The digital pen “uses ultrasonic and infrared technologies” along with 1024 levels of pressure, enabling the transfer of drawings/designs/doodles from paper to computer via USB. 

Though several “ink-to-digital” pens already exist, it’s the pressure sensitivity that puts the Inkling leaps and bounds beyond the rest.

And with an affordable $200 price tag, looks like Marc will be first in line at Apple when they’re released come mid September. One for everyone at Maude, right Marc?

(I expect $20 from each of you for that.)

Wishful thinking? Only time will tell. In the meantime, check out the video.*

*Warning: unless you enjoy subjecting your ears to elevator music on crack synthesized with electric oboe and cockroaches prancing on a sitar – hit mute.

And now that the heat has subsided a bit and Tony is back to wearing mute-hued shirts with sleeves, it’s time to get back to business.

Yesterday, Puneet sent me this link about a Flashkus, a disposable USB made from paper. While the Russian design studio Art. Lebedev revealed the concept back in February and it seems the disk is still in development (aka not yet available for purchase), it’s a prett-y sweet idea that could transform the way we ideate everything from print to direct mail to business cards.

Check it out here.

Intrigued (and quite frankly, because Chris told me to), I spent my morning coffee break reviewing the list, ready to be “wowed.”  While some, including The Talking Ad, The Solar-Powered Ad and The Test-Drive Ad left me cursing the creative who gave birth to such genius ideation, some other left me asking (pardon my French) wtf?

While Volkswagon’s Edible Ad is a fantastic idea in theory, an insert made from propylene glycol and glycerine is not going to whet my taste buds – nor my brand loyalty.

And to The Sunbather’s Ad, I’d like think of something clever to say but I’m too busy googling melanoma.

The article closes with The Sticky Ad, a rather crude case for an Australian fertility clinic in which glue acts as – well, just see for yourself. (Though let me just say, while I cringed as I read it, the agency certainly deserves an A for strategic placement.)

Curious? Check it out here:

10 Great Magazine Ads That Don’t Just Sit There Looking Pretty

It was only a matter of time, really. First there was bacon chocolate. Then bacon ice cream and bacon Bourbon and bacon water. Now Bacon Ipsum. What’s next? A bacon bra?

I spoke too soon.

So the next time you want to kick your copywriter’s ass for refusing to write long copy for a comp, relax. You’ve now got something creative and sumptuously seductive by which to entice both creative directors and clients alike.

Check it out here http://baconipsum.com/

Now, please excuse me. I’ve got a block of copy to provide – and an art director to make hungry.

Thanks, Jenny. You rock our world.

The winner receives a free trip for two to South by Southwest. Chris has never been so he’d really love any and all of your support.

You can vote once a day between now and June 17. Cast your vote here.

I’ll say.

I’ve always considered the process of constructing a persona which you can then sell and “market” to employers contrived, and more importantly, misleading. If you’ve created a facade, sooner or later, people will find out. And if you’re really that great, why waste your time with various stunts and matching business cards/portfolios/candy bars/whatever-you-can-put-your-name-on that you’ll distribute to creative directors, hoping to differentiate yourself from the rest?

Instead, says Margolis, forgo the “b.s.” and focus on your bio, your story.

Check out his article. You may not agree but to me, reading about someone’s life journey is a hell of a lot more intriguing than a chocolate bar dubiously hand-wrapped in purple paper (read: “branded”) by someone I’ve never met. Just saying.

Read the article

SUCCESS!

Here’s Lady Gaga’s “Hair.”

And here’s a completely rad karaoke-style “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

And here, just because, are German vampires singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Hope you’re happy.

- everyone but Marc, who, wearing a fitted black v-neck t-shirt, only feels semi-excluded

And much to the dismay of Bible humpers everywhere, we did. And even more so to Chris’s dismay, I get to call out whatever I want on this blog, including dogs holding sticks and religious groups who believe in our impending doom.

So here you go.

Initially, this will be offered to content creators with whom YouTube has a good relationship, but presumably all creators in good standing will eventually be able to stream content live.

Needless to say, this is an incredible opportunity for marketers. In the entertainment category, YouTube Live could enable real-time interaction with characters from movies and TV shows. It makes the DVD commentary both instant and interactive. You’ll not only be able to ask the star of your favorite reality show what they were thinking when they yanked out that weave, but you could ask show runners where the season is going and what they were thinking when they let those two characters get together. It’s also a great medium for getting the most out of publicity events: not everyone can make it to the bookstore to get their copy of “I was a Teenage Werewolf” signed, but now viewers can get up close and personal with their favorite stars without having to get off the couch.

There’s also enormous potential for newly launched products, particularly those that require consumer education. How cool would it be to interact live with the people who developed your new cell phone, and ask them questions about how it works and why they designed it a certain way?

In the somewhat more distant future, we foresee an even deeper level of interaction in which viewers can use webcams to interact live with each other within curated YouTube Live environments: for instance, Drew Carey may host live improvathons that include members of his remote audience, Mac and PC enthusiasts could battle it out in realtime, or Twilight fans could offer Bella the best advice to protect her heart – and humanity at large.

It’s an exciting new way to give creators and their audience direct access to one another, and we can’t wait to try it out.

This interview with showrunner Dan Harmon goes a long way towards explaining why. He’s committed to the story and the character, he listens to his fans and he’s a fan himself.

What’s striking is how amenable his philosophy for making an awesome show is to the idea of making great advertising. Or maybe not. There’s a certain continuity between creative pursuits. Whether it’s advertising, TV or ice sculpture, creativity is about eliciting an emotional response in an audience that will provoke an action. Harmon’s point about the “Jack and the Beanstalk” approach is right on. You never know where a good idea will come from, and you usually have to follow a bad idea all the way to the end before it eventually surrenders and gives you a hint on where to find a good idea (For an agency named after an old broad, it should make sense that we’re into personification).

Everything that he says, in fact, can be applied equally to a brand. Have something to say. Find out what makes your message special. Build a team of people who care about that message and will be smart about creating new ways to tell the brand’s story. Play well with others. Listen to your audience.

And, of course, the most important lesson we can learn from Dan Harmon also is the simplest: watch Community.

We’ll use this blog for a little ranting and raving about the latest developments in the ad world, awesome new technologies, cool art, soon-to-be viral videos and anything else that tickles our fancy.

So get comfortable and check back in regularly for a harrowing look at what goes on in our heads every day.