Tom Hussey: Reflections

Lately my wonderful mother has started reflecting on her age.  At 46 and with 4 children she obviously doesn't look how she did when she was 18 but she has always been an inspiration to me.  At 18 she was a size 8, now she's a size 18 and she is still confident about her body.  In fact, she affectionately refers to her stomach as jelly belly, giving it a little wobble and laughing.  After all, it's from their that her wonderful children came.  (Yep, that includes me.)

Recently her aunt died and she admitted she was glad her mother had died in her early 70's.  My nan's sisters have suffered from dementia and the thought of seeing her own mother like that worried her.  Well of course now it's worrying me, genetic factors only cause the disease in a very small number of families but what if mine is one of them?

Tom Hussey's award 'Reflections' is an advertising campaign for Novartis' Exelon Patch, a prescription medicine for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia.  The images depict an older person looking at the reflection of their younger self in a mirror.  The campaign is innovative, eye-catching and really reminds you that we all go through the same thing and deserve just as much care and consideration, no matter our age and condition.  See all the images from the campaign here.

The Force

My brother has become a bit obsessed with Star Wars. Personally, I thought it was a bit early for such an obsession seeing as he's only four but then I was reminded that at that age my favourite films were Grease (1 and 2...it appears I had no taste) and Dirty Dancing.

He has taken to watching the films over and over whilst simultaneously playing the game on the X-Box. This multitasking is something he struggles with and usually results in us doing one or the other and encouraging him to let us turn off the film so we can at least watch something else. This never works, in fact what actually happens is we have the game, the film and a battle with his toy lightsabers all at once. Turns out I'm pretty good with a lightsaber and I refuse to let him win (I figure he needs to learn how to be a good loser) and so he just changes the rules constantly...

Me: "I hit you. That means you're dead."
Caleb: "No you have to hit me three times."
Me (whilst prodding him): "One, two, three. I win."
Caleb: "Noooo I said five times."

...Isn't it convenient that when he hits me once though that I am then dead and expected to enact rather dramatic death scene. This happens so often that the batteries have in fact run out and now the lightsabers make no noise. I think my mom was happy about this but it means now we have to make the sounds ourselves.

Anyway, you can imagine how funny I found it when I saw the recent Volkswagen advert entitled The Force. I'm not sure if Caleb has seen it yet but I am expecting a reenactment of this advert at home very soon. In fact I'm sure a Darth Vader outfit will be requested... or Luke Skywalker if he has finally made the decision to be a goody rather than swapping sides.

Ralph Lauren 4D

This week Ralph Lauren created some fabulous 4D shows staged at their flagship stores in Madison Avenue, New York, and Bond Street, London. "In celebration of 10 years of digital innovation, RalphLauren.com presents the ultimate fusion of art, fashion & technology in a visual feast for the 5 senses.  Utilising to technology Ralph Lauren make the buildings disappear before transforming them "into a series of objects and images rendered in 3-dimensional space."

Ralph Lauren 4D New York

Ralph Lauren 4D London

For me it's great to see the behind the scenes video (below), where those working on the project discuss the innovation behind Ralph Lauren and this live experience they're providing for people to enjoy.  As said on that video it "becomes a piece of advertising within an arts installation."  It's fantastic to watch and blows what other brands have done out of the water.  I really wish I was there.  Not only have Ralph Lauren put on a fabulous show but just about everyone is talking about it.  A genius digital event and viral marketing at its best.

 

The Official Ralph Lauren 4D Experience: Behind the Scenes

Cake Britain

So...there's an amazing exhibition coming up in Covent Garden.  Art and cake...2 of my favourite things.  I've wrote an article about it for Fused so no point really re-writing about it here.  Think Heston Blumenthal's fairytale feast and the Skoda advert but you can eat the end result.  Amazing.

Type Sex with Andrej Krahne

Andrej Krahne's got all creative with the latest Durex brief.  Communicating the joy with Durex, Krahne demonstrates Durex's part in sex by creating images with text.  His self entitled "type sex" with type showing "like X-ray the inner feelings during the act with Durex."

I love the fact that the text takes into context not only sexual feelings but emotions, body reactions and also surfaces.  From "wood" to "fatal error" Krahne mocks typical sexual issues, with a mans "brain matter" and judgement" placed firmly where his penis is.  It's been said before but it's still amusing to see it in print.  Sex and humour sells, and this has both.