Mission accomplished.

And while I might be slightly biased, thanks for accomplished mission goes to Cody Choi, the boyfriend of our captology guru Ada. Cody is a dancer and photographer, and his passion for these two things comes through his work like a little storm. He captures the spirit as well as the  movement, and manages to convey the beauty of dance for all of us who have been blessed with two left feet and a sense of rhythm of a drunken sloth. Inspiring to the bone!  Here’s some of Cody’s work:

More to be found on his website.

Why we think he is interesting: He talks about the most evil aspects of human in a very beautiful yet disturbing way. Acts as a successful example for all the university rejects who still don’t know what they want to do in their mid-20s.

He looks all sweet and innocent, talks politely and smiles a lot. Yet, his latest short film, This Is Vanity, leaves one haunted and a little bit disgusted by the human race. Oliver Goodrum, a young independent film-maker caught our attention with the ostensibly cruel short-film that won the coveted Magnolia Award (Goodrum found out he had won it via Facebook, by the way) and was recently nominated at Fingal for best short film as well as being elected at Brooklyn Film Festival, to name a few. We decided to take him to a cosy Dalston boozer for a pint and a chat. This is what we found out.

About the film.

“This Is Vanity is based on and follows the structure of an article on the BBC that I read a few years ago about a mother killing herself and her disabled daughter. At first I thought what a horrible, evil b*tch she must have been, but soon changed my mind completely; she actually saved her child. The girl had been continuously bullied and ridiculed by local chav kids and despite the mother’s attempts to stop the torture-like situation and seeking help, it got worse.  I think the mum made the biggest sacrifice in the end. But the most interesting bit is the consideration: Do you hate her or not? I’m not aiming to give answers but raise questions.”

About what inspires him. 

“Things that annoy me inspire me. I recently saw an article in the Guardian about a company in the US, marketing guns to kids. Can you imagine what their business meetings must be like? This would be an interesting topic for a film. I think anger in general is quite powerful and inspiring. I’m finding it easier to name truly great films that are slightly depressing or deep, rather than happy or positive. The best ones tend to be serious, don’t they? Maybe we are all quite angry 20- and 30-somethings? And let’s face it, some people deserve to die…although that does sound too harsh when you say it out loud!”

About becoming a film director.

“I still feel uncomfortable calling myself that, it just sounds a bit weird. What am I? Not sure about being ‘a creative’ either. If I had a business card, I’d just put ‘funny’ or ‘immature’ on it. I actually wanted to be a graphic designer when I was younger, and follow my big brother’s path. But I got rejected from all the design courses I applied to, and only got onto a multimedia production course at Nottingham University. In my last year I made a music video and it was then that I started properly getting into film making. I have always been obsessed with watching films, but becoming a director has been a gradual process. I wasn’t one of those miracle kids who were making films already as toddlers. And when I look at my early work now, I can’t see any of me in there.”

About being an entrepreneur….

“Being an independent film maker does require a certain amount of entrepreneurial spirit, and I’ve accepted it. We got about a fifth of the budget via Indiegogo, and the rest we sorted out ourselves. I’d definitely use crowdfunding again, although it wasn’t what I thought it would be; I expected to find some sort of passionate film lover community there but in reality it was more like a tool for collecting funds from people we already knew. Generous relatives and friends do help.

…and  getting publicity for the film.

“The biggest dilemma here is whether to try film festivals with the piece or put it online right away. Festivals are the old-school way, and I reckon more and more aspiring filmmakers want to get their film seen by as many people as possible and release it online. If you make it, for example, to Vimeo’s staff picks, it’s in many ways as good as getting a proper award, maybe even better. The beauty of the Internet is that if you launch cleverly, you will get growth organically. Obviously one has to have a bit of  ‘I’m great and talented, look at what I’ve done’ attitude but in general, if the work is good, it will get attention without massive campaigning. We also did a little avatar stunt on Facebook that took off nicely, accidentally though. ”

About what’s next.

“There’s been talk about doing a sequel for This Is Vanity, but it’s not certain yet, depends on funding. I’d definitely be interested in doing more music videos or commercials, too. My main goal is to do a TV show, Britain’s equivalent of Wire or Sopranos: societal commentary with an angle. But realistically that might have to wait.”

This Is Vanity on Facebook

Oliver Goorum’s website

This Is Vanity will be available online next week, but if you would like to see the whole film before that, please ping us (or Olly) a message and we’ll send you a private link.

Yahoo finds itself in a unique position in the very fluid ‘digital service’ (let’s call it that) category. The typical issue of a user base is not there, as huge audiences (with strong growth in emerging markets) use Yahoo services all over the world every day. The problem is that compared to other successful and rapidly growing ‘digital services’, Yahoo audience engagement has remained dead flat. In other words, audiences will spend hours on Facebook and YouTube doing things, but probably only a few minutes quickly glancing at headlines on Yahoo properties.

