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A Quick Glance Back – 10 of Our Favourite Posts from 2010
For 11 months and 30 days of the year at Labs we force ourselves to face forward. A relentless, 24/7, barely-stop-for-a-sandwich, is-the-singularity-here-yet? pursuit of the future. Okay, you know what we mean. On the last day of the year, however, it seems like a good moment to look back briefly, draw breath and say thank you.
The ten posts here that we've pulled from several times that number in 2010 are a representation, versus an exhaustive analysis, of the themes that coloured our year. Nonetheless, there are some common threads that emerge along the way to help paint a picture. This year, five particularly large threads dominate: collaborative creativity, social ideas, new agency models, 'new school' learning and sustainable marketing.
As we said when we did this in 2009, this post also gives us the opportunity to say thanks. Thank you for reading this blog and for inviting us to contribute to yours, for debating with us, asking and answering great questions, sharing your wisdom and making us smarter.
If the past few years have taught us anything at all, it is this: the more insanely steep the curve on change, the stronger our need for the talent and generosity of the people around us.
This was also a year of hellos and goodbyes at Labs. Hello to Saneel who joined us in NYC and Jeremy who joined us in London, and goodbye to Pats and to Labs co-founder Ben, who landed awesome jobs at CHI in London and Google respectively. We miss our partners in crime, but we're as excited as ever about what's coming next, both for them and all of us.
Which brings us neatly full circle, facing forward again. . .
Happy New Year Everyone.
Saneel, Jeremy, Mel
So here they are, the ten posts we most enjoyed and which triggered a conversation from which we learned a lot. Posts are in chronological order, with links (via titles) to the original posts.
1. Where Does the Agency End, And The Crowd Begin?
We argued here that creative agencies need to move towards becoming permeable organizations. Those in networks need to be reconfigured as networked organizations versus simply organizations within networks. Creative business must be able to draw on not just the talent within the building, but the many skills and areas of expertise that lie beyond those walls. Written pre the launch of Co: and in the very early days of Victors & Spoils, this post provoked an interesting debate around two interesting questions we posed – what impact does this approach have on agency culture and how do you incentivise people in this framework?
2. Will Social Media Eat Itself?
Using the dip in trust of friends and peers cited in the latest Edelman Trust Barameter, we took a look at the factors in play: examining the implications and challenges thrown up for social media (as Mike Arauz summed up in a comment: "the management, navigation, and filtering capabilities we need haven't kept up with our exploding networks.."). We put forward some thoughts for consideration on how to move forward, two of which I find myself returning to, time and time again: 1. Learn how to marry authority and inclusiveness, 2. Ask yourself if you're offering something genuinely useful.
3. Screw Relationships, Let's Have A Fling; On Brands & The Privacy Debate
This post challenges just about everything we've ever learned about loyalty and customer relationships, but does so from the perspective of media efficiency and a shedload of humanity. We argue brands need to let go; concentrate instead on when the context and time is right to initiate a relationship with someone, then move on. The relationship is no less real or valuable, just because it may be fleeting. In doing so, we note, brands demand less depth of information from users, supporting their privacy on the web.
4. We Know Chrome is Fast, But…(Google Chrome Speed Tests)
As remixes and spoofs go, we liked Opera's take on BBH NY / Google Creative Labs' work for Google Chrome. It also gave us an excuse share the current (awesome, though we say so ourselves) work that was live at the time, as well as go behind the scenes with the Making of.
5. A Perfect Storm: the social web, storytellers and brands
Prompted to give a talk at our friends' Power to the Pixel's Pixel Lab, we examined how brands are telling stories on the web, what entertainment brands have to teach non-entertainment brands about transmedia storytelling and proposed a framework for how brands and producers may work together beyond straightforward product placement or promotions.
6. Raging Against the Machine: A Manifesto For Challenging Wind Tunnel Marketing
In a tour de force of five separate posts spanning the second half of the year by BBH Chairmen, Jim Carroll and Charles Wigley, we railed against the "Wind Tunnel" approach to marketing that uses identical methodologies to deliver insight, ironing out difference. The argument began with Wind Tunnel Politics at the time of the UK election. In the post we've chosen here, Jim focuses on a series of solutions looking at how we achieve divergent insight and deliver better value for brands. This in turn was followed up by a workshop Chaz held in Asia: The Anti-Wind Tunnel Marketing Movement. For the full series, please just put 'wind tunnel marketing' into the search box of our blog.
