Could’ve Been: A Love Story

 

All I’m going to say is: ufffffff.

 

Awesome Breakdancing Chihuahua

 

Check out this silly video and the posters to promote it.

Hiring guide or model casting?

This week, American Apparel’s hiring guidelines have been released. And if you’re looking for a job in retail look another way since these are very very very specific guidelines.

Silly guidelines for girls:

a) Makeup is to be kept to a minimal- please take this very seriously. Liquid eyeliner, pencil eyeliner and eyeshadow are advised against; mascara must look very natural (ie. should not be clumpy or a color that does not compliment your skin and haircolor). Blush must not be overdone- should not have glitter or sparkles. Liquid foundation is prohibited (undereye concealer is understandable if it looks natural- ie. not clumpy or caked on, must match your skin tone). Please do not use a shiny gloss on your lips; any lipcolor must be subtle.
b) Eyebrows must not be overplucked. Full eyebrows are very much encouraged. Please do not dye your eyebrows a different color.
c) We encourage long, healthy, natural hair, so please be advised of the following:
-Hair must be kept your natural color.
-Blow-drying hair excessively could cause heat damage, so this is advised against.
-”Bangs” or “fringe” are advised against. It is not part of the direction we’re moving in.

And guidelines for the poor guys:

a) Hair should look natural. Excessive product to the extent of creating stiffness and an unnatural or greasy appearance to your hair is advised against.
b) Eyebrows should be natural. Please do not dye your eyebrows a different color or overpluck them.
c) Males should not wear makeup.
d) Facial hair needs to be kept clean and well groomed. Any mustache or goatee of a contemporary style are advised against.
e) No gauges allowed whatsoever.

At least I’m on the same page as them regarding men plucking their eyebrows.

Am I the only one that thinks this is extra nutty?

Apparently, American Apparel thinks this is nutty too.

RIP

R.I.P Lee McQueen

We’ll always think “what if”

Rush Ridiculousness

One of the first image results when you search for 'sorority' on google

I don’t know much about sororities. All I know I’ve learned about TV shows and movies that portray what I thought was a ridiculous sorority stereotype. It’s nice to know they got the stereotype from somewhere, apparently the girls at Cornell’s Phi Phi sorority. They sent out a 7 pagI e list of dress requirements for rush week and here are some favorite of my favorite requirements:

CLOTHING

• No muffin tops or extreme low rise!!
• No Cropped pants. Ugh
• If wearing a skirt tights are necessary!
• No summer pattern/colors
• No frumpy
• No Satin: No one looks good in satin dresses unless it’s from Betsey Johnson or Dolce and Gabbana, you weigh less than 130 pounds, have 3 pairs of spanx on and it’s New Years Eve.

SHOES

• Nice flats: Tory Burch, etc. More evening-ish understated
• No sky-high hooker heels!
• Boots worn OVER pants
• NO white
• If you’re wearing cheapo shoes amke sure they don’t look it.
• No “Fuck-me-pumps”
• No Tacky/cheapo/pleather. Don’t mess with me.

ACCESSORIES

• No obnoxious piercings.
• No chokers
• No ribbon overkill
• No plastic
• No charm. we aren’t 5. unless I say it’s beautiful
• No forever21 rings
• I will not tolerate any gross plastic shizz
  

OTHER NOTES

• Shaved legs
• If you don’t know if something is appropriate/works, email me.
• Blush. This is not optional.
• No mustaches
• No chapped lips
• No sultry. It’s noon people. And these are girls, not laxers. No need to seduce them with caked on black eye makeup.
  
• Nails: you best have a mani pedi when you get to Ithaca.
• Wear perfume
• Wear deodorant
• Get waxed, cut, colored and groomed!!! Mani and pedi prior to Ithaca.

I though sororities were about sisterhood, not a ridiculous fashion police. If you must see the full list. They’re all here.

One of the first image results when you search for ‘sorority’ on google

via Fashionista

Rejection Hotline

I thought it was really mean when I found out about The Rejection Hotline (Click here for your local number), but now I know why it exists.

So here’s how the story goes. A guy approached a girl at the bar, she gave him her business card and he left these:

Horrible VoiceMail

Too funny! talk about being full of himself. He’s the perfect example of the kind of guy that deserves to be given the Rejection Hotline number.

