wow. just wow.

I have run the spectrum of the word wow today.

First, a good thing:

(full screen this!)


Then an amazingly thought out thing:




I whole heartedly agree.

Smurf Card 5

Hello.

I bet you're wondering where card #4 is. Me too. As I stated in a previous Smurf card related post, no one man can ever possess all of the Smurf cards. Too much wisdom for one man. Having said that, lets get on to number 5.













What the hell?

Peyo, I do not mean to doubt your infinite wisdom, as you are the Creator, but what can this mean? In advertising, this style of showing something and saying the same thing is called see-say. A definite no-no. Am I tarnished now? Has my training as an ad student blocked my vision into the mysteries that are the Smurfs? I beg you Peyo, open my eyes...

Are you asking us to stay well preserved?
Are you warning us of the impending Smurfocalypse and the resultant Ice Age that follows?
Is this some kind of endurance test we must attempt in order to become more enlightened.?

I must admit, I tried contemplating this card for a while. I fasted, I meditated, then I got rickets from fasting and bedsores from sitting in the same place meditating for so long, but nothing came to mind. My heart tells me that "The End Is Nigh," my brain tells me, "Layer, layer layer," and my stomach tells me, "Mmmm. Salami." I haven't eaten dinner yet, so my stomach may win this round.

What can y'all tell me of this card. I think it's above me.

"Advertising" at it's sneakiest

This isn't advertising in the normal client/agency sense, but it sure is clever. In a horribly devious kind of way.

What say you?

TV is hard.

We'll now take a quick break from our regularly scheduled Smurf-cast to bring you news from my real life:

If you've been a follower of this blog, then you know that I'm in advertising school. If you happen to have happened upon this blog by hitting the "Next Blog" button at the top of the window, then welcome. Go read some of the backlog of posts then come back when you are up to speed.

Back to Ad-School...

This trimester at school (sounds like I'm pregnant. how coincidental), I'm in one of the coolest classes of all time: TV. I was raised by TV. I have almost every theme song ever made memorized. Challenge me next time you see me. I dare you. I have always felt I was cut out for something in TV. Be it acting, directing, writing, and/or catering.

We had our first BIG assignment in TV. Go and create a "viral" brand piece for Drive Thru Productions (google 'em for more info. Sweet little shop) from scratch in a week. We got the assignment on a Wednesday night. Oddly, not a television oriented piece, but fun none the less. One week is not a lot of time. You have to concept the idea, write it out, storyboard it, find the director and/or camera guy, find a cast, find locations, find music for the commercial, make costumes, film the commercial, edit the commercial, and distribute the commercial. This was especially fun because I don't have any free time.

Well, the ball got rolling right away and the idea was ready the night it was assigned. Got a Director/Camera guy on board the next day, found the cast and made the costumes (arguably the hardest part. You'll see why) over the next couple of days. Shot it on Sunday and saw a rough cut on Monday. Took Monday and Tuesday off to half-ass my homework for my other classes, tee-hee. Then stayed up 'til 5:30 in the AM editing the final cut that was presented to the class. here it is:



I know. Can you believe this was voted as number two? I am just as surprised as you are. It made it all the way up to two because I payed the judges. This video was beat out by two good friends of mine, Matt Brickner and Scott Backer. Here's a link to a post on Scott's blog that has the winning video.

Let me know what y'all think. I really liked doing this and think I could have a future in it. Holla back.

p.s.
The cast:
Mom- Michelle Swanson
Dad: Justin Damstrom
Baby: some random doll my wife has.
Toddler: My son.
Teenager: Andy Santamaria
Girlfriend: Mallory Backman
Nanny: Me. And that is only because Billy Zane won't return my phone calls. You see this Billy? This short-film went all the way to number two (out of 8)! Suck on that. Bet you'll be returning my calls now, huh?

Oh yeah, and...
Director/Camera Guy: Luke Walford

Smurf Card 3

Here's the next installment of the world wise Smurf Cards. Now, if you are a long time headinablog reader, fear not. I am not making this into a Smurf-only blog. There are a lot of things I would like to discuss and they are coming, but right now, I have some things I would like to share with you.

This, for example:










On the surface, this card may appear like a simple affirmation about taking time to relax, but is that all it is? Or is it that at all?

Could it be that this card is mocking the lazy? Those that do things only half-assed. Those that "phone it in." Those that are living in "cruise control." Those that don't use every scrap of life in them to make the world a better place for all Smurf-kind. This is the route I believe Peyo was going. I mean, look at the Smurf Village! Those mushrooms aren't going to hollow themselves out now are they? Peyo doesn't believe in sitting on one's laurels. Peyo is about the future. Even thought the Smurfs are set in medieval times, the Smurfs were always ahead of the curve. Again, take the Smurf Village as an example. The Smurfs invented modular housing approximately 1,000 years before we as Americans perfected it. I would go as far as saying they are very European (duh). You can't get more polyamorous than one women for 100+ dudes. And Handy Smurf Created a frekin' robot! It's true. Google it. Its name is Clockwork Smurf.

Very progressive, very forward thinking these Smurfs.

Of course there is another option. To us T.G.I.F. means "thank goodness it's Friday." To the Smurfs it might mean something else, like:

-That Gargamel is Funny
-Tailer-Smurf Gets in Front
-Tree Gloves in Fashion
-Tiny Germans Ingest Fungus
-That's Good It's Fighting
-The Grand Investment Futures

But then again, Maybe Peyo is saying it's OK to take a moment for yourself every now and then. But I doubt it. I really doubt it.

What do you think? What else could T.G.I.F. stand for for a Smurf?

Smurf Card 2

This is the second installment in a long list of mind expanding Smurf cards.

With this particular card from 1982, we need to keep in mind that Peyo (in his infinite wisdom) and his minions designed the entire American version of the Smurf village with only 99 Smurfs. And only one of them was a female. For those not blessed with basic math skills, that means there were 98 male Smurfs in the Smurf village back in 1982.

With that in mind, take a look at todays addition:











During my sheltered upbringing, I can not ever remember a time that it was socially acceptable for one man to hold the hand of another, much less three men (though I've never had an issue with it. C'est la vie). In 1982 this was a huge declaration. At the time, the only other groups making this declaration were "Wham!" and "The Village People." To contemplate the real meaning of this card, one needs to question the sexuality of Peyo himself. Was the Great Creator himself gay? There has always been speculation that the Smurfs at least dabbled. I mean seriously, Smurfette is nothing more than "Grace" to the rest of the village's "Will."

Ultimately, this card isn't about homosmurfuality, it's about being true to one's self regardless of the consequences. Either that or, "When in the Smurf Village, do as the Smurfs do."

(little known fact: Papa Smurf and Smurfette were added to quiet critics of an all male cast and to stem the flow of "adult" parodies in 1975)

Smurf Card 1

You've all been waiting patiently. Consider your wait over.

This is the first card in the Smurf card series. Admittedly, I do not have all the cards in the series in my possession as no one man can ever have all the wisdom contained within the cards. That was never Peyo the Great's intent and would be the first sign of the Smurfocalypse. The amount of insight each card contains is overwhelming. A simple man, such as myself, could spend a lifetime meditating on just one card.

Take the first card as an example:









Think about the juxtaposition of the line versus the image. "Keep talking... I'm listening." After half a month of contemplation, I believe this to mean that one should be open at all times to communication from others. Even when sleeping. Especially when sleeping. I insist that you listen to the voices you hear when your eyes are closed. That would be the smurfy thing to do.

What do you think?

More to come. Lots more.