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.

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."

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.

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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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!

Spiced Apple Cider with Rum Whipped Cream, Featuring TUACA!

The New Year has started early for TUACA, with another delicious drink to add to the list! In the January 2011 issue of Bon Appetit magazine, you can find a warm and delicious apple cider, which features TUACA. The Spiced Apple Cider with Rum Whipped Cream is a mouth-watering, cold-weather treat, perfect for all of those holiday parties. This recipe specifically features TUACA for its vanilla, Italian brandy and orange flavors, which add to the overall experience of sipping this winter drink.

The cider is showcased in a section labeled “Entertaining with Style, Ski for Your Supper", a portion of the issue devoted to providing warm winter recipes which are perfect for company or simply for your own enjoyment.

The recipe is as follows:

Prep: 30 minutes

Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Cream

• 1 cup Chilled Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp Dark Rum
• Fresh Nutmeg, grated

Cider

• 12 cup (3 quarts) Apple Cider
• 40 Whole Cloves
• 10 Cinnamon Sticks
• 8 2-inch-long Strips of Orange Peel
• 4 2-inch-long Strips of Lemon Peel
• 2 tsp Whole Allspice
• ½ cup TUACA
• ¼ cup Dark Rum

Cream Stir all ingredients in medium bowl. Chill until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Cider Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in heavy large pot, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is reduced to 6 cups, 35-40 minutes. Strain cider into medium saucepan. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover and chill.

Return cider to simmer. Remove from heat. Mix in ½ cup TUACA and ¼ cup dark rum. Divide cider among 8 mugs. Beat cream until peaks form. Spoon whipped cream atop cider and serve.

Enjoy!

For additional/nutritional information, please visit the Bon Appetit website!

TUACA Body Art Ball's 2011 Website Launch

We're very proud to announce that the TUACA Body Art Ball is entering its sixth year running, starting with the recent launch of the event’s 2011 website! The Body Art Ball will tour in eight cities this year, and perform a total of 11 shows, beginning with Las Vegas, NV on January 5.

Produced by Chris and Candy Productions, TUACA Body Art Ball is a spectacular event where beautifully body-painted artists put on a sassy and sensual performance that continues to captivate the audience. The website displays pictures and videos from past events, as well as gives consumers the opportunity to test out the Mod Your Bod program. This program allows participants to upload your photo, and then with a little creativity, become a painted work of art as well! Consumers pick the pose, background, body art, and accessories they want. Afterward, the photos can be added to Facebook or downloaded for further use.

Consumers can also register for tickets through the newly launched site, or text in the market-specific keyword to 68405.

For more information, please visit the Body Art Ball website. You must be 21+ to enter.

This Christmas, Give the Gift of Chambord

Chambord® Flavored Vodka and Chambord® Black Raspberry Liquer have been featured by OK! Magazine and Marie Claire as a “perfect present”, one of the “must-have gifts of the season," and one of the "Most Awesome Stocking Stuffers Ever". We love the idea of using Chambord as a fashionable stocking stuffer, or a sumptuous present that once unwrapped helps toast to holiday cheer. Find the shout-out by OK! Magazine here, and see Marie Claire's full description on their website. Put Chambord on your holiday wish list today!

O’Fallon Brewery Has Done It Again!

O’Fallon Brewery has released the newest addition to their Brewer’s Stash series, called Sticke It To The Man Sticke Alt. O’Fallon says of the brew’s title, “Sticke It To The Man is a playful nod to all beer enthusiasts that yearn for flavor and ingenuity in a time where we are inundated with watered-down, ordinary and expressionless beers.” To learn more about it, run to a store and pick up a 4-pack; each addition to the series comes with a flavor card so you can learn a little about the history of the type of beer and how the guys over at O’Fallon have lovingly interpreted the flavors into their own mix.

As for the design, our very own Ron Krebsbach has provided our friends with a kick-ass new label design to accompany their kick-ass new brew. Ron had a good time with this design, even throwing a few jabs at the Big 3 with a little tattoo that says “BMC,” Sticke-ing it to Bud, Miller and Coors.

So grab a beer, sit back, and Sticke It To The Man. Cheers!

Tuaca's New Bottle Recognized!

This year has been an exciting one for Tuaca and Boxing Clever. Tuaca is a premium delicious vanilla-citrus liqueur that mixes well with all sorts of cocktail possibilities but is also well known for being a great chilled shot. While it’s especially tasty by itself, it can also be paired with everything from pineapple, to root beer, or even s’mores by the fire!

Tuaca is celebrating a dramatic facelift of its brand this year, with the introduction of a brand new packaging design. Boxing Clever provided all the advertising, promotional and digital support for the new launch; it’s been an exciting and rewarding process, and we’re excited that Tuaca is getting the recognition it deserves!

