Virgin America's Preroll Advert : Creepy And A Little Amazing

'Skip Ad' tends to be clicked on Youtube.com as soon as the countdown ends. Most of us can't even sit through 6 seconds. So how about sitting through 6 hours?

Virgin America is finding out. 

Their new preroll advert is just under 6 hours long and actually intentionally boring in parts. San Francisco agency Eleven have released their unusual new campaign for the airline today with the strange film at the centrepiece. 

The film is set in real time and depicts the typically dull events of a 5 hour 45 minute flight from Newark to San Francisco. The strangest part is all the passengers are mannequins. 

When Virgin was asked about the unusual video they said that the mannequins are to show how boring the flying experience can be if not with Virgin (BLAH is the airline shown in the video and is meant to be seen as the complete polar opposite of Virgin). The seats are cramped, the lighting is harsh and their is no entertainment - the passengers are literally bored stiff. 

The message?
You'd have to be on autopilot to mentally survive anything but Virgin.

Virgin went on to say 'if you wouldn't sit through the entire film (the full 6 hours is almost mentally impossible) why would you pay money to experience it in real life?'. 

See how you fare by watching the film below. 

Sources : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsMZRl71Zo4 , http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-virgin-americas-6-hour-preroll-ad-creepy-warholian-and-sort-brilliant-160775

Solarbox

The red phone boxes of London are as iconic as the red buses but since mobile phones became commonplace they have been more of a tourist attraction than anything else.

Solarbox plans on changing this.

Created was created by two former students of the London school of Economics, Harold Craston and Kirsty Kenny, the Solarbox is a solar powered charging booth inside the iconic phone booth design. 

The first box has been set up in London's Tottenham Court road so should be useful in the busy shopping district. Though the user has to have adverts playing whilst the phone is being charged, it's free for anyone to go in and juice up their phone. 

Other ideas for recycling the neglected phone boxes are already in use; some have been made into mini libraries, some are now used to stock medical equipment and New York has started on plans to turn thousands into wifi hotspots. 

There are plans to have 6 more Solarboxes pop up over the capital.

source : http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/londons-red-phone-boxes-go-green-are-converted-into-solarpowered-phone-chargers-9770474.html 

IPhone Animation

Brunettes Shoot Blondes new song 'Knock Knock' has caught thousands of eyes this week for the interesting video they have created for it. 

The video focuses on a romance between silhouettes of a woman and what appears to be a rabbit. The rabbit follows the woman through 14 screens trying to get her attention as she moves ahead of him.

The video is very simple and obviously just filmed in an office, but the creativity and the idea makes it definitely deserving of our attention.

Source : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC_0NzJ2mWA 

Look Familiar?

Hershey revealed its new logo today to very unexpected reviews. What was intended to just be an updated version of a classic Hershey's kiss image has had many wondering what Hershey are really trying to say about their chocolate.

If you think this logo looks a little too similar to the smiling poo emoji, you would be joining the hundreds of other people in their reaction to the reveal. 

The re-branding of this world famous chocolate company has been in the making for the last year and, though the new typeface is a brilliant face lift for company, looking at the logo design it's a little difficult to see where exactly the time was spent.

Senior vice president and chief growth and marketing officer for Hershey, Mike Wage, said that the new design is intended to show how Hershey is making a "progression to a modern, innovative company".

The designers, a team led by Ron Burrage along with goDutch and Alexander Design Associates, wanted to simplify the logo by removing the dated silver wrapper on the Hershey's kiss. This simple change has led to the logo far more resembling a steaming pile of faeces than a 'kiss'.

It is hoped the new logo will be on all of the company's outlets by the beginning of 2015.

A Bucket Of Remains

The Ice bucket challenge is everywhere. Celebrities from Victoria secret models to politicians to novelists. But one group is missing and for a very good reason.

The conflict in Gaza continues every day and, though I don't want to get into a political debate with anyone about who's right or wrong, it is time people really thought about what the people of Gaza have to suffer each day. 

Palestine is suffering from a serious water shortage and the rubble that was once the Gaza strip is only adding to the problem. The little water they had is now too dirty to drink safely. So it's no wonder that the ice bucket challenge isn't too popular there. 

Team Palestina, a youtube.com page, have posted this video with a very simple message. They don't ask for money. They don't ask for people to copy the challenge in their name. They just ask for people to acknowledge the day to day suffering of the people who live there. 

Sources: youtube.com 

Plantable Paper

Wouldn't it be lovely if you knew that using paper was actually helping the environment?

