Will Augmented Reality Rejuvenate the Glossy?

It's my belief that there'll always be room in the market for a high-quality, well-designed print publication. Some reasons why:

• Reading habits are different online vs. offline. Online we skim and multi-task; offline we absorb longer paragraphs and deeper reporting (think investigative news stories). This could change with the technological progression of tablets, but there's still a long way to go in that arena.
• Online isn't the best place to appreciate an aesthetically-pleasing high-res graphic spread. Our experience of ads and art changes from medium to medium; pick up a copy of Monocle or Vogue, then ask yourself whether the images pop the same over the 'net. (Maybe this will change when everybody has a monitor at home that's the size of a plasma-screen TV. But that's not happening tomorrow either.)

Humor me ››

...is that anything like a Royale with Cheese?

There aren't many ways you can bring hot throbbing sex appeal to an assembly line hamburger, but McDonald's tries hard with Le M, a moan-infused food porn piece for the French market.

The money line: "Le M, sans doute c'est la plus belle création de la McDonalds." ("Le M, undoubtedly McDonalds' most beautiful creation.")

But wait for the plug for Le M Bacon -- when zoomed-in shots of lavish, languid bacon slices appear on three sides of this sin-tillating beef patty! Hissss.

For the track junkies, AdVerve partner in crime Bill Green obliges with info on the music: Flying Lotus' Camel (Nosaj Thing Remix).

'Baby Baby Baby' Leaps Atlantic for Sizey Cups

Heh. The day starts with news that American band Grizzly Bear's Two Weeks gets a French ad debut -- and ends with news that French band Make the Girl Dance's Baby Baby Baby goes American with Victoria's Secret.

The ad's for VS's new Miraculous push-up bra, which promises to gift its bearers with two additional cup sizes. Baby Baby Baby pulsates in the background as three supermodel standbys strut across the screen.

Their mighty-mighty demeanour draws a weird parallel to the original Make the Girl Dance video, where three girls strut naked, one after the other, down rue Montorgueil in Paris. The difference: you're left with the sense that the size of their basoomas has nothing to do with their bite.



I guess it's cultural.

Validating Stereotypes

Kito: Does booking an appointment with the hairdresser make your mood better?

Me: I got my bangs done recently on a particularly depressing day ... I guess it kind of helped.

Kito: Wow.

Kito: Women are strange.

Grizzly Bear Penetrates Peugeot's Hot-Track Lineup

It mesmerized us, it inspired fan art, and now Grizzly Bear's Two Weeks makes its debut into banality.

Say hello to "The Doors," an ad for the Peugeot 5008. After a day at the fair, a dad packs his family into the car and swings open the drivers side door repeatedly, only to find that someone else -- circus performers, his kids, his wife, a double of himself, a sad clown -- has commandeered his seat.

Slogan: "La meilleure place est aussi celle du conducteur." (The best place is that of the driver.)

While the spot itself may be a little "meh," French blog Mixedtape says Peugeot is well-known for introducing some solid ear candy in its TV spots. Some examples: Bhangra Knights' Husan for the 206, The Film's Can You Touch Me? for the 407 and The Caesars' (I’m Gonna) Kick You Out for the 407 SW.

Suitably eclectic company for Grizzly Bear. And knowing Peugeot has an indie ear gives the brand a streak of appeal it previously lacked -- for me, anyway.

Alain de Botton: Job Snobbery and a Healthier Definition of Success

"Next time you see somebody driving a Ferrari, don't think this is somebody who's greedy, think this is somebody who's incredibly vulnerable and in need of love." (*eager guffaws ensue*)

And a new way of looking at the old glass: "Any vision of success has to admit what it's losing out on ... where the element of loss is." Before leaping forward into the great blue yonder, make sure your ideas of success truly originated with you. Crucially, don't get caught up in the justice system of other people's eyes.

Don't know how secure you're feeling job-wise right now, but I personally found this encouraging.