7. Ben's Last Post: Some Things I've Learned At BBH
A lot more than a farewell post, a considered, entertaining and brilliant bit of writing that sums up 5 years' worth of learning** on the inside of agency life. Justifiably our most popular post this year in terms of tweet love.
**Note: we're talking about Ben here, who fits seven days' work into one on a good day. So the time frame is misleading, better think in terms of dog years instead.
8. How To Do Propagation Planning
Griffin Farley's post which does exactly what it says on the tin. An incredibly useful, generous post and a slideshare to boot (co-authored by Campfire's Mike Monello), examining the hows and whys of "planning not for the people you reach, but the people that they reach." And a great observation answering Edward Boches's question: why give content away?
9. St John Ambulance: The Difference
As we say in the post, we like nothing more than great creativity and innovation put to great use. BBH London's work for St John Ambulance showed a clearly defined communication problem and managed to combine surprise and emotion beautifully.
10. What Collaborative Consumption Means For Marketers
Inspired by Rachel Botsman's TED talk, our argument takes the line that marketers so far have focused largely on collaborative production, vs consumption. In this post we examine what the implications might be for brands to exploit this potential shift in focus. As with all these posts, the comments add immense value to the thinking.
– The rise and rise of social and participatory ideas. Just a few examples of the work and the thinking here: A kind of magic: Myspace Music Fan Videos, Superbowl, super social: The story of Yeo Valley, Burberry's Global 3D Live Shows + Social, Digital Communities Can Learn From "Leading Clever People", The Powers and Perils of Participation (originally a guest post on the Likeminds blog).
– Proof that awesome creativity is alive and well, just emerging in new, exciting, tech-enabled forms: our favourites ranged from Ali Merry's story behind BBH London's game for Barclays, 56 Sage Street and their Status of Africa Facebook app to awesome light painting with an iPad from Dentsu London and Analogue Digital's hotel light show for Target. We also love the iOscars and, perhaps most of all, yet more of BBH New York's outstanding work for Google Chrome.
– The desire to challenge orthodoxy where needed, with some solutions along the way: in addition to the Wind Tunnel series, BBH NY's Emma Cookson challenged short hand marketing rules whilst Calle Sjoenell with characteristic perspicacity and good humour threw down his Radical Proposal To Save Advertising on the Web. We also asked the questions Agency, Does Your Client Need You?, Where's the Coke Bottle of the Online World? and later in the year debated whether the word "digital" should be killed for good.
– Sustainable living becomes sustainable marketing? If we make one prediction for 2011, it's this: the social web will both encourage and enable businesses to behave more sustainably and win in the process. Give to receive. Think about it. If brands and agencies need any encouragement or provocation from others, here are just some of the show-stoppingly great initiatives and platforms that caught our eye this year: Pencils of Promise, TIE – Exchange for Good, A Developing Story, Six Items Or Less and Green Thing's Saved.
– Collaboration and crowdsourcing in all its forms came of age. I tried to write that exact sentence at the end of 2009 and Ben (rightly) questioned it. But this year, no question, crowdsourcing and the overturning of old models kicked into the mainstream. The topic stretched between agency models (see the first post to make our top 10 this year above, it's also examined in Agency, Does Your Client Need You?), skillsets and attitudes (Are You Ready To Form Voltron?), to hands-on experience via the brilliant Betacup Project, an interview with the founders Len and Daniel of The 3six5 Project and Rick Liebling, not to mention flipping the idea of crowdsourcing on its head and examining the magic that happens when creativity and crowdsourcing meet.
– How storytelling can have the power to move and surprise us, no matter what its form: what the book sensation Tree of Codes can teach digital, James Mitchell's great #bobt speech The Value of A Good Story and Jeremy's reevaluation of Long Form. And grateful thanks to our friend Dan Light, who happily subjected himself to a three part interview on brands and transmedia at the hands of Ben Shaw and Mel, whilst setting up his brand spanking new company.