From a business point of view, low audience engagement in the long run translates into less data available on users and therefore less effective advertising opportunities to sell. If they are not staying and doing, we can’t learn more about them and profitably monetise them.

But why is there no love?

As the world shifted from the ‘portal’ one way paradigm to the ‘social’ interactive one, the need for an entry point to the internet diminished drastically. The most likely property to be the first point of call became Facebook, and our friends and the communities we are part of became the curators of what we should consume. Although Yahoo ran a campaign attacking the emptiness of the Google homepage in 2010, the real enemies are actually the social graph and the interest graph (and whoever manages to successfully leverage these, something Google is actively trying to do).

In other words, when there are apps and services that recommend content, experiences, locations, activities and more based on my interests, my friends’ recommendations and/or the views of the wider masses or niche curators, wherever I am, through mobile devices – the pull of and the need for an online Yahoo property becomes smaller and smaller.

But, what explains the fact that Yahoo still has millions of users worldwide? This can’t be backed up with data, but there is likely a legacy attachment to Yahoo properties – less tech savvy users that prefer to stick with what they know and have used for years, rather than switch to different services.

However, we all know this is not ‘real’ passionate love (it’s a habit) and can’t of course last forever. Moreover, worryingly, the shiny exciting gleam of fresh innovative start-ups (that leverage the social and interest graphs and mobile) make Yahoo properties feel smaller even though they might not actually be in terms of user numbers. Think of Quora, probably smaller than Yahoo Answers, but with a fantastically larger early adopter ‘cool factor’. The real threat is that the combined gleam of all these new services will make Yahoo feel increasingly irrelevant for today’s valuable gen y and z digital audiences (i.e. ‘Yahoo? Yeah, the website my dad uses’).

The new way forward 

The appointment of Mayer, and her first few publicly known moves demonstrate an understanding of the above situation. While predecessors have obsessed over growing the media side of the Yahoo business, she has hinted at a more product focused strategy. This works for two reasons:

1. No matter what the investment, Yahoo will never be able to compete with the media goliaths on quality and quantity of content – Google’s deep pockets will always trump this (see YouTube’s content acquisitions), and the superior editorial credentials of news media brands will always attract more engaged, more affluent (and therefore more valuable to advertisers) audiences.

2. There is a tremendous opportunity to innovate in digital products and services. While early adopters will be deeply immersed in the myriad of tools Google offers, or the latest apps from the start up scene, the wider masses won’t be. Yahoo also has a chance to give this innovation a strong head start and momentum by launching them to the world through their existing enormous user base (something a small start-up can’t do).

Yahoo Axis is an example of this fresh product thinking. Unfortunately the product had glitches at launch (and crashed my browser multiple times) but received rave reviews and had a ready-made user base as it was launched through yahoo.com.

How to communicate the new way forward and get the love back – avoid dilution and focus on strengths

A product led strategy will work brilliantly, but it needs to focus on a few world class services and market the hell out of them. A purpose needs to be identified that drives brand and product toward the essence of a ubiquitous digital ‘enabler’ , rather than a ‘destination’. The trap of vague promises such as the Y!ou campaign need to be avoided – fun, emotional, relevant and immersive product stories need to be told instead.

Heritage and history is also our friend. There is an inherent nostalgia for the Yahoo brand, which coupled with world class innovation in everyday services people need, can become incredibly powerful. It carves out a differentiated positioning from major competitors – smarter than silly Facebook ‘chairs’ and more focused and concentrated on specific needs when compared to a scatter gun Google approach of try whatever and see what sticks. There is a real opportunity to position Yahoo as the brand that ‘empowers’ you across your key needs using the power of the internet.

But act now before it’s too late

The fun and frivolity of earlier Yahoo campaigns such as the live dating billboard for Yahoo! Personals in the US, is the kind of immersive experiential product story that can revive the brand’s fortunes. But this needs to happen now in order to have an impact. The more time passes, the more the brand erodes, and the more difficult it will be to launch even the most innovative of products. As the perception of the Y! creeps into ‘boring and tired’ from ‘trustworthy, fun yet reliable’ the game gets harder.

It is a tried and tested idea, but if the product amazes, people will use it and tell their friends. There is no need to get lost in complex and meaningless brand manifesto’s or attempts to imitate the competition – what the Y! needs is fun experiences that can showcase the power of their product innovation. They still have the privilege of a powerful global brand, they just need to set exciting new solutions to existing human needs underneath it all.

We had our inaugural Breakfast Briefing, a new bi-monthly event we are hosting here at Inferno offices, a couple of weeks ago. The core concept is simple: invite some of our friends over, have a bit of lovely breakfast, drink lots of strong coffee and listen to an interesting talk by an innovative mind; someone who know’s a thing or two about doing something different and really pushing boundaries. Quite a pleasant way to start your day.

