Mix Tapes

We all remember cassettes, some of us with fondness.

I used to make mix tapes for mates, and the odd girl or two. Well, just as we thought tapes had slipped from use and memory into the lockers of the past they have been reclaimed. No not as a new digital funky version but in fact as a fashion accessory. We recently asked our network to feedback on trends they had spotted, and this is one of the more bizarre ones. The rest will be featured in our next news letter.

Get yourself down to buy them in TopMan.
Peace Out!

When it Works

As a PR or Marketer, we always talk about what great results we get and how much awareness we've raised with our campaigns. We use figures and graphs, tables and stats to indicate our success. Sales have risen so much and research shows that attitudes have changed this much - therefore the campaign has been successful. This of course gives you a sense of pride and achievement.

However I recently experienced something that really made me smile. After a busy radio day with Ryan Giggs, who is working with us on the Alliance & Leicester Premier 21 campaign, I was walking along the road when I bumped into and old friend in a pub. We began chatting and when I explained what I'd been doing in Manchester, the doorman's ears pricked up. "You met Ryan Giggs?" he asked me, almost threateningly.

A little perplexed at the interruption, I turned and answered, "Yeah I'm doing a campaign with him at the minute."

"Oh right," he said nodding,"It's not that Premier 21 training thing he's doing with that bunch of kids?"

Well my jaw hit the floor! Here was someone who we had actually reached, whose awareness had been raised - the campaign was working! I could have kissed him flat on the mouth - but opted to shake his hand instead.

"Thanks mate," I said, "you've made my month!"

All in a day's work.

If you'd like to meet Giggsy too, go to www.prem21.co.uk,

Cheers,

Paulie

I

Roll it on.....

If you are looking for something different to do, why not get your wheels on and try out LondonSkate.

London Skate is the Capitals Wednesday night street skate that happens on a weekly basis during the summer months. Between two and five hundred bladers roll each week, along to a custom built sound system it is said to have a pretty good party vibe. I am yet to try it out myself but there must be something quite liberating about hitting the road with a bunch of randoms and skating the night away. Its free and fun so if you want to squeeze in something before the end of the summer check it out!
B x

Bloggers & Hackney Insights

In praise of great blogs (like ours) I wanted to share one that I came across in a week off I had recently. In fact, I wanted to share a few things from my week off that might be interesting or helpful to you especially if you live in the Hackney area.

I decided to have a weeks annual leave to just to have some R&R and sort stuff. You know, time at home doing all the things you love (watching trash morning telly, drinking cocktails at lunchtime) and doing all the things on the ‘to do’ list that has been slowly growing and not really seeing the ticks appear at the same rate.

Anyway, in conquering another one of the ‘to do’s’, I wanted the details for the fab looking DIY store/joinery at the top of the road and in searching for it, came across this blog http://www.ouralbion.com/ - do have a look to get a taste of it. A quick glance at the home page sets the tone and if it’s your thing, I highly recommend further investigation is left to the weekend when you can truly appreciate it’s beautifully entertaining, lighthearted prose AND really useful supplier reviews and details.

Mr Our Albion and I share some favourite suppliers in the local vicinity but I have one more to add to the list. D & J Simons http://www.djsimons.co.uk/ (get over the crude website, it’s worth it) sell picture framing moulds. If you’ve got a heap of framing to do, know exactly what you want and don’t want to pay over the odds, it’s definitely worth a visit. They are essentially wholsesalers but are very helpful to joe public private clients and have hundreds of styles.

And to round off, a couple more insights from my week off…….
· The Fox on Kingsland Rd is really quite lovely and even lovelier to discover not only can you enjoy a mango pina colada at 3pm on a Monday afternoon but you can invite a friend and it will cost you no more (2-4-1 on cocktails, all day & night, 7 days a week) http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub2771.html
· The Vintage Magazine Shop in Soho is the perfect solution to racking ones brain about what to buy for a male best mates birthday (solution: original of a Playboy from month/year of birth – then framed via DJ Simons with suitably Stuido 54 esque finish) http://www.vinmag.com/ Amongst their wide offering, you’ll find a great array of original and print movie posters, brilliant birthday cards and vintage magazines and comics from the 60’s onwards.
· There is such a thing as lingerie for hens (yes, chickens) http://www.debenpoultrysaddles.com/fittingsaddles.htm

Over and out, rested and relaxed CP x

Inspiring the Next Generation

OK it sounds a bit worthy but that's exactly what I witnessed the team do at the weekend with the help of Gok Wan courtesy of the Alliance & Leicester Premier 21 account.

I rocked up at 10.30 in the morning, Starbucks coffee in my hand and a mild hang-over to see 21 young people all on the edge of their seats attentively listening to Gok talk about his career. They had already spent an hour and a half getting a sneak preview of some of the clothes for London Fashion week and were sat back happily questionning Gok about his day, life and career choices.

By 11 Gok had briefed us on our style challenge and I was already starting to get the 1st stirrings of competitiveness. Assigned a team of gorgeous young guys and girls I was really looking forward to getting out there and helping them style their model from Gok's brief, ok so it wasn't meant to be a competition but there was definitely an air of rivalry going on - or maybe that was just me!

