Activia Adjam: Saying it like it is…

This is probably what would happen if Marketers told the truth. Sorry for the unimpressive alteration of the ad, but I have no access to Photoshop on this computer :P

I think it’s classic though. “Activia: Helping Women Shit Better.” hahaha.

I think I read this somewhere before, but I can’t remember exactly where.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) launches Shariah Index

I-Net Bridge just published this today and I find it extremely interesting. Since the “Oasis Crescent Equity Fund” and Oasis’s other products doing so well in the market due to the shariah-compliant investing, which has attracted lots of Muslims and Non-Muslims alike. I guess it’s all in the spirit of that one uniting driving force of humanity, making money.

Here’s the story published below.

The JSE, in partnership with FTSE Group (FTSE), the global index provider, on Monday launched the FTSE/JSE Shariah Top 40 Index.

The index will open up many opportunities for those interested in Shariah compliant investment, including the 850 000 strong South African Muslim community, the JSE said.

The index is a selection of Shariah compliant companies from the FTSE/JSE Shariah All-Share Index. The calculation of the index and the treatment of corporate actions are similar to the FTSE/JSE Top 40.

“Internationally the market for Islamic investment products is growing exponentially, at an estimated 15-20% per annum,” said Ana Forssman, Senior General Manager: Information Products Sales at the JSE. “This index gives Muslim investors access to the top performing listed companies in South Africa without compromising religious beliefs. With approximately 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, there is huge growth potential for investment vehicles with a faith-based mandate,” said Imogen Dillon Hatcher, Managing Director, EMEA – FTSE Group.

“Shariah compliant investment is one of the fastest growing new areas of finance globally. The FTSE/JSE Shariah Top 40 index will provide institutional investors with an accurate Shariah benchmark as well as help providers create structured investment products tailored to the Islamic market. Today’s launch demonstrates FTSE Group’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to investors both in South Africa and worldwide. ”

The constituents of the FTSE/JSE Shariah Top 40 Index are screened by Yasaar Research Inc, a well-respected authority on Shariah law. To qualify as a constituent of the index, companies undergo a detailed screening process, which filters out any organisations considered unacceptable or non-compliant according to Shariah-law, including businesses involved in conventional finance, alcohol, pork-related and non-halaal food, entertainment, tobacco and weapons.

The remaining companies are then further screened according to Shariah compliant financial criteria. In order to remain in the index, the companies are reassessed by Yasaar quarterly, the JSE said.

: JSE, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Shariah, Investing, Index, Shariah-index

Happy Birthday Madiba!

I had posted a full thought piece at Instablogs entitled
A Lesson on Madiba’s 90th Birthday

In summary…

Mandela was a great man but he was also an ordinary man, by his own admission, who found himself in extraordinary circumstances. His values shown throughout his life and his struggle against apartheid. We too face situations which are extraordinary and show us for what we truly are. So let’s strive to be the best human beings we can be and strive for the greatest ideals so that when we are faced with a situation, our truth will shine.

: Mandela, 90th Birthday, Philosophy, Lesson, Life

Radiohead’s “House of Cards” First Ever to be Premiered by Google

Check out the first-ever music video to debut courtesy of Google and also the first to be shot without cameras. Only lasers and scanners were used in the production and, which is why Thom Yorke looks kind of like a sonogram.

So… “interact” with the video on Google. There’s also a making-of video that talks about Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR, the technology used to capture all the imagery in 3D.

The video is directed by James Frost of Zoo Films.
Link
: Radiohead, House of Cards, Music Video, No cameras, Google

About Time, A Phone Charger Powered by Movement.

We’ve all seen the citizen watches and others which are powered by movement and sunlight, etc. Orange, the mobile carrier, have developed a phone charger powered by “dance energy”.

Adrants points out that they got help from with development of the charger from GotWind, whose unfortunate name refers to renewable energy research, not the thing that happens when you pull Uncle’s finger. The charger works with a system of weights and magnets which creates an electrical current every time you move.

From the Press Release…

“The Orange Dance Charge is the result of months of research into alternate, sustainable energy sources to power mobile phones during summer music festivals…”

The Charger was tested at the Glastonbury Festival.

: Orange, Mobile, Cellphones, Charger, Dance, Movement

Another Cool Nike Football Ad

If video doesn’t load, click here for the video at Adgabber.

The ad is for Nike Football and shows a World Cup Italian national team footballer setting up an impossible shot and, with a bit of fancy footwork and intelligent use of physics, makes the shot.

