TerraCycle - Fights Back Against the Giant (Scotts Miracle-Gro)

This great article on Inc.com entitled "Legal Lemons, PR Lemonade" talks about a small organic plant food company, TerraCycle, being sued by plant food giant, Scotts Miracle-Gro. The owner, knowing he couldn't fight them in a normal legal battle, started the website, SuedByScotts.com.

While it appears that the legal battle might still be on, both the New York Times and Advertising Age picked up the story, bringing more brand awareness to TerraCycle, exactly the opposite of Miracle-Gro's strategy. Companies need to protect their brand so there is no consumer confusion, it's the reason trademarks were created. However, comparing one brand to another is so common in marketing that one can't help but think Scott's is simply trying to cripple a smaller, potentially competitive brand.
(nc)

surfacing

Alright, everyone has had their problems with Microsoft not being cool enough, but if this isn't cool, then I don't know what is ... so make sure to watch the video below!
A Surface computer is able to recognize physical objects from a paintbrush to a cell phone and allows hands-on, direct control of content such as photos, music and maps. Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a dynamic surface that provides interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects.
We'll be able to check out these interfaces at the end of 2007! Can't wait to use this at home. (tk)

Update: Funny Parody Alert
(nc)

“Note to Future Self, Please Take a Picture of Me”: Create Your Own Ongoing Time Capsule

As Doc Brown and Hiro Nakamura will tell you, sending a message to yourself in the the past is a tricky matter.

Fortunately, sending a message to a future you is far less error-prone, and requires neither flux capacitor nor fantastic genetic mutation.

Our friend Raul recently opened an envelope he sent himself 21 years ago, with instructions to add a photobooth self-portrait to the one contained within it. The similarities two decades later are striking.

Inspired by his example, we’ve compiled a short list of ideas for creating your own ongoing photo time capsule — an easy, fun photo project you can do anytime.

Visit http://photojojo.com/content/photo-projects/future-photo-time-capsule/ right now to learn more about setting up a quick meeting with your sixty year old self.
(al)

Your Truman Show - Enough talk about you, let's talk about YOU!

We found Your Truman Show first mentioned on NewTeeVee and at first glance (it's in beta through lucky select participants) it looks like it could be really cool. Now everyone gets to be their own YouTube version of Justin Kan. Like anything new, it'll take a little bit for people to get the hang of telling good stories or keeping them short in length, but the voyeur in me is interested to see how it pans out.

This might be a good opportunity for the programmers at ooVoo or any other webcam technologies to create an easy-to-use interface helping YTS-ers post their stories, because you know there are bound to be YTS clones coming up in the near future, even if they end up being features added to the plentiful OSNs already in existence.
(nc)

Wanna Get Night Time Sexy? Glow Fur It!

(Glow, there you are!)

Not since Peanut Butter met Chocolate in 1928 have two great things gone so well together. Fur, meet Glow. Glow, Fur. Now dance! Based in Colorado, GlowFur makes clothing and accessories out of fur with battery-powered lights inside to make them glow.

I could sit here and act like there is more to write about this cool new technology and fashion mash up, or you could just "Feel the Love" and watch their promotional video.
(nc)

free your mind

Since we here at Guerrilla Sushi are always looking for new trends and developments I could not help but notice how technology is ahead of ourselves times again.
Whereas in politics we still have to choose between one extreme or the other, the operating system world has moved on and we no longer have to choose between Windows or OS. Sure, Linux has been around for years, but lacked a user interface for everyone (somewhat like Ralph Nader maybe). But now, there is Ubuntu!
The free open source operating system — complete with a word processor, Web browser, spreadsheet application, and PDF reader — is elegant, secure, and intuitive.
$25 million have already been spent on the project launched by Mark Shuttleworth, hiring top-tier open source developers and negotiating with computer manufacturers to start selling PCs with Ubuntu preinstalled. It's available in 35 languages and free to download here.
Finally, there is a category for the rest of us who make spreadsheets AND fancy movies, we just need to figure out what we are going to call this category since "cool" and "uncool" seem to have already been taken ...
(tk)

Quick update from our friends at Gizmodo:

Dell's Debuts Their Ubuntu Machines Today, Wal-Mart PCs Next Month

Virgin Atlantic's Big Barf Bags

"Air sickness bags" or "barf bags", whatever you want to call them, they don't bring to mind pleasant thoughts, but they certainly grab your attention, especially if the guy next to you on the plane reaches for his.

