Express v's Innocence

I recently went to Pizza Express to grab something to eat before going to the cinema, as I entered the restaurant I began to feel a little confused as the name no longer matches the style. I was expecting a quick easy fast-food style restaurant (much like Pizza Hut) however it has been refurbished to look more up market and contemporary. This is not a bad thing of course, but I got the impression that they were trying too hard to be something they're not. Sometimes you need somewhere you can just pop into to get something to eat without feeling that you need to be wearing your Sunday best! I got over the initial shock of my surroundings only to be more bemused by the menu. This has also been revamped, and is supposed to conjure up thoughts of Rome. Again I felt that I was being cheated into thinking something that the restaurant didn't actually live up to. For example there were only two traditional Italian style pizzas on the menu- they made a point of saying that these two pizzas were cooked in a particularly Italian fashion. (Thus implying that the others were typically English counterparts.)

The reason behind the title of this blog is that the menu and new attitude of pizza express is trying to go down the route of an honest approach with humour thrown in to keep people interested. Much like Innocence juice. However you just feel that it is so forced you can't believe that they really believe in what they have written.

For example in the passage above (featured on the menu) they suggests that their 'new menu comes from Rome. Not the Rome from postcards, but the real Rome.' They then go onto say that they have two 'Romana' pizzas on the menu - surely this doesn't justify initially saying that the whole menu is inspired by Rome. This passage is on a double page spread the facing page has a very 'touristy' picture of people enjoying themselves in Rome- not a gritty image of a true Italian going about their day to day business, as you may expect to see after such an 'honest' spiel. The whole place, including the menu contradicts itself. Unlike the innocent approach of the juice company. You just don't believe what they are saying. Even the typeface that they have used on the menu is unconvincing, it is very ridged, justified text that just doesn't fit with what they are trying to say to the consumer. They make bold statements such as 'Rome is Brash' but these are written in an odd typeface that bares no relation to anything else on the menu.

When I left Pizza Express I felt cheated. The food was fine, but the service was slow - not reflecting their name. I wanted a quick bite to eat, that was easy with no frills. They have obviously tried to go down the innocence approach to marketing but it just doesn't seem truthful. You really get the feeling that they are trying too hard to be something that they are not.

Gouranga

When I first went to Leeds I was puzzled by the appearance of 'Gouranga' on the M1 motorway bridges, I originally thought it might be advertising for a nightclub as there are flyer's and posters all around leeds for events etc, however I have done some investigating and apparently this is the reason for the repeated use of the word is as follows:

'Gauranga (Gouranga) was a nickname of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a monk in India who 500 years ago founded the branch of Hinduism that during the 20th century was brought to the west by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the "Hare Krishna" sect).
Years ago the name Gouranga appeared on motorway bridges in the North of England and on various stickers, causing people to wonder what it was all about. It has been rumoured that the Scottish branch of ISKCON has been trying to spread the name of their spiritual ancestor through a guerilla-type campaign.' (http://www.joewein.de/sw/spam-neateye-gouranga.htm)

As I researched more into the subject of 'Gouranga' it appears that 10 years ago in Scotland everywhere was plastered in posters saying 'Gouranga' they have gradually been removed, and even though everyone seems to know about them few realise what they actually mean. So I don't know whether this is considered to be a good marketing campaign or not, the interest is there but nobody knows what they are interested in!

Shadows

Shadows have many psychological connotations, they are used by interior designers concerned with lighting to created atmosphere, but to many they are eerie, as they suggest a sense of not knowing the full story, and not being able to see everything. Many artists overlook the possibility of using shadow to create art, often they unknowingly produce work that casts very unusual shadows (sometimes more successful than the work itself). Cornellia Parkers 'Cold Dark Matter' shows how shadow can change the meaning of an object, in her 'exploded shed' toy cars cast dramatic shadows giving them a unusual deeper sense of being, as well as an unnerving exaggeration of size. There is currently an exhibition at Compton Verney that showcases artists work (many of which are contemporary artists) who's primary concern is the effect and illusion of shadow. The exhibition includes painting, sculpture and video by international contemporary artists such as Doug Aitken, Laurie Anderson, Christian Boltanski, Ceal Floyer, Mona Hatoum, Gary Hill, Tracey Moffatt, Anri Sala, Fiona Tan, Andy Warhol, William Wegman and Francesca Woodman.

