TA2 BREAKING NEWS:: TYSON KUTEYI JOINS TATTOO!

Award-winning Producer, Composer, Recording and Mixing Engineer Tyson Kuteyi joins Tattoo Sound + Music's director roster. From K'naan to Ginuwine to Nelly Furtado, Kuteyi's mad mixing skills have kept him at the front of the soundboard for a plethora of North America's finest musical talent, as well as being the ad industry's right hand man for session compositions and mixes. Watch this space for more news on Kuteyi's arrival.

Many welcomes to you, Ty guy.

The Arkells do Ontario Tourism

Hamilton alumni The Arkells are the most recent band to join superstar "There's No Place Like This" campaign for Ontario Tourism. Joining the likes of Keshia Chante and Toya Alexis, The Arkells bring an infectious energy and a fresh bout of enthusiasm to the campaign.

Recorded at the Tattoo studios, check out The Arkells' version here, and be sure to catch the band on the 19th of February as they play the Celebration Stage for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Tonight - Films that Move: Lemonade

Tonight is the Toronto premiere of Eric Proulx's debut film project, Lemonade.

"More than 130,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this Great Recession. Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives."
More info here.


Get FREE tickets here.

Mag: Monika

There's a new kid in Magazine Town, and she goes by the name of Monika. You won't be catching her wearing any 8 3/8" X 10 3/4" ads to class; Monika is the smoking-pot-while-painting-under-the-bleachers type o gal.

Curious? Read more here.

Starbucks: Debranding

In an effort to go back to their original company manifesto of being a funky indie coffeeshop, Starbucks is set to open one of three unbranded stores in the chain's birthplace of Seattle. The first - to be called 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea - will serve alcohol, stock unbranded coffee and have space for running poetry evenings and open mic nights.

All is an experiment by head office to debrand and deglobalize... the question is why.

Pedestrian traffic has been down for Starbucks since the recession hit, and consumer tastes are changing to be more receptive to something that supports both the local community and the environment instead of a tie in with Chapters Indigo.

Head office's turn back to the funk is proving to be a hilarious Office Space esque quest for "flare". An excerpt from the Seattle Times:

'Sebastian Simsch, co-owner of Seattle Coffee Works near Pike Place Market, became frustrated last year after large groups of Starbucks employees kept crowding into his 300-square-foot store to look around. "I thought it was funny," he said. "We're this little store, and I thought Starbucks didn't need to learn from me."

During the third group's visit, Simsch let them know what he thought. "I said, 'If you want to buy something that's great, but just to look, that's not cool,' " he recounted. "I called the PR department and said, 'Never again.' " They did not come back, even after he moved into a much larger store next door.

Victrola Coffee Roasters saw the Starbucks people a lot more often. "They spent the last 12 months in our store up on 15th [Avenue] with these obnoxious folders that said, 'Observation,' " said Victrola owner Dan Ollis.

He thinks it's interesting that they spent all that time in his shop, which serves wine and beer, then applied for a liquor license to sell wine and beer at 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea.'

How's about leaving the local business to the local businesses and spending the debranding money and research on improving the existing brand instead? Consumers are well aware of being marketed to. If you want to appear more environmentally friendly, Starbucks, then let's try and do it properly. Have you heard of these?



Let's get them in your stores. I assure you that the public will be much more receptive to this than a weekly poetry reading.

And on the poetry reading rant, why don't we lift up our sleeves and move some chairs and use those funky chalkboards in your existing spaces to do so? Did we really need to print up "Observation binders" to think of this?

I am fully supportive of the debranding if it leads to more environmentally friendly rebranding of all Starbucks. For that, I say debrand away. Unfortunately, I don't believe the heart in this scenerio. Debranding in order to rebrand as being quirky and independent is only a scheme to be making more money and paving the way to exactly the same corporate trap they found themselves fall into in the first place. It's the Britney Spears syndrome. They won't be able to help themselves.


To see the Seattle Times article, click here.
Also, a great article from Marketing Mag here.

Tattoo's got a new look!

Check out our new website here.

We gots gold!

