Rules—made to be broken
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.
Money: that’s what I want
It takes a brave person to venture into publishing in this Internet
day and age. However, an even braver Julia Marshall went further than
that, and set up a niche publishing house for English versions of
foreign-sourced children’s books.
Her peers thought she
wouldn’t survive for long, in the small New Zealand market, but they
were wrong: Marshall’s Gecko Press is a roaring success that’s
attracting attention not just here, but overseas as well.
Read the success story about Marshall and Gecko Press in the current issue of Idealog, in print and on our website.
Do not pull that ad budget
Advertising
and marketing budgets don’t scream when you slash them as the recession
bites, but should they be the first victims of cost-cutting? Before you
decide that, take a look at this excellent Slideshare presentation.
http://www.slideshare.net/geertdesager/ads-on-edge-presentation
Bangle breaks with BMW
BMW’s legendary/maligned designer Chris Bangle resigned yesterday bringing out once again all the hate/love sentiment that started when he redesigned the 7 Series.
With its famous ‘Bangle Butt’ the new 7 enraged a certain type of Beamer geek, who actually began to petition BMW HQ to be rid of the 52-year-old American.
But love or loathe his work, even the critics reserved a special place for the Gina concept car, the first cloth covered auto.
IBM Business Insight: Innovating to cut costs
Flight Centre New Zealand is using the opportunity of a relocation to overhaul its telecommunications. Installing
a unified communications system in which voice and data share the same
network will help save the company 15 percent on its yearly phone bill. Read
the full case study on Flight Centre to find out how the new network
opens the way for big cost savings, or to subscribe to receive regular
email updates from IBM’s Business Insight, visit ibm.com/businessinsight.
Market swing
Haven’t yet bought the song-tastic Microsoft Songsmith? Following on from last week’s swing-a-long sing-a-long, here’s more Songsmith action. Heck, if it can make the Dow Jones Industrial Average sound upbeat, what can it do for you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-BZfFakpzc
Beetle bomb
From the ‘US Army science freaks me out’ file comes the remote-controlled beetle.
University of California scientists, funded by the US Army, can control
the flight of a beetle using impulses sent wirelessly to an implant on
the beetle’s back. Next up: locust storms brought to you by the
Glorified Sons of Jihad!
The world’s only secretary to a mouse
Behind every great executive is an even greater secretary. No, really: just read the story about ‘Clara Cluck’ or Carolyn Kay Shafer, secretary to Walt Disney.
Shafer
personally answered mail to Mr Mickey Mouse, maybe up to 30,000 letters
a month. Plus, she autographed her boss’s pictures. Think about that
for a while …
The third print dimension
Here’s something the lads at Ponoko might want to check out: the uPrint range of 3D desktop printers.
Yep, desktop 3D printers. You read it right. Priced around US$15k, we can imagine these little beauties becoming the dream designer gadget of ’09.
Job of the Week
Creative Head (P0490) 3D Technology • Team Leadership • Gaming Interest My client is a New Zealand-owned company that works in the area of 3D screen technology development and due to growth is seeking a Creative Head to lead its team of young designers and developers.
This is a hands-on role and you will be responsible for and proficient in concepting, story boarding, art directing and working through to implementation of artwork.
You will have a great portfolio of design and an understanding of moving image, you will be ready to commit to the role and entrench yourself as a crucial part of the leadership team.
If you are ready to move up to the next level and really take charge of a team that is moving forward in the 3D screen technology area—then this is the exciting and dynamic role you have been waiting for.
Contact Louise Lawton on 09 379-9303, or apply on our website.
Quiet effort rewards
Ahh … Flickr pix are such a great source of inspiration for casual creatives like Warlach.
Waitangi Day, chur
Friday is the day New Zealand rediscovers that in our unity, our diversity, as tangatawhenua.com puts it.
Last year, over 46,000 people gathered on the Treaty Grounds and this year, it could be even more as the build-up to Waitangi Day on Friday
started on Wednesday already, with Ray Woolf and Rodger Fox performing. Thursday sees Whirimako Black (soul, jazz and blues), and
1814 (Northland reggae). The Lady Killers finish Waitangi Day at 6.30pm
and there will also be performances by the Royal New Zealand Navy Band
and Kapa Haka Group.
Quote of the week
Margaret Mahy’s Swedish publisher said either she was an idiot, or it was a brilliant niche.
—An early opinion on how Julia Marshall’s Gecko Press publishing venture could have gone either way.
More at Idealog online
Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, creative directory, Idealog TV, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.
Juha Saarinen
Ideologue, Weekly
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