A new 172 room hotel in Saint Blase, Paris named Mama Shelter has just opened. A fun, functional, artsy and luxurious hotel, it was designed by Philipe Starck and created by the founders of Club Med. With five different sized rooms, the hotel has fabulously designed common areas, a fun bar, a restaurant and wonderful artsy touches.
As any chic hotel should, it has a hip little shop, keihl's products in the rooms, a place to snack, it offers services like babysitters, a laundry room, wi-fi, transportation services and has a business center. Communal eating areas include a restaurant conceived by Alain Senderens:
The Island Bar: and a snack shop: Places you can conduct business: And a shop, of course: Mama Shelter Sleeping accommodations: The 5 different room sizes all have the feel of a refuge with their five star bedding (including 100% cotton satiny smooth sheets), a microwave oven, minibar, 24 inch IMAC (TV, radio, cd/dvd, Internet… and free wifi), an office and an elegant and functional bathroom. Below are the various size options.
la MAMA (15 to 17 square meters): Mama Luxe (17 to 20 square meters): Mama Deluxe (20 by 25 square meters): Mama Terrace (It’s la MAMA LUXE with a large terrace and a view of the 20th arrondissement: Mama Suite is the "Big Mama", (35 square meters) with a living room, two 24 inch IMACS, and a terrace.: Bathrooms: Dressing areas:
Lots of fun to be had as well as comfort and style, below you can see the bar complete with foosball table, photo booth and more.
Photo Booth: A 4 meter long foosball table for 8 players:
And of course, they showcase the work of fab artists like photographer Jehad Nga:
Who's behind it? Above: Created by the Trigano family (co-founders of Club Med) and French philosopher Cyril Aouizerate, Mama Shelter was designed by Philippe Starck to offer an eclectic and electric ambiance thanks to its friendly, warm and casual common areas.
Today is the longstanding, forty-three years to be exact, tradition of watching two US football teams battle it out in the Superbowl. A tradition that has become almost more about the tv commercials, marketing and now, micro sites and sneak peeks, than about the game itself.
The event:
This year, the event takes place in Tampa, Florida and features the Pittsburgh Steelers playing against the Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers could potentially take home their 6th Vince Lombardi trophy and the Cardinals, their first. Okay, enough about the sport. LOL.
The entertainment: Once upon a time people sat riveted to the halftime show, then competing tv channels started putting on their own halftime shows; the Bud bowl, the Victoria Secret Lingerie shows, even the Simpsons shows. This year, there are countless options on the internet featuring clever and co-op shows of their own.
The actual NFL halftime show will feature Bruce Springsteen and The E Street band. But, if you're not a big Bruce fan, you've got some fun alternative ways to spend that time (and for those who hate sports, and prefer sci-fi, chick flicks or reality tv, there's a list of counter programming for you at the end of this post).
Pepsi (a major sponsor of this year's game) has its own youtube channel with a series of hilarious videos that are incredibly entertaining-- featuring Will Arnett -- and you even have the option to upload your own.
Above: Will Arnett hosts his own hilarious Superbowl Party, courtesy of Pepsi and TBWA Chiat Day.
This year, due to the explosion of social media and online promotions, most of the eagerly anticipated tv commercials have been 'leaked'. So much so that Adweek even has a preview page.
Already enjoyed by tons of fans has been the newest Pedigree commercial from TWBA Chiat Day which will air on today's game, featuring a view of the world if you opted for wild animals as pets in lieu of the good ol' domestic dog.
There are more fun supplemental videos of the Pedigree spot that you can view here.
SB XLIII is bringing back some fan faves including commercials featuring E*Trade's "Talking Baby," Budweiser's Clydesdales (this time joined in the A-B stable by late-night host Conan O'Brien in an ad for Bud Light). And this year, Coke and Pepsi battle it out to prove which can create the happiest, most 'optimistic' ads.
Another spot which leaked and has fast become a favorite is this Career Builder spot:
and a fun spot for GoDaddy.com featuring Danica Patrick:
Why not have other people do the work for you?
Doritos "Crash the Superbowl" encouraged users to upload their own commercials, a rapidly growing trend. The contest is now over, and you'll see the winning spot air on the game today. The contest, which asked for user generated videos, awards the winning spot $100,000.00 and it will air during today's game.
and a behind the scenes.making of video of the Peta spot:
and the 2008 GoDaddy "Beaver" spot with Danica that didn't air:
Live Blogging and Twitter Feeds And, of course, there will be lots of 'live' blogging'. You can even follow live tweets during the game. As of 9am west coast time this morning , the live NFL twitter feed had almost 2,500 followers.
