This is the Day!

I'm a fan of M&M's. There's just something special about those iconic hard shelled sweets that can't be denied. Each lower case 'm' stamped individually onto each little bit of chocolate just seems like an affirmation of the magic of marketing and for the most part M&M's has been able to play the game relatively well over the years. Ultimately, while they may often compete with Starburst when facing off for my vending-machine change, they're a candy I just can't say no to.

Unless of course it's Lent, I've given up chocolate, but I get the chance to hop-skip through the 3 story tall M&M's store in New York City's Times Square ...

Fight it, fight it, fight it ...

But, I digress. I've been meaning to tackle this latest round of M&M's advertising, which has both my marketing sensibilities and candy love working over time. While I've found the anthropomorphized red and yellow characters to be great representatives of the brand, the idea has been expanded vastly to encompass not only the family of colors (the crazy minis, smexy green, etc) but now each and every member of the M&M's nation!

You can check out these "Inner M" commercials on the M&M's commercials page. Or right here:

Sure the idea is clever and they even have an M&M avatar promotion behind it, whereby you can make your own freaky 3D M&M avatar, but that's not the main reason why I've gotta love the commercials ... even though my M&M me is oh-so lovable.


The MAIN reason has definitely got to be the supremely good music choices M&M has recently begun to use for its commercials. While they can't touch the randomness factor of a good Starburst or Altoids commercial with a 10 foot pole, they can surely get enough music ear worms around that the commercials becomes memorable for almost that sole reason.

Case in point, the last commercial to get this treatment used Iron & Wine's Such Great Heights to an amazing effect - giving M&M's the mellow indie cred that is as almost as sweet as chocolate itself. As people returned from commercial, finding themselves unable to shake the tune of this catchy but obscure song, they were forced to look beyond the top pop charts and dig a little deeper. All the while then, M&M basked in the beautiful synergy of good music and web-literate listeners.

Now, as listeners come out of this latest round of commercials, yearning to find out more - they're pointed to the M&M's main page ... but, I can cut out that middle man. The source of this amazing song is none other than the eighties, nineties, and even 00's under appreciated sensation, The The.

Yes, that's right, the band's name is The The.

And here's the music video for their catchy chocolate commercial cameo. Enjoy!

What's more, if you're like me and need to have this song around - whether on computer or iPod, you can find it on The The's album Soul Mining (through The The's website) ... or listen to it here

The The - This is the Day (mp3 via Rapidshare)

So now that I've devoted an irretrievable part of my life to blogging about chocolate commercial tunes, I feel about ready to drown my self-pity in a sea of colorful chocolate friends ... hmm, M&M's you may have made the best possible choice yet, what with pandering to a demographic of New Wave loving bloggers! Kudos! While today may not be the day, tomorrow will be the day -- my life will surely change!

Tags: M&M, commercial, advertisement, Inner M, avatar, Iron & Wine, The The, This is the Day, music, music video

Candy Mountain?

At my last visit to Old Orchard Mall, I was taken aback by a certain shop stand that I saw while walking around the open air shopping center ...


Now I've seen Charlie the Unicorn enough times on YouTube to know that it's become a bit of an internet meme and quite possibly even one of those pop culture references that will drive people insane. But when I saw this stand, the first thing that came to my mind was "Candy Mountain, Charlie!" and I sincerely hope I'm not the only one whose mind jumped to that conclusion.

Now if at this point you have no idea what I'm talking about, just watch the video below:

What do you guys think, could the unicorns truly be funneling their kidney-sale monies to shoddy mall ventures? Is this a coincidence enough to make some sort of valid connection? Could letter shaped plush toys ever be popular enough with mall dwelling pre-teens without the push of a catchy online fad? Or are you all just non-believers ... ("Shun the non-believer. Shuuuuunn, shuuuuunuunnnNAH!")

The Truth is out there!

Tags: Old Orchard Mall, Candy Mountain, Charlie the Unicorn, Letters, Shop, Letter Y, conspiracy

Altoids: Curious Advertising

When I was in New York City last month (and walking pretty much everywhere for four days straight) my camera and I happened upon a couple of instances of clever, but seemingly unassuming Altoids advertising.

Careful, It's a trap.

