Hello, Valencia!

Don't you think that traveling is one of the best pleasures of our lives? I do. Not everyone enjoy at the same level going away from their comfort zone to discover new places. And not everyone travel for the same reasons or with the same purposes, although the destination may be the same. However, for all those who love traveling as much as I do, I'm sure they all agree with the fact that no matter the reason, the important point is that every trip becomes a unique opportunity to learn something new about our world.

But traveling is not only a pleasure. It is a business. Indeed, tourism constitutes one of the main sources of income for hundreds of regions all around the world. A fact that would explain why during the last decades, tourism campaigns have evolved into powerful communication tools, effective enough as to position even the smallest towns onto the international scene. 

A recent example of how creative can be the strategies used to attract tourists is the campaign developed by Hello Valencia, a magazine edited in that same Spanish city, which has launched 'Conoce Valencia de una forma diferente' (Know Valencia in a different way). 

The campaign shows the city of Valencia through the performance of four different music groups, which have composed original songs inspired by some of the most emblematic neighborhoods of the city: 'El Carmen', 'Ruzafa', 'L'Eixample', and 'Els Poblats Marítims'. 

Besides, people can participate in the campaign through different social networks. Via Facebook or Twitter, they can post or comment about their favorite bars, restaurants, local stores or any other place in the city, using specific hashtags created for the campaign. Every week, the best ones have the opportunity to win different prizes. 

The campaign appeals to its target audience in a very friendly tone of voice, thus increasing, in my opinion, its possibilities to be more effective on getting the desired purpose. I think it is a very interesting way to promote the city because it does not only appeal to the foreign tourists, but rather to its own citizens. Not only the city is being promoted, but also the local businesses of all those old neighborhoods, and obviously the artists themselves. 

I strongly believe in this kind of initiatives that combine the effort of different groups to obtain a common benefit. Especially in such a hard socio economic situation as the one that is been living in Spain right now. Campaigns like this one can help a lot of people.

I love the campaign and I love the city. Probably because it is my city, but honestly, it is a wonderful place, extremely worth to visit.

CONOCE VALENCIA DE UNA FORMA DIFERENTE

Enjoy your creativity!

Creativity can be sweet, or spicy, or bitter... In any case, what creativity can definitely be is tasty! Searching on the Internet, have you ever ended up by chance in a food blog? There are thousands of them! Either you got one day lost on your search and found yourself salivating in front of your computer screen, or you are a passionate follower of one of those mouthwatering blogs, you would have been able to realize that some of them have evolved into authentic professional websites, with thousands of visits every day. 

Food blogs are one of the most popular categories withing the bloggers world. The great number of blogs, and their variety and extraordinary depth, are some of the main factors that have contributed to provide them the popularity they enjoy today. Besides, the high quality of their content has led food blogs to be a vital part of not only the Internet, but of food journalism too. 

If this extraordinary growth has been possible, is mainly thanks to the commitment and hard work of the individuals who run the websites. Some of them may be professionals, but most of the owners of these blogs are people who have made of their passion for food more than just a hobby. Nowadays, it is not only possible to buy their creations online, we can also find their best recipes gathered either in magazines or books, which we can purchase in any bookstore. 

Although I do not consider myself a desserts enthusiast, I am always impressed by the creative effor put into sweet recipes. It is amazing the hundreds of ways in which people can play when decorating a simple cupcake, the countless number of cookie varieties they invent, or the number of layers they may arrive to use for a cake. 

And because a picture is worth a thousand words, here are some of my favorite recipes. People from Muffinella, and the woman behind I am baker, can be considered true food crafters. Get ready, all their creations look awesome!

MUFFINELLA

I AM BAKER

Sweet blogging!

Keep reading, and salivating, on: 

Muffinella

I am baker
Saveur Best Food Blogs Awards 2012

Bright street art.

Nowadays, technology, more than ever, is part of our daily life. We are so used to it that we do not usually realize how close we are to it. Have you ever take a look back to check how much our life has changed in barely ten years? Because ten years before, making use of the Internet we could search information on Google, but no one of the social networks we use now every single day existed by then. Facebook was created in 2004, Youtube in 2005, and Twitter in 2006. It sounds crazy, right? Wait to read this: the original iPhone was launched only five years ago, on June of 2007, and the iPad was released for the first time in 2010. Only two years ago! 