– All back to the new school: the power of perpetual learning. A fitting theme to end on. This year we learned a huge amount from others and it's only given us appetite to learn some more. We put a call out to join us for an Internet Week Europe event and attempted en masse to learn how to code with the help of the super smart and nice Tom Uglow and friends at Google; we spent time at SXSWi and TED Global (thank you to June Cohen and Ronda Carnegie); Zach Blank showed us what open source has to teach us about creativity; we got a life and a 20% project and learned from one in particular, The Knot Collective. Much respect also due to both Boulder Digital Works (we continue to learn more from the students than they from us) and, er, the CIA. . .as well as BBH NY's amazing internship program, the BBH Barn, which goes from strength to strength.


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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Sophie van der Perre
17 comments:
quite the lovely find.ReplyDelete
Thuraya Lynn
you should definitely go to the hague. it's an amazing art academy! if you want to go to the netherlands you could also try these: http://www.gerritrietveldacademie.nl/en/ http://wdka.hro.nl/?lng=en#0qR00K5xxTH2768777RTf2F7-0 http://www.artez.nl/EnglishReplyDelete
Oh yeah! Love her work so much!ReplyDelete
beautiful raw images! so amazing! love this post :)ReplyDelete
I don't wanna go to netherlands necessarily. i'm open to any european country really...ReplyDelete
hello again. I forgot to ask this earlier - got distracted - why want to change schools? Not satisfied with your university's curriculm?ReplyDelete
I dont mean to be personal.
-Thuraya Lynn
oh my god she is amazingReplyDelete
the photography is so Lovable.... i fall... ^^ReplyDelete
Beny Ricardo Sadewo
Sooo Coool!ReplyDelete
I love your photos and your inspiration.
Just found your blog.
It's excellent.
-La Copine
excellent. thank you for sharing her work. america probably doesnt appeal for a transfer does it?ReplyDelete
Interesting work. Her pictures are more static than Ryan McGinley but the light is very similar.ReplyDelete
It would be great if you could develop: what do you like so much about her work? What inspires you?
I would love to know.
great pics, I wish I was the genius behind them.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 15, 2010 at 5:07 PM
great selection;)ReplyDelete
oh great photography here!ReplyDelete
I wonder what cameras she uses to take her photos.ReplyDelete
she's awesome!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 1, 2011 at 6:45 PM
Cute blondes that show their tits are always popular. Meh.ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


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Kanye West Desperately Wants a Family
Remember when Beyonce revealed she was pregnant during her 2011 VMA performance? Remember how Kanye West was way more excited for that moment than say, Beyonce's own husband, Jay-Z?
It only makes sense that Kanye West brought his Twitter back from the dead to tweet a picture of himself, Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z and Beyonce with the caption "FAM."
Apparently, Solange Knowles isn't close enough "fam" for West since he conveniently cropped her out of the picture. Guess she won't be invited over for fam dinners...
Kanye may be longing for the close nuclear family he has been lacking in recent years. His mother, Donda West, passed away in 2007 and while the rapper has been spotted with his father on occasion, he obviously harbored a much closer relationship with his mom. After her passing, he told reporters, "It was like losing an arm and a leg and trying to walk through that."
Perhaps this is another reason Kanye West has joined forces with Kim Kardashian. The Kardashian Klan is notoriously overexposed, but a tight knit group, nonetheless. The man just wants a family and he's going to get it, gosh darnit!
Watch Beyonce's 2011 VMA Performance


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Reading labels is a way of life when you have celiac disease. Before eating anything in a package, be sure to read the label carefully. Look for hidden sources of gluten and for other names, such as food starch, seasoning and hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
Also be on the lookout for precautionary statements. These are statements that indicate gluten may be in the food, due to cross contamination. Examples of precautionary statements include: "May contain gluten" and "Manufactured in a facility that also processes wheat."
If you are ever uncertain about whether a food product is safe for you, call the manufacturer to confirm. When in doubt, don't eat it.
In Canada, new regulations have been proposed that would require food manufacturers list priority allergens, including gluten, in plain language on packaging. Ingredients of ingredients that are priority allergens would also have to be listed. For example, manufacturers couldn't simply list "modified starch" if the source of the starch is wheat.