Compton Verney

Compton Verney is a Grade-1 listed mansion house designed by Robert Adam in the 1760s, set in more than 120 acres of classical parkland landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. The first most striking thing is the huge man-made lake that surrounds the house, Capability wanted to ensure grandeur without loosing the unpredictability of nature. Building a man-made lake may seem like an unusual solution to such a problem, however it definitely gives a sense of a very grand unspoilt landscape. The house itself is in such immaculate condition that one could easily believe it was built during this century, this is partly true of course as the building itself has had much restoration work and interior reconstruction, however this really adds to its impressive nature.

Unlike many stately homes that showcase period rooms, the vast majority of rooms in Compton Verney are art galleries, home to works from around the world, there is also a more modern section where new young artists work, as well as well known recent artists works are hung.

The Compton Verney House Trust are keen to involve themselves in the local community, this in turn ensures that visitors return to the house and gardens. Events and learning seminars are held at the mansion, and the vast estate would be a wonderful place for a wedding or party.

I am yet to return to a stately home, perhaps because nothing ever changes, people are so concerned with keeping them 'as they were,' however I would definitely make a habit of returning to Compton Verney, they move with the times, and want to combine old with new. There truly is something to suit everyone.

Ben and Jerry's

I saw this advert in the cinema for the first time on friday, even though it is really purely stock frame imagery it captured everybodies attention, people were talking about it after they had seen it, it captures the essence of the brand and communicates clearly with the viewer.

'Ben & Jerry have launched a new cinema campaign in the UK to celebrate the brand’s heritage as it draws to the end of its third decade. The 30-second spot, screening in 2,300 cinemas in the UK and Ireland this week, is created in a rolling photo-album style and features Ben & Jerry’s own memorable moments – their early days in Vermont, attending ice-cream school and the first 'Free Cone Day'. The album scrolls right through to their infamous ‘Cowmobile’ spreading love and ice cream around the US and displaying the success that the brand now enjoys.
Produced by Fallon London, the film uses still images directly from the Ben & Jerry's archive and in-house editors and acts as a whistle-stop run-through of the brand's rich 29-year history. A comical US voiceover helps to bring to life the visuals. The spot marks a departure from established animated cinema advertising and is a chance for cinemagoers to peek at the brand behind the iconic ice-cream.Ben & Jerry’s and Fallon are discussing rolling out the heritage campaign across Europe later in the year.' http://www.utalkmarketing.com/ (to see advert)

Waitrose Food Illustrated

Waitrose Food Illustrated is a very well produced magazine about food, however it also relates to various cultures and offers exciting recipes. Each page is carefully considered in terms of layout, they are not afraid of using two very strong images on their own across a spread with no text. Their advertising (as above) reflects their bold outlook, no nonsense approach. I enjoy this magazine as it is not 'flowery' it tells you things that are useful and discards the rest. However it doesn't come across like a recipe book as the background culture is bought into the articles- which is seen to be an important element to consider when eating food. This is reflected in their photographic style, the food is definatly the main attraction ( much like Marks and Spencers new approach) and they show that it can hold its own, by displaying photographs as they are, on their own.

National Geographic

The National Geographic is a magazine that as a child was seen to be 'geeky' however as a young adult you begin to realise that the articles featured in the magazine offer an insight into a world undiscovered by most, and brings issues to light that may directly affect areas in which we live. The articles are informative, offering a basic scientific insight into our world, this combined with fantastic photography makes the magazine a gripping read. There are also unusual adverts featured in the magazines by companies such as Shell promoting their eco friendly products, - showing specific advertising and marketing to the target group.

La Haine (1995) dir. Mathieu Kassovitz

Kassovitz uses powerful editing and shots in this black and white French film film, the use of black and white highlights the bleak lives of those living in suburban Paris during the political and racial trouble occurring at the time. Kassovitz uses interesting camera techniques such as slow zooms to bring the viewer into their world. I particularly enjoyed the break dance scene in which the camera remained static at a low angle, jump cutting between various dancers. This film is a definite must for all those interested in cinematography.