Via Smitten

Buddah Pears

I’ve seen a lot of webpages report on the Baby Shaped Pears that are being grown by a Chinese farmer. He’s been trying to figure them out in 2003 and he reportedly grew 10,000 pears this year. In my opinion, they look more like Buddah than a baby, but no matter what they look like they’re not worth the $5 pounds he’s selling them for. He makes them but putting a plastic mold around them at what he’s emasured to be the perfect time and taking them out of the mold before the ripen.

I find them very creepy, and wouldn’t consider eating one.

Click here for more examples of unnaturally shaped fruits and vegetables.

From a marketing point of view it would be interesting to see if brands would dear to dwell into this. I won’t be surprised if we soon see Mickey shaped apples in Disney World or Logos on certain vegetables.

Random Things

• Creepy yet amazing P.R. stunt. It would’ve scared me a little too much.
• What would you give? I’d wear jeans and white tshirts for 5 yrs to get a closet full of Loubutins.
• Simple yet amazing. Takes ‘key-ring‘ to a whole new level.
• I thought I loved patterns more than anyone.
• Amazing wedding idea.Memorable pictures.
• I love this picture blog about my country. Great pictures that capture the warmth of the Dominican people and some of their day-to day.
• Mom, what’s a VHS?
• Trujillo Cliff Notes
• As long as he promises he’ll bring back Carson Daily to  TRL as a thank you gift for making him famous.

I know, I’m lazy, but these were piling up and they were too amusing not too share.  Enjoy

Buying Followers

 

I won’t lie. Tweeting, like blogging, makes me feel important. I like it when I get many clicks on my blog or when i get a new follower. I like knowing that someone is interested in what I’m saying. (It might sound egotistical, but I’m jsut saying what others aren’t).   Everyone that’s on Twitter follows and likes being followed, but how far would you go to get new followers?

Tweeters are now able to buy more followers.

uSocial, a social media marketing company based in Australia, has launched a paid service to track down followers for Twitter users. Followers can be bought in blocks of 1,000 for about £50.

The company finds potential followers by searching through Twitter to discover areas of common interest to match people more closely. uSocial then send these potential followers a message, alerting them that there is someone on Twitter they might want to follow. The potential follower then decides whether or not to follow that person.

Though amazing for brands it defies the subtlty of social media. People will be suggested who to follow and not choose by themselves. Eventually, they may get overwhelmed and annoyed by all the ‘suggestions.’

As a marketer, I see the appeal of getting your word out to thousands, especially at 50p per person. But I would rather have a few followers that sought me out and actually follow what i say then many that aren’t that engaged.

Personally, I’d hate emails telling me who to follow. I like the suggestions that come from friends, but I’d find these oddly invasive.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ARTICLE

via Telgraph.co.uk

Nigaz

It’s easy to fail in international branding. Markets have different slangs, customs and cultures and it’s hard to take them into account along with the norms for the global market. A failure that’s boundto make the media rounds this week is “Nigaz” – Russian gas giant Gazprom’s new joint venture with Nigerian firm NNPC- which, though a simple joining of the words Nigeria and Gazprom will be causing a lot of controversy. For English speakers it has a different meaning that Gazprom will definitely not be able to overcome. Twitters were definitely on it like wildfire (seems to be they’re the olace to go for everything lately). Here are some of the recent tweets regarding this.

RichardYoung: You know those brand consultants we all hate so much? Sometimes worth the money:
http://bit.ly/HAKVF
(hat tip:
http://bit.ly/lFgocb
)

MikeyTRRP: Erm, the firm is gonna be called WHAT?!
http://bit.ly/HAKVF

RichHL: The Russians like Nigaz with attitude.
http://bit.ly/HAKVF

CheEdgarissimus: It’s impossible, but true! Nigeria + Gazprom = Nigaz.
http://tinyurl.com/l2lhkl

kollner: Gazprom signed $2.5bn deal with Nigeria’s state forming join venture to be named NIGAZ. Seriously, nigaaaaz
http://bit.ly/QHQtn

renepower:
http://tinyurl.com/l9n5uu
Doh, more ‘Whats in a Name’ fun – Gazpro’s Nigaz Nigerian joint venture

For up to date tweets:
https://twitter.com/search?q=%20http%3A//bit.ly/HAKVF#search?q=nigaz

I think a little bit of international research would’ve gone a long way. I’ll assume the rebranding they need to do will cost more time and money than that research would’ve.

via BrandRepublic