Sound of Silence

Did you miss me? Not really. Internet offers so many sources of stupidities that one less is not changing much. I was really busy lately and I thought I would be dry concerning the city I still live in, Moscow. Nothing can surprise me anymore, nothing can upset me anymore, nothing can hurt me anymore...that's not true, more than ever this city is a punk circus, juggling between insanity and paradoxes. The world is upside down, Moscow is down upside. Nothing like others.

I did a lot of things during those last few months...few things actually. I've launched my first book 'Tranches de Mort' that you can order here http://www.amazon.fr/TRANCHES-MORT-VINCHON-Franck/dp/2748366689/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316863597&sr=8-1 (all countries available), I've launched a free art magazine unleash.pdf (discover more info and the way to download here http://www.facebook.com/pages/unleashpdf/251156931590783), I've developed my art collective Ipeka http://ipekacollective.wordpress.com/ and we still developing some projects and, all that, was captured on radio over here http://moscouactu.blogs.courrierinternational.com/archive/2011/09/15/la-vie-a-moscou-vue-par-un-publicitaire-parisien.html . And I don't tell you everything because you won't believe me but I run some other activities as well.

Could I do all that without the enrgy of Moscow? Probably not. The least I could do is to come back to this blog and celebrate the punk life I'm still living.

Police is Back

Today was announced that Militsya will be called Police - it does not seem to please a lot of people even if nothing will changed. But an association decided to say thank you to them. Just observe that they mainly kissed girls - they did not want to get shot. No joke over here.

Sunday Hit V

Expat Explanation: spring is about to come and with my mate, we spent the last 6 months to develop songs for that cool period. But we drunk a lot during the winter so we don't have much money to hire some girls for our clip (it's OK the director is going to be our neighbour Serguey) and for the outfits. It's going to be fine. With a bit of luck, we won't be even be chosen for MTV. We love spring so much.

Sunday Hit IV

Expat Explanation: When my old pager is ringing with its Pacman 8-bit ringtone, I know this is going to crazy. So crazy that some Russians will speak English, imitating Bon Jovi, playing in a supermarket. Obviously in the electronics department with TV everywhere. Some old phnes are also available and Halloween is obviously approaching.

Sunday Hit III

Expat Explanation: the fuckin' phone does not work fine...a bit oldish so you need to scream to be heard. Even if you don't have nothing to say

Brrrranding

Winter period is never perfect for brands' communication, mainly for their branding. The snow, the dirt, the ice are the enemies of efficient communication and you have to choose carefully your support. No surprise that, herer more than anywhere, the brands need very specific executional elements (color palette, imagery...). Always useful if you have a micro space to advertise.

(Photo: Dirrty Frank, just a good example that we know pretty well in BBDO)

Another Shit

Sunday Hit II

Expat Explanation - if you get drunk in a shitty bar, you'll be surrounded by very strange people and you'll listen to some music delivered by two over-made up look-a-like secretary style strange hairdo girls.

Last Action Heroes

We all remember the fantastic japanese commercials featuring a young and fresh Arnold. At that time, it was difficult to find the material and a lot of stars from Hollywood were running to far-away countries to pay their taxes. Now, unfortunately for them, it's not difficult for anybody to find their masterpieces. In Russia, we've got few of them. I've selected only the action actors but we have much more. Then the question, does it really make sense to spend all that money?

Sunday Hit I

Expat Explanation - We can see the composer at the beginning, struggling to write a shitty song but some birds and white roses falling from the ceiling are really inspiring. Then the young guy, really fashion, gets fame and women consideration by dancing on that song in a very edgy club. But he understands that love is more than that, even more in winter, so he's coming back by bus. Fuckin' birds...

Nano Medvedev

'We Are Different'

As much as the Russians claim it all the time, especially in advertising industry, I'm really sorry to say that Russians are not different. Or, in that case, each country, each culture, each history is different.

The only thing that may annoy them is the communication brought by international brands without any sense of local understanding (it may be the guilt of shitty agencies over here). Tell me if this brand of cigarette took the time to go on Internet to understand what Moscow looked like in the winter before posting that in the metro.

We are all different. Some of us are bloody stupid.