Photo inspiration

I thought this one was interesting so let see if it could help us to find ideas and turn this inhouse photo competition into a future exhibition. Don't know you, but I'm thinking to win this one...and the rest to come.

qiqe

Hide and Seek

If you want to induldge with your inner lost child, get down to the Southbank Centre this weekend. Be one with the crowd of flash mobbers, social gamers and psycho art projects. Expect wierdness, frivolity and a whole load of fun. There'll be loads of sparky ideas for us to reinterpret and use. And it might feed into the St Luke's photography project that's going on this month.

Click here for more deets.

Red or Dead

Hey All , I present to you an opportunity to bring out the communist in you! Sign up to be part of "Team Subterranea"! I'm aware that some of you have had the wild and crazy idea of transforming part of the basement into a recreation area. I need volunteers to 'man up' and help out! Once "Team Subterranea" is assembled we can get the area to the left of the basement cleared. I’ll get cleaners in to make it all sparkling! Are you with me people? Please post any ideas on how we can make the space groovy and happening. Yours in solidarity – Delphina x (power to the people)!

Are you good with a camera?

Here's your opportunity to test that aperture, get those fish eye lenses out and live your dream to be the next David Bailey!
St Luke's is starting a monthly photography competition. Every month there will be a one word brief posted on the blog.You'll have 2/3 weeks to create a masterpiece and submit it via the blog (deadline dates will be posted with every brief). A vote will be taken at the end of each month and the winner will be entered into the grand finale at the end of the year. (Prizes tbc). Winners will be displayed around the agency for everyone to see.

Number 1:
This months word brief is "Us".
Please submit your photo's via the blog by 16th July
(please send all high res jpegs to Laura as well)

looking down

looking down. from hrrrthrrr on Vimeo.

In the house

RIBA and Shelter have got together to raise money for the homeless. You pay for an architect to come to your house for an hour to give you advice on how to make better use of the space etc. All the money goes to charity. Everyone wins.

Click here for more.

Genius festival saviour

The S**t Box (lovely name) is a useful invention for all you festival goers. £16 for knowing you don't have to stand in skanky queues whilst trying to retain control of your gag reflex. And it's biodegradable.

It comes with ten poo-bags, tissues and a handy bag to carry it about in. Privacy may be an issue though, so you might need to invent the pop-up portaloo too.

Click here for more info.

KIng of Burgers

For £95 this bad boy deserves a big picture...

The ingredients of what is called simply 'The Burger' include Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws, Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine and shallot infused mayonnaise in an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.

The worlds most expensive burger is available for one week only in a single west london Burger King all proceeds will go to Help A London Child charity. Come on everybody... lets get one!

Will it? won't it?

Finally Treasury Holdings have revealed their plans for one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Battersea Power Station is the biggest brick building in Europe and apparantly was only destined to stay up for 60 years. Originally there were only 2 chimneys - looks odd huh!

I went to an exhibition inside the building last year and it is only when you go in do you get a sense of how awesomely big it is. You have to hope these plans will be realised. With the walls exposed this is probably the last chance before it finally falls down. The conspiracy theory is that the owners are playing a game of pass the parcel - hoping the building is condemned while they own it - so they can pull it down and use the land as they wish. I have a better feeling about these owners. They have a track record of serious urban regeneration. I think they are serious. What do you think?

Neil

Wagamamas meal deal

Michael Jackson's Thriller - Only a movie???

Toffee Factory Tennis Trophy

This might not be gospel, but legend has it that this trophy was once fought for in the mid 1800's before tennis really establishing itself at The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon. And after St. Luke's living in Euston for over 10 years, and the trophy over a century old, thought it only fitting that this prestigious trophy was resurrected. Two teams from St. Luke's & one from TomTom Nation (their locker room buddies at Dukes Road) fought long and hard in their lunch hour with majestic tennis not far from that observed at SW19. Sterling efforts from both the St. Luke's pairs, but only one can win. Congratulations Tim and Dave!

Strawberries and cream anyone?

The Power of the Blog

Last week, there was an article on the blog about brightening up 'dead spaces'. Everyone liked the idea of choosing a colour to be added to our staircase to the creative floor.

Pantone staircase? Done.

Any more bright ideas?

Super sonic beauty water

Are you feeling a bit jaded after the Flag party last night St.Lukers?

Skin looking a bit worse for wear? skin a bit pickled??

Why not check out the latest trend in beauty water: New skin improving acne water.

Ok sounds a bit far fetched but clinical trials have proven it really works...

