As a fitting end to 2008, here, as promised, pics from our masked ball a couple of weeks back.
And my personal favourite (if only the horse whisperer weren’t obscured…):
A very happy new year (when it comes of course) to all our readers.
I don’t know if this is a fascinating sociological insight into how human interaction has evolved - or a sad little inditement of how cavalier it means we can be.
Either way, we have twitter (and Francis Anderson via psfk) to thank.
An absolutely outstanding round up of all that was new and cool in 2008 can be found here from Contagious. Make five minutes for it and enjoy.
On the subject of rounding up the year, I have been meaning to write for some time about a cracking little blog called brand tags from Noah Brier. But actually, Phil writes about it much more eloquently than I could. So enjoy his post instead. And see he’s got a comment from the man himself. Brushing with the stars!
I’ve been feverishly reading recently. First on my list, largely because I liked the cover, was wikinomics, cleverly subtitled ‘how mass collaboration changes everything’. And actually the subtitle tells you most of what you need to know about the book.
I’m sure most of the people likely to be reading this blog are likely to know that a wiki is a piece of software that enables web users to edit web pages. Hence wikipedia of course. The book (by the very nicely ’spoken’ Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams) expands from the mother of wikis to all kinds of case studies that demonstrate how useful the simultaneous sharing of information with many multiple pairs of eyes can be.
As often with these sorts of books, it’s very good for examples. So you’ll periodically scratch down details of some case study or other that you’re sure will come in handy for some presentation or other - though of course you won’t be able to find the bit of paper again when you actually need it. And as often with these sorts of books, you’ll get as much value from reading the last chapter as from wading through the whole of the book. Though you’d obviously miss out on some of the colour of the point making.
But it’s an enjoyable read. As the Guardian says, “dazzlingly timely”. And if you’ve somehow escaped the fact that the internet can now make amazingly complex information sharing, amazingly simple - with a very pleasant knock-on effect on the bottom line - you’ll find it a revelation.
The party went off without a hitch. And goodness, everyone looked pretty. I managed to take a pathetic sum total of 12 photos, largely at the nagging insistence of the Master. So I shall await a broader array of pics before posting a select few. Watch this space.
We shall enjoy (I hope!) our agency Christmas party tonight. It’s a monstrous affair, catering for up to 170 people which is slightly larger than anything we’ve had to worry about before. And stupid here is still sitting on the social committee so I’m mildly apprehensive about how the whole night is going to pan out.
Still, we have one of the finest venues in Edinburgh so if that counts for anything, it should be a cracking night.
Just be gentle with us tomorrow.
Kenny just observed that if he ever ran his own company, he would be sure to employ 50% men and 50% women, to avoid being saddled with loads of women on maternity leave.
We (department full of women at this precise moment) pointed out that this would be terrible sex discrimination, that he should employ the best person for the job etc etc.
With admirable chirpiness, he said, ‘I know, that’s why I wouldn’t ever write it down.”
But now it’s committed to the ethernet. Hah!
November is no more.
It’s Movember for real men and it’s an excuse to grow a moustache
and raise money for Testicular Cancer.
It all started so innocently. “It’s Movember, shall we grow some tashes?”
From that mo-ment we were off growing facial hair.
Mr Guy Vickertash got right into it, going straight for a neat handle-bar (which suited him in a strange way).
I went for the cheating beard option, I had too many nights out with my wife and she was never going to be seen with me fully tashed-up.
I wasn’t the only one, the agency started to look like a turn of the century fishquay.
I know we’re in Leith but it was going crackers.
We all had 3 weeks of intense growing before the end of month barge party.
No agency has ever had so many men trimming, scrubbing and moisturising at once.
The end of Movember was going to be different.
Thursday 27th Movember.
Tonight was the night beards were no Mo. It was time to trim. I went for an eighties salesman sort of look. It was a bit special until the next morning.
Friday 28th Movember
Oh dear, it’s time to get the train and I look a bit of a tool. Not dashing, handsome or funky, just a bit of a knacker.
Nevermind a few dodgy looks later I was at work.
The Studio, Creative and Production were all represented by fantastic facial efforts.
Inspiration had been taken from all over the place, from U2’s the Edge to some bloke who fights Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark.
Not wanting to leave anyone out Guy had customed a fine range of Mo’s that people could buy.
How could we fail, facial hair, fake Mo’s and a collection bucket. If only work and meetings would go away we could get the full charity plan into action.
Loads of people took a tash and donated cash. Steve Johnstone, our Studio Manager got himself sponsored and raised a good 40 odd quid himself. In total we raised £223 for (Testicular) Cancer Research.
The night itself was a hit. There was a tash themed music playlist and a lot of booze to get through.
We also had a best Mo Competition which was named Man Of The Mo. It was a simple competition, vote for your best real tash. Here are the results:
1st Andrew ‘Chopper’ Thorne
2nd Grant ‘The bloke from the Indiana Jones fight scene’ Byrne
3rd Steve ‘Lemmy’ Johnstone.
It was a cracking day and everyone looked very dapper with both real and fake Mo’s.
Here’s to next Movember.
I think I’ll avoid the Eighties salesman Mo though.