More on Canada's Food Allergen Regulations
Health Canada is also reviewing its gluten-free labeling requirements. Specifically, it is looking at whether a change should be made to the rule that food made with oats cannot be labeled gluten-free. This is in light of the fact that pure, uncontaminated oats are safe for most people with celiac disease and are available in Canada. More on the proposed changes.
In the United States, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, which went into effect in 2006, requires manufacturers to use plain language when listing priority allergens, and to declare all allergens either in the ingredient list, or in a "contains:" statement at the end of the list. This act encompasses wheat, but not other sources of gluten.
Currently in the United States there is no rule governing what can be called "gluten-free" on a food label. A rule was proposed in 2007, but has not been approved.
See: U.S. Proposed Rule on Gluten-Free Labeling


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"When we perform, we are truly one voice and that unity makes our performances special for audiences." Nikhil Arora '16
The Dartmouth College Glee Club is a group of 40+ serious choral singers, led by interim director Filippo Ciabatti while a national search is under way. Its ever increasing repertory spans five centuries, with a distinguished performance history including many of the masterworks of choral-orchestral literature, fully staged opera, operettas and musicals with all-student casts, large and small a cappella works and the cherished songs of Dartmouth College. In addition to international tours to Canada, Italy, and Brazil, the Glee Club regularly tours all across the United States. They have released 5 CDs of choral music and have performed the Brahms Requiem in Carnegie Hall in 2000. Their tour to Cuba in December of 2014 included the rarely performed Romancero Gitano for guitar and chorus.
- The Requiems of Brahms, Fauré, and Mozart
- Samuel Barber, Prayers of Kiekegaard
- Antonín Dvořák, Stabat Mater
- Leonard Bernstein, Candide
- Monteverdi, Lamento d'Arianna
A native of Florence, Italy, Filippo Ciabatti was appointed Music Director of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra in 2016, after an international search.
Also, in 2016, Mr. Ciabatti conducted Tosca at Opera North (NH), directed by Russell Treyz, and Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream at the Lyric Theatre at Illinois, directed by Christopher Gillett. In May 2015, he made his South American debut conducting the Universidad Central Symphony Orchestra in Bogota, Colombia, where he also taught masterclasses in orchestra and Italian opera. With La Nuova Aurora Opera, he conducted full productions of Handel's Rodrigo (2015) and Purcell's King Arthur (2016).
In 2017–2018, Mr. Ciabatti has been invited to conduct Madama Butterfly at Opera North (NH), Hansel and Gretel and Don Giovanni (directed by Nathan Gunn) at the Lyric Theatre at Illinois.
Mr. Ciabatti has appeared as guest conductor with many orchestras including the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Sangamon Valley Symphony Orchestra, East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra, University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Truman State Symphony Orchestra. He also served as Choirmaster of Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Champaign, IL).
As a pianist and coach in Italy, Mr. Ciabatti worked for the Cherubini Conservatory, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Florence Opera Academy, and performed with singers such as Adriana Marfisi and Silvia Bossa. He has played for masterclasses of Renée Fleming, Nathan Gunn, William Matteuzzi, Donald George and Isabel Leonard. He is currently music director and coach of Scuola Italia per Giovani Cantanti Lirici (Piobbico, Italy), where he works with young singers and renowned coaches and directors.
He has attended conducting masterclasses in Europe and in the United States, studying with prominent teachers such as Mark Stringer, Michael Luig, David Effron, Lawrence Golan and Donald Schleicher. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Illinois.
Auditions required. Sign Up Here
Please contact the Ensembles Office at 603.646.2530 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Faulkner Recital Hall
call 603.646.2530 or email: email@example.com


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Khloe Kardashian is being sued by a transgender woman who claims Khloe beat the crap out of her outside a Hollywood nightclub.
Chantal Spears -- also know as Ronald Spears -- claims on December 5, 2009, Khloe violently struck her "in and about her body," causing serious injuries.
TMZ broke the story ... the incident occurred outside Playhouse nightclub on Hollywood Blvd., after Chantal/Ronald allegedly walked up to Lamar and told him he was "too young to be married."
Chantal/Ronald told cops at the time, Khloe "pushed and hit me." No one was arrested or cited.
