Merry Fucking Christmas, And Thanks For A Good Year

We are blowing out the candles here at Sell! Towers, and shutting up shop for two weeks over Christmas and New Year (don't try to rob us, we have a two hungry Dobermans prowling the premises). Thanks to everyone who has helped to make 2013 a fun, challenging and rewarding year. And a special thanks to you lovely people who continue to read and comment on the blog, because without you, we would just be crazies barking at the moon. Have lovely Christmases, have fun, rest up, and enjoy. Woof!

Thought For The Day...

Christmas Shit

Many of you cultured souls may already be aware of the Catalan Christmas tradition of the "Caganer" - a squatting, trousers-down defecating figurine that often accompanies the usual suspects beside the crib in a nativity.

Apparently the shitting figurine is a symbol of fertility and good fortune.

As a Christmas tradition it certainly beats leaving out a carrot for a reindeer.

There's a whole, thriving industry devoted to the production of these marvellous objects. And while the most popular example is the Catalan peasant wearing a floppy red cap, shops are packed full with versions of the good and famous all taking a dump.

Some highlights below.

Someone Got Paid to Make This.

please submit any examples of "Someone got paid to make this" work you've seen to : entries@canneslions.com

Do you remember pictures?

Feels like every piece of logo and stationary design these days is made up of sans-serif typefaces,  two initials in a circle and gold foil print finishes.

Have a look at some of these letterheads from yesteryear. How fresh do they look compared to the letter of today. Check more here.

Consumer Engagement Lifecycle

It doesn't look how you expect it to look...

Branding Heroin

An interesting project documenting Heroin Baggies from photographer Graham MacIndoe. In New York between 1975 and 1982 there were over 400 Heroin Brands on the market apparently.

Just Say No

Much gnashing of teeth about the latest company (GSK I believe) to ask agencies for a fee for the pleasure of working on their business.

These kinds of request are clearly absurd, but there is an easy way to stop this from happening.

You don't need trade bodies to step in, or collective agreements, crisis summits, or any of that bollocks.

All you need is for any agency involved to simply take responsibility, grow some balls, and say no.

Clients will quickly rethink when they realise that they can't get anyone of any quality to work on their business.

A brief history of Computer game title design

Computer games have come a long way since pacman.

Website Of The Year, Possibly All Eternity

The best website of this year by far. Possibly in all eternity.

Motherfucking website: find it here.

Going Nuclear In The Sound Booth

This is a brilliant bit from Toast Of London, with Steven Toast (Matt Berry) in the sound booth. You can tell Berry has done loads of voiceover sessions as this is uncannily true to life. "Have fun with it" is such a lame/brilliant bit of absurd direction, I've heard it used in real VO recordings more than once. And I think we've worked with that Clem Fandango chap...

Monkey Hanging Tuesday

After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we proudly present Monkey Hanging Tuesday.

You may or may not know that, according to legend and folklore, during the Napoleonic wars the good people of Hartlepool put on trial and executed a shipwrecked monkey as they believed it to be a French spy.

In fairness to the townsfolk, the monkey was dressed in full French military uniform so you can see how their suspicions were aroused.

Another theory abounds that they were only able to claim salvage rights if there were no survivors from the shipwreck and they needed to put paid to the monkey so they could fill their boots with the booty.

Either way, this act of simian capital punishment has given Hartlepool unique notoriety and fame. Fans of Hartlepool are affectionately labelled "monkey hangers"and its own mascot is a monkey named, you guessed it, H'Angus.

This ridiculous and bizarre incident has provided a rich source of comedy ever since 1810 as this witty little ditty from Boothby Graffoe demonstrates.