It apparently claims to reduce blemishes resulting in a smoother younger complexion.

This new wonder water claims to inhibit the development of the Propionibacterium which causes skin impurities and spots through a new wonder additives: Praventin and Aloe Vera.

Check out the cool packaging too...

calling all webheads!

we're on the look out for talented web designers, developers and writers to add to our contacts database for possible freelance work.

please forward this to friends / family / anyone you know who may be interested.

contact kathryn - kpartridge@stlukes.co.uk - for more info

podcastastic

For those who may not know, a podcast is an online pre recorded radio show and is fast becoming one of the easiest and most popular ways of listening to programmes whenever and wherever you like.
And now St Lukes have a podcast of their very own!
Non - St Lukers may not know about the fantastic culture we have here in Dukes Road amongst our staff and this first episode will give a little insight into what we get up to...
We work hard but we play hard too. We have no end of fun and now you through the wonder of podcasting everyone can get a sneak peek into life at St Lukes
Expect Cake offs, cultural recommendations and a hidden talent of a staff member is exposed
More to come, enjoy y'all

Lucy Pink xxxxx

Frank Gehry Transforms Hyde Park

The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2008, which this year marks the first built project by legendary architect Frank Gehry, the chap who designed the Guggenheim Bilbao and Dance House in Prague. The 9th Serepentine Pavilion opens 20 July.

The spectacular structure is anchored by four massive steel columns and is comprised of large timber planks and a complex network of overlapping glass planes that create a dramatic, multi-dimensional space. Gehry and his team took inspiration for this year’s Pavilion from a fascinating variety of sources including the elaborate wooden catapults designed by Leonardo da Vinci as well as the striped walls of summer beach huts. Part-amphitheatre, part-promenade, these seemingly random elements will make a transformative place for reflection and relaxation by day, and discussion and performance by night.

new trend on topmanzine

so many outfits, so little time. Boys (and girls) have a look at how you should be dressing this next month. The next trend is Brit Cool. I wonder what wonderful photoshopping we can do for that. Ideas...?

Top Comedy From Down Under

Summer Heights High is the best comedy since Peep Show. It's a cross between Strictly Ballroom, The Office and Grange Hill. It's sheer genius. The gay ambitious self centred drama teacher, the Somalian trouble-maker, Ja'ime the private school, overly confident snob who swaps into the state school. It's all so painfully true.

Is there better stuff on the box?

Episode 1 has gone. Episode 2 now on i-Player

Neil

Perfection

.....90 minutes from London - designed by Starck - perfect view of the Lakes in the Cotswolds - looks like heaven.

sushi happy

50 per cent off in the newly re-opened Yo Sushi in soho. Yum.

Perfection 2

Perhaps is the perfect word. Balanced delicately between optimism and realism; a thoughtful word, far from the narrow certainties of fundamentalism and more playful than 'maybe'. Seemingly it was Sam Beckett's favourite word.

inappropriate humour

don't click if you're a dog lover.

Ox on the underground...

Paul Middlewick has been hunting for animals on the London tube and has found quite a few... Including a mighty ox http://www.animalsontheunderground.com/the_animals.html

Are you going to the moon?

Super restaurateur Alan Yao of Hakkasan and Wagamama fame has opened a new restaurant just off Carnaby Street. Cha Cha Moon inspired by Hong Kong's street side noodle bars as well as Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine is an instant hit. The latest string in Yao's asian inspired cheap eat empire Cha Cha Moon doesn't disappoint with a menu of bloody lovely and unfamiliar food i was impressed and stuffed! GET OVER THERE QUICK...ALL DISHES ARE £3.50 FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY AND THE QUEUES ARE NOT YET QUITE AS SNAKING AS SISTER RESTAURANT BUSABA.

200 years of the times at your fingertips

Wow wow. The Times has launched a free online archive of its newspapers spanning 200 years which reproduce stories exactly as they originally appeared in print. This cut documents Marie Antoinette's execution in 1793.

Plus - all ads are viewable.

Click here to visit the site.

kathryn

perfection

this morning, while browsing the fashion pages, i started thinking about perfection. this is my idea of what it could mean. What's yours?

emily

birthday wishes

yum. yumyums. many happy returns Jamil. May the punting commence.

