‘The coal companies are lying to you. Coal energy is not clean energy. It is the dirtiest form of energy generation we have. The coal companies are spending millions of dollars hoping you’ll forget this. A slick ad campaign doesn’t change the truth.’

An unsigned band's success story. Via TopSpin forum.

This success story is almost entirely the result of efforts by my friend Mike Pooley, who works at Mountain Apple Company and is about to go free-lance to offer his digital marketing services to the world!

“These efforts are a great example of how an artist can capitalize on viral buzz. By linking to their free-download offer from the YouTube video, Mountain Apple Company harnessed the video’s exposure to increase their fan base. Their store is beautiful & well-designed, and their marketing efforts drove direct-to-fan sales around the globe.”

‘Ian Roger’s presentation from New Music Seminar Los Angeles, February 2011.’

A great overview of how bands have used Topsin and online marketing to great success. Some good takeaways here: a) Don't sell anything until you have a few thousand people on your mailing list, b) Until that point, focus most of all on getting known, c) Do something small every week and something big every month, d) Communicate honestly and treat your fans well.

"Commercial concerns are both implicit and invisible in the consumption of content."

"'I do not see any socially redeeming purpose being served by these beverages. At the end of the day, they’re aimed at a young, inexperienced market for the purpose of enabling them to become rapidly intoxicated.'"

On "shortening your workweek" in every way: outsourcing, clever promotion techniques, social engineering, and focusing on the right things.

A nice scrapbook. "...we’re wading through a sea of lame to mediocre ads, photographs, illustrations, and websites. What can we do but start collecting the worst of it and shame it until it disappears? Of course there’s the other end of the spectrum, too. The beautful uglyiness of urban decay and childish drawings and David Bowie. I hope that stays, and I will do what I can to add to it."

On shortsighted advertising schemes and the power an arbitrary number assigned to products could have on the decisions of consumers.

Okay, seriously, I can tear out the page of my journal with sketches for this idea from last year. ;-) An awesome idea, though.

Entertaining ad campaign by Crispin Porter + Bogusky. I'm not going to start eating BK, but this is tasty.

"Steve Jobs gives a legendary keynote at Macworld SF every January, launching products and giving a state of the union view of things at Apple. What if you invested $10,000 the day before the keynote, then sold at the end of the keynote day?"

The head of a company that makes videos go viral explains exactly how it's done. The commenters go crazy. Very interesting in the specific sense, but even more so in the overall evolution of media.

Another take on the "NYC" portion of the recent and much-maligned NYC taxi redesign. It is praised. The logo on its own is quite interesting, and the possibilities shown with it as a "vessel" are cool.

"A series of professional observations about package design practices within specific product categories," including Razors for Women, Low-Carb Lifestyle, and Packaged Rice.

Customer service done right.

A superb guide for anyone proposing ideas to clients who challenge you in potentially frustrating ways.

On writing good copy, especially headlines.