Communication has changed, as well as many ohter aspects in our lives. Technology is everywhere. It is part of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. And one of the areas that more noticeably has embodied technology in its processes is the arts. Technology provides artists with hundreds of new sources to inspire their work and create outstanding pieces of art that challenge our understanding. 

An exceptional example of that evolution in the arts is the project of Antonin Fourneau, 'Water Light Graffiti', which boosts the concept of Street Art to a new level. It consists of a surface made of thousands of LED that light up by the contact of water. You can use a paintbrush, a water atomizer, your fingers or anything damp to sketch a brightness messages or just to draw. It is a wall created with the purpose of giving people a chance to communicate and share magically in the city. Water Light Graffiti is a wall for ephemeral messages in the urban space without deterioration. 

After several tries, prototypes and material improvements, Water Light Graffiti took finally place in a public space the last month of July. For a few days, the inhabitants of Poitiers could discover and try Water Light Graffiti with the artist, the Digitalarte Artlab team, who worked with Antonin Fourneau on the project, and Painthouse, a graffiti collective invited for demonstration.

Keep reading on: 

Water Light Graffiti by Antonin Fourneau | video

Water Light Graffiti by Antonin Fourneau | project

Bright&dark

One of the best points about traveling is that our perception of all those places we visit becomes an opinion based on reality. After the trip, the way we think about the place where we travel changes forever. Depending on the experience itself, but also on the expectations we made before the trip, that new thinking can be better or worse than the previous idea. In any case, traveling is always positive because it helps us to open our minds to the differences that inhabit the world. But the truth is that there are trips that have a bigger impact on us than others. 

Seven months ago, I fell in love with New York City. It was the first time I visited the Big Apple, and it is definitely the most outstanding city I have ever seen. But the funniest fact about it is that it did not seem it was the first time I saw all those places. While walking around the city, everything looked familiar. 

However, it is not that surprising when I think about the countless number of movies, photographs, TV shows, songs, books, and lots of other materials that showcase the city. The streets and buildings I saw reminded me of all those audiovisual and written testimonies, but now when I watch a movie, listen to a song, or read an article that talks about New York, they remind me of the days I spent there. And it makes me always smile. 

Perhaps that connection with the city after I visited it is the reason why I liked 'New York: Night and day' so much when I discovered it. 

The video, created by Philip Stockton, is a combination of non-traditional video time-lapse and animation. The day and night scenes filmed around the city have been combined into single sequences using rotoscoping techniques. According to the author, the piece explores the relationships between night and day, by compositing together scenes shot in the same location over a speific time period. 

In my opinion, the creative concept is amazing. Cities look completely different during day or night. Thanks to the work of Philip Stockton, now we have the chance to see both views combined into one only look. 


Keep reading on:
'New York: Night and Day'
Philip Stockton website 

Listen to the city.

I love cities. I love walking through their crowded streets, stopping in front of every appealing show window, or simpliy seating in one of their numerous cafes to see the people going and coming. I like that contradictory feeling of loneliness while being surrounded by hundreds of people. You do not know them. They do not know you. It makes me feel independent and free.

However, a pleasant walk around the city becomes sometimes a true nightmare. There are days when it is hard to listen even to your own thoughts. The everyday din of the cities can block your mind, interrupting any thinking. I guess that is probably the reason why so many urbanites walk around with their ears covered with headphones, some of which certainly can be considered luxury items. 

This is the idea that underlies the new campaign of AIAIAI for the latest headphone-release of the brand, the Capital, specially designed for the on-the-go urbanite. The campaign, which is named 'Make the city sound better', is based on the development of an ambitious, design and sound project: The Sound Taxi. With the active collaboration of the London-based sound artist Yuri Suzuki, the brand has transformed one of the typical black taxies of London into a vehicle which is capable to turn the noise of the city into electronic music.

The Sound Taxi is equipped with a microphone that records its surrounding noise. A specially designed software analyses the captured frequencies of the noises and uses them to generate unique music in real time. The sounds change and evolve as you drive around the city, so the music generated matches the dynamics of the streets. Passerby can hear the music via the 67 speakers built into the entire care body and the big horns on the top of the taxi's roof. Additionally, the passengers of The Sound Taxi can tune-in to the converted sounds via headphones installed inside of the vehicle.

Source: Yorokobu.es

I find the project very interesting and creative. The bran is not only offering a promise to its target, they are giving people a chance to experience by themselves what the new headphones can do for them. The Capital headphones make the city sound better.


