Tiger Woods' Jesus shot

This is just too funny!



Sorry for the lack of posts, but real life has kept me very busy, and many things are going on. That being said, I've also been glued to the TV, watching the Olympics practically every night. Michael Phelps is my new hero!!! Anyhow, maybe when things die down in mid-Sep., I will be back in posting mood, but I will expect that my posts will unfortunately be few and far.

Hayden wants to sing for you

"Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere is trying to break out of the small screen and become a singer. In a cross-promotion with Candie's for Kohl's, which she has been a spokesperson for some time now, in her latest TV ad, she debuts a snippet of her first single, "Wake Up Call."



The song isn't bad, although it has a mostly reggae vibe to it, which doesn't strike me as her style, per se. I can't say that her voice is spectacular, either, but at least she's actually singing on-key, so I guess that's a good sign. (I know, we have low expectations for today's pop stars/wannabes, don't we?) Hayden is one of those young celebs who isn't too tarty or too clean, so she's in an interesting gray area that allows her to explore many avenues of creativity. I would say that she shouldn't give up her day job, but the song, which can be heard in its entirety here, does grow on you after awhile.

In addition, she also did a series of print ads which will run in magazines. Notice the music theme throughout the campaign...?


Click below to see behind-the-scenes of her filming the ad.

Trust me, I can sing!

I'm definitely the wrong target demographic for this campaign, so while I'm not holding my breath for any of these fashions, or her CD, I can't wait til "Heroes" returns! :D

luxury sounds for your ears

While I am anticipating the arrival of the Chanel mobile museum, another French fashion house worked on some cutting edge, unexpected marketing of their own. Louis Vuitton is working in collaboration with Soundwalk to bring to you 3 urban soundtracks designed for self-guided tours through three cities in China.

The soundtracks are an hour long, and each city is narrated by a different Chinese actress: Gong Li 鞏俐 for Beijing, Shu Qi 舒淇 for Hong Kong, and Joan Chen 陳冲 for Shanghai.

In Beijing, Gong Li re-visits the Central Academy of Drama while telling an old love story between two young students.


Shu Qi narrates the sights and sounds along the tour path starting at Luk Yu Tea House, along Stanley Street in Central, Hong Kong.


Chinese-American actress and director Joan Chen takes travelers through the quaint French Concession area in Shanghai.


Original soundtracks composed by Kubert Leung and Albert Yu. Shan Sa (”The Girl Who Played Go”) and Mei Feng (up-and-coming young Chinese author), have written these journeys much like film scripts — subtly blending reality and fiction to offer a cinematic experience in the heart of the city.

Stylish travelers can download Louis Vuitton Soundwalk for iPod, mp3 players and mobile phones on www.louisvuittonsoundwalk.com or www.louisvuitton.com. It is available in six languages, English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. Each audio guide costs $17 and comes with a map.

While these were obviously designed to run in conjunction with the upcoming Beijing Olympics, I find this project intriguing and refreshing. Even if I can't go to Asia, to be able to listen to the soundtracks themselves sounds like a lovely blend of art, music, and travel, and because it's a product of Vuitton, there is almost a guaranteed level of sophistication in terms of the final product.

In viewing the trailers, I'm actually surprised by how well Shu Qi speaks in English; there is almost a slight British lilt in her pronunciation. Gong Li is new to English, and her voice is very harsh, so I don't know if I would enjoy listening to her. Joan Chen speaks with an American accent; no surprise there. I wonder what the other languages sound like, since the trailers are only in English; do these ladies narrate in all 6 languages?

View all three trailers below. The soundtracks sound really beautiful; I wonder if they will be available for sale outside of the Soundwalk guides?







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Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 found in...Spain?!?

I don't talk about this at all, but "Lost" is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. In fact, I follow the series very closely, and after each episode, I always read up on the latest theories, and it's such a cerebral show with a great cast and acting and storyline that I can't stop watching it. I guess I don't blog on it much 'cause it doesn't really allow for a lot of fawning in terms of their wardrobes or soundtrack or whatnot, as I'm not aiming to discuss Kate's hair, or you know, Sawyer's hair, for that matter, but whatev.


