http://kantarmediamix.com

sometimes opportunity comes twice. we just re-launched the second version of a nice little project visualmerc did with our creative partners at cult 360. a few months back we launched the US version and now we just released the european version. since i never wrote about it the first time, here’s my chance.

using art that was part of a larger rebranding campaign - along with the ‘Our Insight. Your Inspiration’ tag line - that cult 360 developed for kantar media, we helped design and program a cool microsite and game/contest. the concept is simple: using kantar’s multiple media analytic business units, marketers and agencies can make correct decisions in their creative campaigns. the more data, the better and the more you mix them the more insight you get. so using that concept, the site is a painting game - developed in flash - where the colors represent kantar’s media units. how you mix them it’s up to you.

the kantamediamix mug

so although the contest is only open to our european readers for now (US contest closed), trust me, it’s fun and even kids love it. so go create some art and use the social tools to tell your friends to vote for yours. you can even make it in the colors of your favorite world cup team 2010 team in the spirit of the season.

visual mercenary green screen shoot for TransitChek

so this is one of those posts that has come about because of a past project. last year, one of our partner agencies - stein rogan + partners - commissioned us to shoot and edit a green screen demo for their client, Transit Center. they are the makers of TransitChek. if you’re a commuter in new york, it’s a good thing to know about.

TransitCheck Calculator

last year we shot veronica and then masked her out and made flash movies of her. the developers are stein rogan then assembled the clips for the TransiChek Savings Calculator they were building for Transit Center. and so flash forward to today and what brought this post up. we’re just wrapping the last of the pre pro logistics for our shoot tomorrow at american movie company. this time we’re doing a spanish version for all the latinos here in the big apple. esperar para más información, por favor.

we rule from plus+

first i want to say that it’s radian’s fault that i’m hooked on this now. I wasn’t sure if this post should be an iPhone app review or if it should be a ‘favorite (or just new) time suck’ (see last one here). it’s a little of both.

we rule is a pretty cool little game created by plus+, that is basically a virtual kingdom that you build and manage. think of it as simpler sims for the iPhone. it’s pretty easy; you have land, a castle and some gold to begin with and you just start building. you add farms to grow and sell veggies for gold coins. you build houses so you can tax the residents that move in. you add shops, schools, mining camps  - that all make you money in the end - and decorate your land with trees, fences, banners and other medieval accoutrements.

my kingdom on we rule. don't let my handle fool you.

the funny thing about this game - and the one that draws you back - is that it takes time for things to happen. if you plant carrots it takes 24 hours for them to grow in order for you to sell them. strawberries take 12 hours. it takes 12 hours to mine gems and a few hours to produce clothes at the tailor’s. i find myself logging in just to collect taxes from my lowly peasants (work harder you bums, i need a bigger castle!) and to make sure that my crops don’t wither and die before i can sell them.

as all games on the iphone, i showed this to my daughter and she loves to play it although the time factor doesn’t give her quite the instant gratification. plus, she doesn’t actually have the phone in her hands when she needs to maintain the land. she was, by the way, the one who chose the user name when we registered for the game together.

radian's kingdom. all nice and orderly

we rule has a nice little interface and there’s also a social networking aspect that allows you to ‘hire’ your friends (or soon to be new virtual friends). new friends show up on the map and you can visit their kingdoms and see how they have them set up. radian has a wizard in his and i want one too, dammit. overall i’d give this game 3.5 stars out of 5. so come on, you know you want to join and be my medieval friend in our virtual serfdoms.