Same Same But Different

It's great getting a chance to get Chris Anderson [The Wired one, not the TED one] to talk about the future.

Especially in the name of work.

His point is mostly about how bad we are predicting anything well. 

Not just because of timeframes.

Amara's Law: "We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run." - Roy Amara, past president of The Institute for the Future.

But also because we are massively biased by the poles of presentism and novelty.

As in, we tend to extrapolate in a very linear fashion from the concerns of today. 

We find it hard to articulate novel things until they become, well, less novel. 

[Presentism]

Ask Babbage about how convincing his ideas for a difference engine were before anyone could conceive of how to create one.

Yet we also tend to believe that somehow, things will be fundamentally different.

Massive discontinuities are usually envisaged: shiny costumes, new social structures, the absence of money.

[Novelty]

And soon.

[The part of Back to the Future 2 set in the future is set in 2015.

Y'know, with the hoverboards.

And where all the movies are 3D.] 

No Media Spend

 

Advertising, ever slightly ashamed, has of late decided that the ultimate measure of intermediate efficacy is earned attention in the form of interactions garnered with NO MEDIA SPEND.

Now, don't get me wrong, earning attention is definitely a GOOD THING. 

Cultural impact in the form of coverage and earned views, is a way to understand the, well, cultural impact of the work.

PR is ever more important in a world where everyone can publish, where everyone has an audience.

But having a media budget isn't a bad thing.

And not having one isn't necessarily bad either.

But the scene in the case study video where you show all the blogs covering the work and then say with No Media Spend has lept straight into cliche. 

So OneShow juror Max put this simple site together as a comment on such.

Virtually Real Cars

Mini put together this iPhone enabled 'capture the flag' contest in Stockholm, Sweden. 

You download the app and then can find and capture a virtual mini.

The app shows you the location of the Mini and all the players.

If someone gets within 50 meters of you - they can capture the min. Last man standing when the clocks runs out - wins a real Mini.

Website here.

The web is [in] the world. 

---

Nissan put this banner together in Dubai that geortargets you, and then lets you book a test drive, and have the car delivered to you, from within the banner.

The world is [in] the web.

Punchdrunk NYC: Sleep No More

My mate Katie invited me to the dress rehersal of Punchdrunk's first NYC show: Sleep No More on Saturday. 

It was completely awesome.

If you are in or near NYC, you should go.

Trust me. 

If you are lucky enough to have been to a Punchdrunk show before - this is the biggest and best I've seen, and I've seen a few.

If you are lucky enough to have never been to a Punchdrunk show before - goodness me you are in for a treat. 

Imagine if a play was turned inside out.

It became an immersive adventure splayed out across a 6 story, beautifully detailed, building, that you explore at your leisure, every member of what we used to call the audience having a different experience, as they stumble across dramatic fragments and piece together what used to be called the plot.

Of Macbeth, in this case, except re-imagined as a film [very] noir in a 1930's hotel.  

You can - and if you are in NYC you really should - get tickets here. 

Sleep No More - Punchdrunk Doth Murder Sleep.

Ahem. 

[Tip: Look out for the candy room - you can grab a handful.]

HollerSphere SXSWi [Beersphere Mashup]

It's that time of year again, when the freaks and geeks converge on a town in Texas to hatch Evil Plans

[see you there Hugh]

for world domination, the evolution of advertising, starting the next big thing, discovering the next big thing before it becomes big, finding the best BBQ and getting into the whichever party is most difficult to get into. 

And for fun. Among friends. From all over. 

Which is nice, isn't it? 

So with excitment I can confirm that BeerSphere returns to SXSWi for its 3rd annual previously aperiodic but now apparently annual get together of like minded nice people who drink. 

As last year, we have once again joined forces with the lovely boys of TownHoller, and so is brought to you in proud association with: 

@schatz @conradlisco @andyhunter 

And we are hoping to have special magical object guests as well.

Goodness me we do spoil you. Like the ambassador.

Sunday, March 13th, Club DeVille, Austin, TX

3pm ish until whenever. Facebook Event. Andy's Blog. TownHoller. Plancast.

See you there.