Although I think the type choice could be better (Hobo definitely isn’t one of my favorites) and the copy writing tweaked, I think the overall concept is pretty great.

They are from a series that Omega (http://www.omegawatches.com), who is the official time keeper of the Olympics, puts out called Great Moments in Time. Regardless of whether you love sports or not, there are lots of cool such things on display in Vancouver over the next few weeks while we host the 2010 Winter Olympics.

This is a Flash website built with Action Script 3 coding and it features a backend api that integrates the site with a content management system built upon the PHP Symphony framework. It’s Flash, but it’s search engine friendly because it utilizes deep linking and mirrored HTML SEO/Usability content.

The Pitch:

“‘The world is rapidly becoming muddled into a technology driven trance, where we lose touch with our senses, emotions and the true relationships that makes being a human so amazing. Instead we seek fulfillment by watching other people’s lives on television and communicating intimate personal feelings through cold and emotionless machines. Our subtle body language, facial expressions and simple touch have been replaced by abbreviated text message jargon, emoticons and blurted “comments” on a Facebook page. We are overestimating technology and are losing sight of true community, true life, and the truly powerful emotions we feel when simply looking into someone’s eyes.”

The Ads:

I hope you can all take something away from lululemon’s ‘Pro Reality’ message.

I know we did.

Poster:

Stickers:

Well, if you don’t then maybe I will text it to you.

That way it may be in a format that you can understand.

This month lululemon and Vanity Fair are both saying that we should try to preserve the real and tangible aspects of our lives in the midst of the rapid expansion of technological advancements.  Messages like this only get heard when they are united with the right people and media.

My challenge to you is to submit your unique way of speaking to your readers/fans/followers on how technology infringes on the quality of their lives.

Here is some examples on how to be unique:

As quoted from the article What’s a Culture Snob to Do? By James Wolcott in this month’s Vanity Fair
link: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/08/wolcott200908

Use a lil humour….
“How can I impress strangers with the gem-like flame of my literary passion if it’s a digital slate I’m carrying around, trying not to get it all thumbprinty?”

Or
Use metaphors….
“Books not only furnish a room, to paraphrase the title of an Anthony Powell novel, but also accessorize our outfits. They help brand our identities. At the rate technology is progressing, however, we may eventually be traipsing around culturally nude in an urban rain forest, androids seamlessly integrated with our devices.”

Or

Courtesy of Ads of the World
Click image to see original or go here.

Update: lululemon founder Chip Wilson and Cowie and Fox heated up the pavement once again with the fun and engaging Chip’s Not Dead Yet Memorial Mile. The event last weekend showcased C&F’s playful creative amongst numerous superheros, rockstars, scantly clad runners, street performers and a bustling beer garden. Approximately $100,000 was raised for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and Chip is going to match that. It was a great success and one heck of a party!

Not that there is anything wrong with statues, monuments, buildings or roads that are built to commemorate somebody’s life, but the one unfortunate feature of this kind of commemoration is that they almost always depend on that somebody being dead. It’s nice to be remembered, but certainly nicer while you’re still alive. That’s why Lululemon founder, Chip Wilson, decided to forge his own legacy instead of waiting to die and have someone name a cul-de-sac in his memory.

Chip decided that part of this legacy would be a yearly charity run. Unlike most charity runs, Chip’s run is pretty short, just one mile to be exact. The brevity of the run was specifically set so that anyone could join in. The soul purpose of the event is to get as many people together to do something good, and to have fun while doing it. In order to find a way of capturing and sharing this spirit, Chip enlisted his long time agency, Cowie and Fox, to see what it could do about making this the largest and ‘funnest’ one mile race in the world.

Cowie and Fox started things off by coming up with a simple, yet eloquent brand for race: Chip’s Not Dead Yet Memorial Mile. Not only is the name a humorous acknowledgement of Chip’s love of life, but it is also an effective device for piquing the curiosity of the masses. The success of the brand and project was immediately evident as the race attracted more than 2,500 entrants making it the largest one mile race in the world! This blew the initial goal of 1,000 participants right out of the water. In addition to the great turnout, the charity raised a whopping net-amount of $150,000 that went directly to the BC Children’s Hospital. Undeniably, Chip’s Not Dead is an effective example of how the strength of a brand concept can create unprecedented success.

This year Chip’s Not Dead Memorial Mile is just around the corner, and registrations are tipping it off to be another record breaking event. Everyone’s excited and Chip especially seems pretty stoked with how the brand has worked out:

“I’ve kept coming back to Cowie and Fox over the last 13 years because great creative is hard to find. Their work on the Chip’s Not Dead Yet branding is no exception with everything, including the website being very well received. Thanks for being an integral part of what is going to be the funnest and most successful charity event this city has ever seen!
Chip Wilson :: lululemon and Chip’s Not Dead Yet, Founder