Sure it wasn't some new fangled viral marketing or anything, but the minimal approach to the ads - a nice clean design paired with a witty phrase - was enough for me to get out my camera and take a photo. There was something about the subtle way Altoids managed to sneak a bit of humor or radomness in, without making it something absurd or over the top, that really appealed to me.

Well, after being pulled in by this minimalistic but effective approach to their posted adverts I really was 'curious' to learn more (har har). Apparently after making an appearance on Valentine's day (with a jab at sentimentality) this follow up series of street advertisements was meant to further awareness of the new "curiously chocolate" Altoids. Chocolate you say? Well, after seeing the success of their usual peppermint, cinnamon, and ginger flavors what natural progression was left but to dip them in dark chocolate!

(image originally posted on candyaddict.com)

While my initial reaction to this news was of ... well, puzzlement. I do have to confess that other combinations which I had previously been skeptical of - chocolate covered pretzels, for instance - have fast become some of my favorite food hybrids. So, curious combination aside, it seems Altoids genuinely has something special on its hands. While I'm yet to pick up a box of these choco-mints, others have taken the liberty of reviewing the different flavors, which apparently are pretty good!

Plus it seems Altoids not only has this clever series of paper ads, but also a number of quirky commercials that play with the notion of consumer's initial surprise at seeing this hybrid. Truly, if you couldn't think of anything more bizarre than chocolate covered mints these commercials provide some close alternatives.

Banana-Hands Allen


Half-Deer Edwards

Produced Biscuit filmworks under Leo Burnett-Chicago and directed by Tim Godsall, the series of four commercials definitely continue the vein of weird, yet humorous ads that have come to define the Altoids brand. The two spots I posted above were definitely the ones I enjoyed the most, but if you want to see them all there's also Blow-Hole Bob and the Australian Double-Back - but I'll leave these up to your discretion.

While I'm not sure that these commercials can top my love of the ad-sense portrayed by the Skittles brand, the similar vein of quirky humor and that mix of surreality with the sense of mundane definitely brings them to the top of my list.

Now I just need to get my hands on some of these buggers -- why in the world must the deer men hoard them so? If you've tried these already let me know where I can find them, and what flavor you'd recommend. Otherwise, let me know which Altoids spot you enjoyed the most!

Tags: Altoids, Dark Chocolate Dipped Mints, New York City, advertisement, billboard, bonbomb, curious, commercials, banana hands allen, half deer edwards, blow hole bob, australian double-back, Biscuit filmworks, Leo Burnett, Tim Godsall

History? I LOVE HISTORY!

Ok, so I realize I haven't posted for quite some time - and that a three month hiatus is probably not the best way to assure the blog's reader(s) of The Ostrich Egg's sheer vitality and true exciti-tude. But if I know one thing better than anything else, it's that an 'exclusive' and fascinating post will surely rejuvenate the spirits of this once ... flourishing ... persisting ... not nonliving blog. So what better way to brighten up the doldrums of winter than with a blog post on HISTORY!

Why history? Well, why not - posting clips of Mr. T and Ikea lamps really didn't seem to do anything for my blog-cred, so what do I have to lose? Admittedly, I accept the fact that history and wintertime fun have in the past appeared to be mutually exclusive. For a thorough documentation see the second season episode of The Simpsons, Bart Gets an F (check it out via peekvid.com). But even though the episode features one agonizing scene where Bart forces himself to study the American Revolution in a dark, dank basement while outside the town of Springfield is celebrating 'Snow Day - The Funnest Day in the History of Springfield' ... this post is really all about breaking those negative and all too true stereotypes. History really can be fun!


