For me, it was. For you, whatever, choice is yours.

I loved it for one simple reason:

Alice is me and I am her. End of story.

Oh, right, and Tim Burton, whose mind I’d like to have an affair with.

But seriously, the various characters and their depth, the how-can-this-be-they’re-more-random-than-me randomness, the colourful eyegasms – all of it kept me interested, intrigued and engaged.

How do I measure this metric?

Simple. I review how many times I check my Blackberry.

Nope, not once in this case.

[Obsessed with the Cheshire Cat by the way. My fav character of 'em ALL.]

I was just tweet-versing about how incredible the real life/graphic integration is in this film. It’s what I meant by “eyegasm” above, in case ya didn’t catch me.

Lava Alice in Wonderland is a movie that combines the three things I love most:

• imagination
• risk
• meaning

You should probably check it out if you’re up for two powerful hours of inspiration. Bursts of creativity that make you want to go home and blog and then stay up all night and create stuff.

I’m just saying…

Don’t-get-me-wrong-Avatar-was-great-but-this-is-MY-type-of-ish,

Alice oops! Mrs. Burton mybad! AdGirl

But you know what they say…

So I’m going to bed. I have a BIG day ahead of me tomorrow. <that there is a grin full of teeth

Maybe I’ll tell you about it when it’s over. Maybe I won’t.

Just another AdGirl Nightly.

xo,

Please shake hands with:

and

You may have noticed a subtle mention in a Sounds of Fashion review, AdGirl TV video, or Shannon Boodram interview teaser…

But I digress.

The reason why I felt compelled to highlight them tonight is because of the reactions I saw and whispers I overheard at Sounds of Fashion where they performed last Friday. For a moment, I forgot that not everyone knows and sees what I wish they would. And then I remembered that I have a blog.

Alas, I give you:

1. Wolf J McFarlane’s Official “Grizzly Bears Panda” video

I asked Wolf to give me some background on the vid.

Turns out it was filmed By Creative Tim and directed by Wolf himself. Shot in a home studio on a plain, white background, the intent was to capture Wolf’s different personalities:

• the arrogant Wolf (wearing the scarf and rocking the mohawk)
• the calm, non-chalant Wolf (wearing the cardigan and the tuke)
• and the real, sincere Wolf (wearing the furr hat)

The black and white video stays in theme with his mixtape artwork for continuity purposes.

This makes an AdGirl happy.

Wolf told me he chose to make a video for “Grizzly Panda Bears” versus the other (equally great) songs  from his Upsidedown Day Tapemix based on the generous feedback he received from his fans. “A lot of people told me they related to the song, so I changed my mind about doing a video for New Vogue and did Grizzly Panda Bears instead”. Wolf told me that this decision was challenging because the song was so personal and included real people from his life that really mattered – from deceased family members to girls that broke his heart.

It’s funny how the most personal and honest songs are -rule-of-thumb- always the ones that are most successful.

On to the next…

2. KJ’s Official “Repeat” video

KJ’s story is unique. He never intended to make a video for Repeat (off his album The Headphone). Instead, he was approached by music video director Lavado Stubbs, who expressed interest in the song (and rightfully so).

I got in touch with Lavado, who told me that the inspiration for the video came immediately after hearing Repeat.

“I instantly knew from KJ’s vibe that I wanted to do a video that shows the essence of hip-hop. We got a female model to represent one of the purest elements of hip-hop – the drums. I decided to have her beating a marching drum alongside KJ in a graffiti alley – another element that represents the essence of hip-hop. I wanted the audience to really hear KJ’s great lyrics and did one authentic long take to have KJ directly tell the audience a story (another hip-hop element) and allow them to follow him word for word. I wanted a simple concept that was both effective and creative”.

[If you're from Toronto, you may recognize the Queen and Spadina location. ]

The video has become so popular that it has earned a nomination for an Americafree.tv Music video Award. If you like it, you can still vote.

Note that the wardrobe seen in Repeat is a line called Malyka, owned by Lavado and also represented at Sounds of Fashion. An intriguing brand that represents the uplifting of individuals, creativity and their choice to express themselves as today’s leaders. Check out this promo short, featuring guest appearances from both Wolf and KJ.

Oh, you thought all we had was Drake?

~AdGirl

P.-to-the-S.

If you like the headphone pic at the top, I like you.

Seriously though, I’m so impressed by the Japanese audiowear company Kotori. They allow you to choose from over 100 variations of ear buds or design your own. Talk about wish list – I want ‘em all… [!]

These were the key words that had Toronto buzzing on Friday, February 19, 2010 at the Courthouse.

I was privileged to attend as media.

Produced by Jennifer “unique” Robillard and Nicole “Miss Fabulous” Geer,  Sounds of Fashion intrigued me because it aimed to give young individuals the chance to share the aptitudes they excel in, no matter the tribulations they have to overcome.

Jennifer and Nicole wanted to let Toronto’s young talent know that they care and can assist them in achieving their goals.

What I loved most was that the show’s proceeds partly went to Toronto’s very own Remix Project

- a youth program that acts as an arts and cultural incubator in Toronto, developing personal six month success plans for young people aspiring to start careers in the urban arts sector.

If you know anything about me, you know that there’s nothing I love more than undiscovered young talent from Toronto.

So how was it and why should you care?