In a new outdoor campaign, Virgin Atlantic is utilizing air sickness bags big enough to be a Carrot Top prop. I'll be honest, I didn't read all of the copy on the bag. I saw it, walked over to it, chuckled and moved on, thinking "Virgin Atlantic has a sense of humor". Mission accomplished.
(nc)

Oh, it's a Concert cal-LEN-dar

No longer will we have to search Pollstar, weekly publications and receive e-mail after e-mail from your favorite bands letting you know they are going on tour, but not anywhere near where you live. Thanks to iConcertCal, this software will create a customized concert calendar for you with all the artist in your iTunes. This is only good if you have a computer and iTunes though. Which I do. So at least I got that going for me. (bp)

Hey! You got your cell phone in my flashlight!

UK based Troika has developed a guerilla SMS device "that enables the user to project text based SMS messages in public spaces, in streets, onto people, inside cinemas, shops, houses…" They used it recently in a promotion for The Streets during a concert. My first thought is "How did they get that into the show?!" and my second is "Where do I get one!?" Indeed. (bp)

SoNO! - Sony hosts yet another clinic on how NOT to build BUZZ

As reported by the Daily Mail, Sony was at it again with another poorly thought-out promotional stunt. The tech giant (whose toys I do adore) used a slaughtered goat to promote the launch of their newest video game God Of War II. Mind you God of War is violent, and that’s why I like it - But a decapitated goat? hmmm...

According to the Mail, "Guests at the event were even invited to reach inside the goat’s still-warm carcass to eat offal from its stomach."

After shots of the launch party showed up in Sony’s official PlayStation magazine, Sony said "SORRY" for the stunt and stopped the presses on all print media featuring the event. This reminds me of the time I sacrificed my little brother's gold fish, Stevie. It was I who was the god of sibling rivalry that day! [bd]

Party 2.0

The Netherlands, one of the more progressive nations on this planet and the true owner of the term "flower power" bring us yet another step closer to where we might as well have been a while ago.
Rotterdam, after Amsterdam the second largest city in Holland, hosts the world's first sustainable/renewable energy dance club called SUSTAINABLE DANCE CLUB. It's been made possible by Enviu and architecture firm Doell and opened up in October of 2006.
Dancers basically create the electricity through a revolutionary floor system that converts the kinetic energy from people dancing and jumping on the floor into usable electricity!
Make sure to check out the video below, which explains how the technology works.


(tk)

GunDAM This Looks Cool!

A new attraction featuring Gundam is opening up this summer at Fujikyu Highland (translated page here), Tokyo Mango reports. According to a translated version of Fujikya Highland's site, "The story starts spaceport 'SOLOMON' immediately after the occupying by the federal troop the empty," which we think means that you fight a huge robot that in real life could definitely kick your ass.

All aboard the support ship Eternal, we're headed to Yamanashi, power make raise!
(nc)

Drink Company Pulls 'Cocaine' From Shelves

I'll admit, I thought it was a bit much when I first heard about a company naming an energy drink after a drug, but really? Really pull it from the shelves? According to this piece by Beverage World, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal claimed victory for kicking 'Cocaine' out of Connecticut (one of the larger tobacco producing states in the country, I might add). Redux Beverages, LLC tried to fight their freedom of speech case everywhere possible (Connecticut, Texas and Illinois), but court costs became too much, so they ended up surrendering.

I'm not condoning the use of street drugs as brand names or in marketing, but are we forgetting where "Coca-Cola" got its name? Who will be the next witch hunt victim, Liquid Speed, Wired, NuSpeed or Jimmy Hendrix Liquid Experience?

You thought that last one was a joke, didn't you?
(nc)

Smart, Green and Promotional: Domino's Delivery Vehicles

We came across this little piece in Mobile Magazine and we're not only posting it because we think it's cool, we want to encourage this behavior. According to their site, this was a publicity stunt by Domino's Pizza and ZAP Smart Car, but we hope they think seriously about turning it into a scalable delivery method.

ZAP Car offers vehicles that run on alternative/hybrid energies. Delivering pizzas in these little wrapped vehicles is guaranteed to turn heads for more than one reason: they're cute, colorful and great for the environment.
(nc)

Pixelator Turns Video Broadcasts into ART

NYC Artist Jason Eppink has come up with a fantastic way to take video advertising and TVs and turn them into art. Whether used for urban guerrilla street art, or made to spice up that old TV in the corner, this is super sweet. Jason has been so kind as to even tell us exactly how to make The Pixelator.