 Well Eden's Paper (http://www.edenspaper.com/) might just make you jump for joy. This amazing company has created a range of papers that actually have seeds inside each piece so that when you're done using the paper, you can actually grow whichever crop you want. 

Though we all try to recycle at least sometimes, it's always nice to have a little help. Products use symbols to show which part of the packaging is recyclable and some companies actually give you money back if you remember to recycle. But we could all do better. In 2012 it was recorded that enough wrapping paper was used and thrown away at Christmas to wrap around the entire globe 9 times! 

Eden paper is designed to combat this problem. The paper is patterned with a design to match the vegetable/fruit seeds inside so all the paper is actually strangely attractive and of course the picture helps you remember what you are supposed to be growing. The paper layers tissue with seeds so that the entire thing is biodegradable and you get a little something back. It's like an extra little gift. 

The paper is a little expensive at £4.99 but, considering the science behind it and the possibility of having crops for several months, its not too bad. This paper is an amazingly creative idea and is available on the market now. 

sources : http://www.edenspaper.com/  

Nail Varnish To Fight Date Rape Drugs?

If you've ever had a drink in a club or busy bar then you might be interested to know there is a new way to ensure you never need to worry about who's been near you're glass again. 

How? I hear you cry. 

A new clear nail varnish with the ability to test for date-rape drugs has been developed by a small team of science students at an American university. Simply dip a polished finger into your drink to test; if the nail varnish changes colour don't drink it. Simple. 

This product is the latest in products designed to sense if your drink has been 'spiked'. Products involve a glass that changes colour, lip glosses which change colour on contact are available and others are being developed.

Such a simple and discreet solution to a rapidly growing problem. It's a shame that products like this are needed in our supposedly 'civilised' society but the harsh truth is that it couldn't be brought to market quick enough.

Date rape drugs are now a very serious wide-spread problem. In the United States there is a rape every 2 minutes and according to a 2010 Department of Justice report, women between the ages 16 and 24 are 4 times more likely to experience rape than women in other age groups. 

Though this is a problem faced in many countries, the UK and other European countries have thousands of reported cases each year, across America the problem is only getting worse. Collage is slowly becoming a terrifying and threatening place for female students instead of the exciting and accepting place it should be. 

The precise date of release for the nail varnish is still unsure but there are assurances it will be available soon so until then we should all keep an eye on our drink and cover the tops of our bottles/glasses when out. 

Sources : thedailymeal.com , thefeministwire.com

Lord Richard Attenborough Dies At 90

Today it has been announced that Lord Richard Attenborough, actor and brother of renowned nature reporter, has passed away at 90. Around the world people have, like with the recent and shocking passing of Robin Williams, expressed their sadness at his death. Many of us grew up watching the late great Richard Attenborough and now it will be hard to watch the films from their childhood without being upset.

As an actor Attenborough was perhaps best known for Brighton Rock, The Great Escape and other classics such as Miracle On 34th St. and the Jurassic Park series. He acted in 78 roles in total.
As the director of Ghandi he received 2 well earned Oscars to add to his collection of a further 29 award wins. IMDB.com credits him as director for 13 features.

Ben Kingsley is reported to have said the words everyone is feeling : "We will miss him dearly". 

Sources: IMDB.com, http://www.timclarke.com/

Pearlfisher R&B inspiration

‘Rich, sensual, bold and charismatic’. That's how the packaging and branding designers at Pearlfisher have described their new packaging designs for Legit Organics. 

With a sleek black and gold colour pallet, the designs look modern and the R&B design influence is clear. 

Pearlfisher has been behind several new packaging designs in recent years, most famously the new designs for Cadbury chocolate and Snog frozen yogurt. 

Images sourced from Pearlfisher.com

The Real ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS bucket challenge has recently taken over seemingly every media outlet, from minute long videos on Instagram to videos of ex-president Bush Jr being spread worldwide in just a few hours. It's everywhere.

Celebrity participation in the campaign has been incredible for awareness levels however concerns have been expressed that the focus has been taken away from the true meaning of the campaign.

But whilst thousands have taken part in all three stages (nomination, completion, donation), many have admitted to not knowing what ALS is. 

ALS stands for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Symptoms for this disease include loss of limb control, loss of ability to speak and loss of throat muscle control. Famous cases included world renowned scientist Stephen Hawking. 

Below is a video posted by Anthony Carbajal to youtube.com designed to promote the ALS Ice bucket challenge by showing the harsh reality.