11.15 and we hit the high street ready to style the life out of our brief (who was by the way 21 year old Nina, a gorgeous blond, size 18 with a new lease of life having come from a relationship and career break). The team worked brilliantly together, trying new ideas, getting involved and generally having a good crack. 

Next came the chance to dress our model with Gok looking on, ready for the big reveal. A few hiccups looked like they might derail us, a pop sock incident and a pair of shoes too small could have really ruined the look but we worked through it, and Gok was a great sport giving the guys a few useful tips. 

The fashion show was great with every team getting a chance to showcase their outfit and discuss why they had chosen what they had chosen. It's weird, I'd only known them for a day but I felt so proud of them all, they did a fantastic job.

It taught me a few lessons, 1 of which I'll keep to myself but the other is that given the right encouragement young people can absolutely rise to the challenge.

Not sure how that compares to other banks offering I-Pods and rail cards, but I'd go for a bit of genuine encouragement any day.

Encore!

Emma

Viral Video Chart

Hey people! Here are the top few viral vids going round this week - check them for some humerous weekend entertainment ...

Viral Video Chart:
1 Where's my money Family Guy clip: Stewie wonders where his money is
2 Smash My PS3PlayStation 3 + fanboys + sledgehammer
3 KiwiDonny Permedi's animation from his masters degree at New York's School of Visual Arts
4 That Thong SongStrangely beguiling purple hippo dancing to the Thong Song
5 UCLA Police Taser Student in PowellUCLA student Mostafa Tabatabainejad is tasered by police after refusing to provide ID
6 UCLA Student Tasered by Police in LibraryUCLA tasering again
7 Chow ChowChow chow puppies lick camera = girls squeal
8 Seinfeld's Kramer (Michael Richards) Racist TiradeMichael Richards loses the plot at Laugh in LA
9 Amazing Rap ImpersonationsAries Spears from MadTV impersonates LL Cool J, DMX, Snoop & Jay-Z
10 Amateur - Lasse GjertsenHuman beatbox x 10
11 George Bush beatboxDoes what it says on the tin
12 White and NerdyWeird Al Yankovic's video from the album Straight Outta Lynwood
13 Free Hugs CampaignFree love for the YouTube era
14 Iranian American Student Abused By UCLA UCPD With Tazer GUNMore tazering
15 Iraqi Kid Runs For WaterKIds chase US soldiers in truck, soldiers taunt kids with water
16 UCLA Student Tasered by UCLA Police for not showing IDYet more tazering
17 Akon ft. Snoop Dogg - I Wanna Love You (Explicit) MorrisVideosExplicit music video, Snoop style18 Cute Kitty DrinkingKitten drinks out of a baby bottle
19 KiwiMore kiwi action
20 Kramer's racist tiradeMichael Richards undoes his career, again


And I leave you with another cosy thought... its

110 Days
16 Hours
15 Minutes until ...

CHRISTMAS!!!!

love KT x

Thanks to Tim & Belinda for being so supportive on this project

An oldie but a goodie

Sometimes things just really work. You may well know of this site, www.stumbleupon.com, but if not then you really should. If you are looking for inspiration then this is a fantastic tool. Effectively you join Stumble, a community of Stumblers, and enjoy sites that other Stumblers have found and liked. You can Stumble individual sites, so stumble around Wired or the BBC, or a category like photography.

You'll rediscover the joy's of the internet, and expand your horizons.

So go on. Get Stumbling, click the title of this blog post and you'll be whisked off!

James

Hello all and welcome back!

Another manic week has just passed!Day 1,2 & 3, there was sweat and tears to get a presentation out to our client - we succeeded so well done to Emma S,Sara and James L!

If anyone has any queries regarding circus or

futuristic performers,please ask one of the

above - give me 24 more hours to recover!
Also,they should be up to scratch regarding

hotels,venues,lighting,production,HOLOGRAMS and running orders!
Discover Tuaca is now live in Manchester and Belfast and they both have 3 more events taking place!

Talk soon, JS

Introducing ....... Emma Rind

Hi

I am the new “Operations Executive”. I have taken over from Emily and would just like to wish her all the best with her travelling, she will be missed at The Lounge. However tough an act she is to follow, I'm definitely up to the challenge!

A little about me:
I enjoy sunsets and long walks on the beach....
Apart from this, my real hobbies include going to the gym, spending time with my friends and trying to develop more interesting hobbies. My favourite colour is purple, i am terrified of wasps and if I could be any fruit I would be a Strawberry. My all time favourite songs are 'Don't stop me now' by Queen and 'Mr Brightside' by The Killers.

I am really excited to be here and look forward to being a useful and productive member of the team (and hopefully bring some interesting info to the blog)!

Emma x

Youth standing up for themselves

Hi all,

I found this website last night and think it is brilliant representation of today's youth!

This is something that everybody can be proud of! No more reading in the Metro (or any other newspaper) of another Teen Violence, but rather of teens standing up for themselves. Making their voices heard!! Fighting Back!!

This project aimed at inspiring teenagers to use the web "as a canvas for social change".

In their words : Battlefront is a friendly army of 19 young campaigners. We’ve got causes instead of cannons and big ideas instead of bombs, and we’re out to change the world.

They are looking for one more campaigner to make a stand against something that affect the youth market!!

Let me know what you think!!!

Till next time!

Marusch