We’re pleased and proud to announce that TUACA was recently recognized here as having one of the 47 best package designs! For more information, check out this website, and continue developing your adventurous TUACA spirit!

Welcome to the World of Web 3.0

The internet’s come a long way since it’s origination. To those who follow even the slightest of changes closely (like digital marketing enthusiasts), the web’s been broken into 3 different stages of evolution: Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0.

• Web 1.0 was an information portal - the “read-only” web. People accessed the internet simply for information, but the web at this time was lacking interaction. It needed a way to become more integrated into our daily social lives.
• Web 2.0 was more organized and finally “read-write”. Power to the people! This was the era of tagging, and social networking boomed as the internet became more community-focused and blog-centric.
• Web 3.0 is more personalized, as the web has become more savvy to the way each person is using it – from their likes, dislikes, past searches, tags, and online purchases. It is infinitely mobile and accessible, and increasingly more engaged with the individual user. Web 3.0 is portable. Pack it up, take it with you. Distribute. Store. Share. Send. Slice. Dice. Slap. Chop.

Why is this important to advertising communities worldwide? Communication with consumers has to reach a personal level that speaks to each individual’s specific behavior online. People are screening the information that’s most important to them on the web, and the only constructive way to reach them is by monitoring their online behavior, and releasing information that’s applicable to them. Otherwise, you’ll get filtered out with the rest of the irrelevant info out there.

To find out more info on Web 3.0, check out these wonderful presentations.

Facebook Isn’t the Place for Collector’s Items

There’s a great article on AdAge.com by Chris Perry called “Are You Investing In Facebook Fans or Just Collecting Them?”, that offers some invaluable tips to brands wanting to either utilize or improve upon their social media exposure. The greatest advocates that brands have in the digital world are their online supporters – those people that consume and enjoy your goods and services in real life so much that online, they click “Like” when they see your brand on Facebook. So how do you get a Facebook user to become your very own Fan, and afterwards, what’s the next step?

Perry offers not one, but ten. Right off the bat, treat Facebook the way you would treat any other advertising or PR campaign. Clearly state your communication goals, and understand your target audience. You can utilize Facebook’s targeting mechanisms to better direct your message. The capabilities are there – use them! Do research too – it’s important to know what your competition is doing on Facebook. How can you improve upon their current tactics? What are they doing that you’re not? What’s working for them, and what isn’t?

After you’ve gathered a core base of fans, understand what it meant when they clicked “Like” by your brand. Check out a few profiles, and see if you can’t make some correlations among them. Realize that there is a small group among these numbers that are your true advocates – check out who is commenting the most on your brand. These are the fans that are spreading the word, dropping your brand-name in conversations, and ultimately garnering you more support and more online and real-time fans. But don’t simply admire your numbers as they grow, recognize their full potential. Perry explains, “Put those who like you to work by giving them reasons to interact with the brand and provide a platform where their enthusiastic support is amplified to their networks.” This means, make status updates that appeal to your core fans. Make relevant comments that start a conversation. Ask questions that gain enthusiastic responses.

Perhaps most importantly, add value to your fan’s digital experiences. Give them a reason to visit your page every now and then, but stay realistic. Almost every brand has a Facebook page these days, so consumers are constantly facing opportunities to “Like” a brand with every click they make. Realize that your social media exposure is an investment on your part, and like any investment, it takes time to reach it’s full potential.

And finally, LISTEN. Your fans are saying something about themselves every day – that’s the best part about Facebook – people utilize it for the sheer purpose of sharing information about their daily lives.

For more information on this article, visit http://adage.com/digitalnext/post?article_id=144980, and keep your fan-base close!

Announcing the Latest Addition to the Team

Boxing Clever is so pleased to announce our latest acquisition: Ali Siegel.

Ali Siegel has hit the ground running here at our office – (that's a nice way of saying "Thank God you're here. Now here's a mountain of work that you'll be buried with") and has the awesome job of Account Executive for our Brown-Forman accounts.

Currently, Ali has been helping manage the Tuaca Body Art Ball which has been in full swing since January of this year while balancing that with ongoing digital campaigns and consumer promotions for Chambord liqueur.

Welcome, Ali! We're so proud to have you as part of our family.


Here's the full press release:

St. Louis, MO–April 5, 2010 – Boxing Clever, a local advertising agency with a bull’s-eye on the sweet science of strategy and design, today announced the recent hire of Ali Siegel as Account Executive. Siegel is managing accounts for Brown-Forman, including Tuaca and Chambord and is assisting with new business and client management for additional clients.

