Robbin Waldemar + Sake!

The people from W+K's studio introduced us to japanese sake. Kampai.

Counting the days

Since I'm leaving London on Monday to work for IKEA we had a little Swedish farewell party last Friday which was awesome! Cheers.

Cut & Paste

On Saturday I made my way to Elephant & Castle to attend this years Cut & Paste. It's a digital design tournament with three categories, 2d, 3d and motion design. There are several rounds and the competitors have a slot of 20 minutes to design something that fits the given theme. The briefs they get were quite open like a record sleeve that's 'tongue in cheek', or a billboard about 'tough love'. It's interesting that the design process, which normally is quite intimate and happens behind closed doors, is shown so transparent to everyone.

It's good fun to have some beers and watch the designers on the stage sweating away trying to rock the show in this ridiculously short time frame with a genius idea. The crowd is cheering for their favourite competitor while the DJ plays a matching tune – it's designers performing on stage like rock stars, a great concept.

Bad Taste

Speaking of Rock Stars. Last week was pretty though, we got lots of stuff done so the weekend was crying out for some fun times. And fun times we had. Friday night was the Bad Taste House party at Wal's flat, everyone dressed his or her worst and rocked out. What a great end for a hectic week, splendid!

Cream – lots of work and a bit of fun

Thanks to Rory from The Talent Business for organising this exhibition. All went smoothly, we mounted our poster and some work on our stand, then enjoyed a cold beer to loosen up just before the first visitors arrived. The work of all teams on view was great, a good opportunity to see what we're up against and to meet more people in the same boat. Cheers to everyone who came up to us to say hi, here's a big hello back.

D&AD judging week

This week D&AD is judging all the work for the 2008 competition. As our friend Ray is covering the event I ended up at the judge party last night, which was filled with creatives from all around the world. Everyone seemed tired but I guess that's pretty understandable after a day full of reviewing work.

There I met Brett McKenzie, chief writer for ihaveanidea.org. He's one of the guys responsible for Portfolio Night, which is happening for the second time in London this May. The last tickets were sold yesterday and the list of creative directors is still growing.

Brett and Ray are blogging about the D&AD judging week at ihaveanidea.org/live, check it out for the latest stuff.

Agency Night Out

Right, I still haven't figured out the details, like most other creatives here, but the production brand of the agency is joining the integrated which is joining halfway with the interactive. The only thing I know is that it's an occasion for am agency party for people getting to know each other. Part one was yesterday, a night club in Mayfair and it's looking like they are planning a trilogy – fun times ahead.

Wal Scissorhands

Halloween arrived pretty early this year, our lovely neighbours had a party with the topic Tim Burton. Anyone fancies a haircut?

AHA!?

Sorry for reporting back on this so late but the weather has been to good to be inside – right.

This AHA! was great, lots of people, different people, more people than last time, thanks everyone for coming around! Thanks to my dear friends from creativistan namely Reinhard, Christos, Sara and Oksana for organizing this together with me!

Besides mingling, chatting and drinking we tried this time to find the ultimate answer on how make life more meaningful. We asked everyone to tell us their secret wisdom of life on an AHA! fortune cookie paper. They did. While people were reflecting heavily about their contributions to what is now know as the 'AHA! way of life', sadly, someone nicked Charles' bag and Lauren's iPod. Have a look at the pieces of wisdom they sacrificed to write:

• 'It's all about the people' Renee
• 'Don't scream at a deaf person' Camilla
• 'The path is hard, but the butterflies are flying' Julien
• 'Star today what you've planned for tomorrow' Christos
• 'Stand on the steeple and piss on the people' A.J.
• 'Always try to remember peoples names, it's just polite, sadly I remember no ones!' Damien Knowles The Kiwi
• 'Going down every little helps' Juliana
• 'Don't get caught in the shower when a fire alarm goes off...' Ann
• 'You are going to have lot of sex, but no tonight!' Anonymous
• 'Don't shit where you sleep!' Agatha
• 'Your shoes will watch your shadow so polish them,
  otherwise you will lose your shadow.' Sara
• 'Arts Lunga – Vita Brevis. If you can't do the best why even bother with the rest?' Oksana
• 'A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.' Ray
• 'Peace still works.' Nina
• 'The yellow snow is the tastiest. Don't listen to the rest.' Peter Brown
• ' A Jelly Baby walks into a bar – bar keeper says what's that smell?
  Jelly Baby says 'Oh Fucking all sorts!' Will
• 'To thine own self be true.' Lauren
• 'An idea is like a leaf that needs rescue from the wind' T.C. Jeeves Basu
• 'You can't always get what you want.' Charles
• 'Don't take yourself to serious! Seriously.' Marco Warstat
• 'Pigeon, oiseau à la grise robe, Dans l'enfer des villes, à ma vue tu te dérobes.
  Tu es vraiment le plus agile' Jann
• 'What if OK isn't OK? If this was true, no-one would ever be happy.
  Strive for everything, but there is value in being content' Ant
• 'The Picture has a moustache. It's how you perceive it.' Matt
• 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Tam
• 'A book tightly shut is nothing but a block of paper' Ray
• 'The path is long indeed, but the door at the end is not Blue.' Wal

Enlightened? We hope so. We can't wait for the next one! See flickr (or facebook) for more pictures. And come along to the one in august. AHA!