There have been especially designed micro sites, packaging, music videos, youtube channels, ring tones, computer wallpaper, widgets, avatars and more. A virtual (literally and figuratively) superbowl blitz. the NFL's live twitter feed
And for those of you who don't like sports at all, here's a list of alternative programming for you, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly:
ABC: Wipeout Bowl I: Cheerleaders vs. Couch Potatoes (airing at halftime, and again immediately after the game): The title says it all. As do the results of an EW.com poll showing that 67 percent of our readers plan on sticking with Springsteen and The Office, which will feature guest stars Jack Black and Jessica Alba. (Twenty-four percent said they'd watch Wipeout at halftime and The Office post-game. Six percent said they'd watch Wipeout whenever possible. Only three percent said they'd watch Springsteen at halftime and Wipeout after.)
Animal Planet: Puppy Bowl V (on repeat, from 3 p.m. to 5 a.m.): Pepper the Parrot performs the anthem; kittens handle halftime, and a Chinese Crested 'Naked' dog streaks.
A&E: The Sopranos (noon until 4 a.m.)
BBC America: Doctor Who (3 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Bravo: Law & Order: Criminal Intent (6 p.m. to 2 a.m.)
CMT: Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Daddy and Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy (2 p.m to 10 p.m.)
Discovery: MythBusters (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Jesus: The Complete Story (a three-part special, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.): I just like that juxtaposition.
DIY: Bathroom Renovations and Bathtastic! (7 a.m. to 3 a.m.)
FX: Chick flicks (Little Black Book, 2 p.m.; Maid in Manhattan, 4:30 p.m.; 13 Going on 30, 6:30 p.m.; The Devil Wears Prada, 8:30 p.m.)
Hallmark: I Love Lucy (8:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.)
Oxygen: America's Next Top Model (11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
Sci Fi: Ghost Hunters International and Ghost Hunters (9 a.m. to 1 a.m.)
Spike: CSI (noon to 4 a.m.)
SPEED: Pimp My Ride (1 p.m. to 3 a.m.)
Style: Clean House (noon to 3 a.m.)
TBS: Chick Flicks (Clueless, 11:30 a.m.; My Best Friend's Wedding, 1:30 p.m.; Failure to Launch, 3:30 p.m.; What Women Want, 5:30 p.m.; My Big Fat Greek Wedding, 8 p.m.)
TLC: Dateline: Real Life Mysteries (1 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and sex documentaries (Forbidden Love: Polygamy, 7 p.m.; My Husbands Three Wives, 8 p.m.; Anatomy of Sex, 9 p.m.; Mother Knows Sex, 10 p.m.)
TNT: The Closer (noon to 11 p.m.)
USA: House (11 a.m. to 4 a.m.).
And, finally, last year I blogged about all the past Superbowl rings (some serious bling):
Talk about a unique combination of product and marketing; the French Denim label, April 77, known for their skinny jeans and Rock n' Rolla clothes (yes, Mick Jagger wears them) has just launched April 77 records, a collaboration with indie musicians, that offers a reasonably priced line of sweaters, denim and t-shirts that include downloadable MP3s from upcoming indie bands. The tracks are also available "old-school" as vinyl singles on the site.
A record-cum-clothing label, each product comes with a hang tag that includes a scratch off 'code' that input at their website, enables you to download a free mp3.
Their clothes are for both men and women... and the wannabe rock n' rolla. Their line includes leather jackets, retro sweaters and cardigans, artist and label t-shirts, classic dress shirts, jeans and pants. A fun touch is that many of the articles of clothing include a special pocket to hold a guitar pick that comes with the product :
Some of the collection:
Details of the pieces shown above:
So... how does it work?
The hang tag on the item is your key:
Scratch off the gold area on the tag to reveal your download code:
Input the code at their site:
And voila! You have a new article of clothing and a new song:
Note: the songs are only downloadable once.
