in the direction of a Vanity Fair interview by Lisa Robinson in which the Lady Gaga discusses the subject of "Creative Energy."

Lady Gaga tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Lisa Robinson that she tries to avoid having sex because she is afraid of depleting her creative energy—“I have this weird thing that if I sleep with someone they’re going to take my creativity from me through my vagina.”



She also says that she doesn’t trust anybody and doesn’t know if she ever will. Gaga tells Robinson, “I’m perpetually lonely. I’m lonely when I’m in relationships. It’s my condition as an artist.” Regarding men, she says, “I’m drawn to bad romances. And my song [“Bad Romance”] is about whether I go after those [sort of relationships] or if they find me. I’m quite celibate now; I don’t really get time to meet anyone.” see the entire article: click here



Lady Gaga goes on to discuss her drug use, her appearance at a Yankees game and what she wore to her sister's graduation.

I'm enlightened. And further, I now know the truth behind her song "Bad Romance."

check out the video:

Just Imagine....

Imagine one day you're at sea, sailing... sailing ... sailing.... away.

Life is pleasant and peaceful. Picture yourself parked on something like this:

There's lots of activity around you. All the people are laughing and having fun.

The next thing you know you're no longer sailing. In a millisecond, all that you had in front of you has vanished.... You're now holding on frantically to the only thing in sight - a small piece of driftwood; the only remnant of the posh life you left behind you hours ago.

You look around in all directions but there's no one or nothing in sight.

You look to the North.....


Here's your view:

You look to the South, here's what you see:

The East and the West yield similar views.

You focus on the horizon and hope for the best. Your mind starts to make a mental note of the rhythm of the waves as you stare and imagine each speck is not merely a figment of your imagination but actually a ship coming to rescue you from impending doom......

A few days ago, I parked myself in front of the above view for a few hours. Partnered with a good book, some water and shade I felt that I had truly found paradise. I felt so relaxed. Too relaxed if you will.



Never one to be encumbered by routine.... I think I relaxed myself into a state of confusion. I stopped at one point and actually drifted into fantasy. I wondered..... what would it be like to be stranded at sea. Nothing around me for miles. No telephones, traffic, loud music, or television. Not even the simple familiar pattern of speech to occupy my attention. Nothing but the sound of the water and the wind blowing over my head. The pain from the sun baking my exposed skin is interrupted by the occasional relief of a bird flying by and blocking the suns' powerful rays, if only for a second. The monotony is broken only when I stop thinking about the threat from above and focus on the predators below the surface of the water. I realize that the bleeding scrape on my shin is more than just a stinging reminder of the salt water around me but a crimson invitation to deadly creatures in all directions. My fear of what lies beneath the surface of the water takes a second place to the fact that there's no water to drink and no one around to share my misery and desperation. Every minute that passes brings me a flash memory of loved ones, friends, family, and the simple comforts that I've grown accustomed to. I struggle to stay afloat.... my arms and legs tire but I keep kicking and paddling.... never giving up hope!



Yikes... Enough of this nightmare.

Time for some coffee and a muffin!



And back to the good life!

Have a beautiful Day!

Do make the best of it!

Creative Ideas! SSI Shredding Systems

The other day my paper shredder jammed. I was trying to figure out if I should repair it or buy a new one.

I came across this while surfing the web:

SSI Shredding Systems...

SSI designs, manufactures and supports industrial shredders and size reduction solutions for a wide array of applications from alternative fuels processing to tire shredders.




How do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time.

How do you eat a Volkswagon? Watch This!




Fascinating!


So if you're looking for a quick way to get rid of some of the extra junk around your house, Maybe you should consider buying one of these gigantic shredders and keeping it in your back yard. Just think, your neighbors will love you!

Who said bigger isn't better?

Creative Ads! Etrade does it again

If you watched the Super Bowl, you probably saw my little friends.

The Boys are back in town! Try not to laugh.....







You know I'm a big fan of these guys! Dad? Dad?

Creative Minds strike again! Elin Woods goes a clubbin'

When a picture is worth 1000 words.

Or several hundred million dollars in endorsements!

Okay, some of you got it right away. Yet, some of you really had to think about it and look at the photo over and over before it made sense. You probably asked yourself: Why is that lady chasing that mascot with a sand wedge? "Oh, wait a second! I get it!" Then the laugh......

So is that what you'll say the next time you see a Gillette Ad, or Nike commercial without Tiger Woods in it? - "Now I Get It" - Will you stop drinking Gatorade because Tiger endorsed it and now he seems to be out of public favor? What about you Buick drivers? Will you turn your car in for a different make?