Anyhow, here in the US, we don't really do much to promote the show. The actors aren't rock stars by any means, the ratings have fallen, and with an end running date of 2010, fans are just counting down until the whole series is over, when all the answers have been revealed (we hope). That's why I was tickled by this promo for the show's 3rd season in Spain. It's just so cool!


OK, maybe no one really wants to see the tail end of a plane that appears to have crashed, but the setting looks really great, even if there's not much context there if you know nothing about the show. Just for reference, the whole scenario behind the series is that this plane crashed onto an island, and the survivors have to figure out how to get off the island and go home. From there, mayhem ensues! This is why seeing this tail here is so significant to the show.

Set in the Atocha train station in Madrid, the fictional Oceanic Airlines plane was built by 20 people in 600 hours. Plopped into the garden area of the station, which with all of its tropical greenery, this setting really evokes the feeling of a jungle.




I won't be heading to Spain anytime soon, but if you're a fan of the show, and you'll be there through the summer, go check it out, as I believe it will be exhibited there until September.

You can watch a video of how the plane was put together and installed at Bungalow25's website, which is the agency behind this promotion.


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Chanel Mobile Art Museum

I absolutely can't wait to see this exhibit. Chanel has created a Mobile Art Museum, in other words, a moving museum, that will be traveling the world. Having already exhibited in Hong Kong and currently in Tokyo, it will make its way to New York, London, Moscow, and finally ending in Paris. In a nutshell, the entire project is described succinctly below:


The ingenious aspect of this project is that not only will the objets d'art in the museum be traveling, but so will this entire structure, the building (or pavilion) that was designed to be installed and uninstalled from city to city. You can view the structure being put together on their website.

Since different artists have contributed to this show, I'm not sure how relevant these pieces below are, as some of them come from their actual retail line. However, since they appeared on their site, I thought it was worth showing as well.


I love how Karl Lagerfeld continues to excite and dramatize the brand, but through very unconventional avenues, and not through obvious marketing ploys. Unlike the Murakami introspective, which thrived to profit through their art exhibits by selling as many limited Louis Vuittons as possible (no, that is not contempt you are hearing...or is it?!), not only are these Chanel-inspired art pieces not for sale, the admission to go in the museum (as I'm checking the Tokyo listing) is free of charge. Absolute Chanel heaven!

The exhibit will be in New York in October of this year, so I will definitely make a trip to check it out.

Chanel Mobile Art Museum - exhibiting around the world until February 2010 - check for city nearest you

from reality-scripted to acting...!

15-minute-famers rejoice, you CAN live on in infamy (or at least, cash out while your minutes are still hot), as Lauren "LC" Conrad and Brody Jenner can attest. Don't get me wrong, I love "The Hills" for all the wrong reasons, but even I can admit that they don't really deserve the amount of coverage that they get. Regardless, I thought that this ad was cheeky and totally plays into the "are they or aren't they?" faux-relationship between the two stars from the show, so what else can I do but to share this little video with you?

The ad is actually for AT&T's LG Shine cell phone, and the way they market the phone is pretty smart, considering their target market.

Will try to find a better quality version when it's available. For now, enjoy...

love your planet, love your hair

Kate Hudson was shot in a beautiful series of ads for a new line of cruelty-free hair products.

"David Babaii for WildAid" has been in the works for more than two years with Hudson serving as both muse and lab assistant. It was on her head only that products made of volcanic ash, blue algae and white ginger were tested, since the brand is opposed to animal testing.

The products will be paraben-free and packaged in containers made from 10-percent recycled plastic, and they're striving for more. One thing they're exploring is using 10-recycled plastic for a liner, to ensure sturdiness, and using a greater percentage of recycled material for the outer packaging.

The company will donate 10 percent of profits to the animal conservation group WildAid.

