He said...Project Lego Runway, anyone?

As we are well into the fall season, a few of the great things we get are beautiful autumn colors, football and of course fashion!

When I came across this ad, I felt it was an interesting approach at presenting itself as a brand and product. I particularly though it was cool because it infused a favorite childhood toy of mine, with fashion and media.

Cue the techno!

This spot brought to you by the mind of French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

His work was featured in Charlie’s Angels, Prince in New York, Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as a number of exhibits throughout the world. For this spot, he teams up with Lego and Four-H, a French creative agency with a mission to bridge art and advertising in strategic and innovative ways.

As you can see, he actually features his Spring/Summer 2009 collection on Lego figurines in standard runway fashion! (pun intended) This is quite interesting as it is a break away from the ordinary, but yet delivered in a way that is familiar, with models strolling down the runway in various fabricated gab. Although the video is strictly for Mr. Castelbajac’s designs, there is a halo effect produced for Lego. Those familiar figures will not go unrecognized and brings the Lego brand to mind – just in time for the holidays, I might add. Fashion is continually changed and redefined as each designer pursues innovation and visual designs unseen before. It is nice to see that some designers are thinking outside (or inside?) the Lego Box. A few samples of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's kitschy designs, including the attention snagging Obama dress Katy Perry wore to the EMA awards, Europe’s MTV Music Awards.

Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed any of our blogs, I encourage you to suscribe to our RSS feeds!

jusqu'à la fois suivante, mes amis!
(Until next time, my friends!)

-Chris

She said...ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!

Sunday afternoon is upon us & you know what that means.

For all you football fans out there, you're probably gearing up for kickoff at 1PM -- laptop in one hand ready to make any fantasy football changes & a can of Bud Light in another.

In honor of this glorious day, here's a quick 30 second Mastercard spot featuring yo boy, Manning (sorry NY, I mean Peyton), that I really liked.

Enjoy!

He said...great balls of fury!

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving, and stuffed yourself silly – I know I did!

Since we happen to be in the media/advertisement business, Carly and I have promised to include industry happenings in our blog writings. So a few interesting advertisements came to my attention, and I thought it would make for an interesting write-up to commend these advertisements for their unique and interesting approach to their product.

The first ad (can you guess what its for?) features “Bruce Lee” pwning a professional ping pong player in table tennis…with his nunchuks!! Hahaha, how AWESOME is that?? The clip of the action is slightly drawn out at over a full minute of ping pong play, but the action is pretty awesome as he even takes on two players at once ‘cause hes just that good. Here it is:

Like I had previously mentioned, the length could have been shortened; many television spots are under a minute, while video ads in the digital space should generally be shorter due to the more content-crowded environment in which advertisers must draw in and captivate viewers’ attention more effectively. Research has shown that the average viewer will tune out an ad within 2 to 3 seconds. While this generally applies to banner advertising, it is probably in the advertiser’s best interest to make their video ads (however amusing or humorous) as short and sweet as possible.

But...

This ad for Nokia’s N96 made its rounds throughout the world through viral channels within a few days of its appearance. The ad was featured in China towards a Chinese audience, but its viral potential was high – the advertisement featured a legendary famous person/character engaged in a situation he would not normally be portrayed in, not to mention he was kicking serious ass. While Bruce Lee has nothing to do with Nokia or the N96 for that matter, advertisers increasingly find the viral effect a powerful one as their message gets sent quickly and through highly effective channels of communication: friends of friends of relatives of more friends. While it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway - one is much more likely to pay attention to an ad recommended to him/her than in any other normal situation.

-Chris

He said...the indulging of carnivoral desires

Although I would not call myself a "foodie" per se, I love food. After all who doesn't? Food is great - it nourishes, it entertains, it is artful, and most importantly, tasty. So a friend and I decided to hit up what has been described as the "be all, end all" of steakhouses: Peter Luger's.

For those of us in NYC, there are two locations: one in trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn and the other in upscale Great Neck which is on the Queens/Nassau border. While it has been said that the one in Great Neck is the better of the two, I compared menus and found that the one in Great Neck did indeed contain a more comprehensive menu of additional entree items such as Maine Lobster, Broiled Chicken and Fresh Fish of the season. They also offer more robust luncheon specials, served before 3 PM including Sundays, whereas the 'burg location does not.