I find this whole Tiger Woods event fascinating. Frankly, it's kinda been background noise in my life for the past few weeks. I've been so preoccupied (once again) with the trivial happenings in my life that I haven't really thought much about it. Sure, I've had the occasional laugh and joke, but today, I actually took a minute or two and reflected on his situation. I know it was over a minute because I looked down at my watch and noticed the second hand sweeping along the black background through at least two rotations. Don't be alarmed, I don't plan to delve deeply into the psychological or social implications of the event but I'll briefly share my thoughts with you.

I'm not sure I've ever purchased or used a product just because Tiger Woods endorsed it per se. Partial exception - I think Nike makes some cool stuff, and I'll concede that Tiger has helped to perpetuate and universalize the brand. I won't discount his effect on the branding of Nike and my subsequent purchase of Nike products. You can bet that I'll keep wearing and buying Nike stuff as long as it looks good and plays well. I am certain, however, that I've never relied on Tiger Woods to calibrate my moral compass. My successes and failures, like most people, have been independent of Tiger. I've viewed him as a Guy who takes no prisoners on the golf course. He's passionate about the game of golf and he's great at it. He wins and he does it in an exciting and convincing fashion. He takes a pretty boring spectator sport and infuses it with excitement. It was a bonus that he seemed to be socially conscious and a good role model. It's tragic that Tiger and Elin will now have to deal with issues of trust in order for their relationship to survive. Elin will have to believe that Tiger will no longer be unfaithful, and Tiger will have to believe that Elin won't club him to death while he's sleeping. Both difficult issues to overcome.

All this aside and at the end of the day, If Tiger comes back and kicks butt on the golf course, people will watch him and pull for him. Sure, he'll lose a couple of fans here and there because of his infidelity. But sports fans care about winning! People will look elsewhere for moral guidance and role models. Tiger has fallen off of that pedestal and will be viewed primarily as a sports figure. Should he get his head together and win some big tournaments again, the endorsements will follow!

As for me, I'm keeping my Tag Heuer Watch. Not because Tiger endorsed it or wears one. But because it's a great watch and it looks good!

That's just the way it is!

Creative Ads - Beer Goggles!

This one is short and cute!

Beer goggles" is a slang term for a phenomenon in which consumption of alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions to the point that very little or no discretion is used when approaching or choosing sexual partners.

Boys will be boys!

Creative Education - The Electric Company - Spidey

Since we're talking about the friendly neighborhood web-slinger.....


The Electric Company really made the most of this character. Marvel Comics provided the Spiderman character to Children's Television Workshop/PBS free of charge.





Here's a longer clip. See if you can pick out a very young Morgan Freeman.

Creative Minds! Hitler Finds Out Governor Palin Resigned

I know Sarah Palin resigned from office a few months ago, but I just saw this video and I howled! So After my "Sarah Palin and Tina Fey - Life Just Isn't Fair" post, I couldn't resist sharing this.......




Someone really has a whacked out sense of humor. But I like it!

Creative Ads! See U2 In Concert.....

U2’s performing in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl this weekend; Sunday, October 25th, 2009. Tickets are selling fast. You know it's going to be a great show. The Rose Bowl stadium is the proud home of the Tournament of Roses Football Game and UCLA Bruin Football. It's a National Historic Landmark that was built in 1922 and is also known for hosting five NFL Super Bowl Games, and the 1984 Olympic Soccer Matches. This has the makings of a tremendous performance. So get your tickets to see U2 before they sell out.....

But if you can't make it - Guess what?

Someone has come up with the great idea of streaming the concert live on YouTube.

Watch This:





Did you see the creative advertising?

First Global Concert Webcast on "U2ube"

Nice going guys!

The link for the concert is:

http://www.youtube.com/u2 October 25, 2009 - 8:30 PM (Pacific Time)




But here's the kicker!

Unfortunately, the concert is not available in some territories. Only YouTube users in the US, UK, France, Canada, Italy, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Mexico, India, Israel, South Korea, and the Netherlands will be able to see the live performance.

Unless of course, you're really - really - Creative!

Creative Commercials..... Lebron James doing Kid N Play!

Wait a second, I happened to catch a State Farm insurance commercial and I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought I saw Lebron James holding a Kid N Play CD in his hand and then I saw him doing the um....... Kid N Play Dance???

I had to investigate further. Was it a subliminally suggested idea or what?

Thanks to YouTube and the power of the pause button, I was able to find the commercial and correctly identify Lebron James in a commercial holding the aforementioned CD. The rest I'll leave for your viewing pleasure.






Lebron, few will question your moves on the basketball court. I'll even give you credit for looking pretty intimidating in a football uniform and concede that you'd be tough to stop as a runner or a receiver. But I don't quite get the dance act on your State Farm commercial. Don't get me wrong, you move okay. Maybe I just missed something. Your dancing didn't make me want to run out and switch my insurance to State Farm.

Let's leave the dancing to Kid N Play......





Now those guys can dance!