Below are some of the APRIL77 Records:
Last Rapes Of Mister Teach
Rodeo Massacre •
The Go •
Last Rapes Of Mister Teach •
Mixel Pixel •
Intelligence •
Project:Komakino •
Pets •
The Red Hearts •
The Willowz •
Neils Children •
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions: 1. Are you a clothing brand or a music label?
We are both. Our clothing is music, and music lives on our clothing.
2. What is a single?
A single is the A-side and B-side of the artist of the month.
3. What is a custom artist product?
A custom artist product is an item of clothing or an accessory always related to a specific APRIL77RECORDS artist of the month. These items will always allow you to download the single from this artist.
4. Are the mp3s protected?
No. You can do what you want with your mp3 files once you have downloaded them.
5. What format are your music files?
All APRIL77RECORDS singles are in .mp3 format, downloadable in a compressed zip file.
6. I can't find my download code. Where is it?
If you purchased an article of APRIL77RECORDS clothing, the download code can be found on the hang tag (or the APRIL77RECORDS label that looks like a vinyl record). You must scratch off the gold to reveal the code. The 7-inch vinyls work in a similar way, however, the scratch-off area is located on the outside sticker. It's kind of like a lottery ticket, except you win every time.
7. How many times can I use my download code?
Each code is unique and valid for the download of one single only.
7. I just discovered APRIL77RECORDS and would like to have a single from a previous month's artist. What do I do?
If the artist is no longer the APRIL77RECORDS artist of the month, the single can still be downloaded upon the purchase of a 7-inch vinyl or a custom artist product. These will be available while supplies last. 8. What happens when I purchase an APRIL77RECORDS article of clothing in May and don't download until June?
You will receive the June artist of the month.
9. I bought two items of APRIL77RECORDS clothing this month. Does this mean I can only download the same singles twice?
No. If you purchased an APRIL77RECORDS product that is not a custom artist product, you can choose the month in which you wish to download. If you enter your download code during the month of May, you will receive the APRIL77RECORDS May artist. If you wait, for example, to enter your second download code during the month of June, you will receive the APRIL77RECORDS June artist. You can space out your downloads as you wish.
Laban Roomes of Goldgenie and Sir Elton John have collaborated to bring us Swarovski Crystal Starburst studded iPods ( limited to 100 of each color) to raise awareness and funds for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Above: Laban Roomes of Goldgenie.
They are available not only in 8 gig, but also in 16 gig. There will be just 100 of each colour /color (black, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red, silver and yellow) and are available from, Selfridges or directly from Goldgenie Laboratories. As an extra bonus, Goldgenie are including "Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits CD" with every order.
The original iconic players are individually set with over 250 colour-coordinated Swarovski crystals and laser engraved with Elton John’s signature on the rear harnessing the very latest technology. They are backed by a full year’s guarantee.
By purchasing one of these, you will also benefit the many HIV/AIDS programms across 15 countries and 4 continents funded by EJAF.
This non-profit organization will receive at least 12.5% of the purchase price (ex VAT) to help their many projects. The charity was established by Sir Elton John in 1993 to help those living with, affected by or at risk from HIV/AIDS. You can see further information on the charity and it’s work on their website at www.ejaf.com.
Tjep. was commissioned to create a shop environment for a new furniture brand called VilaSofa in Amsterdam. The result is a large playful warehouse.
VilaSofa is positioned between a conventional furniture shop and IKEA in terms of delivery speed. It offers mid-range prices for a wide public and a 48 hour delivery guarantee for all displayed models. The 48 hour claim became the main theme for the shop. They used the idea of a warehouse as metaphor for speed: a place were goods are stored for the transition from the producer to the very personal environment of your home.
The conceptual solution was surprisingly simple and logic: a combination of warehouse aesthetics and home aesthetics. This resulted for example into materials such as plywood usually used for crates combined with high-end glossy finishes. The symbols used in transportation and packaging have been metamorphosed into decorative elements that form room dividers, arranged to organize the space and routing.
Finally there is a big wall suggesting the idea of a magical villa. Is the customer looking at a giant styrofoam packaging element, or is the construction itself the actual villa? They see cavities for a big chandelier, a diversity of playfully arranged windows, romantic balconies, paintings etc... In this space they placed big 'picnic' tables where clients can take their time to inform about the product, talk to the VilaSofa staff.
Design team: Frank Tjepkema, Janneke Hooymans, Leonie Janssen, Tina Stieger, Bertrand Gravier, Camille Cortet