I could go on and on about about the beautiful venue and the incredible set that DJ Lissa Monet played throughout the show and the afterparty…

I could talk about the hosting hilarity that was Shannon T. Boodram (author of LAID and 1/2 of ThoseGirlsAreWild.com) and MuchMusic VJ search runner up Marlon Palmer…

I could also say a whole lot about the young fashion design talent that you should keep on your radar ~ RJS, CC Clothing, Vixen Couture, Goodboy Clothing, Naz Swimwear, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Royals Wear, Miss Niya and Malyka…

…and the incredible musical highlights that had the audience losing their minds.

Wolf J. and KJ anyone?

I could.

But I’d rather just let you see for yourself.

For all pictures, get at me on Facebook.

Congrats Jennifer and Nicole for a successful evening. It was meaningful, it was entertaining and it provided a platform for young fashion-forward talent that made our city feel like you care.

Thank you for having me.

~AdGirl

P.S. Good looking on the swag bag too!

I looooove graffiti. I wish I could do stuff like this, but so far, I’ve only gotten as far as this…

O_o

Maybe I’ll just stick to creative advertising. You, on the other hand, can prob do better!

Alas, tonight is about a different type of grafitti that I have grown to…*ahem* love. It’s an Aids Awareness ad, and it breaks through all kinds of clutter in its category.

I think it’s pretty ingenious and deserves its very own Nightly highlight.

Ready?

Let’s talk about SEX!

AIDS-Grafitti-is-where-it’s-at-SON,

~AdGirl

P.S. Did you not click on SEX above? I clearly hyperlinked it in pink… *sigh*

If all popular TV shows – I’m talking awards, reality TV, Olympics, etc.- have been “best served with Twitter lately“, then when am I going to see a successful platform for social media and television integration?

One that requires only one screen – my TV.

One that allows me to see what my friends in Atlanta are saying right after “he breaks up with her”. Instantaneous thoughts from viewers all over the world, so that I never watch another show alone, without having to pull out my laptop.

Google? Apple? Maybe Boxee?

Who’s going to be the champ?

I know it will be sooner than later guys, so I just want to say that like Sleepy Brown, I can’t wait.

*tick, tock*

P.S. If you didn’t click on Sleepy Brown above, shame on you.

~AdGirl

[The last time I filed something under the Unexpected Combinations category, I wrote about Christoph Niemann's  I LEGO N.Y. collection. This, I think, you'll enjoy just the same.]

Terry says he gets ideas for photographs when every day objects remind him of something else. His main ingredients are really simple – wire, household objects, and an anthropomorphic point of view… Sounds tres interesting, no?

“I try to think about how I can show others the connection I made. The next step  – I try really hard to take it one step further – add humor, emotion of some kind, maybe an ‘aha’ moment”.

Check out some of my Terry favs below, along with this quote of his that I like very much:

“You know those things about yourself that you’re self conscious of? Those quirks that you’re trying to hide? Those are not your weaknesses, those are your strengths.”

Think about it.

For more on Terry, check out his Blog, Twitter and the lovely presentation he made at Gel Conference below.

~AdGirl

…and it’s a one-of-a-kind mixtape collaboration between two of Canada’s finest – 2009 Female DJ of the Year Lissa Monet (whose eyes I had the pleasure of ‘looking through’ last summer) and 2009 Male DJ of the Year – PPlus (who I had the pleasure of working with at Socially Connected and who mentioned the project to me after the event, sparking my curiousity with his excitement about joining creative forces with Lissa).

The mixtape focuses on “the joy of love, the anguish of heart break and the songs that emotionally affect us”. It features the likes of Hoobastank, Drake, Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, Melanie Fiona, amongst many others, and is bound to strike a chord or two with ya. Besides the blended music perfection, what also deserves a highlight is the stellar artwork/packaging by Darkie. I’ve always been a fan of strength through simplicity, and that’s just what Darkie accomplished.

The clean usage of red, white, and black, the emotional yet minimalist animation of the universal heart and the hand-written track list all contribute to the creative strength of the piece. Way to go guys, it’s a stand out.

Download Love Letters here

Download Broken Hearts here

Last night I was in a different head space.

I’m not sure how I got there.

There’s been lots going on with Socially Connected (pics coming soon), Superbowl ads ‘n all. But I don’t force it if I don’t feel it.

That’s why I haven’t been doing my Nightlys 5 nights/week either. I don’t ever want to post because I have to, I mean no one really cares, especially not me. This, therefore, is a vow to post Strictly Fierce-ness.

:\

Alas, this morning, my awesome-riffic office podmate Tom (ladies his British accent is rather endearing, you would enjoy it, I know), sent me an email that read, “Not sure if you’ve seen this but quite brilliant” with a link to:

I don’t remember the last time I genuinely LOL’d like this at an ad.

[Speaking of LOL'ing, did you see Bob Garfield's infamous Super Bowl Ad Review? Boy does that guys love to critique. I watched the game (Yay New O!), and was uninspired by the spots (though Google warmed my heart a bit, despite all the Twitter backlash). All in all, I'll leave it to the likes of Bob to do what he does best.]

Rather, I’d like to spend some time sucking face with the Spice-y gem above. I’ve always liked Old Spice’s work. Ever since they re-branded to go after a younger target. I remember doing a case study on them when I worked on Armor All at DDB (Armor All was also trying to go younger) – some smart marketing folks you’ve got there Old Spice! And this latest spot of yours is, well, spot-on. I can’t stop watching it. The script, the visuals, the direction, the get-your-point-across-so-well-you-deserve-a-cake-on-me messaging… It all makes me exhale. Thanks for exciting me.

This- is-me-paying-homage,

AdGirl~