The Brooklyn Menu can be seen here:
Williamsburg Menu

Now I wouldn't give you the Williamsburg menu and not offer the other now would I??
Great Neck Menu

So... On to the juicy parts.

The Williamsburg location is set on a corner, with a rather uneventful facade, but still classy and suitable.





Upon entering, you are greeted by a lengthy classic wooden bar. To be honest I would have expected a slightly more upscale feel to match the reputation that precedes Peter Luger as well as its prices. We were seated quickly and courteously at wooden tables. The interior decor, although not ugly or distasteful, felt...lacking in a certain sense. I denno, maybe I had preconceptions going there and expected something different, but it seemed rather plain. However, there is beauty and function in simplicity and in no way does it necessarily detract from the experience. I would note, however, that the lighting could have been a bit more dim, it may lend more depth and detail to the wooden surfaces, as well as providing an ambiance more cozy and intimate that is usually characteristic of a good atmosphere for a date.

We were quickly greeted by our waiter and offered a bread basket and several cubes of butter. The wine list was extensive and I found myself wishing I knew more about wine culture and actually liked red wine (I'm more of a crisp Riesling kinda guy) I decided to make a decision where (and I borrow from Carly's repertoire of wise sayings) "I can do no wrong" and went with a nice cold glass of Brooklyn Lager. The lovely lady to my side suggested we go for the "steak for two" along with a side of creamed spinach; after looking over the menu, I could not help but concur. There is no choice as to how the steak is prepared or marinated, it is pan seared with a medley of seasonings and butter, served alongside the famous Peter Luger steaksauce.

After some chatting, a monstrous platter of sizzling steak, cooked medium rare made its way to our table as well as our side dish. The waiter curtly served us portions of each, and of course, we dug in. The first bite of steak was awesome - the exterior was cooked to a slight crisp and the inside was as soft as could be. The knife cut through each slice quite literally like a hot knife through butter. The steak sauce left me wanting; it was on the sweet side, and we both happened to prefer the tangy, slightly spicy taste of A1. Though the steak was very good, steak for two was more than necessary for the both of us, and I consider myself to have quite the hearty appetite. I would recommend ordering steak for one less than your party, and perhaps order an extra side dish or two instead. It will add balance and variety to your meal, while still giving you the pleasure of a finely tuned steak.

The creamed spinach was pleasurable, but again nothing to write home about (but good enough to blog about!). Again, I would recommend trying a few different side dishes and appetizers - it is easier to do this with a larger party, as two can only eat so much.

Dessert choices looked appetizing; staples like apple strudel, ice cream, cheesecake and pecan pie looked tempting, but we were both too full for its attempt to tempt to take hold on our penchant for sweets.

Overall the dining experience was pleasant, albeit somewhat overrated. This wall of seemingly unending Zagat reviews are far from being unfounded, but I found the experience to be YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).



Prices are on the expensive side, expect to spend $70+ on tax, tip and one drink. Of course, cost will vary depending on what you order and how large your party is, but nonetheless it is on the pricey side. It is definitely worth at least a visit if you consider yourself to be at minimum an amateur connoisseur of steak. Be sure to know your wine, (or at least pretend to!) and definitely bring good company. In my experience, a few awesome friends go a long way to make your dinner out that much better; and of course, I was fortunate enough to have had great company to make my first visit to Peter Luger's a pleasurable one.


-Chris

She said...Carly's long awaited BlackBerry Storm

After months of frantically surfing the web in anticipation of the official release date from Verizon, the day has finally arrived!

I've made the first baby steps into joining the ranks of crackberries worldwide and got myself a Blackberry STORM -- the first touchscreen smart phone from the geniuses at Research in Motion (RIM).

Photo courtesy of CNET.com

Never in my life have I felt more connected to the rest of the world.
Gmail/GChat, Facebook, AIM -- all in the palm of my hand!
But this joyous union didn't come without its trials and tribulations.

I scoffed at the notion earlier in the week that I would need to be at the Verizon store at the ass crack of dawn on the release date in order to get my hands on the phone.
I mean, afterall, there wouldn't be a lot of Blackberry fanatics out there on the Verizon network vying for this phone (I'm sure that they would've jumped on the Curve already. We just got the Curve a few months ago and their contracts wouldn't be up yet), I'll be getting the phone near my home in Queens (less populated than Manhattan), and it's Friday -- people have work, for Pete's sake (only I'm crazy enough to take a personal day to get a phone)!

