We are all back and mostly recovered from Cannes and of course I just have to cover the technological side of the trip (you’ll read more about the people there this week :). This was my second trip ever traveling with an international cell phone and the first time expecting to have a working Internet connection. The first part worked out well; the second part, not so much.

PHONES
All five of us modified our iPhones to accept international SIM Cards, which allowed both calling and data. This was an improvement over last year, as the temporary cards I found in 2007 could only make calls. We could have used the AT&T international plan, but their prices were simply not competitive for the amount of usage we were expecting. Even with the french Sim cards, the international data rates are still outrageously expensive at $40/megabyte. I thought it would make sense to turn off automatic e-mail downloading, but in reality if you needed to get any e-mail it ended up pulling it all down anyways.

Google maps were useful in Cannes, especially for the Villa parties that were up in the hillsides. Texting was also great as we would often walk back from late-night parties typing in our locations to each other and managing to make it back to the room at around the same time.

One of the best parts of our phone experience was the most low-tech. Erika made each of us laminated cards with our phone numbers on one side and our schedules on the back. Whenever people asked for my number, I could pull out the card and read it to them.

INTERNET
Our Internet connection was a totally different story. We were planning on doing Internet demos in our room on Tuesday and Thursday and made our entire lodging decisions based on which apartment had a solid Internet connection. We found after many calls to the front office that our Internet connection in our apartment was not going to work. Apparently, the landlord forgot to pay the Internet bill and had the connection terminated, which would take 4 to 5 days to reinstate. Plus, Ramy installed software that came with the DSL modem to troubleshoot and the plugin managed to take down his laptop for the entire trip. No fun. We heard that many other people had unreliable connections, even at high-end hotels like the Carlton.

On one hand, it would be nice to be able to be away from an Internet connection for more than a few days without going into withdrawal. Unfortunately, we expected to do demos, coordinate events and post blog entries that required our connection being up. For me, the expectation to have excellent cell and Internet connections was the biggest change for me this year, definitely a far cry from wandering into an Internet Cafe to check email every few days. And with these changes, the world continues to shrink.

Regards,

Bill

Wiredrive + You: Cannes Sessions

When:
Tuesday, June 17th: 2-5pm
Thursday, June 19th: 11am-2pm

Where:
12 Rue du Commandént Andre
Cannes, France View Map

It is difficult to stay current in the digital era. With new technology and workflows emerging at a frenzied rate, it is almost impossible to keep up. We are here to help.

Please visit us in Cannes to catch up on today’s hottest topics:

Digital Workflows
Online Presentations
Encoding
Podcasting / RSS
Tagging
Public Relations in the Digital Era
Efficiency and Productivity

We will be serving chilled wine and hors d’œuvre, so get out of the sun and join us for an hour or more.

To reserve a space today, please contact:

plusyou@wiredrive.com

We had the pleasure to be taken to what felt like one of New York’s best kept secrets. Drinks are created on the whim of the bartenders, excuse me I must give them due credit, the mixologists. There is something wonderful about this call back to earlier times. Caught up in the whirlwind that is now, [and New York City may well be one of the best examples of this] there is something pleasantly ironic about taking a few steps back.

What works so well is the emphasis on quality, customization and that element of surprise. The drinks are designed around a mood or that less tangible something. I feel wild. I feel tired. I feel adventurous. I feel sweet. I feel nostalgic etc etc. Ingredients are of the highest quality - handmade candied apricots, fresh squeezed blackberry juice, small batch spirits.

Our trip to New York City was primarily to attend the annual AICP show at the Museum of Modern Art. Every year, the AICP acknowledges the best and brightest creative talent in our industry. This year marks a definitive shift in perspective. The range of work was more impressive than ever. The communications were more personal than ever. Although primarily an American Association, the breadth of the content was seemingly more global than any body of awarded work I have seen in the past. Where our means of communication are now constantly evolving, the content of those communications is becoming seemingly more relevant. The Monster.com work from BBDO is a perfect example. There is something so fundamental about the notion of an amiable thick-legged monster literally turning the world from the depths below. The shared battle with Monday morning is on par, as is the intimate self-analysis of the poignant ‘Impossible Campaign’ for Adidas recognized by the Association’s Jury. HBO’s Voyeur project stood out similarly, as did Psyop’s stunning portrayal of the life of a dot for Guinness. And I must mention Honoree K.K. Barrett’s [Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette, Being John Malkovich] work for Zune and The Ballad of Tina Pink because imagination is universal.

