Mr. Foley

May’s “Video of the Week” theme centers around compelling stories told without using words.

I hate it when people write reviews so I’m not going to bother you with why I like this video. Instead sit back and enjoy this little interlude.

FriendSheep

As I speak of different tools, you can use this handy-dandy
reference guide to locate these tools…

A profile shot may be your worst nightmare, so if you want to alter that photo a little or a lot, here is a tip on how to shrink those bumps!

It’s very easy to do, you just have to learn to be subtle with your changes so others don’t wonder why you look one way in a photo and another in real life.

First, copy the layer in the Layer Pallet so when you’re done making the changes, you can see the before and after of your work. We will only be working on the top layer.

Before                                                                     After

On the toolbar at the top of your screen, click on Filter-Liquify. Shrink the brush size to make detailed changes (ie: pull those love-handles in) or enlarge the brush to make dramatic changes (ie: make your entire hip smaller).

Enlarge or shrink your brush size dependent on the area you’re minimizing. Put your “crosshairs” over the edge of the area you want to pull in, and click while dragging it into the correct position. That’s it! You look better already!

To perform digital liposuction, it works the same way I described above. Here is an example of keeping yourself looking like YOU, just a bit better.

If you’re interested, you can now turn off the layer you just worked on to reveal what the “Before” image was. Hope you enjoy the slightly better you!

I think the video speaks for it’s self.

For the less technically aware out there, QR Codes (Quick Response Code) are 2D matrix barcodes that can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information. In recent years, QR codes have become common in consumer advertising and packaging because the wide use of smartphones—now, most people have a barcode reader in their pocket. As a result, the QR code has become a focus of advertising strategy, since it provides quick and effortless access to the brand’s website or other marketing messaging.

Here are some examples of creative QR Code design and usage:

At the moment,  QR codes are mainly used just for additional information about the product or an ad campaign. But as the size of the information you can put into a QR code increases, the possibilities for their use in ad campaigns can be endless. Check out these videos showing how Tesco is revolutionizing grocery shopping and gaining market share in South Korea, and the world’s first animated tattoo!!

(As a person who loathes grocery shopping, I’m considering moving to South Korea for this reason, alone!)

Sources: http://www.thebiggerevent.com/blog/?tag=experiential-marketing    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code

As I speak of different tools, you can use this handy-dandy
reference guide to locate these tools in Adobe Photoshop…

First, copy the layer in the Layer Pallet so when you’re done making the changes, you can see the before and after of your work. We will only be working on the top layer.

Before                                                                          After 

There are 2 tools to use to get rid of blemishes.

#1

The simplest one is the “Patch Tool” (often found under the Healing Brush). With the Patch tool, all you have to do is circle the blemish and drag it to a similar skin tone that is blemish-free. REALLY, that is all!     It is magic!

#2

The second tool is the “Clone Stamp” and it is used to remove flaws or soften the look of textured skin.

Click on the Clone Stamp and then look at the top bar above your image to adjust the brush and opacity settings.

You want your brush to be as soft as possible and the Opacity set to 30%.

You will then be holding Option/Alt on your keyboard to activate the “copy” mode of the tool. Click once on an area that is clear and blemish-free to copy.

Let go of the key now and click on the blemish to softly fade the flaw away. You will repeat this “copy/paste” method until the blemish has faded into the rest of the skin.

We set the Opacity to 30% so that it is a soft and natural fade. Play with the Opacity percentage to see what works best for your purposes.

I used the clone tool to copy the nearby skin-tone and lighten undereye circles and flawed makeup. In addition, you can practice and learn how to soften the look of wrinkles, dark spots and stray hairs. Give it a try!

Now turn the layer on and off to reveal all that you’ve learned today!

Whenever the topic of how to attract talent comes up, the answer is usually the same: companies find it extremely hard to find the right person for the job. This is especially true for packaging designers and engineers.

It is hard to believe, that large numbers of talented package professionals choose to settle in the North or out West when there are many consumer goods companies based right here in Atlanta.

