Saturday 30 June 2007

Sharbat Gula


Steve McCurry had captured this girl in 1985 in a Pakistan refugee camp, this young mysterious Afghan girl was announced to be the most famous girl by featuring in the cover of national Geographic cover.

The image of her face, with a red scarf draped loosely over her head and with her piercing sea-green eyes staring directly into the camera, became a symbol both of the 1980s Afghan conflict and of the refugee situation worldwide. The image itself was named as "the most recognized photograph" in the history of the magazine.

By year 2002, after the overthrow of Taliban government. National Geographic attempted to locate the girl once again. Her identity was confirmed using biometric technology which matched her iris patterns to those of the photograph with virtual certainty. She vividly recalled being photographed – it was the first and only time she had ever had her picture taken. The fame and symbolic character of her portrait were completely unknown to her.

When I was young, I remembered my father having a copy of that magazine issue. My father's hobby is photography. He kept telling me about how amazing is this portrait, explaining to me how did this photographer had captured this girl. The fear, terror in this young 12 years old girl eyes to be taken to an unknown destination, after her village being attacked.

After years, coming across the next image when she is in her 30s. You can still see the war effect on her life, although she is married with three children now. What made this image so powerful, is the story behind the eyes; these piercing green eyes.

Friday 29 June 2007

Financial Harbour



Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH) is a world-class, fully integrated waterfront development which will create a complete financial city, a self contained community, in the centre of Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Harbour district covers an architecturally stunning 380,000 square metres of prime Bahrain waterfront property, featuring high specification office space, both in design and leading technology, luxury residential accommodation, together with the retail hotel, leisure and entertainment opportunities that tenants, investors and visitors would naturally expect.

BFH will be the confluence of the financial services sector in Bahrain, by aggregating and concentrating the currently locational dispersed financial services sector into a dynamic purposely designed financial district.

The urban structured of the buildings had been planned to ensure a prime location for it. The design for it had captured the locals and foreigners to invest in it.

A city within the city, the next Wall Street in the Middle East. That's what I call a good architecture design.

The Fray - How To Save A Life

According to lead singer and songwriter Isaac Slade, the song was composed and influenced by his experience while working as a mentor at a camp for troubled teens:
"One of the kids I was paired up with was a musician. Here I was, a protected suburbanite, and he was just 17 and had all these problems. And no one could write a manual on how to save him." -Isaac Slade (www.wikipedia.org, 2007)

The video had fascinated me, with the lyrics and the numbers that shows what you can do to save a life; from listening, caring, forgiving, loving etc.
The song lyrics is so deep and sad, the video had captured sad moments too as crying children who were sad or abused from their life's problems.

Strong words, simple video, yet effective.

Legends





In the first glance for these posters, you think its an ad for a horror movie.
Its an advertisement for safe condoms. Very safe.

The pictures taken are absolutely magnificent in a matter of the shoots, colors and how did the photographer captured them.

This advert is by the agency Clemenger BBDO in Sidney.

Tuesday 26 June 2007

Lego



I know pictures says it better than words, but I just can't figure out what is that.

By the way, the ad won the Grand Prix in Cannes in 2006.

Again, not very sure what is it.

Sunday 24 June 2007

Lions







As soon I saw the old man face, I just stopped trying to figure out this advertise. It came with series of pictures of crying fans in the stadiums. After checking out, it appeared that Rethink Communication company based in Canada thought that showing the opposite dedicating fans that their teams were slaughtered by the BC Lions in 2006.

I think its a good idea to show the opposite side; every fan always shouts out "In your face" for the opposite fans. By that they are keeping their fans, maybe getting more and even selling season tickets for the BC Lions games.

Great way to advertise by showing other's people let downs.






Saturday 23 June 2007

Dutch Road Safety



Another Ambient marketing by the Dutch. It always grepped my attention; looking at the coffin painted on the road; powerful but sad. Never knew the meaning of it till I got the translation for it. It says: "One out of ten traffic victims is a pedestrian".

Tuesday 19 June 2007

BBQ


Ambient Marketing is far my favorite, using unknown things to advertise and market the products is genius. One of the things I liked is marketing for a Barbecue grill, its a nice campaign of ambient marketing. Cheap and effective!

Sunday 17 June 2007

Fountain

Fountain,
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968)

A playful man, Duchamp prodded thought about artistic processes and art marketing, not so much with words, but with actions such as dubbing a urinal "art" and naming it Fountain.

I'm amazed how can an unthoughtful piece can be something. Whoever can do that, take a crappy thing and turn it into art; is an artist indeed.

Saturday 16 June 2007

Breastfeeding


The "Breastfeeding" poster by United Colors Of Benetton was out in the year 1989. Oliver Toscani; a creative copywriter, art director and photographer produced some photographs that happen to be on the same theme for the next eleven years.

The poster was set to develop a sense of common humanity that transcends skin colour. Although it had huge criticism about the slavery in America, when slaves used to breastfeed the child's of the white owners. But it won awards in France and Italy for its strong "tone of voice".

Kiwi


For some reason the first thing I wanted to put in the Glog was a kiwi.
Don't take me wrong, I'm not a fan of kiwi. Its only the first thing that came into my mind; so thought that's a good start; good karma!
* That's what I want to believe *