Alright, fine, so what can I do to convince you? It seems pretty clear that countless pages written by historians, sociologists, and philosophers throughout time have all harped on the importance of studying history. One of the most accessible arguments is neatly broken down by Peter N. Stearns of the American Historical Association (AHA) in an exposition titled Why Study History? In it he claims that history "should be studied because it is essential to individuals and to society, and because it harbors beauty." Furthermore he goes on to detail many of the functional aspects that this study provides both for the individual and society alike, aiding in the formation of fundamental skills that define who we are ... but I can sense that this approach isn't really helping my cause either. After all one can simply claim that this man is grossly biased in favor of history, why should anyone wanting an objective opinion listen to a man in AHA's pocket? (Not to be confused with Aha, New Wave originators of the 80s classic Take on Me)

So that leads me to Old Navy, and the reason for this blog post in the first place. As a company whose motto has been "Get Your Fash-On!" ever since it's ubiquitous commercial campaign in the summer and fall of 2006, one would doubt that Old Navy would be the harbinger of a new appreciation for history. And yet, even three years after their last round of catchy advertisements, one phrase remains etched deep in my psyche, and that of my peers (I would assume): "History? I LOVE History!" In what was one of the most generation defining commercials of my time, the Old Navy 'History' commercial remains, in my opinion, the most successful pro-history campaign ever unleashed on the youth of America. While other groups have tried to combine the appeal of pop culture, design, and youth-centric adverts, none have been nearly as effective as Old Navy with this regard. See for yourself, and just try to deny the effectiveness of this advertisement ...



In all reality, this commercial really is the perfect vehicle for history education. The shrill, exuberant cries of the young college student reverberate as easily through the silent lecture hall as through our minds, while the effectiveness of this technique ensures that the words will become permanently lodged there (next to other unforgiving slogans). Furthermore, the fact that the student's rant appears to be evoked just as easily by Old Navy's back to school sale as by the prospect of studying history, the commercial itself makes the idea of being passionate about something like history accessible to all (though for some it may also require the consumption of ungoldy amounts of caffeine in preparation for a midterm). The very fact that multitudes of students have gone on to study history after viewing the commercial, and continue to do so even years later, makes my point all the more valid!

If you still aren't convinced by my random correlations, just listen to this: Old Navy isn't the only on to have picked up the model of catchy advertising in order to indoctrinating the youth with messages of history's virtues. While none can hold a candle up to the brilliance of the original, the popularity of this approach has clearly spurred others to try and follow suit.

Catchy slogans, reverse psychology, and the sex appeal of Napoleon Bonaparte - who could refuse?

Artist Eduardo Recife (www.eduardorecife.com), whose style and creative influence I greatly admire has lent his expertise to the development of a promo for the upcoming HBO series, Assume the Position. The premise of the show is formed around the supposition that most of our notions about historical fact are in reality based on popular culture, and it is our job as inquisitive students of history to vocally question and debunk hearsay. Robert Whul, the man charged with reformatting the common student's approach to history, is the most vocal figure present in the college classroom setting picked for the show. A couple of seconds into the promo, as his booming voice fills the lecture hall, the excitement of discovery present in the subtleties of his tone - I can't help but bring myself back to those simple beginnings when $20 capris were all that it took to get one so worked up over history.

The promo which you can check out in a 40 second and 60 second format, is really a clear sign that the youth, nurtured by Old Navy commercials of yore, have grown up to be actual college students, deserving of more mature historically infused advertisements and pop-culturally savvy programming.

I for one will keep the tradition started all those years ago by Old Navy strong, and my love for history will forever ring out, in the immortal words of that annoying girl: "...Something happens... Then something else happens! It's so sequential! Thanks... first guy! For writing history down! ...LET'S STUDY!" And I'm pretty positive others see it that way too.

Illinois delegation at National History Day 2006
See more of NHD on my Flickr photoset

Tags: advertising, AHA, American Historical Association, Assume The Position, Commercial, Eduardo Recife, HBO, History, I LOVE History, National History Day, Old Navy, Peter Stearns, Simpsons, Take On Me

Rabbit by Run Wrake

I know I haven't posted for a while, what with school and everything, and yes I do feel guilty about that. But believe me, I have procrastinated enough to find a lot of good material to cover over the next week!

So, in the hope of feigning the semblance of connections to past entries I think I'm going to work off of that image of the vintage Halloween card I posted about three weeks ago. It really is pretty neat looking ... with the pumpkin ... and the scared children ... and I suppose it could be seen as presenting some sort of moral notions of ... um ... not messing with pumpkins ... and ultimately it has that interesting art sensibility that the 1950s were privy to.


But yeah, it was this interesting art style that really brought to mind a rather bizarre and yet ultimately somewhat satisfying animation that I happened upon the other day over at YouTube. Employing this classic style the animation resonates with the look of an early reading primer, yet in combination with an unusual narrative progression this animation really does become remarkable.