But I underestimate you crackberry users out there.

The Verizon store on Austin Street opened promptly at 8AM.
I arrived at approximately 8:15AM to the horrendous sight of ....

.. a LINE.
A line of about 36 people ahead of me with approximately 5 people inside the store that were being helped.
Needless to say, the line got longer as the day progressed.
And due to the massive requests on the Verizon network to activate the phone, we experienced massive delays.
I waited outside the store (in 30something degree weather might I add) for 2 hours and waited another 3 hours inside the store before I walked out with this beauty.

So as you're shaking your disapproving head at me and my foolish ways, the first question that comes to your mind must be: Was it worth it?

Well, that has yet to be determined.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
To be quite honest, I was a little bit overwhelmed with all the functions and buttons to the phone as I was going in as a BB newb.
Because it's my first touch screen phone, I had to get used to how it types, how it feels and wait, how do I make outgoing calls with this?!? Doh!

Here's a list of my PROS & CONS:

PROS
1) Browser -- I am really impressed with just how fast the browser is on Verizon's 3G network. It's so fast that I sometimes forget I'm surfing the web on a PHONE and not at home on my laptop. Verizon is known for its exceptional service and cell coverage so I imagine that connectivity to the web should not pose a problem.
2) The Screen -- looks amazing in high resolution 480 x 360 pixel color. The quality is so great that I can't stop staring at this pic of the rain forest I have set up as the background of my phone. Ooooooooooo ...
3) The SURE PRESS Touch Screen -- I was never a big fan of touch screen anythings because I felt like it was very clumsy and that it was too touch sensitive for my fat fingers. Unlike other touch screen devices, the Storm's "Sure Press" feature requires you to select the button first and push on the screen when the desired button is highlighted, which makes you feel like you're selecting something and not everything next to it.
4) Cost -- At $199 after mail-in rebate and a 2 year contract, I think this smart phone is quite a steal considering what the device offers.

CONS
1) I don't know if it's my fat fingers or what, but whenever I'm on GChat and I'm trying to crank out a message out at 5 WPM ("words per minute", Chris!) , somehow, in the middle of my attempt, the camera turns on. Once that happens, I can't seem to turn off the camera and go back to my GChat window. OH! And I noticed my screen flickered a couple of times (think TV static). I think my phone is possessed.
2) It's been 12 hours since I charged the phone to its full capacity and it's now running on one and a half bars (out of 5 bars) of battery. Maybe it's because I was using it a lot today in order to set up stuff, draining the battery life or it's because I haven't found the power saver function of this phone.

Though these cons seem kinda scary, Blackberry is usually very good about working out their kinks and providing system updates to improve their devices.

It's been brought to my attention that there might not be another shipment of Storms until 12/5 or 12/15. Yikes!
Here's why:
http://crackberry.com/next-batch-verizon-storms-not-shipping-until-december-5th
(This explains why my phone keeps locking up)

So hopefully by then I'll be able to discover more Pros or more Cons to share with you guys in order to make a more informed purchase decision before you take a personal day from work, go out there and wait on line for 5 hours.

~ CARLY

Drumroll Please.............................

Hi everyone!

To introduce ourselves, I am Chris, and *points somewhere in the direction of Queens* that, is Carly! We're fairly new to the blogging world, and this is our first blog - the idea was the brainchild of probably the most random conversation between her and I, but hey, we decided to roll with it and here it is!

To give you guys an idea of the direction we would like to take the blog, there is no direction; we felt that the blog should be an extension of ourselves and our personalities - blog posts will come from our passions and interests which encompass everything from A to Z (really, we actually sat together once and listed them all), items of discussion that ignite the flames within us to the most random happenings around the Big Apple. I must say, however, we do have a bit of a unique twist to our writings: from time to time we will offer a bifocal view of a topic from each of our unique perspectives which are, of course, drawn upon each of our individualistic experiences! Plainly put: He said, She said!

I hope you all enjoy!

*pssssttt - hey you! yeah, you! suscribe to our RSS feed! Ya know ya wanna! =D*