Keep reading on: 
Make the City Sound Better | Campaign
Make the City Sound Better | Tracks (soundcloud.com)
AIAIAI website | Capital Headphones
Yuri Suzuki website

Red Bull gives you wings!

Creatives are defined by a constant interest in the possibilities of new combinations. Creative people are thought to have the ability to see the relationships between disparate things. They go beyond the established standards. An attitude that I certainly associate with one of the most popular brands in the world, Red Bull. 

Red Bull is a master combining its brand advertising with adrenaline, which matches perfectly with the product. The creativity does not come from this combination itself since it is an energy drink, but from the creative ways in which the brand promotes this combination. Although Red Bull produce traditional advertising, its brand communication is based on experience. 

Red Bull develops an international marketing campaign that includes numerous activities range from art shows to music and video games. Although the brand is especially known by its relationship with the world of extreme sports like mountain biking, BMX, motocross, surfing, windsurfing, snowboarding, skating, breakdancing or Formula 1 racing. However, the Earth seems not to be enough for the brand so Red Bull decided to go even further taking its brand to the edge of space.

Source: Red Bull Facebook

Last sunday, October 14th, Red Bull Stratos mission was successfully accomplished. Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian skydiver and thrill-seeker, ascended in a stratospheric balloon to jump from 128,100 feet. During the 4 minutes and 20 seconds of freefall, Felix accelerated to 833.9mph, achieving Mach 1.24. Now, he boasts the world record for highest ever jump and freefall, and for becoming the first man ever to break the sound barrier with his own body.

Millions of people could watch the mission either online or on TV. According to YouTube, around eight millions viewers were watching how Felix jumped from the stratosphere. Meanwhile on TV, Discovery Channel had a marathon viewing event that also allowed people to follow this historic moment. 

However, if you are one of those people who didn't know about this event until media started to bombard with news about it, don't worry! You can search on Internet and you will find plenty of videos and photographies that attests the feat. 

Aside from Mr. Baumgartner's personal achievement, it has clearly been a success for the company since Red Bull has attained to be the first commercial brand to be advertised in the stratosphere.

Keep reading on: 

Red Bull Stratos Mission

Exclusive: What Felix Saw | Red Bull Stratos Live Jump POV

Red Bull Facebook

Red Bull Stratos: Felix Baumgartner's Historic Freefall

Be safe. Be productive!

Words. How beautiful are they? And how harmful they can be? Words are everywhere. They build the world we live in, and help us to live in it. We need them. We talk, write, hear, and read words. They are our daily tool to communicate with others, but also to communicate with ourselves. 

When we write, we start a process in which we dialogue with our own mind, trying to translate our thoughts into written words. It needs concentration to listen to our mind. But current technology has snatched away from us our capacity to concentrate due to the multiple windows and applications that constantly vie for our attention. 

I am sure you are not surprised of it. It is an evident truth. We all tend to spend part of our working time trying to avoid all sorts of distractions that interrupt our concentration on the job we are doing. But we do not always succeed in out attempt. Do you?

If you are one of those people who sometimes need an hour to start writing on a new text document, don't worry anymore! I bring you a recourse that will help you to make the most of your time. Say hello to Ommwriter:

Ommwriter is a new generation of text editors that removes all distractions from the computer desktop and helps users to concentrate more whilst writing. It was created by HerraizSoto&Co, an independent creative agency based in Barcelona since 1997. 

Ommwriter originally emerged as an internal tool for use within the agency. The idea was to build a 'place' where they could go to escape from the humdrum noise. Ommwriter builds an environment where writers can be at one with themselves and their ideas. 

Fortunately, when the agency ascertained that the tool they had created was so useful, they decided to share it. The happy event took place in 2009. In words of the agency itself, by opening up Ommwriter to the rest of the world, HerraizSoto&Co wanted to communicate the importance of ideas as well as the ability to understand technology as an aid and not a distraction, and to vindicate the value of concentration. Besides, Ommwriter has become a self-promotion tool for the agency, which reveals its creative, freshness philosophy towards work. 

If you are interested, you can download Ommwriter through this link: http://www.ommwriter.com/en/free-download-mac.html 

All in all, I stronly recommend you to check out HerraizSoto&Co website. The work of this agency is absolutely inspirational: http://www.herraizsoto.com/