No heavy branding, Just an entertaining shot for those who love the game.

via
: Nike Football, Advertising, Marketing, Video, Great Shot

Playboy hosts “Hottest Blogger” Contest

Playboy is hosting a hottest blogger contest including Violet Blue and Boing Boing’s Xeni Jardin among others. Boing Boing recently made a really bad move by deleting content which was published on Violet blue’s site and Playboy is now capitalising off all of the publicity with this competition.

Who said blogging was all about content? This just goes to show, it doesn’t matter what you write… as long as you’re hot, you’ll get publicity :P

Source: Adrants

: Playboy, Contest, Bloggers, Hottest Bloggers

Post Office Swamped by Prospective Sasol Inzalo Shareholders.

Going to the post office is really irritating this past week. I want to apply to get my piece of the Sasol Inzalo Share offer which let’s people gain access to a nice slice of the pie of Sasol and secure their pension/retirement/spending-spree. The post office opens by 9am, I get there at 8am and there’s already a line going past three stores in the mall to get into the post office. I turn around, knowing it’s just not worth it.

It’s not that I’m impatient… it’s just that I was first in line the day before but was forced to leave unsatisfied because the system just kept on going down. Speaking to people in the queue, one lady waited there for 5 hours the day before, standing in a queue and was then sent home because the system still hadn’t come up yet. Very, very frustrating.

I did hear on the radio yesterday that they’ve extended the deadline from this Saturday to next Wednesday to apply for these shares and they did acknowledge their IT-related shortcomings.

Another interesting thing… this initiative which Sasol has launched was intended to help poor, disenfranchised black people get a chance at investing and securing a better future. When I was at the Post Office, I didn’t see a single black person in the line! I only saw a few coloured people and the rest were Indians! I found that fact a bit sad, but then again, according to law South Africa Indians are classified as black and who wouldn’t give up an opportunity like this? To get funded shares in a very good company with great potential…

Just some thoughts as I walked the mall back to my car to try again on Monday… maybe at 07h30 next time, with a magazine and an iPod so I don’t die of boredom.

Some more info @ …
Fin24
Moneyweb

: South African Post Office, Sasol Inzalo Shares, Money, Investing

Ray-Ban Uses Flash Mob to Market Its New Shades

This is an interesting viral marketing campaign.

Ray-Ban utlised the vision of Culture Jammer, Ron English in order to further guerrilla market their Project Colorize campaign. They unveiled the billboard (pictured above) and added to this they had a flash mobs organise below the billboard and stand there staring up at it while they each wear Ray-Bans… cute.

Animal New York has pictures and video of the interview with Ron English.

Source: Adrants
: Ray-Ban, Marketing, Cool, Flash Mobs, Interesting, Marketing

Video-Game Developers Become The New Rock Gods

Bands and Artists are falling over each other to get their work showcased on the video games such as “Guitar Hero” and the new MTV game “Rock Band”. This is obviously making the game-makes themselves rockstars in a way due to their demand. The work of these bands either get put into the newest releases of thegames or into special downloadable packs. Aerosmith has just launched their own version of the popular game last week… “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith”.

This new interest shows that even the rock gods of Aerosmith are keen on getting into the video-game crowd. This is not just about interest and “what’s cool”, it’s all about the money as shown by the Ad Age article…

”… Aerosmith sold 2,041 digital copies of its 1974 song “Same Old Song and Dance” — which was on the then-new “Guitar Hero III” game. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it was a one week total — the last week of the year (which included Christmas) — and more interestingly was a 446% increase over sales the week before, according to SoundScan data provided by Activision.

They were far from alone. Alice Cooper’s 1972 track “School’s Out” sold more than 12,000 copies for an increase of 453%. Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” from 1975 sold more than 18,500 copies for a 485% increase. Newer music did just as well, such as Senses Fail’s “Can’t Be Saved,” released in 2006, which sold 8,600 tracks, jumping 386%. Sales of all but one of the 63 songs on “Guitar Hero III” jumped by more than 100% that week, with the bulk in the 200-300% range.

While a connection between the increase in digital sales at sites like iTunes and Napster and “Guitar Hero III” isn’t definitive, the evidence strongly suggests that the game played a role in the huge increase in single sales. “

This shows that the music video game category and its creators have hit a very sensitive touch point in the intersection between video-games and music. This new area gets people interacting with the music of bands on a whole new level, and hence the increased sales.

This is a very interesting marketing case study when it comes to marketing music in our New Media world.
: Marketing, Music, Video Games, Aerosmith, Guitar Hero, Rock Band

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