I love that this line is meant to be earth- and animal-conscious, but the prices aren't ridiculous that you have to be a celebrity to afford them. A little more expensive than most mass-produced hair care lines, with the range from $11.95-$14.95, I'm excited to try this out.

Ever since I read Alan Weisman's "The World Without Us," I was horrified to learn that some of our every day products can cause a lot of damage to our planet. Take something as simple as face/hand wash that contains microbeads (which aren't biodegradable). I learned that when we wash our hands and faces with a product containing microbeads, the mere fact that these particles are so small, and because they don't break down, they choke the animals in the ocean. When I was looking for a face wash a few months ago, practically every product from every major mass-produced brand contained microbeads! Do marketers tell you this? Of course not! All they do is advertise on what a great job it'll do on your skin, but honestly, this is not the best way to scrub your skin! You're better off using a pumice pad, which is natural and non-toxic.

Anyhow, I digress. I love what this new product is all about, so when I finally run out of my Lux products, I will definitely try this out.


Learn more about the products and their mission here.

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"The Edge of Love" premieres...

"The Edge of Love" premieres are this weekend, and both Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller are on a fast-running PR train, promoting the film in the UK and Scotland. When I first heard the synopsis of the film, the last thing I would associate with this movie was the word fashion. Maybe words like sordid affairs, tragedy, and confused souls come to mind, but def. not fashion.

Anyhow, I LOVE what Keira has worn to her premieres. She appeared in a purple frock at an Elle event in London, in a TopShop blouse at the daytime photocall in Edinburgh, and at night, head to toe in Chanel.


I like Sienna's risk in her fashion choices, but I'm slightly baffled by the strange concoctions she's put together, at least for Edinburgh. (See Elle UK video below to see her in a beautiful red dress.) I am definitely more wowed by Keira's wardrobe (so much so I am gaming to get that TopShop top!).

As you can see from the Elle UK clip, the movie focuses a lot on the fashion as well, which looks really lovely in its old-fashioned, prim and proper romantic way. I really can't wait to see this film. :)

Here's another view of the trailer...



A video of the Edinburgh premiere...



And some interesting/fun interviews...!





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Emma not the new face of Chanel

For anyone holding their breaths, those rumors aren't true, "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson is NOT the new face of Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle. While Keira Knightley is currently reigning supreme as the spokesperson, and her contract is scheduled to end this summer, there has not been anything definitively set up to replace her.

While I don't picture Emma as exuding much sensuality, which is how the brand is defined, it would have been interesting to see her "grow up" and be made over into that role.

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Keira as the Duchess

Speaking of Keira, she has another new film coming out this fall, called "The Duchess," which stars her and, drum roll, please....the excellent Ralph Fiennes (loved him ever since I saw "The English Patient")! While her other film, "The Edge of Love," looks a tad more enticing based on the trailer, there is no doubt I will watch this, as I'm very interested in the life of the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Cavendish, who was considered one of the first original "It" girls back in the day, known for her fashion, sexual scandals, gambling, etc....you know, like Paris Hilton now, only, I think, a bit more sophisticated, and of actual aristocratic blood. :P

Fun fact: Princess Diana is actually a blood relative of the duchess, having descended from Georgiana's brother, George, the 2nd Earl Spencer.

See the trailer below.

Mmm, Christian Bale... :P

In an interesting marketing strategy, Giorgio Armani and the film "Dark Knight" are coming together to promote Armani's line of Hand Made-to-Measure elegant suits. Ads featuring Christian Bale don't advertise with his moniker, but rather, features the namesake of his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman.

Apparently, all the suits and coats for Christian in the film were provided by Armani. While this campaign is provocative (and Christian is gorgeous, so no complaints here!), I wonder how much revenue or interest it will actually generate for the suits themselves. It might appeal to the investment bankers, maybe some fashionable CEOs, but men wearing pristine suits are far and few, so is this look only tailored for the silver screen? Will the wealthy actually clamor to have their suits made by Armani 'cause they saw Bruce Wayne wearing them?