If you're not familiar with Kid N Play; Kid 'n Play was a hip-hop and comedy duo from New York City that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin made up the duo.


Kid and Play amicably split in 1995. Reid continued acting, guest starring in a number of television sitcoms, most notably Sister, Sister, and hosting shows such as It's Showtime at the Apollo and Your Big Break. Martin became a born-again Christian, and devoted his time to working on Christian-based hip-hop music projects. He eventually took his industry experience and founded HP4Digital Works, a multimedia company that provides pre- and post-production for film, digital, and live theater productions. Check them out at: Kidnplay.com

Creative Ads.... Remember this one?

I just happened to run across this ad a few days ago and the message continues to resonate. I must admit, it made me stop and think for a moment. In my thinking I concluded that I was a victim of this conditioning, rationalization, and subliminal brain-washing.



Not that I always spend the extra money when I should but I usually can't keep from calculating the risk of not spending the extra money and buying the more expensive product.

This ad was produced for Fram products. Fram, characterized by their bright orange coloring and black letters produced several types of automotive products but they were primarily known for their oil filters. The message in the ad "You can pay me now, or pay me later" clearly stated that you could spend a few extra dollars and buy a quality oil filter and prolong the life of your car's engine. Or you could buy a cheaper, non-Fram, product and change your oil less frequently which would yield untimely damaged to your engine resulting in expensive repairs or replacement costs.

The end result..... I'm constantly doing the mental math.

(assume I buy a new computer)

Do I spend a few extra bucks and buy the warranty coverage or pay the huge repair bill in 4 months when it breaks?

(assume my breaks are squeaking on my car)

Do I take it in now and replace the pads or wait a few months and then have to do a complete rotor job for 3 times the money?

You get my message don't you?

The funny thing, I don't think I purposely bought Fram products thinking that they would ward off costly repair bills. But I'm sure I've purchased some other "more expensive" product assuming the quality would save me money in the future.


I wonder how much money I've saved over the years!

I wonder if I should sue Fram for mental trauma!

More Creative Commercials

Creatively Cute.



No, he didn't just call that guy a Shankapotomus did he? That kid is also cleverly cute. A nice advertising campaign by E-Trade!




"Skins Beat-Down! Read the Rules Shankapotomus!"

I like his style!

Creative Minds- The First Toy Advertised on Television

What was the first toy to be advertised on television?

Slinky? Silly Puddy? Barbie? G.I. Joe? Red Rider B.B. Gun? Radio Flyer Wagon?

What do you think?

Here's some mindless trivia!

On April 30, 1952, Mr. Potato Head was the first toy advertised on television. This was well before I was born and many years before my family even owned a color television set. Yet I still remember receiving my first Mr. Potato Head as a gift. It was a birthday present and I was a bit confused. What on earth would I do with a potato head? It couldn't fight; or catch or even kick a ball. Pretty useless I thought..... Nonetheless, I was thrilled to receive the gift. And I spent hours entertaining myself with the funny looking potato dude.

Today when I learned about Mr. Potato Head's birthday I decided to do some research. Per Wikipedia.com:

Mr. Potato Head was born on May 1, 1952. The original toy cost $.98, and contained hands, feet, ears, two mouths, two pairs of eyes, four noses, three hats, eyeglasses, a pipe, and 8 felt pieces resembling facial hair. The Original Mr. Potato Head kit did not come with a "Potato Body," so parents had to supply their own potatoes for face-changing fun. His debut into the toy scene sent him straight to the top, becoming the first toy to ever be advertised on television.

Original Mr. Potato Head Box set

Over one million kits were sold in the first year. (Not a bad year huh?) In 1953, Mrs. Potato Head was added, and soon after, Brother Spud and Sister Yam (Sister Yam?? You think I'm kidding?) completed the Potato Head family with accessories reflecting the affluence of the fifties that included a car, a boat trailer, a kitchen set, a stroller, and pets called Spud-ettes. Although originally produced as separate plastic parts to be stuck into a real potato or other vegetable, a plastic potato was added to the kit in 1964.

So there you have it. You can still walk into a toy store today and buy a Mr. Potato Head. In an age of interactive technical gaming and so much virtual stimulation, I wonder if there's still a market for such basic toys. Do young kids today still play with Potato Heads? Maybe adults are reliving childhood fantasies. I suppose If you're too embarrassed to be seen buying a spud toy, you can order one of the many different kits on-line and have it secretly delivered to you where you can play dress up in the privacy of your own home.

Have fun: http://www.hasbro.com/playskool/mrpotatohead/default.cfm?page=browse

At the time, it was a very creative idea!

Creative Advertising!

Keeping you Young!





Take your vitamins!

More Creative Advertising

Clever thinking indeed!

And some pretty good acting from Mister Monkey too!