The short synopsis reads as: A selection of 1950s educational stickers, discovered in a provincial junkshop twenty years ago, provide the ingredients for this adult fairytale. When a boy and girl find an idol in the stomach of a rabbit, its magical abilities lead to riches, but for how long? But hey, honestly, you should check this thing out for yourself, it really is something else.

Now the facts ... as you sit and process what you just witnessed. The short film was directed by none other than Run Wrake, who has a number of amazing works available on his website including illustrations and commissions by MTV and different music artists. Working with Channel 4, this fascinating work was commissioned by 'animate!' (the home of some amazing experimental works that definitely should not be missed). The animate! website has a wealth of background information on all of the animations that it supports, and the Rabbit information page has everything from stills to concept work and storyboards. So yeah!

And the moral of this story: don't trust golden idols who convince you to make blog posts at three in the morning ~

Tags: Video, YouTube, Rabbit, Run Wrake, animate!, animation, vintage, 1950s

Rinpa Eshidan: Evolving Mural

With the onslaught of school work: essays, problem sets, labs, midterms and readings regarding the nature of the self and the relation of that self to society ... it's been difficult to find time to simply draw. For me at least, drawing is a way of capturing the wisps of innovation and design sense which may otherwise be filed in some 'to do' folder in the back of my mind. By sitting down in front of a sketch pad or my drawing tablet, with a mellow track running on my laptop, and the time glowing on my alarm clock really being of no consequence - it really leaves me in very amazing zen like state, where the motion of pencil strokes can draw out the interconnected strings of thought that have gone untangled in the corner of my brain like some pair of tossed aside headphones ... it's that sense of finally getting things straightened out by getting an otherwise dormant part of my brain active again which just feels refreshing!

But as long as I'm reduced to left-brain, work-time, logic-based functions - finding amazing examples of creative outlets as exemplified by others is still a good means of keeping my creative side open to great design sense. That's why finding something like the video below, while only something like a six minute interruption in my day, can nonetheless act as a catalyst to awakening my own ability to perceive things in a fresh and creative sense ... even Epsilon-Delta proofs! (No, wait, never mind).

The group that undertook this glorious week-long display of design and technical skill goes by the moniker Rinpa Eshidan, and while they don't yet have their own webpage you can check out more projects like this on their YouTube Channel. Investigations by other blogs have led to the conclusion that this Japan-based group is defintley going places ... I mean, their style is impeccable! So keep an eye out for them and get inspired -

Technorati Tags: Video, YouTube, Rinpa Eshidan, Mural, Grafitti, Urban Art

Ikea & Lamp Love

Stumbling Upon I encountered a fun commercial for Ikea that I hadn't seen in the longest time. It definitely made me smile and reminds me why Ikea has a place in my heart - right next to Sam's Club or a great bookstore - insofar as being an amazing destination in itself. With a great twist on conventional interpretations, the very nature of the commercial is something unexpected and fresh - much like the business savvy of the international store chain. The whole Ikea mentality does away with the notion of stuffy furniture stores and gimmicky 'Columbus Day' sales advertisements in lieu of a straightforward message and clean, if not sometimes unexpected, line of logic. Something that a college student looking to find drapes or a set of bowls can truly appreciate. Thanks Ikea!

On another note - the whole lamp theme made me think of another instance where a poor little lamp just didn't have things go it's way - in a fittingly cruel take on the Pixar lamp creation.

And I suppose, seeing as this has become a very lamp-centric post all of a sudden, an obligatory I (heart) lamp mention can be edged into this blog post as well. If you've never understood the presence of the slogan on oh-so-many internet tee shirts, well, here it is - a true Anchorman moment.

"I Love Lamp"

Technorati Tags: Video, YouTube, Lamp, Ikea Commercial, Pixor, I Love Lamp, Anchorman

Talk Like A Pirate Day

With International Talk Like A Pirate Day just a few short days away I've been seeing what can be done to improve my general comprehension of this mystical and well-respected language. Just as I was abut to hunker down and study for a French language placement exam, I happened upon a great distracting and equally educational tool: An instructional video for talking like a pirate! With easy grammatical and syntactical guides, this video makes pirate-speak fun and accessible to the common landlubber.