Bringing it all back to the speakeasy to which we were privy, the way forward will most definitely be a combination of technology and humanity. Technology is not the end all - it is a tool that should not transcend our experiences; it will enhance them. Thank you to those taking advantage of the latest innovations. None of these creative communications would have been possible back in the day of the original speakeasies. Thank you New York for inspiring both to co-exist.

Photos from our trip to New York

The Art & Technique of the American Commercial

Little Branch
in the West Village
20 Seventh Avenue South
New York, NY 10011
212 929 4360

-Claire

After several weeks of wrenching, stressing and dealing with traumatic circumstance, Wiredrivers took a much needed field trip to the greens of Sherman Oaks Castle Park. The trip began on a 24 passenger mini-bus with two ice chests and the Wiredrive gang. The group played 21 questions on the drive up to Castle Park and Octopus seemed to be the word of the evening. Once arrived, the group was divided and then split for the 18 holes of mini-golf. Keep in mind that mini-golf courses are not easy despite popular belief. The twists and turns left many up the green without a club while at least two others hit a hole in one. After the rounds of min-golf, Wiredrivers hit the arcade to play games such as Mrs. PacMan, Skeeball, Resident Evil, Air Hockey and Dance Dance Revolution. The arcade finally won the token battle and the crew headed back to the west side on the designated mini-bus. Wiredrivers ended the evening with a few beers, conversation and the usual Call of Duty. What a night!

Cheers,

Becca

The ‘boards Creative Workshop confirmed one thing. Advertising as we know it is officially over. Traditional advertising is dead. Toronto’s own, Steve Mykolyn and Jason McCann of TAXI, summed it up with an in depth analysis of the proclivity for Weird S*%t. However you may explain it, the industry is forging new paths.

I am going to take you down two paths that sparked my interest. The first being AKQA’s most impressive digital activity [their term, not mine] for Nike. “After six hugely successful years, Run London had earned a place in the hearts of 30-something occasional runners in London. This year Nike wanted to focus on a younger audience and put Nike+ at the heart of the campaign. AKQA’s answer was a brand new city attack. Supersonic invited London’s youth to prove their speed and to earn tickets for themselves and two mates to the ultimate 1K race and after party featuring two of London’s hottest underground favorites, Dizzee Rascal and The Enemy. (Creative Showcase. 2007)” AKQA Executive Creative Director, Lars Bastholm. Sounds like your standard 1K in a city? Not quite. The word ‘integrated’ took on a new meaning, and I finally get it. Integrated = experience. They took an annual event to whole new level. Speed. Night. Music. Music moves you. Literally. Nike+ technology allows information to be shared and experienced by not only the participants, but also all of London. Be the 50,016th fastest person in London. And let all of London know it. Genius.

The second thing is definitely the path less traveled. Merging architecture with advertising. President and Creative Director, Jakob Trollbäck, shared their venture into the realm of Environmental Design. Having conceptualized and produced content for one of the world’s largest high-resolution video walls, the project is more of an installation piece than it is advertising. The piece was commissioned by InterActive Corp. for their new Frank Gehry-designed headquarters as a means of building brand awareness for their primary businesses [Ask.com, Ticketmaster.com and Match.com]. The execution is both beautiful and smart, and the effect appeals to the subconscious in a seemingly unintentional way. Again, integration at its best.

I have to mention one last thing. A big thank you to ‘boards and the advisory committee for including VICE/VBS.TV/Virtue. And thank you to Virtue Founder, Spencer Baim, for answering what I feel is one of the most critical questions in advertising today: How To Stay Relevant. Everyone take note. For those of you who are not familiar with the brand, VICE is arguably the coolest identity in the world. [among other things, Spike Jonze is the Creative Director] I will let it speak for itself. Please check out

coming to select theaters in New York City and LA on May 23rd. This is but one project. I have included links below to learn more about the wonder that is VICE.

Learn More:

Fajitas and Mean Margaritas: The Olympics aren’t always about the games!

It was a fantastically fun evening for those who gathered at the Wiredrive studio on Tuesday night. Wiredrivers paired off to put the smack down during Wiredrive Olympics. Teams unleashed their strong competitive streaks through head to head matches of Wii tennis, darts, ping-pong and the notorious verbal game truth or lie. Fajitas where barbecued and margaritas were brewed by our in house chef Mitch Bassett and event coordinator Becca Mann. Everyone enjoyed the sporting events whether spectating or participating. It was clearly a night of celebration for designers Josh June and Adam Portilla as they collected the grand prize at the end of the evening. Ramy Rahimi and Claire Cottrell, our newest Wiredriver as of April 14th 2008, collected second place prizes after their defeat in the final matches of ping-pong and Wii bowling. Wiredrivers ended the night with conversation and The Call of Duty.

Cheers!

Becca