Gu Ge : Google's Valley Song for China

Google's hotly debated launch in China comes via a sweet sounding brand name Gu Ge - literal translation = "Valley Song". Very well crafted we must admit.

Check out their new Gu Ge online brand advertisement.

The Five Friendlies - Official Beijing '08 Olympics Mascots

"Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals--the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame."

More on Beijing 2008 Olympic website

Coca-Sek: The "Real Thing" from Columbia

"Indians in a remote mountain village in southern Colombia are marketing a particularly refreshing soft drink "Coca-Sek" that harks back to Coca-Cola's original formula, when "coca" was in the name for a reason. Advertising posters here describe the carbonated, citrus-flavored Coca-Sek as "more than an energizer" — a buzz that just might be provided by a key ingredient, a syrup produced by boiling coca leaves...."

More on : Los Angeles Times

Bollywood Beefcake flys over Shenton Way

Krrish is the upcoming Bollywood Superhero movie starring beefy-bicepy Hrithik Roshan and shot entirely on location recently in 'Uniquely Singapore'.

Check out the teaser trailer on krrishthemovie.com to see Hrithik's biceps and his 'Neo' outfit and flight across our very own sleepy Shenton Way.

Wonder if he stopped by Lau Pa Sat for some satay on his way.

The Da Vinci Code on Copyright

The high profile 'Da Vinci Code' court case where Author Dan Brown was charged with copyright theft when he wrote his controversial and mega-selling book has ended. The High Court has rejected claims that Dan Brown ripped off The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.

Here are some information from the case on BBC.Com that is relevant to all writers, designers, thinkers, creators and idea generators.

"Since there is no copyright in an idea, any claim for breach of copyright must rest on the way that the idea is expressed. In this case, it was described as the "architecture" or "structure" of the work, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works enjoy protection for original work if they can establish " a degree of labour, skill or judgement" in producing it.

That formula is crucial. The courts have denied protection to certain works, including some advertising slogans.

Dan Brown did use the previous book to write certain parts of his thriller, the judge decided, but did not substantially copy their work. A novelist must be free to "draw appropriately" from historical works without facing a court and having his integrity called into question, he said.

Once a work has been created, it will automatically be protected by copyright. No formal steps, such as registering it, need to be taken. Copyright in a literary work generally lasts for 70 years after the last remaining author of the work dies."

Read more on source : BBC.Com

Thousands Of Design Resources

DesignEducation.ca - Great initiative!

"An exhaustive compendium of the best Design resources available on the Web. The project is based on the founder's teaching philosophy: to share everything that he knows with the community. 2006 represents 10 years of research activities performed by the founder and the project celebrates this milestone."

Tang On Shanghai Tang

Original Source : CNN.Com

"Shanghai Tang is a Chinese label that set out to rejuvenate Chinese fashion which had effectively come to a stop in China," says founder David Tang. "Never describe it as 'East-meets-West' because it's not, it's Chinese," he says. "Many people make that mistake." (including the Shanghai Tang web site).

"We make traditional Chinese clothes and we modernize them," he says.

Tang says the success of Shanghai Tang is owed to finding a business market niche.

"I started this business 12 years ago and am surprised that there isn't more competition. We have had a head start of 10 years," says Tang. " It seems illogical. Everything Chinese has become so popular."

The Little Red Book of Branding

While most Chinese companies have yet to gain global visibility, within the People's Republic, homegrown brands are becoming a source of pride and a badge of the country's emerging self-confidence.

"Five years ago, the top-10 brands in China were American," says Kevin Swanepoel, marketing and interactive director of the One Club, the international organization of advertising pros. "This year, the only American brand in the top 5 was Coke."

From Fast Company Magazine Issue 102

Apple's Holy Grail - Windows XP

In pursuit of Immortality and world domination, Apple has just released a software called "Boot Camp" that allows their new Intel-based computers to run Windows XP. Boot Camp is in beta, expiring around September this year, but will resurge as part of Mac OSX V10.5 code-named "Leopard". Leopard is due to be announced and released around the same time as Window's new Vista system. Who needs Tom Cruise for war of the worlds? Or Indiana Jones for the holy grail when we got Steve Jobs...