Anger Release Machine

The anger release machine is an installation designed by Ronnie Yarisal and Katja Kublitz two artists obsessed with deconstruction and reconstruction. It seems like a very satisfying way of getting rid of a bit of anger a bit like crockery shy but probably a bit more profitable.

pantone epidemic

colour in forgotten and unusual places.

that's what i call a stairway to heaven.

kathryn

Update: we're gonna do it here! Tell us the colour you want in the comments section under this post.

we tell stories

Penguin have gone all interactive. They've got six authors to put together stories on the web using blogs, twitter and text etc. It'll be like a digital series as the stories unfold over time. Good idea, but where's the interaction? Wouldn't it be better if they could involve the audience?
http://wetellstories.co.uk/

Good News

I saw this in a magazine this morning, I thought it was great.
New and original stuff. Seems that not everything is invented yet, and thats good news for all of us.

qiqe

psycho buildings etc

there are a few must-see exhibitions in London at the moment.




Psycho buildings
http://www.haywardgallery.org.uk/

Tim Walker
http://www.designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2008/timwalker

Skin & Bones
http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/skinbones/skinbones/default.asp

Lots of ideas to be had from these.
emily

Surprise!!

The Boomtown Rats didn't like Mondays but I personally find Wednesday the hardest. As mid week hits, you're so close yet so far to the long awaited weekend.
But here at St Luke's our lovely Quest certainly know how to crush those half way blues........
ICECREAM!

Around 3pm yesterday, we heard the unmistakable tinkling of some bizarre long forgotten nursery rhyme. As a ripple of pure excitement spread through the agency, an ice cream van pulled up at the door! After a cold treat we all went back to our desks refreshed - some a little hyper from the sugar.

I had two, yes two Zaps, which are quite frankly the best lolly ever and this reminder of childhood days gone by has cheered me up no end. Although I am a little disappointed about the lack of lolly stick jokes nowadays, what has happened to those?!
By Lucy Pink

Bouncing black balls

It seems someone has used bouncing balls to do something more creative than Juan Cabral's emotive ad and more worthy than make Sony a heap of cash.

While yesterday the world was ogling over the iPhone 3G black body, some people were just awing over black balls. 400,000 of them. Black balls everywhere, bouncing, swinging, cavorting, happily hopping down the side of the Ivanhoe Reservoir with two objectives. First, to fight bromate by stopping sunlight, which forms this carcinogenic component mixing the chlorine and bromide in the water. Second, to let me use "bouncy black balls" in a headline.

herbalicious

to up the green stakes, we should grow a herb garden and use the desk and window space to grow grass, rocket and other yummy snacks. it's such a sense of accomplishment when you eat something you helped nurture. it's also a proven fact plants make you happier.

the geek squad

the geek squad was set up by Stephens, a guy who saw a problem (people don't know how to work computers) and solved it (an "emergency" service business). The business exploded (60 to 12,000 staff in three years) and was bought for a tidy sum by a big software and services company in the US. What's interesting here is the approach to staff and innovation - it's a complete down-up operation.
Stephens was looking to find a way to engage his staff - to communicate with them and to allow them to communicate with him sans barriers. So he put a lot of energy putting together a wiki website where everyone could become a part of the process in an efficient way. No one used it. Stephens was confused - all his staff are geeks and therefore supposed to love this technology, so where were they? One day he spoke to one of the directors: "I worry about those guys in Alaska - they're pretty isolated. How close are they to the brand message?". The reply was "Oh, those guys, they're great, I speak to them all the time!". How? It turns out they were all playing Battlefield 2 online. At the same time as dodging bullets they were catching up about work. Rather than banning the game (which would be most managers' reactions), he encouraged it and now there are up to 400 staff members from across the US playing the game at any one time. A much more innovative and intrinsic way of getting staff to communicate.
So what can we do here that would achieve the same thing? Ideas please.

by emily

what price originality?

they say all ideas are borrowed from somewhere and as we are in the ideas business i wondered if there is any credibility in copying? Can you become original by adding your own creativity to something you have copied? Or is this theft...

I saw these Lego pictures and thought they were truly original. But really they are a simple recreation of past events.
In a industry where agencies benefit from both parodying popular culture and on the other hand inspiring it, is there any credibility in throwing an idea out there that has been thrown at you?

adam's rib

diaries at the ready for the next monthly ladies only networking event in Soho, run by She Says.

top females in the industry share their thoughts and advise on how to tackle the world of digital advertising. the last soiree was on International Trends with the focus on future-thinking, planning and strategy. good stuff.

click here to find out more.

by kathryn

Names Above The Door

This might be the first in a series of unreliable history lessons.

I was thinking about the flying ox...

St Luke’s was not the first agency not to be named after it’s founders but we must have came pretty close. I can only think of Yellowhammer in the UK prior to us but I'm sure there must have been others.