Anyhow, here are some more handsome shots of Mr. Bale in his custom Armani suits. Can't wait to see him and the film on the big screen!


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not just a pretty face

While my favorite man of the hour, Matthew Macfadyen, still has my heart (see sidebar, and you MUST watch him as Darcy in 2005's "Pride & Prejudice"), he is considerably one half of a very attractive couple. His wife, Keeley Hawes, is no slouch, as recent of images of her in ads and on-screen show a hottie who is of a more sophisticated look.

The only work I'd really seen her was in "Spooks," otherwise known an "MI-5" in the US. That was the show that she'd met Matthew on, although on-screen they did not play a couple. I always thought her look kind of dowdy; maybe it was the lack of make-up, or the bland mousey hair, or the very insecure character that she played that emitted a lack of sexuality that made me pass her off as just another TV actress.


But steadily, she has shown herself to be a real hardworking actress, and a glamorous one at that. I didn't know this, but she's currently the voice of Lara Croft. She is in both film ("The Bank Job") and TV (she recently won the Glamour UK Award for Best Television Actress). And now, she's the face of a line of cosmetics and skin care for Boots No7 (only available in the UK, sadly). And she looks radiant!


I really like this campaign, although, I really think she acts way too mature for a woman of 31. She needs to be a bit more young, if you know what I mean. Taking a look at all of her different looks, she's like a chameleon, with a face that is an excellent canvas to show off the beauty products. The TV ad shows that she can be spritely, but again, I know she's the mother of 3, but she can come off more hip, no? In essence, I think she enjoys being a little more on the classic, refined side than a trendsetter.



Below is an older clip from a TV series where she played a small role, but you can see how beautiful she is here. (She's the tall blonde.) Also, this is one of the most HIGH-larious scenes I ever seen. Even if you don't know what's going on, try to watch the entire video. Cheers!



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lady gamers

I love the new campaign for the Nintendo DS Lite, which is definitely aimed at women and a broader mainstream audience in general. Called "I Play for Me," the campaign stars country singer Carrie Underwood, TV actress America Ferrera, and movie actress Liv Tyler. Obviously, the campaign tries to cover all the pop culture mediums, casting celebrities who have very clean reputations no less.

The ads themselves are actually very quiet, which is how they caught my attention in the first place. Through all the noise and clutter of most ads, these stood out, and of course, from the way the angles of the camera capture their every action, you feel like a voyeur trying to look in to see what they're doing. And once you do see them, it's like this "oh" feeling. Like, "oh, they're playing video games. What are they playing?"

I do play a fair amount of video games, although I don't teeter off too far from my faves, which are less hardcore gamer, and more on the puzzle track (Lumines) or virtuality (Sims 2). I don't play some of the other games 'cause I don't like the stress of shooting at someone (although that's a great stress reliever if that's all you did, and you didn't have to worry about someone attacking you from behind, or if you have to cautious of someone lurking around the corner, but I digress), and most games need a long term-commitment. I like the pick-up games where you play for a short while, then move on. Don't we all have pretty short attention spans these days? Based on the messages of these ads, I guess that this is what they're basically selling.

Anyhow, here are the ads if you haven't seen them already. It's an interesting, unexpected campaign.







And here are the behind-the-scenes action. It's interesting that they talk about "growing up with Nintendo" and how it's quick, simple, relaxing, and fun to play. They are definitely trying to appeal to players who want something easy and non-committal (but committed to Nintendo, of course).







See more of the "I Play for Me" campaign here.

"Tropic Thunder" steals the show at MTV Movie Awards

As promised, here is the longer version of the "Tropic Thunder" viral video that aired on the "MTV Movie Awards." Totally hilarious! :D



The guys also made an appearance last night, presenting the Best Movie award.




Every picture I see of them just makes me want to laugh. They are like the new Three Stooges, only even wonkier and stranger. I mean, Jack Black looks like a turnip that just exploded here.


Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, "Iron Man" won Best Summer Movie So Far. Woohoo! Man, RDJ is just très cool these days...!


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