Ad Caulk

Weekly Linkly is back. As is—dare I say it—good work! I've seen more good work this week than I can remember in a very long while. Here's the business:

• A recently revived Sell! Sell! post about the quote "All progress depends on the unreasonable man."

Can't put my finger on what I like so much about this ad. I've watched it 5 times and still want to watch it again, so it must be good. Thanks to AdVerve for the find.

• The Ad Contrarian scientifically dissects the industry in Neuroscience and Pseudoscience.
• Briefs. We've all complained about what they shouldn't be. The San Francisco Egotist decided to get some opinion about what they should be. (bonus Sell! Sell! tweet as a sidecar)

The new Axe ads remind me of the great series Errol Morris did for High Life. They had me, for a brief moment, consider picking up some Axe body wash next time I'm at the store. The moment has passed. See the rest on Ben Kay's blog.

• A modest proposal by Vinny Warren: Make Love, Not Virals

Google's Project Re:Brief. Any lover of advertising has to be teeming with jealously over the googlers getting to work with these ads/creatives.

• Dave Trott's advice on how not to be like the rest of everyone. Hint: don't be so scared of risk. (Bonus riff on the subject by Seth Godin)

Dave Trott's agency CST The Gate has released a new site dedicated to Predatory Thinking. It's a collection of stories/quips where people redefined the world on their terms. The kind of stuff that we hear about and say, "That's brilliant!"

I love when new sources of inspiration like this pop up. Go visit.

Predatory thinking. Street smarts. Whatever you want to call it, it's about writing the rules on your terms, rather than following someone else's; it's about changing behaviour through reframing a story or changing the context; it's about seeking unfair advantage to outmanoeuvre the competition.

Welcome back. I hope you've had time enough to digest the monstrous number of posts I presented in the first part of this. Though 2012 is already upon us I have the best posts from the second half of 2011 to share. That's not a bad thing. Learning from the best that the past had to offer isn't a terrible affliction. Besides, good ideas tend to get repeated year after year (like this excellent Ira Glass video) enjoy part 2.

First, make rice - Seth Godin
This is included because it is the one post that has been stuck in my mind since I read it. Seriously. It's short but imparts a great lesson about really learning a craft. Building a strong foundation before we are entranced by shiny technology. (Fun fact "sushi" does not mean raw fish, it means "with rice." So the next time somebody says "I don't like sushi, I hate fish," you have full permission to smack them upside the head. Or verbally, whichever you prefer.)

What's your short cut? - Vinny Warren
This is great to read if you feel like you're just spinning your wheels. Instead of digging yourself out of a rut it's important to think about what you really want to do, and how to do that. It worked for Vinny.

Unfortunately... - David Oakley
Losing sucks. Especially losing a pitch you feel you deserved to win. This post is about adding some perspective (a theme of 2011) to the loss. If you don't get hired by an agency, and someone you know who does completely different work does, it's not always you. But this shouldn't be mistaken as a cop-out.

Whatever you're making, make it way better than it has to be. - Luke Sullivan
I liked this piece so much that I blogged about it the day it came out. I think we are nearing the release date for the next edition of Hey Whipple (which includes this piece) so if you've worn out the binding on yours you should wait on a copy to come out. Simply put this is a really good post.

The Twitter - mtlb
AKA talk how people talk. If you're not being authentic in your own stream how can anybody trust you? Cool video of Penn Gillette talking about how to communicate with people.

Speaking Of Shyness - Russell Davies
Honestly this doesn't have much to do with advertising. However, it did have a whole lot to do with understanding myself. If you think you may be every the tiniest bit introverted you should read it.

Infidelity, Inertia and Unsegmented Markets: The Impossibility of 'Alienating' Consumers And Why Marketingland Needs To Man Up - Martin Weigel
Settle in for a very, very, very long read. Every bit of it is important because it champions the idea that good, interesting work is worth alienating a few people. It's about combating the bad. You don't want to be bad, do you?

Fail Upwards and On Losing Your Marbles - Dave Trott
Two of the most memorable posts Dave put out last year. I am almost certain I posted about them here before and I know that I tweeted them. Needless to say, Dave's blogs are worth reading. But if you're stubborn at least read these two. (The first taste is always free)

Thank you all for reading again. Best of luck in 2012 and do keep reading. There's only better stuff to come. Promise. And, as always, leave something in the comments if you have something to say.

It's been a while, but Weekly Linkly back. If anything it's a nice break from Christmas music.

• 
  In case you don't have a Jewish family to spend thanksgiving with. Here's "Old Jews Telling Jokes." From the Sell! Sell! Blog.
• Good News Everyone!* "Good Ideas Win, No Matter What Form" from the Division of Labor Blog.
• You can own the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness. Or buy it for the Parks and Rec fan in your life.
• 
  Movie Magic!
• "Anyone can knock down ideas. You don't have to be clever to do that." - Dave Trott

• 
  from Canalside View.

• 
  The best commentary on SOPA. That piece of legislation that wants to break the internet.

*Bonus points if you recognize this reference to Futurama. Too bad bonus points are relatively worthless here.

• Check out the "Lemonade: Detroit" 17 minute short. It'll make you happy inside.
• "What No One Else Wants" from Dave Trott
• Why The Fuck You Should Choose Oberlin. (via)
• How To Last In A Tough Business Filled With Rejection by Luke Sullivan.

Well it's a new year for us Jews and a new weekend for the rest of you. Here's a bunch of links from this week and last week, that I forgot to post was saving for you. Enjoy the New Yearly freshness.

• Incest and Personal Brands (not related, oddly enough) from George Tannenbaum.
• John Logan* and why starting late isn't necessarily a bad thing, from Ben Kay.
• David Oakley gives you a lesson on losing.
• Sometimes you're it helps to figure out what you're NOT going to do. by Vinny Warren
• Muppets Live: In Posters from AdVerve's Bill Green.
• Scott Adams tells you exactly how to kill your creativity. Since that's what we're all looking for, right?
• Do You Know Who You Are?, about exploring yourself, and It Ain't Over 'Till It's Over, why workaholics may not be sick after all, from Dave Trott.
• Talker's Block from Seth Godin. (He doesn't have it, and neither do you)

Video

*John Logan wrote this speech

The most identifiable lyrics that aren't lyrics.

An aurally pleasing event from Mother NY and Kyocera. (via)

Awesome ad for Big Game Hunter 2011. Agency: 72 and Sunny.

The best political ad you'll see this season. "What's good, is to get these goats for our computer industry.

We're selling links of all shapes and sizes! Drop on by today and buy, buy, BUY!

• Gerry Graf hilariously breaks down TV cupcake shows.
• The Cerberus of ad blogs cometh! Angela Natividad, Bill Green and Darryl Ohrt quit their individual blogs and became the collective known as AdVerve.
• "Two Ways to Be Great" from Makin' Ads.
• Seth Godin on why schools should ditch the industrial model.
• Why Ben Kay thinks companies are wasting money on ads.
• AS A RULE, you shouldn't use as a rule. From Dave Trott.
• And, of course, two posts from George Tannenbaum. "Using Your Ears" and "Is honesty suicide?"

And we've got plenty of video too:

A London bus tour that "made London look cool like New York." (via)

 Laughs from the uber talented Everynone.

Show this to your friends when they say they don't understand why color grading matters.