(cj)

Brand Installation: Luggage Roullette

To promote the Casino of Venice, agency AdmCom put this luggage carousel in the Marco Polo airport. Marketing Alternatif reports. I was quite excited to see this as it means I'll no longer have to pack my white bowling ball in carry-on.
(nc)

Europeans crowd into Second Life

The popularity of Second Life continues to rocket, with the virtual world currently proving even more popular in Europe than in the US.In March, 61 percent of active Second Life residents were from Europe, compared to 16 per cent from the US and 13 percent from Asia Pacific, according to research by comScore. Bob Ivins, managing director of comScore Europe said that with nearly 800,000 active residents in Europe, Second Life is proving to be popular on an international scale.It is little wonder that bricks-and-mortar businesses are seeing Second Life as a virtual-world way of accessing a global, real-world customer base, he said.
Thanks to Business Week for letting us know first.

(tk)

Promotional Items That Will Make You Turn Green

What would you say to a promotional item that would leave a positive brand impression, but not a negative impression on the environment? You should say, "Yes, please" and then take your choice of corn plastic travel coffee mugs, eco-spun tote bags and recycled cotton t-shirts! Companies like Access Eco in the USA and Eco Incentives in the UK are taking traditional and non-traditional promo giveaways and making them environmentally friendly. Even big name companies like Branders and Print Globe are offering some of these items.

There also is a crop (no pun intended) of printers using soy and veggie based ink on recycled paper. Check out GreenerPrinter.com. They are even 100% wind powered! (BP)

Nokia taking it to the people - Part Deux

Nokia just started Nokia Beta Labs
Everyone with a data plan should definitely check out their "Widsets". Think of it as the customizable homepage for your cell, consisting of customizable widsets. Widsets consist of games like Sudoku and Memory, provide you with a translation tool, a dictionary, a Wikipedia plug-in, and keep you updated on all the latest and greatest through RSS feeds!
More tools and services are added each day and it's fun to watch the service grow - already it is being supported by many international developers.
Best Part -> ITS FREE, and it works on more than 300 phones that are Java MIDP 2.0 compliant (thanks for that comment HeGe).

(tk)

Wild Projections: The New Night Ranger

Ok, sure, wild postings canvas every construction site/walkway from here to Beaver Falls, but only Wild Projections can ensure that your brand is seen after God turns off her flashlight. (al)

Mommies-to-Be: Buy a Tee, Get 6 Months Free

We love contextual relevance, it's the key ingredient in great marketing. Hip and trendy maternity e-tailer 2 chix is running a promotion with Pregnancy Magazine where shoppers who buy their "Expect Good Things" T-Shirt ($38) will get 6 months free. Ads in the magazine and online are supporting the promotion.
(nc)

Mobile Marketing: Nokia taking it to the people, wherever they are

With marketing tactics like this, it's no wonder Nokia is the leader in India, the "fastest-growing mobile-phone market in the world" according to Business Week. To reach the rural parts of India and demonstrate all of the useful things that can be done with mobile phones, Nokia has a fleet of branded vans touring to all areas, stopping in high foot traffic areas to promote phone basics and how to buy them. It's Mobile Mobile Marketing.
(nc)

Laser Love - Open Source Urban Graffiti

Not exactly legal just yet, but an alternative to tagging, nonetheless...if you have 12 projectors, a industrial laser pointer and an RV. Graffiti Research Lab
(al)

Reactable - Electro-Acoustic Awesomeness

Not sure what to say except that I can't have one yet. Watch the demo.

UPDATE (5/22/07): Saw this thing in action at the Bjork show on Saturday night and it's truly awesome. I had to talk myself out of jumping on stage, yelling "mine, all mine!" and then running off with it. In the end, staying for the rest of the incredible show seemed more fun than jail, so I refrained. I STILL want one though.
(nc)

ooVoo - A brand new in face-to-face communication

Ok, this is cool. With all of the over-Skype about everything OIP-related, it's nice to see a new kid on the block and the folks at ooVoo seem to be handling this new role in videoconferencing and chat very well. We mostly use it around here for fun in chatting with one another (usually same office), to make funny videos and send them along, but there will be a business use for it any day now, once we stop having fun and start taking it as seriously as it deserves to be taken.

You can video-chat with multiple people at the same time. Free download and it looks like it's coming soon for the Mac, so check back!
(nc)