Paint Advert Spoof

After finding out that Sony actually created this ad and didnt just do it on a computer this spoof is pretty funny.

Transformers

Transformers wasn't a film that I was looking forward to seeing, however when Hairspray had sold out, my boyfriend turned the tables on me and dragged me to see Transformers. Although the story left a lot to be desired as the length of the film could easily have been cut by a third, the graphics were incredible. I'm sure any young children coming out of the film will be wondering what transformer their family car is! The most spectacular scenes were when the cars were speeding along and then would turn into transformers whilst moving. The sound track was also carefully put together, especially in instances where the cars could speak through the radio. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend this film to people (other than 10 year old boys!) . For people interested in using computer graphics its a must see as the scenes flow seamlessly from one to another making each step that the transformers take seem realistic.

Swanage Regatta and Carnival

I wasnt expecting much activity when I went to stay with family in the seaside town of Swanage, however I was pleasntly surprised when I realised my stay was during Carnival week. I can honestly say that for a small town I have never seen anything like it, there were activities for all ages all week, some more quaint than others! Including dog shows, Red Devils landing, bands, yard of ale contests, treasure hunts, a fair, three firework displays...the list goes on. It was the fireworks that attracted the largest crowds, they were put on on the Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday, they were truley spectacular, and with each performance they seemed to get better, they out the Leeds firework display by miles. What amzed me was all of this entertainment was put on for free, there were people collecting money but you didnt have to contribute a certan amount, the atmosphere was unbeatable, I would say to anyone in the area next year that it is well worth travelling to the usually sleepy town to get involved with the fun!

When Will a Game Not Be A Game

With every subsequent iteration of games console comes the promise from game developers of ever more life like experiences and platforms. The actual reality is that getting us humans to believe that what we are seeing is real is exceptionally complicated. Any deviation in what we refer to as 'normal behaviour' causes our brains to reject the object.

Programers and game developers have a real battle on their hands to convince and draw us into the latest games, increasing computer speeds, memory levels and polygons is all very well but creating a non linear believable game will be the big seller .

Eye Candy

Eye Candy is an illustration agency offering various styles of illustration. Stuart Mckenzie particularly caught my eye as line drawing is very fashionable at the moment. It has been used in magazine suppliments and for book covers, it has a feel of city chic as it reflects fashion illustration. Sugar Power is a more recent designer to join Eye Candy, she is already recognised as a unique designer by artists around the globe and has designed for Saatchi and Saatchi amongst others. She uses linear drawings combined with layering dreamlike ideas to produce admirable colourful pieces.

Enamul Hoque

Enamule Hoque is a photographer and film maker, many of his recent photographs are fashion based, however he often includes unusual objects such as road signs and strong metal objects. This combined with the fluidity of the fabrics creates striking images. His clients include The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Sony and the NHS. He also keeps an online photographic blog that can be found at his website: http://web.mac.com/enamul/iWeb/www.enamul.co.uk/Welcome.html

Philip Bishop

Philip Bishop has created illustrations for clients such as Oxfam, the BBC and Waitrose. His unique style is far removed from his photographic work, however each illustration has character of its own. He utalises spikey lines combined with splashes of colour to create eyecatching images. His work can be viewed from his website: http://www.illustrationweb.com/PhilipBishop/

Gambling For The World

On Tuesday 7th August, Camelot were granted the 3rd consecutive Lottery license to control the game through to the end of the next decade. Theres no denying that the lottery has generated vast amounts of money for 'good causes' such as raising £2.2bn for the 2012 Olympic games. However the underlying issue is the increase in publicity and access points Camelot aims to employ to boost sales and ultimately lead to the successful introduction of the worlds first global lottery.

With gambling addiction increasing throughout the UK and the rest of the world, watchdog campaigners are angered at the new proposals to further increase advertising. Next Month Gambling sites such as 888.com are to be banned from displaying advertising banners on websites to online British browsers. Despite this Camelot have been given apparent Cart Blanche to advertise and promote through some of the World Wide Webs biggest company's such as EBay.

Mr Scruffs

This DJ has used flash really simply but very effectively and timed well to the rhythm of the music. There are some great examples of his style on his website. As a student trying to grasp how to use flash this is a good simple style that produces outcomes that are very effective.