AHA!?

Above, random notes from yesterday's AHA! – a meeting, full of Eurekas.

A whole lot of interesting people, mostly young London creatives, attended without knowing what it will be like. Neither did we. Frankly, not that many big ideas were born. Friendships were. Thanks everyone for coming. Hope to see everyone in July at the next AHA! Anyone has suggestions to improve this thing?

from left: Reinhard, Wal, Renee, James, James, Katya, Gareth

from left: Josh, Nick, Kyle, Oksana

Designer like boring pictures

Ray competing with the decor

from left: Christos, Oksana, Marco

from left: Constantin, Gareth, Stavvy, Nick, Julien

Commercial Tavern is one of the nicest pubs in London

Zoom Festival & Billy

While chillin' in Hamburg I was lucky to enjoy the Zoom St. Petersburg Festival. The finest contemporary music from Russia. My favourite concert was the one from Billy's Band. Three intelligent underdogs from St.Petersburg able to excite with the finest Ghettojazz, the most drunk street chanson and the most danceable Accordion solo's of all times. Comparable to the Tiger Lillies and sometimes a Russian version of Tom Waits. They call their music 'Funeral Dixiland With Endless Happyend'. Worth tuning into their myspace page on www.myspace.com/billysbigband

My favourite song is Оторвемся по-питерски.



The festival was accompanied with film showings of the new Russian cinema. Unlike every Hollywood film, Russian movies have almost always have a UN–happy end. Inspiring. Some impressions from the concert. The band was followed by an Art Trio from Petersburg, cunning!

The Big Bucks Bash

Last Thursday we visited the 'Bucks Advertising Party'. We've met so many nice people there – hello to everyone! Events like this aren't bad at all, they are great. To be honest though, we spent more time talkin' to people we already knew than getting to know new ones. After all it was full of Bucks people and that's the university where I'm from. Great thing, thanks a lot to Julie Wright & Daniel Morris for organizing this – we're looking forward to next year!

Very gorgeous venue in Soho, the Rex Club

The Kris

A very good bunch of people, creatives on placement, from the industry, some old top dogs, and a lot of students

Simply enjoyment

Auf wiedersehen Grand Union!

Friday was our last day at the Grand Union, we enjoyed it a lot although we felt two weeks were too short. We couldn't stay on since we agreed to another placement a while ago. We would like to thank James & Stu for getting us in and taking care of us, we had a great time there and learned a lot (but not enough!) about good digital advertising.

Podfight

“8 teams, 1 winner! You decide who lives & who dies!”

Yesterday night the first official Podfight took place in London/Shoreditch. It was an unbelievable spectacle - full of crazy people ready for this big battle. For those who don't know what a podfight is - I'm gonna explain the rules quick: 9:30pm and eight teams are competing against each other in four rounds (for the first time). But there are only two teams fighting in one round at the same time. Teams are chosen randomly. Each team plays one song alternately. After five songs from each team the audience has to decide which team they want advance into the next round - so you have to make some noize! The loudest one measured, was 120dB. Guys, 120dB that's louder than standing next to a jack-hammer. And it goes on like this till there are only two teams left. Musicwise there are no rules, a energetic drum n' bass song is followed up by 'I'm a barby girl'! 2:00am and we have a winner - M.I.A. & friends, actually I am not quite sure, later it became just a great party with bizarre music. Anyway, if the Pods are fighting in your town next time, don't miss it! This was like the best party in London for us so far. For more infos, the line-up and maybe pictures visit their myspace page.

Russian 1/2 year celebration

Today is a wonderful day, the sun is shining in London, it's slightly warm, we think about summer already and we have the taste of vodka in our mouths. We went to short trip to russia yesterday, just for a couple of hours. We had drink (and dinner as a sidedish) in the Borshtch n' Tears russian restaurant, with our friends Marco & Daniel. Usually real russians don't go to a restaurant in order to eat or drink - they do this at home - they go out to celebrate, dance like crazy or swing around the chandelier. So did we. Our reason was that Kristin & Waldemar have been a creative team for more than half a year now and also came to London on this day, six months ago, the first of october.

The food sure must have been good, but we don't really remember. Only by looking again on the bill today we found out what we had, and why we cannot remember, all this vodka - Nazdarovye! We shall drink to another six months!

After looking at the bill we needed another vodka, we all spent to much

Beer evening

Thanks for coming around yesterday to everyone! Didn't capture everyone on camera, will do so next time. It was good to see everyone, we expected more people to come, but it's christmas party time. Good luck to all with their placements and the job-hunt! Congratulation to Nishma & Anna who got their first job at Chemistry, well done! Also to Chris & Bill who got their first TV ad + poster produced and running!

from left: James, Rick, Gary, Hannah, Yasin, Kristin
also there: Nishma, Anna, Val, Goran

Meet for drinks

Tomorrow night we are going for drinks + talks to meet up with former Bucks advertising students and friends. If anyone wants to join in, you're welcome to pop around. Thursday starting 7ish at 'The Blue Post', 81 Newman Street, W1T 3ET London, nearest tube Tottenham Court Road. Sounds like a younger version of coffee mornings, doesn't it?