Dentsu NYC Blog

We live in a world where cell phone photography has a tendency to steal the spotlight and capture headlines. And that’s unfortunate, because we also live in world with so much awe-inspiring photojournalism capturing everything happening all around the world. These images of war, change, uprising, triumph, turmoil and progress, among others, are often the work of VII–a collective of photojournalists committed to capturing images that define the turbulent times of the 21st century and then relaying them to the rest of the world.

Dentsu and Canon worked with VII to launch the VII Gallery where we’re sending VII photojournalists on assignment to interpret a single word–like CHANCE, NOURISH and CHANGE–and then capture it using the Canon G12, S95 and 7D cameras. The first project for CHANCE is now live at the VII Gallery and the VII photojournalists are busy working on the next assignments amidst their professional work throughout the world.

Follow along as we post new work in the gallery along with interviews and videos about the most unique interpretations. If you feel inspired, you can even photograph your own interpretation and submit it to hang in the gallery alongside the VII photojournalists’ work.

Going 3D for the holidays? Are visions of 3D TVs, Blu-ray players, cameras, camcorders and laptops dancing through your head? A recent Motorola study confirmed that 25% of TV viewers across 13 countries plan to buy a 3D set in the coming 18 months . . . so assuming you’ve been more nice than naughty, at least 1 in of 4 of you should be able to revel in your holiday good fortune . . .  in 3D!

With a larger 3D installed base, inevitably my media brethren will be tasked with adding 3D flava to our 2011 plans. And why not? 3D engagement metrics are enticing: Cued recall of ads improved from 68% for 2D to 83% for 3D and on average purchase intent increased from 49% to 83% for 3D versions according to a recent Disney Media and Advertising Lab study. (Not surprising given that wearing 3D specs is a multi-tasking deterrent irrespective of how on-point your facebook update might be.)

Finding relevant 3D touch-points can be daunting. Re-runs of special 3D episodes of Chuck, Arrested Development or the soon to be canceled Medium don’t make for a particularly robust buy. With that in mind, here are a few 3D advertising platforms worth considering:

*  Cinema – No brainer, but not a slam dunk. For every Avatar, there is Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (Bonus: NCM will convert your 2D material to 3D)

*  Broadcast – ESPN 3D, DirecTV’s N3D and the forthcoming network from  Sony, Discovery and IMAX succeed by default due to the alarming lack of available 3D content

*  OOH – CineTransformer offers immersive mobile marketing . . . in 3D!

*  Online – YouTube has a robust repository of (sponsorable) UG 3D content

Speaking of UG content, Eric Curland is my 3D hero. Not only is he an advocate for 3-DIY content, but he uses two Canon TX-1 PowerShot cameras on a home-made side by side rig to achieve 3D nirvana. 3D productions need not be budget busting, ya heard??

On a separate note, I won’t be downloading any Beatles music on iTunes. Truth be told, I kind of hate the Beatles. The only British invasion that I cared about were the likes of The Smith’s, Depeche Mode, The Clash and Declan Patrick MacManus aka Elvis Costello. The blog title is an obvious nod to his first album with The Attractions (and my first Elvis Costello album purchase on vinyl from Rasputin’s in Berkeley). I’ll grant you that pretty much everything since (and including) the 1989 release of “Veronica” has sucked – and don’t get me started on his marriage to Diana Krall or that crappy Lexus ad. But My Aim is True, The Year’s Model and Armed Forces are brilliant and worth downloading.

And no, he isn’t wearing 3D glasses on Trust.

“Using two Canon 7Ds, spotlights and three nights – Derick proposed to his
then girlfriend with a video spelling out his proposal using a long-exposure
light-writing technique.  Other than simple video editing, there are no
special post effects.”

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