At the time, creating our own brand name was really a pragmatic decision – there were 35 original co-founders and the door wasn’t wide enough to carry all those names above it.

We very quickly post-rationalised a more grandiose reason – we were taken a stance against the rampant egotism of the mainstream ad industry (i.e. everyone else). In fact the motto of the company at the time was No Fear. No Ego. No Greed. You had to be there to truly appreciate the irony.

There must have been something in the air because within a year Mother arrived and took the idea one step further by naming their agency as the collective creator of every piece of work that went out the door (an excellent idea). Then Naked took the approach into media and by the time the digital sector opened up it seemed that every new agency in town was trying to outdo each with ever more esoteric names.

The inspiration for these names seems to come from all over the place. Poke sounds like a comic; Adam and Eve like a French New Wave movie; Red Brick Road like an album and, my personal favourite at the moment, AnalogFolk sound like a new music movement emerging from the West Country.

The real benefit I think is that there is something optimistic and inspiring about being part of a collective of creative people rather than feeling you are merely a servant to the names above the door.

by phil

a piece of the sky

david horvitz is a photographer who is obsessed with the sky. maybe we could do some kind of project where we encourage people to look up. it can be nice up there.
http://davidhorvitz.com/blog/2007/10/post.html

by emily

why the flying cow?

the winged ox is the icon of St.Luke - the apostle we named our company after. We wanted a name that brought the ideas of creativity and curing together and St.Luke is patron saint of both artists and doctors. A bit grandiose - but there are very few problems out there that human creativity can't remedy.
St.Luke is also the patron saint of butchers - steak anyone?

by al

luxury brands not using online

a report by Forrester Research has revealed as many as two thirds of global luxury brands are not utilising the internet to sell their products online. The report, which was commissioned by Walpole, showed many brands are not cashing in on double-digit online sales growth, despite eight out of 10 global affluent consumers using the internet daily.
Furthermore, of those luxury brands which don't sell online which don't sell online, over half have no plans to join the online market. Reporter Victoria Bracewell Lewis stated responders who don't sell online argues it was "inappropriate" or that customers preffered the physical retail experience. However firms surveyed which sell online reported booming business, with internet sales up 17 per cent this year. Bracewell Lewis said brands such as LVMH, Orient Express and Net-a-porter are leading the luxury sector online. However, many lag behind. "Executives need to stop trying to duplicate the in-store experience online with poorly functional albeit glitzy sites; they should instead look for opportunities to help customers save time, research and order goods and services, and get assistance online," the author said. Executives working at 178 luxury brands from across the world were questioned, as published in City A.M. on Monday.

Read more here ...

by kathryn

freeze!

the classic flash mob.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMj3PJDxuo

by kathryn

this is the life...

dan found this lovely site (think they did it at his old company). It's good, but where's the UGC? Would it be better with users being in control?
http://www.thisisthelife.com/

by dan/ emily

colours rock

this is one of the best sites ever. simple, beautiful, effective. colour me up!
http://www.colourlovers.com/

by emily

the power of many

if a tradition can be proscribed to something that's a mere decade old, then it would be this - we'll tell you. Thus far it has taken on the same ethos as newspapers and TV. We'll shout and stir and get in your face until you notice us - please notice us!
Well no more. The smart bets are on the people. It comes down to this. No matter how clever, friendly, fast or big you are, them out there are cleverer, friendly, faster and bigger. That's why wikipedia, flickr and youtube work. It's why opening the doors is better and more effective than building and repairing barricades. Use the people and the people will use you.
The new rules for collaboration - openness, peering, sharing and acting globally. Act now or suffer later. For more on this and other brilliant insights, read this - http://www.wikinomics.com/blog

by emily

what's this web thing all about then?

so you've no doubt got web 1.0 - websites that don't do much. You can spot them 'cos you can't interact. You can't post comments, you can't personalise, you can't connect. Surprisingly there are still a lot out there.
Web 2.0 was all about interaction. Amazon, eBay, comment functions and a little bit of UGC (user generated content). V.1 MySpace came from this - users become broadcasters and a whole new generation of webbies were born. Facebook took the gauntlet and ran the marathon. It's a very friendly place where you can tell everyone about you and they can tell you right back. Brands fell on the wagon and bought themselves a piece of the conversation. Then users got savvy and ignored the widgets, gizmos and adverts that were thrown at them. Only the most useful stuck. Things that allow users to interact, plan, get information and share it.
That's where we are now. If you want to take anything away with you, it's this. Only the useful will survive.

by emily