Uncategorized – The View à La Vu

Internet Exploder uses nostalgia for redemption

January 25, 2013January 25, 2013 The View à La VuLeave a comment

Hey, hi, hello! I’m still around. I think 2012 was the year that my employer finally started to understand the value of digital; therefore, I spent so much time and energy having to educate people on what they should’ve already known that by the time I could form an actual opinion on things in the digital space, I was just too tired to put my thoughts into words on my poor abandoned blog. Anyways, a resolution for 2013 is to get back to writing. And I’ve chosen the perfect topic for my first post in MONTHS.

Every person whose profession is in digital (developers, designers, producers) will understand and most likely share my disdain for Internet Explorer (IE). It’s slow, it crashes, it’s display capabilities are weak…it’s nickname is Internet EXPLODER. It was one of the first internet browsers that came onto scene in 1995, but Microsoft hasn’t been able to develop it beyond its antiquated state.

Even Internet Explorer has admitted that it sucks:

Two days ago, a new video hit the internet. It seems as though Internet Exploder is using nostalgia to redeem itself. The ad takes viewers down memory lane recalling all of the great pop culture obsessions of the 90s: pogs, Tamogotchis, slap bracelets, FLOPPY DISKS, Yo-yo’s, ying-yangs, trolls, lunchables, the original social network (Oregon Trail anyone?). The ad speaks to the excitement we once felt as “Children of the 90s” then brings it home with “You grew up. So did we.” insinuating that the new Internet Explorer has finally evolved to something a little more satisfying.

Now I HAVE to check out the new Internet Explorer to see if Microsoft is just bluffing.

Advertisement: Success

It seems as though antiquated brands are turning to nostalgia to boost their brand value. A brilliant friend of mine and I recently recounted Coca-Cola’s path to redemption after a few bad years of harsh brand and product criticism (Soda’s bad for you, what? They’re a greedy corporate company, what?) What did Coca-Cola do? Rather than try to defend themselves of criticism, they made their brand relevant again by tapping into the nostalgia of the product: the glass Coke bottles, the consumption of this tasty beverage when you went to the movies with your friends etc…. Brands are “bringing it back” with nostalgia.

You see, I told you the theme of this post would be appropriate for my homecoming. It feels good to be back!

Minute Physics

October 1, 2012 The View à La VuLeave a comment

I recently came across a series of short videos on YouTube titled “Minute Physics”. If there’s one thing I always enjoy doing, it’s learning. Even the most simple, often seemingly trivial knowledge excites me. Not a day goes by when I actually miss my college years at NYU. I thoroughly enjoyed not only the required courses of my major, but also the core classes from which I gathered knowledge that I will never use again.

Alas, here is Minute Physics. Animated videos of stick figures explain the way of…well everything.

L.A. L.A., City of Dreams

August 29, 2012August 29, 2012 The View à La VuLeave a comment

THIS is why Los Angeles is a great city. When ignorance leads to complaints of the dirt and the humans that inhabit the city, I can help but shake my head at them and say, “You really have NO idea what Los Angeles is about.”

Yes, there’s traffic. But when a slow shutter speed camera captures the long light trails of light weaving through the city, it makes me think that there’s a silver lining to the cloud. Yes, there’s smog, but Los Angeles gets plenty clear days and unforgettable sunsets (and sunrises). You just have to know where to look. Believe me, there’s architecture. Billions of self-made dollars acquired by just damn good talent built up this spread out city with the largest urban park in America, it’s own observatory, mod mansions, open-floor-plan museums, high-vaulted ceiling eateries in 19th century buildings, outdoor music venues and a downtown that may not look so pleasant from the inside, but sure as hell looks good from the outside. And then lastly, the people. Or should I say, the TALENT. Just like every city, L.A. has its bad apples, but it’s dripping with talent. Musicians, artists, cinematographers, writers, producers, actors (I mean, real actors)…they all exist here too.

One fine cinematographer captured all that I love about Los Angeles. The creator is, in himself, the reason why I love Los Angeles– #talent

I’m content staying here just awhile longer.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/47224216″>NightFall</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/deerdog”>Colin Rich</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>

Twitter, MADE for TV

June 21, 2012 The View à La VuLeave a comment

Just yesterday, I was analyzing an opportunity to use Twitter as a vehicle to garner buzz and awareness around the release of a consumer product. Twitter remains to be a social media buzz word that every now and again slips into the minds of hungry marketers who want to make a splash in the space.

The cultural importance of Twitter is clear and well established; I won’t even try to argue against that. What I do often find myself arguing about is the use of Twitter for brand campaigns. Say, for example, you want to execute a “Twitter Campaign” without having an already established, active following. Catchy hashtags won’t guarantee the measurable “followers” and “retweets” results. Without an expansive following audience waiting on your every tweet, it takes a lot more than just tweeting engaging content to make a Twitter campaign successful. Yes, there’s actually a trick to the Twitter trade.

Clever integration will do the trick…but integration into what? Have you been watching reality TV lately? That specific genre of entertainment owns the Twittersphere (okay, co-owns with Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber). Almost every reality TV show on air incorporates social media elements directly into the viewing experience. Whether it’s a live feed of viewers hash tagging away with their commentary or contestants being eliminated based on # of tweeted votes, reality TV and social media have formed a unique sweet spot.

News broke today about the revival of one particular reality TV show, one of the first to be exact. MTV did it right over a decade ago with its Real World, Road Rules, Made series. Real World, being MTV’s longest running show, just greenlit it’s 28th season (the first season aired in 1992). Made, however, wasn’t such a lucky production. But MTV is known for successfully doing almost the impossible; MTV is known for someone getting millions of viewers to watch shows most would naturally think are mind rotting.