Last night's 2009 Marketing Awards saw Cossette's 86itjunk.com Campaign win GOLD in the Television Production under $75,000: Campaign category. In the Television Production under $75,000: Single category, GOLD was awarded for "Lick", SILVER for "Chin Music", and BRONZE for "Junk Fight". Tattoo did the sound design on all spots of the campaign. Watch "Lick" here:

Tattoo to Sponsor Portfolio Night 7

We're happy to announce that we'll be sponsoring Portfolio Night 7 here in the T Dot. It's a great event put on by our friends at ihaveanidea. For more info on Portfolio Night, click here.

We sponsored Portfolio Night 5 back in the day and had the joys of co-creating fictitious band Burnback with ihaveanidea's Brett McKenzie. Of the 4 songs Tattoo composed for Burnback, "Make The Logo Bigger" was the one that took the cake.

For old times sake, have a listen here.


Portfolio Night 7, we can't wait to see you!

Portfolio Night 7

Y&R Toronto have announced they'll be hosting this year's Portfolio Night 7 in the T Dot, woot! Designers, get them portfolios all shiny! The fun kicks off on June 11th, 2009. For those of you who've never heard of Portfolio Night, it's the brainchild of our friends over at ihaveanidea; an evening where aspiring Art Directors or Copywriters [i.e. students] are given the opportunity to show their portfolios to 3 different Creative Directors. Each student spends roughly 20 minutes with each of their 3 CD's. This is a great opportunity to get some feedback on your work, and for potential recruiters to see what's out there, so please try to check it out.

Not in Toronto? Don't worry. Portfolio Night is happening all over the world. For more information, click here.

Life's For Sharing: T Mobile

How much do you wish you were in Liverpool Street Station in January?!!

T Mobile's Life's For Sharing Campaign [2009] kicked off with 350 dancers secretly and strategically placed around London's Liverpool Street Station, who busted out into dance as soon as music started blaring across the concourse. The ad was filmed by 10 secret cameras on January 15th, and aired on Channel 4 on the morning of January 16th, 2009, going on for a decent run on Youtube.

The idea is nothing new - we've seen staged breakouts like this from Improv Everywhere in New York [remember Grand Central Station in 2008? Click here to view] and even our own little Subway Dance Party here in the T Dot, but lack of originality doesn't make it any less fun.

I propose we learn the moves and meet up at Union Station... anyone?

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, London

Becoming Kate

Anyone with the February blahs is bound to have their heartstrings tugged at by this ad. Tourism Australia's Destination Campaign is pretty much flawless. Produced by Baz Luhrmann, it appeals to the overworked, the underplayed, and has impeccable timing. Who doesn't want a small aborigonal child to transport you to a sunny place and remind you of the important things in your life right now?

The format is as simple as IKEA flat pack. Take your pick of an overworked capitalized city, add a romance tale, the promise of better days and bam! Advertising gold. You almost expect Monster.com to pop up as the end graphic, almost like the commercial is a twisted Australian double date between Daniel Kleinman and Baz Luhrmann. Watch the Shanghai version here:



Read more on the Destination Campaign here.

This Ain't No Disco

This Ain't No Disco is a blog that features some amazing work spaces. Agencies are asked to send in photos of their interesting and unique working environments. A few of them make me really jealous. I call it e-bragging.



OneMethod Digital + Design which is located in Liberty Village in Toronto was recently featured on the blog. And of course, it looks really fun to work there. Urban inspired illustrations, ambient lighting, private meeting areas, and smiling faces everywhere.

ADCC Awards

Behold - the Magic Book of the ADCC Awards:


[Angelic choir sings]

Last night's ADCC awards kicked off at 6:30 at the MacMillan Theatre, Toronto, followed by a banging after party at The ROM.

Congratulations to Saatchi & Saatchi Toronto's VP and Creative Director Daniel Charron who won a Merit award for our TA2 relaunch and design. The TA2 can be viewed on page 79 in The Book of GRAPHIC DESIGN section.
We love it:

Félicitations, Daniel! Without you, we'd have no TA-2.