Prior to joining Boxing Clever, Siegel served as the Marketing and Events Coordinator for Metromix St. Louis where she executed events, media partnerships and media placements. She and her team successfully launched a new brand that grew into one of the most successful entertainment sites in St. Louis and one of the largest Metromix sites network-wide, all in less than two years.

Prior to Metromix, Siegel spent three years at Drive Agency as an Account Supervisor. She worked on the Anheuser-Busch team and managed program accounts for Northern Ontario Tourism, Saint Louis Science Center, Saint Louis Symphony, Mitre Shoes and Bakers Footwear Group.

While at Boxing Clever, Siegel has most recently been managing a nationwide campaign with Tuaca, promoting the Tuaca Body Art Ball. She plays a central role in the event, traveling from market to market promoting and executing the show.

“Ali brings enthusiasm and further creativity to our growing team,” said Dave Scott, partner of Boxing Clever. “Her passion and commitment for Boxing Clever’s clients is remarkable.”

Siegel refers to herself as a lifelong product and advertising junkie and feels lucky to be a part of an industry that never gets dull. She says she is constantly learning and growing as an Account Executive. Siegel looks up to the partners and senior creative team at Boxing Clever and feels fortunate to have a great wealth of strong female role models—coming in the form of clients, friends and industry veterans.

Rock Poster - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Boxing Clever client, Vintage Vinyl, offers an invitation to a unique and special performance by BRMC at the Halo Bar in the Loop (St. Louis, MO). BRMC is in town to melt some faces at the Pageant tonight, but before that at 3pm this afternoon, they're doing an acoustic performance for a small crowd.

To get in, you'll need tix for the Pageant show and a pass from Vintage Vinyl. Run down to Vintage Vinyl, buy a copy of Beat the Devil's Tattoo and if passes haven't run out already, you'll be one of the few lucky ones to participate in this intimate venue.

See you there!


Design by Chris Kilcullen, Boxing Clever

UPDATE:
The show went great with BRMC in fine acoustic form. The Halo Bar had a nice showing that wasn't too crowded and the setup was friendly and personal. BRMC introduced Leah they're new drummer. She kept it low-key with a tambourine for a few songs while Peter and Robert finished out the set that lasted about an hour. It was a real treat for everybody.

Tuaca Body Art Ball

What are YOU doing this weekend?

If you're looking for something beyond the usual, then you're in luck. Tuaca, a delicious Italian vanilla liqueur, sponsors an unique event that travels from city to city and this year, they're stopping here.

The TUACA® Body Art Ball comes to St. Louis this Sunday on March 14 at the Pageant. Admission is free to anyone 21 years or older bearing a ticket (available upon registration at www.tuacabodyartball.com). Blending body art, music and dance, the TUACA® Body Art Ball is a one-night-only stage performance that is put on in select cities across North America. Male and female dancers are painted in various artistic themes and expressions as they perform to sychronized acrobatic routines ranging from the sensual and mystifying to heart pounding rock 'n roll.

The nine city Body Art Ball Tour kicked off in Austin, Texas on February 1 and wraps up in Vancouver, Canada in June.

Admission is free. All entrants must be of legal drinking-age and must present an invitation at the door. Invitations are available upon registration at the official website TUACA® Body Art Ball.

The show, celebrating its fourth year running, is produced by Chris and Candy Productions out of Dallas, Texas.

Let it snow. In your christmas card.

So, yes, we all know that this is the busy season for advertising agencies and for us it's no exception. So it should be no surprise that blogging takes somewhat of a backseat to client work and that a February blog about something we did over the holidays is case and point. But there IS snow on the ground, so it is still somewhat apropos.

This past holiday season, Boxing Clever sent out some clever holiday wishes. At first blush it looks like the typical Christmas card. A message about warm thoughts and well wishing for the upcoming year, plus a note about our donation to Living Water International on behalf of our clients. But opening the card in front of a webcam is the icing on the cake here.



Augmented reality is one of the latest trends in digital marketing technologies so with the help of our friends at Coolfire Media we thought it be nice to create an animated 3D snowman scene in your Christmas card. Coolfire provided the flash framework that powers that augmented reality and 4 Alarm Studio designed the 3D modeling for the scene.

A black and white "tag" or marker inside the card triggers your web cam to display the AR and voila, a virtual 3D scene appears.

If you have a webcam and want to experience this yourself (even if you don't have a card) go to our holiday webpage and print out the card there.





Who knows what's next but you can bet that Boxing Clever is applying some augmented reality concepts in our next client's campaigns. And when we do, I'll make sure I blog about it in a more timely manner.

Cheers!