From Chris Brogan today:

“If projects have five major phases, I like the first two most. I’m just saying. My gratification delay mechanism stinks.”

That one made me laugh. Chris, I can relate.  ;D

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WALL-E scores. Pixar’s decade-long gamble pays off.

WALL-E is so good, I might have to pay to see it again on the big screen. (That very rarely happens.)

1. The first act of WALL-E is so photo-realistic (down to textures, tight depths of field, camera angles, slightly shaky zooming in and out and shadowing) the only thing that reminded me that I was watching CG effects was the cockroach. What an unbelievable technical achievement. Wow.
2. This is one of the best love stories in cinema history.
3. Somehow, the Pixar team managed to inject more human emotion, depth and life in a character that happens to be a) a complete computer graphics creation b) a robot, c) one without the capacity to speak or deliver any lines than any combination of writer, director and actor in Hollywood or elsewhere.
4. E.V.E. is pretty damn cool too.
5. This film is SOLID.

Even if you don’t like sci-fi, even if you don’t like CGI movies, even if you don’t know what WALL-E is, trust me on this: Grab a friend, your spouse, your kids, your parents – whomever – and go see it. It won’t change your life or anything, but there is no way you won’t fall in love with WALL-E, E.V.E. and even their little pet roach.

On my all time Top 10 as of this weekend.

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French Lagerfeld print ad/PSA rocks my world.

From the International Herald Tribune:

PARIS: Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, caught wearing something ugly?

Lagerfeld sports a fluorescent yellow reflective safety vest — along with his signature dark suit and sunglasses — in a new French road safety campaign. The caption reads, “It’s yellow, it’s ugly, it doesn’t go with anything, but it could save your life.”

The campaign was launched Wednesday. French drivers will soon be required to keep security vests and flashing red warning triangles in every car. Drivers will have to use the vest and triangle every time they pull over with an emergency, according to France’s road security division.

Fines of up to €135 ($209) will go into effect Oct. 1 as incentive for drivers to take Lagerfeld’s fashion advice.

This is the kind of advertising that rocks my world. Why? Because it’s clever, funny, impossible to ignore, and memorable.  Ergo: 100% effective. US agencies take note. This is how print advertising is done.

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Loic Lemeur, the value of social media to businesses, and the $6M tweet.

Incredible post about the power of social media over on loic lemeur’s blog.

Using the very tools that his latest startup is trying to bring to the forefront of social media evolution with Seesmic, Loic talks about how he seredipidously connected with and eventually partnered with Pierre Omidyar (Omidyar Partners) and Eric Archambeau of (Wellington Partners). Watch the video and give some thought to the possibilities in your world: Connecting with potential partners, clients, talent, venture capitalists… The sky is the limit.

Adhering to the “traditional” ways of doing business isn’t bad, but look at what can happen when you step out of your comfort zone and carve your own path.

Fortune rewards the bold.

And the clever.

And the early adopter with a sense of purpose.

Much of your success usually depends on your ability to connect with people that you really should be working with.

If you’re still trying to understand the ROI of creating a blog for your business… you probably need to seriously up your game.

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Zunebie: My ZUNE rises from the dead.

I have no explanation for it. Last night, it was dead. No pulse. Cold to the touch. Pupils unresponsive. It was 100% D.O.A. I tried to revive it using the most advanced scientific techniques, but nothing worked. I cried all night.

But when I got up this morning, it was alive again.

I don’t understand it. I’m happy about it, but I don’t understand it. It’s just… unnatural.

Let’s hope my ZUNE doesn’t try to bite me in the coming days. That would be bad.

I wonder… do iPods ever come back from the dead as well, or are zunes more prone to zombification?

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My ZUNE just died for no good reason.

Merde!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Brandgroovin’

Photo by Matt A.

If brands start with people, great brands start with great people. Not great in the sense that they are wealthy or successful or influencial (yet), but great in the sense that ego, self-righteousness and self-serving agendas aren’t part of the equation. Instead, these people are devoted to a cause. Infected with an idea. Motivated by success measured in other people’s smiles and excitement and ownership of the things they do for them.Need help getting into that kind of groove? Check out John Moore’s awesome post on Dan Sullivan’s Laws Of Lifetime Growth here. Not super recent, but timely.

I’m serious. Go check it out now. (No, not later, right now.) It’s that good. (Well… it’s really the ten laws that are good, but… same difference.)

What… you’re still here? Tsssk.

Technorati tags: service marketing, John Moore, Dan Sullivan, marketing.

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