I'll see you on Tuesday - ye scurvy salty dog. But if checking out the video and the Original Talk Like a Pirate Day site isn't enough, here's Stephen Colbert in pirate garb.


Technorati Tags: Video, International Talk Like a Pirate Day, Educational Video, Instruction, Language, Stephen Colbert, Pirate

Malapropism Fun: Take One

Whether it be Dogberry in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing or our very dear, but linguistically challenged President George (Dubyah) Bush - it seems that the trend of attempting to use seemingly erudite vocabulary (or any string of words at all) to try and sound authoritative or a least intelligent, yet ultimately failing miserably, has been around as long as the English language itself. Malapropism, the term for this type of language abuse, is itself an annoyingly and ironically fiendish word ... but hey, when the results make lexicographers and wordnistas laugh in a haughty way, it can't be all that bad. But hey, no one really wants to be the guy making the flagrant linguistic gaffe, like the one below --



Update (Sept 19) -- A nice article through BBC World News addresses the wealth of political gaffes all around the world, in case you want o check out more political blunders: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5360412.stm

So yeah, here are some random words you definitely might not want to confuse, seeing as they regulate not only the salvation of your immortal soul but obscure pop culture and literary references.

Consubstantiation - the assertion that the body and blood of Christ only coexist in and with the substance of the bread and wine of the Eucharist

Transubstantiation - the process by which the bread and wine in the Eucharist literally turn into the body and blood of Christ

Transmogrification - that /other/ magical process by which Hermione turns into a cat

Anthropomorphization - your standard 10th grade literary analysis buzz word, through which one defines the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, the unseen author of things, and others ... like God, who apparently has a long white beard

Animorphs - a process by which preteens of the 90s turned into total geeks

Archetype - the underlying tenet of Carl Jung's theory which surmised that we're all tapped into a collective unconscious, which at it's core spawns the same trite storylines for fantasy/adventure novels whereby the characters are basically interchangeable. Like ... [Neo the intrepid young hacker] finds the guidance of a wise mentor named [Gandalf] to defeat a looming villain named [Lord Voldemort] by using [The Force] to ultimately triumph in the battle of [good] verus [bears]

Yeah, I think that's a good start - maybe I'll bring in some more installments later on - because, Thesauruses ... Thesaurii ... MAKE LANGUAGE FUN - Yeah! And in all honesy, who dosen't love a well placed Shakespeare reference?


"Shakespeare hates your emo poems" at Threadless


"Prose before Hos" at Busted Tees

Technorati Tags: Malapropism, President Bush, Language, Linguistic, Definitions, Shakespeare, T-Shirts

Edu-tastic Video Compilation

Even now, after having graduated from high school, I have to admit - it really is difficult for me to separate myself from the educational fun-ride that was k-12. Everywhere I look, it seems, I find benchmarks of my educational upbringing, from French dictionaries gathering dust on my bookshelf to one random elementary school spelling book that I should've definitely returned about nine years ago. It's been fun to rummage through old grade reports, laughing at awkward class photos, and sympathizing with elementary school teachers who racked their brains to try and impart some form of factual information to us.



Seriously though, an 'A' for all those spelling mistakes and random capitalizations? I would've deported myself outright for pledging 'alligance' to a 'republik' run by a lesser 'god' than He who directs the thoughts and actions of his progeny George W. Bush




Yet the internet has been the ultimate harbinger of memories connected to those nostalgic years - with the ability to simply Google old PBS educational shows I've been able to find countless reminders of the clever ways in which adults choose to inundate children with massive amounts of facts. And while giant purple dinosaurs perhaps are better suited for giving children an irrational phobia, one reoccurring technique has definitely stuck out for it's practicality - songs.

Since the dawn of time, it seems, as long as there have been core factual concepts (mathematics, science, history, language) people have always attempted to commit their base principles to memory through simple and repetitive forms. Things like mnemonic devices (SOH CAH TOA, Roy G. Biv, My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas*), rhymes, sayings, and songs have attempted to make the chore of pure repetition more mentally expedient. Sure, simply memorizing things through rote repetition is a staple hallmark of childhood (from reciting prayers or the pledge) -- yet songs have always added that extra bit of excitement that could trick entice a hyperactive child into doing some inadvertent learning.

