After a lot of hard work and late nights by many people here at glue, our contribution to a Digital Christmas message is now live. From Twitter, just add the hashtag #tweetawish and your wish will be made into a rather lovely 3D star. Each tweet donates money to charity and also makes you feel all Christmassy inside.

www.tweetawish.co.uk

Whilst flying through the underground a few nights ago, I walked past a Virgin Active Health Club poster on one of the platform walls. At first it looked like vandals had scribbled all over it in an attempt to deface the image, but on closer inspection the scribbles were notes dissecting its appearance and how it has been manipulated.

‘This image has been heavily airbrushed’ written over the thigh of the model. The limbs have claims of being ‘Digitally Thinned’ written along their edges.

This may or may not have been written by someone who works in advertising or design and is aware of the practice of image manipulation but what was interesting was that they cared enough to spend at least 10-15minutes annotating it for everyone to read. And people were reading it, discussing it even.

What’s also rather interesting about this ad is what it’s selling, its product. An ad for a health gym must be selling fit healthy bodies, no? I’m not too clear on the degree of manipulation legally allowed on products within an ad or even if these rules apply to actual people within the ads, but I think they should.

The days of disguise and lies from brands are up, consumers are too cleaver and a high percentage probably now own a copy of Photoshop or an image manipulation software package of their own. Truly trusted brands have to be transparent and honest. The below well known viral by Dove is a good example of how a brand plays on the dishonest imagery we have become used to seeing. It promotes what appears to be a trustworthy campaign and even offers an online quiz to educate young girls about image manipulation.

Speak your fffffffffffffff*ckin mind Dave.

Poke drags Manchester City’s club website into 2009. Only a matter of time before every club in the Premiership will be scouting for agencies to do a similar job.

Cool features (for a club site)
• 16×9 format video throughout the site
• 3D seat selector
• Match Day Centre
• forums as well as Twitter feed
• no display advertising

Interesting that the brief was to produce ‘one of the best entertainment sites in the world’.

This site went up pretty quickly after the passing of ‘The King’ Michael Jackson. Great quick idea, The Eternal Moonwalk. Users upload a video of themselves ‘Moonwalking’. All the videos are then strung together, creating a never-ending, Moonwalking tribute to one of the greatest stars of all time.

The Cold War Kids have released this interactive video of ‘I’ve seen enough’. It allows users to remix the track by bringing in and out different members of the band and their instruments. Very simple but fun to play with.

It’s making me want to book some drum lessons.

But I’m going to embrace it and see where it takes me.

Really interesting OLA campaign for Axion, Dexia’s youth bank. Also a Gold winner at this years Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival 2009. Click here to get your eye and ear pipes around the concerts.

Folder Type from Emilio Gomariz on Vimeo.

Well I started work at glue last Wednesday and everything seems pretty cool really. Settling in.