More congratulations are in order for Steve Mykolyn [CD], Nathan Monteith [AD], Dave Luxton [AD] and Stefan Wegner [CW] at TAXI Toronto for winning a GOLD in the Business to Consumer category for the Aviva Microsite campaign.

TATTOO did the Music & Sound Design for this GOLD winning project.


The AVIVA campaign can be found on page 134 in The Book of INTERACTIVE DESIGN section.


Daniel Charron was featured in Marketing Magazine's "Plus ça Change" issue [October 27, 2008]. Read more here.
For more on the ADCC Awards and Organization, click here.

It's HERE!

Party People!
The moment you've all been waiting for - DAVID ANGELO is on ADBEATS!!
Tell your speakers! Tell your neighbours! Tell your Mom!

**NOTE: This mix is guaranteed to make you fall in the pool. Please use proper flotation devices when listening to this mix**

To listen, click here.

Track listing:
1 Jazzanova | Rendez vous | Instrumental
2 Bagpack Selects | Bushwick Summer
3 Jazz Juice | Batidas Succulentas
4 Jazzanova | This is the Place | Instrumental
5 Secret Love | Combiner
6 Beatspoke | Dig Deeper | Dave de Gato Mix
7 Dubnosis | Bashmental | Sumsuch Math Mix
8 The Jazzual Suspects | This Beat
9 Brawcast | Calm Down
10 Gagle | Scene
11 Thievery Corporation | Sound the Alarm
12 Tek 9 | Is it On | Nightmares on Wax Mix
13 Phuture motion | Balero
14 Michna | Believe in It
15 Mark Farina | Life
16 The Jazzual Suspects | Ba Dada
17 Karma | Beach Towel | icube Cosmic Marathon Remix
18 Ben Mono | Jesus was a B Boy | TJ Kong + Dos Santos Remix
19 Wojtek Urbanski | Violet Violin
20 Dusty | Loco Para la Pista
21 Sharon Jones + the Dap Kings | Keep on Looking | Kenny Dope Remix

Muse - Friday, November 7th

TODAY IS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7th 2008.
WELCOME TO SHOWCASE!











Ladies, calm yourselves.

This is the Remington Hunk, brainchild of Albion London's Liz Moss and Aimee Lewis. He can be your new desktop boyfriend with two clicks of a mouse!
Why go out this evening when Remington Hunk is there for you at home?
He bakes, works out, and -
Quick, break up with your boyfriend! He even breakdances!




Download the Remington Hunk here.
For more on Albion London, click here.






If you're out and about in MANCHESTER this Saturday [November 8th], be sure to check out The Third Manchester Artists’ Book Fair at the Holden Gallery, Manchester Metropolitan University. Doors open at 11 AM.

ESPECIALLY check out the collaborative work from Francis Van Maele [Redfoxpress, Ireland] and Kim Hye-Mee [Anticham, Seoul].







View their blog & work here.



HAPPY FRIDAYS TO YOU WITH LOVE FROM TATTOO

AdBeats | 2008 | Episode 2: Human After All feat. Jeff Goodby

In case you didn't know...Tattoo produces a monthly mixshow where advertising and music make out. World's biggest creatives with the world's hottest music. It's got thousands of subscribers around the globe and it's the official show of Ihaveanidea.org.

Fresh out the oven...a brand new episode of Adbeats featuring Jeff Goodby from Goodby + Silverstein + Partners.

New music from: Santogold, MIA, MSTRKRFT, MGMT, DJ Mehdi and many others.

Peep it herrre:





Tracklisting:

1 Daft Punk - Voyager (Revolte remix)
2 Alex Metric - In Your Machine
3 Victor Veros - Chasing Cool
4 Fred Falke & Savage - Wait For Love
5 DJ Mehdi - Signatune (Dave Dresden edit)
6 Fred Falke - Last Wave
7 The Ting Tings - Great DJ (Calvin Harris Remix)
8 Scenario Rock - Both Gotta Move On (Sebastien remix)
9 MSTRKRFT - VuVuVu
10 Daft Punk - Human After All
11 Santogold - Say Aha
12 Hercules and Love Affair - Iris
13 MIA - Paper Planes (dfa remix)
14 MGMT - Time to Pretend