But returning to the point, I don't think any sort of nostalgic post about the magic of song in education could be complete without a rundown of the very songs which permeate my subconscious mind, making me a slave to catchy jingles and quickly recited bits of information. Below is a compilation of the videos which I consider to have the most creative and powerful use of song to achieve that perfect jingle to fact ratio.

Ah, the Animaniacs - with their take on the nations of the world who could go wrong? Although, they did misspell Israel as 'Isreal' -- but I'll give Yakko a break, for a singing whatever-the-hell-it-is that's still pretty good.

School House Rock made my One Saturday Mornings notable (next to Doug, Recess, and Pepper Ann) -- and as far as this integration of the bill-making process to song I'd say it definitely has raised my political efficacy ... what person doesn't still secretly wish that the next bill passed could befriend them and after breaking out into song do a Kool-Aid man sort of "oh-yeah!" cheer?

Sesame Street always had tons of innovative clips presenting letters, colors, and numbers - so what better way to convey the concept of '6' than with a psychedelic pinball machine countdown?

Ok, this isn't necessarily an aide for conventional knowledge - but it sure did work for brainwashing me into being aware of the dangers that evil villains pose to the environment. But man, captain planet was a tad creepy himself, at least the cute South American boy with the pet monkey made up for it. We're the planeteers, you can be one too - cause saving our planet is the thing to do!

While I couldn't find an embed-able version of this next one, the Periodic Table of the Elements song by Tom Lehrer has been a standard for Chemistry teachers across the nation since 1955. If you've never encountered this song in class then you've missed a chemistry hot-topic that's almost as fascinating as the idea of the mole (Avogadro's number, equal to 6.022 x 10²³ atoms or molecules). You can however find a flash version of an animation done to the song at privatehand.com/flash/elements.html

And a treat, perfect for Pi Day! An amazing parody of all of the above, with the perfect dose of humor tossed in -- no Steve, not Pie, Pi (and in case you were hungry for that pi goodness, or just insane, you can find pi calculated to a million digits at piday.org)

* Note: seeing as Pluto has been demoted to the status of a dwarf plant (or trans-Neptunian object) alongside Ceres and 2003 UB313 as of August 24, 2006 ... I guess elementary school kids can go with something like My Very Educated Mother Just Said Uh-oh No Pluto (here's a visual).

Technorati Tags: Video, Music Video, Educational Television, YouTube, PBS, memorization, Animaniacs, Nations, School House Rock, Bill, Sesame Street, Captain Planet, Tom Lehrer, Periodic Table of the Elements, Pi Day

The Cutest Conflict: KittenWar

The internet is known for spawning many a furious, yet utterly frivolous war. Whether it be a hypothetical battle to the death between fictional and legendary characters (as illustratred vy Grudge Match's legendary Mr T vs Mr Clean face off) or a fight to determine the victor in an Instant Messaging popularity challenge (Aim Fight) - the internet allows almost any conflict to be resolved with the sophistication of a global audience. Honestly, where would the provincial conflict of Pirates vs Ninjas be today if not for it's escalation to internet-dom, surely not on ninjapirate.com!

But, if I may, I wish to bring to light a new war - one whose implications are so far reaching that they threaten to redefine the very tenets of cuteness!



Featured on The Colbert Report, kittenwar.com seeks the input of it's internet audience to decide which, in a paired set of kittens, is cuter - ultimately allowing a given kitten to become a 'winningest' or 'losingest' bastion of cuteness.

Is Mula cuter, or will Aoong take the lead?

Ultimately though, is trivializing war in such a manner, by making it accessible to millions online and changing it's meaning to connote a thing of perference or pasttime a signal of the degeneneration of our society as a whole? Have our values have become so enmeshed in the instant-access and triviality of the web that they no longer carry an attachment to the true weight of war and conflict? Has ... oh ... wait ... what? Bitsy isn't the winningest cute kitten yet!? This is outrageous! Egregious! This means war!

and Bitsy makes 5 !

Tags: Website, Kitten War, Aim Fight, Grudge Match, Ninja vs Pirate, Video, YouTube, Stephen Colbert