Chantal/Ronald says in her lawsuit she did not provoke anyone.
She's asking for unspecified damages.
No comment so far from Khloe.
See also
- Khlomar Questioned over Transgender Incident
- Khloe Kardashian -- Fugitive from Justice!
- Gloria Allred -- Pro-Bono Dance-Off
More Today in TMZ History


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By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine
I am guilty of letting some things "go" in my fridge. I don't finish all my salad greens, so they wilt and I throw them out or I find blue fuzzy mold in the sour cream, so I toss it. A little waste here and there feels harmless, but I certainly wouldn't ever throw dollar bills in the trash can and, in a roundabout way, that's what I'm doing when I throw out rotten food.
Don't Miss: 6 Ways to Save $2,997 on Groceries
I bet if I figured out how much food I wasted over the course of a year, I might be a little more aggressive about using it all up. The average American wastes more than 200 pounds of food a year -- that's a lot of wasted dollars too! Here are a few tips that may help you and me stop wasting food and money:
1. Check expiration dates before you buy: This may seem like a no-brainer, but often you'll find varying expiration dates on identical products. Stores use expiration dates to indicate freshness, moving the newer products to the back of the shelf with the older ones within grabbing distance. If you want the ultimate in freshness, check the products behind what's directly in front of you -- you may find fresher ones hidden there.
2. At the meat counter ask for the freshest cuts: The meat behind the counter may look good (and chances are it probably is), but you can't tell by looking how long it has been on display. You could ask the butcher how long it's been there or you could ask for a fresher cut from the back. Your eyes and nose never lie -- meat starts to color after it's been cut, so if beef looks dark or pork looks a little gray, avoid it and get another piece. It may be hard to smell if your meat is packaged, but if it has a strong odor, avoid it.
3. Store your food properly: Proper storage is key when it comes to making food last. Store raw meat in the meat drawer away from cooked food to avoid contamination and to keep the temperature consistently cold. Dairy items should be kept in the back of the fridge -- not on the door. Even dry goods don't last forever. Canned and boxed foods are best kept in a cool, dark pantry away from heat; store things like nuts and whole-wheat flour in the fridge or freezer.
Read More: 5 Vegetables You Shouldn't Keep in Your Refrigerator
5 Surprising Foods You Should Refrigerate
4. Inspect food before you buy it: Ever come home and wonder why you bought an apple with a bruise on it? Or bread or berries with fuzz growing on them? It's because you were shopping on autopilot. Take some time to look at what you are buying. Giving it a once-over will help you avoid disappointment (and save you time rebuying or returning the item) when you find flaws after your purchase.
5. Make a date with your refrigerator: Once your food is home, keep tabs on it. Move your perishables in plain view so you know what you have. Check the fridge before you go to the grocery store so you don't purchase something new that you already have. Pick a day of the week to go through your fridge and see what's in there and try to plan your meals around the stuff that's nearing its expiration date.
Don't Miss: 6 Common Myths About Freezing Foods
What are your best tips for not wasting food?
By Hilary Meyer, EatingWell Associate Food Editor
EatingWell Associate Food Editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.
More from EatingWell:


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Former Little Cypress coach indicted for improper relationship between educator and student
A former coach at Little Cypress Junior High School was indicted for allegations he had an improper relationship with a student at Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School, according to information provided by Sgt. Chad Hogan of the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO).
On Tuesday Sept. 4, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a call from the administration department at the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Independent School District (LCMISD) concerning an Improper Relationship between Educator and Student. The alleged incident involved a high school student and an employee at the Little Cypress Junior High School. The OCSO Criminal Investigations Division was contacted, and investigators obtained information from school district officials and students about the alleged offense. LCMISD officials told investigators that the teacher had only been employed with the school district for 16 days and resigned after the allegations surfaced.Once the investigation was complete, OCSO turned the case over to the Orange County District Attorney's Office for review and disposition. On Dec. 12, this case was presented to the Orange County Grand Jury. As a result, 35-year-old Orange resident Michael David Shugart was indicted for Improper Relationship between Educator and Student which is a 2nd Degree Felony offense. On Dec. 13, Michael David Shugart Jr. turned himself in at the Orange County Correctional Facility. Bond has been set at $5,000.