MTV is taking the formerly culturally insignificant and failed show, Made, and turning it into the next fresh, must-tune-in reality TV show. How? First step: realize who the audience is and what they like. Gen Y (aka The Millennials); Facebook, Twitter. Second step: Cater to their likes. Engage them while they watch TV while simultaneously be online. Of course, Gen Y is way more ambitious than our elders believe us to be. So MTV has found a way to reinvigorate an old production with social engagement and refocus its premise towards our generation’s achievement of greatness. These young adults will strive to achieve more than just head cheerleader or prom king status. The new Made, titled MADE #DreamBigger, will follow the path of young adults striving to make it in the REAL WORLD (like my tie-in?). It will be about the day-to-day difficulties recent grads face trying to find a job after taking out loans to “earn” an education. It will be about what it’s really like to be a journalist in NYC (Carrie from Sex and the City, there is just NO way…). MADE #DreamBigger will be about bigger, more important, more relevant things in life. From what I’ve heard about the production line-up, it is sure to really connect with Gen Y viewers, both on a personal level and on a social “personal” level.

Check out the sneak peek videos on MTV now and let me know what you think! Will the Twitter tie-in make this show fly or fall?

“Ten Steps” words by Rebekah Mason

June 20, 2012June 20, 2012 The View à La Vu1 Comment

I just had to share this wonderful poem my friend wrote. I have to say that creative writing, especially in expression of my own personal feelings or thoughts on life, isn’t my forte. I am a poetry aficionado mostly because I know how challenging it is to clearly express something in a particular poetic format.

No matter what you’re feeling, take a minute to read “Ten Steps”. It’ll put what you’re doing at this very moment into perspective, give you one minute to breathe, and offer ten steps toward achieving the ultimate goal: peace and happiness.

Ten Steps by Rebekah Mason

Facebook, The Healthy Habit

June 19, 2012June 19, 2012 The View à La VuLeave a comment

Facebook has become an addictive habit for many of us. We constantly update our status to let our “friends” know what we’re doing and where we’re doing it with pictures, check-ins, witty one-liners etc. etc…and many of us know that Facebook-ing as much as we do, probably isn’t a good thing. Or is it?

Friends, Facebook has gotten healthy! This morning, Facebook and GE (Worldwide Partner of the 2012 Olympic Games) held hands above their head with a partnership announcement of Healthy Share. We now have an app designed to give users challenges to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle while letting them publish their results on Facebook to motivate friends and hold themselves accountable. When you’ve completed a challenge, the app publishes your accolade to your wall, as well as your friends’ news feed. When your friend clicks on it, they are redirected to the Healthy Share app where they can see which friends are participating, and how well they are going about the challenges.

When GE came up with the idea, they said Facebook was a natural fit because people love to share and gain support. Not surprisingly, this app idea has already been done with the Nike+ app. The difference is that Healthy Share lives directly within Facebook, while the Nike+ app publishes to Facebook and receives data from it. As a runner, I love my Nike+ app. When I start a run, I publish it to Facebook. For every like or comment I get on that run, I get cheering crowds and applause in my headset, which helps me stay motivated to keep on truckin’. But for those who hate to leave the Facebook environment, there are a lot of you out there, you can stay connected while getting fit with Healthy Share. Maybe this is Facebook’s way of working towards a healthy America because it seems as though Facebook has a solution for everything…

The Valtari Mystery Film Experiment

June 18, 2012 The View à La VuLeave a comment

All it took was one song to bring her to her knees. The unfamiliar melody introduced itself to her beautiful ears marked with the symbol for life. She knew not of where it came from or what it was telling her. She stared off into the distance through a shield of falling ice. She gazed upon an open world, which held up three pillars. When the hum rolled in she saw a girl, gently and carefully climbing upon the first point. Flashing. Light. Deliverance of a message cryptically encoded in a traveling beam of light. Stillness and calm, for now, the calamity has gone.

Sigur Ros. An ethereal sounding band from Iceland. A friend passed their songs off to me a few months ago. Upon the first listen, I thought their sound was too heavy for me. Ominous, powerful and emotionally stripping. It’s classical. It’s minimalistic. After my first journey through their songs, I left the album untouched. Until now.

I just came across a brilliant project called The Valtari Mystery Film Experiment. Sigur Ros, that band I almost feared to hear again, gave a modest budget to filmmakers asking them to create whatever it is they see when they listen to songs from the band’s new album, Valtari. The result is a compilation of feelings and visions, not even necessarily stories. “The idea was to bypass the usual artistic approval process,” to encourage creative freedom and look at what minds create without a yay or nay.
Between May 25th and November 19th, we will see new 14 videos PURELY inspired by the melodies of Sigur Ros.

The video I’ve embedded below is, thus far, the most touching for me, and no words I could put together can possibly describe what this did to me.

This is art! 🙂

We’ve got some catching up to do

May 30, 2012 The View à La VuLeave a comment

My two month blogging hiatus has come to an end. I’ve apathetically dedicated the past couple months to a job I’ve more or less fallen out of love with. I got caught up in the day-to-day monotonous work work work drone that I forgot to let myself BE inspired by the business savvy and creative masterminds in the digital space. I woke up this morning having realized I’ve lost two months of being inspired. So here are just a few works of digital art that have caught my eye today:

Sparkler$ Animated Gifs by Ryan Enn Hughes (amazing talented digital artist)

A Digital Flip Book of 873 images that tells the story of life & love

Jason Silva’s videos on The Human Condition, Beauty and Love