This is partly due to the absence of a specialized packaging school, but schools like Portfolio Center, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University and schools in Florida do offer great packaging-related programs.

The annual “48 Hour Re-Pack” Student Competition brought to you by the IoPP Southeastern Chapter (Institute of Packaging Professionals) has the ultimate goal to change this. For the past three years, unitOne has committed time and effort to help bring together students and packaging professionals.

The competition takes place each year on the last weekend in February. Students choose from 4 categories – this year it was all about camping necessities such as charcoal, matches, S’mores, and toilet paper – and then in teams  they design new and smarter packaging or packaging that promotes recycling and the use of sustainable materials.

The designs are then evaluated by our panel of judges, this year we have:

- Jenni Heerink, Creative Director – DYMO, Newell Rubbermaid
– Barry Markwick, Design Manager, Kimberly-Clark
– April Crow, Global Sustainability Director – Packaging, The Coca-Cola Company
– Greg Fornasiero, Sr. Manager Packaging, The Home Depot

Students submit not only their designs and rationale, but also a 1-2 minute video that “sells” their idea.

Take a minute an check out the design entries from previous years at www.48hrrepack.com/past-contests/. The 2012 entries will be listed there shortly.

The Top 10 will be announced and the Winners will present their ideas on April 10^th, 2012 during the annual IoPP Southeastern Chapter’s NextPack – The Summit on the Future of Packaging , at Coca-Cola Headquarters. Participating students are invited at no charge. This is not only a great platform to present ideas, but also a great opportunity to connect with packaging professionals. We expect over 20 exhibitors and 250 attendees from local and regional companies.

Speakers include Eric Ryan, Founder of Method, Peter Borowski, Design Director Kraft Foods, and Jennifer Acevedo, Editor-in-Chief at Brand Packaging Magazine.

Register for NextPack as a “Friend of unitOne”, and receive a discounted friend’s rate: click here to register

Intel and Vice have teamed together and developed a global network called The Creators Project. A website dedicated to the celebration of creativity, culture and technology.

The Creators Project is all about taking new elements and bringing them to life. Whether it is the highly creative new iPhone app that allows Bjork fans to mix and play with her latest CD or learning about Michael Stipes photography process. The Creators Project is not solely about celebrities it is so much more than that. It truly helps visitors to travel the world meeting everyone from Chinese photographers to Swedish singers, and so many more.

Check out http://thecreatorsproject.com/en-uk/

I’m really inspired by the following advertising campaigns and can’t help but think of where those creatives were or what they were doing when that idea popped into their heads!

 Motivation to get fit…

Why am I craving chocolate right now?

Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful…

Interaction in a magazine, yes please…

Very intelligent camera, do you see what it sees?

From BP to Toyota, consumers have been through a lot in recent years and are demanding more from the companies that they patronize. They are no longer just sitting back and accepting what corporations are telling them about their products and practices.

Businesses are now expected to have a greater level of authenticity than ever before.

MIRACLE WHIP  

Miracle Whip launched their provocative “Are You Miracle Whip?” campaign which features both everyday people and celebrities sharing how much they LOVE or HATE their brand. Risky as it may seem, to showcase people in television ads stating how much they dislike your product, the humorous, tongue-in-cheek tone is appealing to many, especially in the age of social media where consumers love to take sides and share opinions.

Miracle Whip is hoping to get the attention of non-users, prompting them to give the product a try, and decide which side they stand on. The brand further drives home the honesty/transparency philosophy with their tagline that states, “We know we’re not for everyone”.

So, the question is–Are you Miracle Whip? I, personally, can’t stand the stuff! 

View the commercial here:

DOMINO’S

You’ve probably noticed that Domino’s launched a campaign which essentially bashes their previous product offering, sharing customer feedback that their pizza tastes like cardboard and their sauce, like ketchup. Domino’s then explains that they have responded to negative feedback by changing their recipes. The next phase in this campaign includes instant, real-time public display of customer reviews. Each review is mapped back to the employee who made the pizza and is broadcast on an electronic billboard in Times Square! It doesn’t get much more transparent than that.

View the commercial here: