Brian Yap's Adobe Ideas Debut

Brian Yap, Creative Director here at Boxing Clever, is a big fan of Adobe® Ideas, Adobe’s mobile sketching app. After showing the people at Adobe some of the illustrations he had done with the app, Boxing Clever was asked to create a fun and edgy brand visual for them to use as a showpiece for Adobe Ideas. Brian created the entire illustration on a tablet using Adobe Ideas and we couldn’t be more excited with the way it came out. The illustration and its elements will be used to create a consistent look for the product across the web, including the Adobe Ideas YouTube channel, blog, and Facebook page.

Adobe Ideas is a touchpad software app you can download to your iPad and iPhone that allows you to draw and sketch using a simple and powerful set of drawing tools and includes features like custom color themes and layers. The great thing about Ideas is that it is vector based and you can email a PDF of your project straight out of the app, and open it in Adobe® Illustrator and edit and resize for any professional use.

Adobe got a hold of some of Brian’s other drawings done with Adobe Ideas, and is now featured as an Adobe Ideas customer story here! Check out Brian’s artwork and download the app for yourself to see how it works.

Fox Theatre Ad Campaign Begins

Boxing Clever has begun its advertising campaign for the much-loved theatre with its first out-of-home installments rolling out in key areas of the St. Louis metro area. The new ad campaign focuses on the venue itself. “Where Every Show is Fabulous” is the first of a series of creative treatments that will continue on into the Fall with more elements planned for 2012 – the year the Fox celebrates its 30 Year Anniversary since its re-opening.

The Fabulous Fox is a crown jewel of theater that gives joy to generations of St. Louisans. You can see shows at countless venues across the metropolitan area, but few performances create memories like those seen at the Fox. That is largely due to the spectacular venue itself. The creative angle was to show as much of that grandeur as possible and large billboards are a great medium for that. But still, a billboard pales in comparison to seeing it in person.

In case you haven’t had a chance to see any shows there, the Fox is located in Midtown on Grand Ave. It reopened its doors in 1982 after an impressive restoration project – presenting the theatre in its original glory days from 1929. All decorative elements of its Siamese-Byzantine architectural style were preserved and restored to the highest standard. Recently, the Fox avoided a major catastrophe when a three alarm fire broke out on Sunday May 15, 2011 in a mechanical room above the lobby. Luckily, no one was injured and the fire was contained quickly with no major damage to the building.

TUACA Gets Inked

Open the June/July 2011 edition of Inked magazine and you'll see TUACA's 2-page spread announcing the National Champion of their 1st annual Drinks & Ink competition: 9-year bartending veteran Evan Hawkins of Atlanta, GA. The tattoo artist for his entered piece is Danielle Distefano of Atlanta's Only You Tattoo.

TUACA's Drinks & Ink competition intersects the cultures of bartenders and tattoos. Bartenders are judged on their TUACA bold shot and the craftsmanship of their tattoos. Judges included members of the United States Bartenders' Guild, TUACA, and Inked.

Congrats to TUACA on the completion of their first-ever Drinks & Ink competition, and to Evan for his winning TUACA Pura Vida shot and fantastic tattoos by Danielle Distefano!

Communicator Awards

Congratulations to the whole team who recently received notification about our winning entries in the latest Communicator Awards Contest!

Tuaca Website: GOLD Award

Chambord Website: GOLD Award

Tuaca Discover What Awaits Campaign: GOLD Award

BRMC Vintage Vinyl Poster: SILVER Award

As always, we couldn't have done it without our awesome clients!

Boxing Clever Wins 4 Creativity Awards!

We recently got notification that 4 of our entries into the 41st Annual Creativity Media and Interactive Contest won awards! This year's contest was extremely competitive, as judges saw an 84% increase in entries!

Says Chris Kilcullen, Interactive Creative Director at Boxing Clever, “We’re extremely pleased to learn about the Creativity Awards. Boxing Clever, being a young agency, has strived to produce exciting work that is on strategy while pushing creative boundaries. Awards like these are a testament to our devotion – to the work and to our clients. Plus, it helps us grow as an agency by attracting even more wonderfully talented people from the St. Louis area.”

That "exciting work" shined through in the Creativity Awards, where the following were recognized:

Tuaca Brand Video - Platinum Award

St. Louis Science Center Say Yes to Science Site - Silver Award

Chambord iPhone App - Honorable Mention

Tuaca Body Art Ball Website - Honorable Mention

Platinum and Gold winners will be shown at the Creativity Awards traveling exhibit at the AAF National Conference in San Diego, CA June 2-4.

Congrats to the whole Boxing Clever team and to our clients Tuaca, the St. Louis Science Center, and Chambord!

Viddy Makes Cinematography Mobile

If you love mobile photo apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic, then there's a new app you should probably try. It's called Viddy, and it's being called "the Instagram of video". What sets it apart from other video editing tools, explains Viddy co-founder Brett O'Brien, is that "it's really simple for the average person."

According to Viddy's description on iTunes, "Viddy is a simple way for anyone to capture, beautify, and share amazing videos with the world. Capture key moments of your life, instantly produce it into a beautiful video, and share it with those who matter most. We've imagined a better way to experience mobile videos."

“Personal Camcorders are becoming outdated and Cisco recently shut down Flip Digital,” said JJ Aguhob, the other co-founder of Viddy. “Everyone has a cell phone, it’s always with you, has a built in HD camera and is connected to the Web. Viddy is a perfect solution to share key moments of your life in a creative way.”

Viddy's been downloaded approximately 150,000 times since it's quiet launch on April 11th. To download, check it out on iTunes! You can also visit the official Viddy website here.

Just Zoove It!

We recently read about a new technology that we think is really going to simplify things for marketers and consumers alike. It's called Zoove, and it's being praised as the better alternative to QR codes. How does it work? Well, unlike QR tags, consumers don't need to download any apps, they don't need a camera on their phone, they don't need to scan anything. All they really need is their phone.

First, marketers register a ** number with Zoove, and the shorter the code, the more expensive (since it's more memorable). For example, Suzuki has registered **SUZUKI, and when consumers press this sequence into their phones, they receive a text with a link to an exclusive video clip. The Girl Scouts has jumped on this too - their code is **GSCOOKIES, and consumers dialing this on their phone get taken to the app store to download a cookie locator.

We definitely think this is worth keeping an eye on. After all, this is a message that can be delivered in a variety of ways - through radio, television, print, mail, outdoor, you name it. And the code is meant to be more memorable than confusing number sequence that your consumer is unlikely to remember again.

As Joseph Gillespie, CEO of the mobile marketing agency, put it quite simply in an interview with FastCompany.com: "With Zoove, you can click on a billboard, you can click on a TV ad, you can click on a print ad. We've made the real world clickable."

Tuaca Body Art Ball is Coming to St. Louis!

Looking for something completely original to do this Sunday?

Well, the highly-anticipated Body Art Ball is finally arriving in St. Louis this Sunday at the Pageant! Don't miss out on this captivating show that combines dance, music, and body art, plus delicious Tuaca cocktails, all of which will engage your senses on a whole new level! Doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are free! Just be sure to register online, or texting STL to 68405.

We can't wait to see you there!

Finlandia Classic Named Ultimate Spirits Challenge Winner!

We're so excited about this, albeit unsurprised. One of the brands we work with, Finlandia Classic Vodka, has won the highest honor in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge - the Chairman's Award! It's also been named a "great value"!

The Ultimate Spirits Challenge website states that it's purpose "is to systemically cull from the pack and reward those distilled beverages which in the collective and numerically arrived at opinion of the judges standout in their respective categories, showing uncommon quality.

Panels of highly qualified experts blind taste/evaluate flights of distilled spirits by classifications within major spirits categories employing a custom-created format. Judges record their findings on a worksheet on which they will score each product on the 100-point scale.Final scores will be numerical aggregates per category in order to allow each product multiple chances to shine."

So basically, the challenge objectively finds awesome all-around spirits so you (the thirsty and deserving 21+ public) can make/try awesome all-around drinks at your leisure - i.e. Finlandia Classic Cocktails! Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a judge in that competition.

Congratulations Finlandia! We're off to celebrate in your honor!

For a full list of winners and details, click here.

Groupon wants to go it alone

CP&B loses BK and now they're getting slammed by Groupon. But who the heck wants to work with Groupon when the CEO says this about working with an agency - "...We learned that you can't rely on anyone else to control and maintain your own brand". Really?! What is an ad agency for, then?

Look for this to appear in the yellow pages soon: "Popular coupon company seeking butt-kissing vendor to take orders and produce middle-of-the-road, non-controversial watered-down ideas. 'Yes-people' not a requirement, but preferred".

Hey, we didn't particularly care for the Super Bowl ad either. But to overreact like that and globally dismiss the value of an agency relationship is pretty ignorant.

Read more at Ad Age

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Click to Give Earthquake and Tsunami Relief

The monumental earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan has been devastating to the country and it's people.

There are ways for us to help, even in our busy, over-scheduled, multi-tasking, planner-revolving lives.

Here are just a few of many:

1. Text to Donate: Text REDCROSS to 90999. Each text provides $10 towards Japan disaster-relief.

2. Facebook Donate: Login to Facebook and go to the Red Cross Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami cause. So far, $206,479 has been raised. You can donate between $10-$500 towards relief funds.

3. Virtual Goods: Zynga, who is the maker of Farmville, has partnered with Save the Children's Japan's Earthquake Tsunami Fund to get players of different Zynga games (FarmVille, FrontierVille, CityVille) to buy virtual goods while playing. 100% of the proceeds will go towards the fund.

4. "Like" a Page: Some pages are donating towards Japan for every "like" the page gets. One example is "Dog Bless You", which supports rescue dogs that aid in crisis like this.

5. Twitter: The following are a useful list of hashtags to use in your Twitter updates regarding the earthquake, especially if you have information about victims or family. These hashtags are often searched on Twitter.

• #Jishin: focuses around general earthquake information
• #Anpi: a hashtag for the confirmation of the safety of individuals or places
• #Hinan: Evacuation information
• #311care: a hashtag regarding medical information for the victims
• #PrayforJapan: A general hashtag for support and best wishes for victims of the crisis

6. Comment to Donate: The blog "Mom's Need to Know" has pledged to donate $1 for every comment they receive, up to $500, towards disaster relief in Japan. While that might not seem like much, there are other blogs doing the same thing, and they all add up.

7. iTunes Donation: Put your music-browsing habit towards a good cause on iTunes. They've developed a simple donation tool that allows you to donate between $5-$200.

Tuaca Body Art Ball Upcoming Shows

We invite you to indulge in the sights and sounds of the Tuaca Body Art Ball. The Tuaca Body Art Ball is a captivating visual marvel that blends body art, music and dance to create a colorful, surreal event that is not easily forgotten. Performers at the Tuaca Body Art Ball display a variety of costumes that are painted directly on their bodies. Tuaca Body Art Ball delivers a sizzling show from start to finish. You’ll be blown away by the stunning visuals and electric atmosphere.

There are only two shows left of this mesmerizing performance for 2011!

Austin, TX (March 28) Get Tickets Now!
St. Louis, MO (April 03) Get Tickets Now!

There’s no charge for admission, but you have to register to attend, and all guests must be at least 21 years old. We hope to see you there!

Craigslist Gets Hi-Tech

Like everyone else, we’re always looking for the newest app to devote way too many hours towards. We found one that you’re probably familiar with even if you’ve never used it on the iPad.

If you're looking for something, anything, near you, Craigslist is probably one of your first online stops. Craigslist is full of great deals, but it can be kinda frustrating to navigate. Now, there's an iPad app that re-creates Craigslist for the iPad, using a classic newspaper design. It’s called Lifelike Craig HD, and it has essentially re-created newspaper classifieds for the Internet. Lifelike Craig HD is a way to view and post to Craigslist with the look and feel of a newspaper's classified ads. The app allows you to do everything you do on Craigslist, including posting and editing ads from multiple accounts or browsing ads in landscape or portrait design. The app makes ads much easier to read. Lifelike Apps, the creator of Lifelike Craig HD, explains, “You can even circle ads you like or have the app automatically cross out ads you want to exclude. The app shows a map for each listing and displays listing images in a neat image gallery.”

WE KNOW THAT GUY!

Not only do we know this guy, but we want you to know that we know this guy! We have had the pleasure of working with some pretty phenomenal photographers in the wonderful world of advertising, but Rob Grimm is a downright pro. Rob not only acts as owner and operator of Rob Grimm Photography but as principle of Tork Designs. This snap-happy fellow has recently been featured on adsaint.org and we thought you might wanna sneak a peak. As you well know, Boxing Clever is privileged with the task of working on CHAMBORD Liqueur and CHAMBORD Flavored Vodka, so it only seemed right that we up the ante and bring in Rob Grimm for a future summer program. This job may seem rough but who could be bothered by the London Hotel in West Hollywood, even in a torrential wind storm. They powered through and you get to reap the benefits of this unique relationship!

Chambord Flavoured Vodka Scent Strip Ranked #1

Chambord Flavoured Vodka's Scented Strip in Marie Claire Magazine has been named "#1" in the category of consumers "considering purchasing the product or service", a recent report from the VISTA rating report reveals!

The yummy-smelling ad, which ran last fall in Marie Claire, was ranked by VISTA, who measures print advertising effectiveness and reader involvement. Not only is the ad a sweetly-scented surprise, but can double-up as a perfume if needed.

The scent strip has been highly well-received by consumers and ad professionals alike, and will be competing in the 9th Annual District AAF ADDY competition.

Congrats, Chambord! We're so excited we get to work with such a great brand!

Chambord Vodka - Respected Everywhere

Boxing Clever proudly announces Chambord's latest product campaign as consumers everywhere will begin seeing it at their favorite establishments, various publications as well as online media. Chambord Vodka is one of latest exciting offerings from Brown-Forman and was an instant hit with consumers and critics alike. Chambord Flavored vodka was declared one of The Best Spirits of 2010 by Anthony Dias Blue of the Tasting Panel Magazine with a 95 rating. He said it had "remarkable grace and finesse."

And grace and finesse are just some of the attributes reflected in the scene as shot by photographer Brian Cummings of RGG Photography.

The campaign features Arekah (Los Angeles), Kinyumba Mutakabbir (Los Angeles), and Matthew Enos (Kansas City)

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TUACA Fast Breaks Into Alive Magazine

TUACA Liqueur is excited about being spotted in the latest edition of St. Louis's Alive Magazine. The TUACA Steak Dinner shot was featured as a March Madness cocktail for modern men. Every year, March is marked on basketball fans' calenders as the highlight of the season, and what better way to to watch your favorite team go for the gold with three pointers, free throws, buzzer beaters and possible upsets than with a TUACA cocktail in-hand. This shot starts with the vanilla citrus liqueur, adds some lime juice, Worcestershire sauce and finishes nicely with a lemon wedge. Gather your friends in front of the big screen, but don't forget to stock your bar with ingredients to create the perfect game-day cocktail. The recipe is as follows:

• 1 1/2 oz TUACA
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• lemon wedge
• worcestershire sauce

Shake TUACA and lime juice vigorously with ice and strain into a shot glass. Sprinkle the lemon wedge with a few drops of worcestershire sauce. Sip TUACA and bite into lemon.

Boxing Clever Nabs 9 Addy Nom's

We're super psyched to announce that we've been nominated for 9 St. Louis Addy Awards, out of our 11 submissions. Pretty sweet! The Mod Your Bod website and the Peter Bjorn and John Vintage Vinyl poster were among the nominations. Our work for O'Fallon Brewery and Chambord Liqueur also earned recognition along with two brand videos for Tuaca and Chambord. Congratulations to the Boxing Clever team - wish us luck at the Addy Award ceremony on Thursday February 17!

Fitz and the Tantrums - Gig Poster

Boxing Clever designed a gig poster for Fitz and the Tantrums who will be performing at Vintage Vinyl on Feb. 12, 2011 at 4pm. Later that evening, the group will be going on stage at the Duck Room in front of a sold-out crowd.

Fitz and the Tantrums formed in 2009 and blends traditional soul and indie pop for a unique big sound while giving the nod to its Motown influence. Because of that nostalgic aspect, the poster was designed to mimic the late 1960s movie posters genre - a montage of painted faces set upon an abstract backdrop of iconic urban imagery.

Chambord Meets Playboy

With spring just around the corner, crisp and refreshing drinks are popping up everywhere. A drink featuring Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur can be found in the latest issue of Playboy. Dan Dunn was hired to write the mixology column for Playboy.com, and has recently published a book recording his experiences, titled Living Loaded. One of the drinks from his memoir is labeled Pearl S. Buck, and includes our very own Chambord Liqueur. Recipe is as follows:

1 oz. Beefeater gin

½ oz. CHAMBORD Liqueur

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

½ oz. simple syrup

¼ tsp. minced ginger

Splash of Moet & Chandon White Star champagne

Shake all ingredients except Moet and strain into an ice-filled high-ball glass. Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon splash.

Facebook Search Engine?

The question has been posed. And an intriguing question it is. If you're a person that likes to keep their world nice and neat by keeping Facebook in the "social media" box then listen up, because your world is going to get messy. The social media category is beginning to broaden. Is social media just sharing photos of your dog and telling people how you're disappointed with last night's run of American Idol? Or is social media so expansive that it includes location-based media (like Foursquare and Gowalla) or high resolution photo cataloging (like Flickr) or email (insert your email client here) or - *gasp! Search?

Facebook has entered all these realms, so why not search engine realm? As it turns out, social media sites are surpassing Google as the top referrer for online destinations. If people are getting to these destinations via Facebook would it not make sense for Facebook to plus-up this attribute? If the answer is yes, then Facebook adds the search business to it's repertoire – just like it added services that compete directly with many other entities like Twitter, Foursquare, Flickr, Outlook and so on.

Would it succeed in taking on Google? Investment companies like Goldman Sachs make it a lot easier for such a venture, with its latest infusion of $500 million to Facebook. It looks like a clash of the titans is beginning to brew.

More here at SearchBlog.

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Tablet Explosion

This year CES is expected to be dominated by the continued trend of personal mobile computing and a slew of new tablets are leading the way. Apple has shown the tremendous marketability of the iPad and other companies have quickly lined up to bring their own offerings to the table – many of whom got the product to market right before the holiday shopping season. But for anyone who wants to take a breath and focus on just what is what and who is who now that Christmas is over, CES is more than happy to go over the details. Motorola, LG, Vizio and Toshiba are some of the first ones to follow in Apple's footsteps.

And don't forget about the Smartphone. CES has not typically been the forum for cellular providers to tout their wares, but that all changes this year. Verizon talks about how they will now carry the iPhone while everyone else is talking Google phones, Windows phones and 4G.

2011 is truly the year of 'personal technology on the go'.

More here at CNN Tech...