Our fist guest was Jon Morter, the (in)famous social media wizard, who orchestrated one of the most epic social media campaigns in the history of mankind: Rage Against The Machine beating X-Factor winner for Christmas singles no. 1 in 2009. And he did tell a hell of a story: In the beginning there was just a geek with an Internet connection and an idea (his own words), in the end there were BBC and Sky News raging about the campaign and one very pissed off Simon Cowell. And not to mention Rage Against The Machine reuniting in front of 60,000 people. What happened in between?

You can learn the whole truth above, but in short, Jon Morter found a critical loophole on Facebook’s group function that let him reach hundred’s of thousands of strangers, intentionally crashed an Essex radio station server, caught the attention of a news reporter and made sure that he gave people something to talk (read: tweet) about, even if it meant making himself look silly or cutting himself off air during an interview.

The story might be a few years old -which in Internet years is a lifetime- and we are not sure if it counts as a textbook example of a coherent and well-researched social media strategy (which is probably part of its success), but we did heard some pretty interesting nuggets of innovative thinking. And while Jon is clearly a little bit more than the modest geek he cheekily claims to be (which is probably part of his success), he presents his story in the most humble and engaging way. We spent the morning glued to our chairs.

Firstly, the retrospective itself is quite an experience. The collection impresses one to the bone; there are over 300 heartwarming, interesting or weird items, including for example handwritten lyrics, stage outfits and set designs, instruments, old interviews, letters, all which give a little bit more insight into the mesmerizing –though admittedly over-analysed–  rock star.

The structure, lighting, and eerie, almost religious atmosphere make it feel like a multi-sensory brainwash rather than a standard, static exhibition. This is further enhanced by the headset given to each visitor, which is playing songs and sound clips that mostly match the imagery and videos, but also constantly overlap with the loudspeakers, creating an immersive, cacophonous journey through the life of Bowie.

The last room resembles a final resting place for the weary pilgrims – people are sitting down, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling screen blasting footage of Bowie’s live performances, probably trying to process what just happened, with a blank but content stare in their eyes.

Secondly, there’s obviously mister Bowie himself.  Bowie’s influence on popular culture in general is undeniable, and it’s vast; there are few other artists, if any, that have pushed the boundaries, stretched the limits and broken the rules as fiercely and beautifully as him, not just in music or fashion but in almost all fields of creativity.

If culture, storytelling and creativity concern you even the slightest, this is a must-see and you should indeed care. The hype is entitled.

(There are no more tickets available online, but try your luck by turning up in the morning and they will most likely fit you in on the same day.)

The Young Creative Council was born at Inferno Headquarters about five years ago as an unofficial, small Facebook group. Today, it’s run by 15 enthusiastic, talented and friendly young-ish creatives and exists solely to answers those aforementioned questions and to guide new kids on the block through the challenging early stages in their advertising careers, which can sometimes break even the bravest spirit.

The team at YCC organises regular portfolio nights, talks and workshops, curates live briefs, plays cupid for single copywriters who wish to find an AD and vice versa, and can even help you to get in contact with the occasionally elusive Creative Directors, and maybe get that much coveted placement in a top London agency.

Not to mention the leisurely bit, where you meet other young talent in need of, erm, counselling and undoubtedly down a drink or two while getting some peer support.

So, if you’re young, at least at heart, live to create things and think that the world of advertising needs you but not sure if they know it yet, YCC just might be your YMCA. Their beautiful, new website has just gone live (the design glory goes to one of our own young-ish and talented designers, Jack Walker) and they would love to hear from you.

Inferno was briefed to update the entire Dungeons brand and create a stir around the fact that the world famous London Dungeon was moving to the Southbank.

We refined and modernised the logo, developed a brand toolkit to ensure consistency across all Dungeons and created an advertising campaign to re-launch the new London Dungeon with a takeover of Waterloo station.

The logo and typeface were hand-drawn and created in-house. The photography was shot by Gary Salter.

We met murderers, pirates, ghosts and cannibals along the way, but we created a unique voice for a unique brand.

Man Ray, one of world’s first superstar photographers, had a hefty amount of all of the three, as well as an address book to die for. He captured the art and fashion elite of Paris in the 1920s and many of the glamorous Hollywood ladies in the 1940s: from Pablo Picasso to Ava Gardner and from Marcel Duchamp to Catherine Deneuve and Coco Chanel, they all obeyed Ray’s lens, and the results are absolutely charming.

Call this a cliché if you like, but his portraits do not only depict the beauty of the model but the spirit, too: it’s the eyes, the attitude, the subtle weirdness of his photos that make you sigh a little bit. They might be lo-fi but boy, have they got soul.

Ray was also a relentless inventor who developed new techniques, such as solarisation, together with his greatest muse, an American model and actress Lee Miller, and really pushed the boundaries of photography further. Just look at the main image of the exhibition (below): borderline perfect, sharp but soft profile of Miller in an eerie golden haze – 80 years before Instagram filters!

So, turn off your phone for an hour at the National Portrait Gallery and get inspired by the 150 Man Ray’s vintage photos on display. I promise your next sandwich photo will have a bit more depth in it.

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