Creative Asylum Blog

Late Night Liars!

caideation — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:01:54 +0000

We are not LYING when we say that we love GSN’s hottest new show, Late Night Liars.

We’re so proud to be working together with GSN on this groundbreaking new show… Okay, maybe not groundbreaking, maybe gut-busting is a better word. Shrinking violets these puppets are not! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cringe, you’ll be endlessly entertained. We promise.

Check out all the cool stuff at www.pmz.tv and be sure to tune in to the premiere this Thursday, June 9!

The Quest for the Codex

caideation — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:45:48 +0000

Secrets that lie under the fog. Leygates that reveal portals to hidden maps. Exclusive content, mini-games, and even a cameo by author Michael Scott.

All can be found at http://www.questforthecodex.com, an exciting site experience for Random House’s soon-to-be-released book The Necromancer (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel). This was a truly integrated effort by our folks at Creative Aslyum, and we had a great time working with Random House on this amazing project. Please check it out!

Flash: Your 5 minutes Are Up

caideation — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:23:32 +0000

An open letter from Steve Jobs recently ruffled quite a few feathers. While we’re all tinkering with our new iPads and waiting patiently for the release of iPhone OS 4, let’s take a moment to ruminate on what the Grand Poobah of Apple has to say about Flash. What does it mean? And while this is an open letter, just how open is his mind?

The gist of what Jobs says is that Flash is a relic. It drains the battery of mobile devices. It’s not good for multi-touch operation. Its performance, reliability, and security are not-to-be-trusted. It’s a proprietary system. It’s an unnecessary third party layer of software that comes between the platform and the developer.

You can read the full letter, start to finish, here.

Obviously, Jobs has his motives. He scolds Adobe for their “closed system” from his glass house. He’s even garnered a surprising ally in Microsoft’s Dean Hachamovitch. He’d like us all to believe that HTML5 will prevail in the end. He’s been accused by Adobe’s CEO of attempting to create a “smokescreen” and accusations that are “patently false.”

Next up? Looks like an antitrust investigation is inevitable.

The war wages on…

Through the iLooking Glass

caideation — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 01:29:44 +0000

This is one of the coolest iPad apps we’ve seen so far: an interactive Alice in Wonderland e-book experience.

If this is a sign of more to come for the iPad, there’s no question that this tablet has the power to reinvent a medium. And an indication that Steve Jobs, too, possibly dreams up to six impossible things before breakfast.

Human Tetris Project!

caideation — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:42:37 +0000

The Project is getting some great press. Check out this video talking about what it is, and why YOU should become a part of the Human Tetris Project.

Miracle Whip Still Not Toning It Down

caideation — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:06:47 +0000

When Miracle Whip first debuted their “snappier” new image with a series of commercials last year, people started paying attention.

The mayo magnate is continuing to spread the message… and in the most interesting arenas. A first glimpse of the new packaging came in the much-hyped recent Lady Gaga/Beyoncé ‘Telephone’ video, and advertising is also integrated into EA’s upcoming ‘Skate 3′ video game.

Things That Go Bump on Your Phone

caideation — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:18:22 +0000

You may already know about (and use!) the Bump app for iPhone or Android. The software from Bump Technologies lets users share contact information simply by bumping their phones together.

Well, that technology just went one step further. PayPal just announced a new iPhone application that lets you send money by—you guessed it—bumping your phones together. The app is currently free to download, but you must login with your PayPal information to use. The app includes a special feature that aids in the notoriously dreaded check-split, down to how to factor in tax/tip. Someone pigged out on a steak while you noshed on a salad? No problem! There’s a feature that helps you figure out who owes more too.

Read more about this money swapping technology here.

What’s the Latest, Foursquare?

caideation — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:22:44 +0000

Yes, yes, Foursquare is everywhere these days. But what’s all the buzz about? And what is everyone saying?

Well for starters, the location based social networking platform was all the rage at this year’s SXSW. There were dueling parties between Foursquare and Gowalla, including attendance by Ashton Kutcher at the former, and DJ Diplo at the latter. Gowalla may be everyone’s favorite underdog, but Foursquare appears to be leading the LBSN pack, experiencing a phenomenal growth surge of 100,000 users in 10 days surrounding SXSW.

Read more Foursquare news here and here. Excuse us, we have to go count our badges now.

What Women Want: An Exercise in Crowdsourcing

caideation — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:59:44 +0000

Women can be fickle. That’s nothing new.

The latest attempt by the opposite sex to evolve and meet those ever-changing needs comes in the form of a new, crowdsourced fragrance (and accompanying campaign) by Unilever’s Axe. Traditionally known for their tawdry, sexy advertisements that feature women regressing into sex-crazed vixens at first sniff, the men’s fragrance developers charted a new course with their latest product debut.

Twist is a new fragrance, co-created by consumers and the brand. The first ad shows a robot repeatedly making over a guy over the course of a date night, supposedly to keep the object of his affection interested.

But perhaps even more relevant than its commentary on the intricacies of dating, is what this new campaign says about the rise in co-creation and the need for two-way conversations between brands and their consumers. The marketing landscape has changed, in large part due to social media and the shift from top-down sales techniques to two-way conversations. It’s nice to see that advertisers are evolving to meet these needs. Women aren’t the only fickle ones, it turns out.

Travel Safe?

caideation — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:51:50 +0000

Do you travel with lots of expensive gear, or just want to guarantee that you’ll have everything when you get where you’re going?

Buy a gun.

Seriously, buy a gun, and take advantage of new TSA rules.

One photographer writes:

A “weapons” is defined as a rifle, shotgun, pistol, airgun, and STARTER PISTOL. Yes, starter pistols – those little guns that fire blanks at track and swim meets – are considered weapons…and do NOT have to be registered in any state in the United States.

I have a starter pistol for all my cases. All I have to do upon check-in is tell the airline ticket agent that I have a weapon to declare…I’m given a little card to sign, the card is put in the case, the case is given to a TSA official who takes my key and locks the case, and gives my key back to me.

That’s the procedure. The case is extra-tracked…TSA does not want to lose a weapons case. This reduces the chance of the case being lost to virtually zero.

From lifehacker