Will the sun finally shine through the window for Apple? Will Vista out-welcome it's visa? Will Leopard boot Vista out of camp? Will Leopard and Vista visa-versa? Will I stop with the questions already? Yes, please.

Lock. Load. And booooooot...

ConverseGallery.com

"Create your own Converse video commercial that celebrates the spirit of Converse and the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe. Show the shoe or not - its up to you."

Another example of very trendy "User-generated/Write-Your-Own Advertising".

Movie Downloads Now Legit!

Well, in US, for now at least. Six Major Hollywood Studios have finally bitten the bullet to distribute and sell films over the internet (the same day dvds are released). Buyers can purchase titles, download and watch forever, but only on their computers. However, as with all new technology, format and distribution (like the vhs), the porn industry goes one step further, leading the way. Major erotic label "Vivid" have also announced internet availability of their titles. Buyers, in this case, can download and copy once to a dvd to watch the films in its full glory on their tv sets. One can rest assure that the studios will soon follow suit due to proven sex-driven demand.

This is a significant moment in film and media distribution history - long resisted for fear of making obsolete the lucrative dvd market.

Banking On The Creative Industries In Asia

Standard Chartered Bank recently announced its Hong Kong-based Creative Industries team specialising in tailoring commercial banking solution for the media, entertainment and advertising industries. This will make them one of the first banks in Asia to provide film and TV financing, adapting from the current models used in the USA and UK.

This announcement can only be a good step towards finally validating media and entertainment as worthy additions to investment portfolios in conservative Asia.

Visit the Standard Chartered Creative Industries website for more information.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself

Founded in February 2005, YouTube allows people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. With tonnes of free videos online, YouTube is fast becoming the rich media destination on the web.

Check it out! Tonnes of stuff to watch and enjoy including the faaaantastic iRide, oops, beg your pardon, iGallop TV Commercial that aroused sleepy Singapore.

Go on. Do it. Broadcast Yourself!

The 6 Patron Saints Of Graphic Design

Lynnster's novel and witty self promotion...

Saint Anxiete: Matyr. Patron of Impossible Deadlines and foamy coffee. Her Latin name means "She who ought to take up yoga."

30 pivotal moments in Apple's history

For the true Apple fans...

Highlights—and lowlights—from the company’s history, picked by Apple Confidential 2.0 author Owen W. Linzmayer from Apple’s 30 years of existence. (available for your readership on Macworld.com)

Kekexili

A truly beautiful film - Mountain Patrol: Kekexili - inspired by a people's remarkable mission surrounding the illegal Tibetan antelope poaching in the region of Kekexili, the largest animal reserve in China.

Check it out on the Official National Geographic website.

Semi-Permanent Sydney06

Semi-Permanent06
Sydney, 7&8 July

"Semi-Permanent is a bunch of different projects all joined together, but our main focus is the conference. It consists of two days (one in Auckland) of presentations from highly talented creatives from all around the world. They come from all areas of 'design', including graphic design, film making, visual effects, motion graphics, animation, street art, illustration, photography, fine art and much much more. The presentations are educational and highly inspirational."

Organised by Design Is Kinky. (It sure is)

Japan launches digital TV on cellphones

Japan on Saturday began to watch digital television broadcasts on mobile telephones, in a highly anticipated service that could lead to a new genre of TV programs. Handsets have been on the market in Japan for several weeks that are equipped with the service, which can also broadcast programs onto laptop computers, high-end video-game machines and other terminals.

Mobility, Babe, that's where the mojo is heading these days.

TV/Film Vs Internet, Henry Rollins, Designing for Global/Local Social Play and others

Collection of videos from the recent South by Southwest 2006 Film, Interactive and Music Conferences & Festivals in Austin, USA featuring panels, interviews, film premieres and band showcases. Some pretty neat and relevant footage and keynotes for consumption. Check it out.