TED Books? Hmm...

TED talks are popular for a number of reasons: they're available as videos which are way more engaging than other media, they're smart, lively, and perhaps most importantly, concise. Best of all, most talks are 2,000 words or less; just long enough for to keep the average joe from losing interest.

Now TED is taking its "Ideas Worth Spreading" a step further with TED Books, short nonfiction e-books available for the Kindle and Kindle Reader through Amazon. I'm all for more people reading. For most, books are make-shift table legs and something to page through on the crapper when your iPhone's gone flat. So I'm pretty excited. 

Apparently, authors, many (but not all) of whom have given TED talks in the past, are asked to write about an idea that can be naturally expressed in 10,000 to 20,000 words. No more. That's less than a typical short story in case you just shat yourself. Now say after me, "reading good." 

Levis Lets You Travel Through Denim. Hmm...

Every blotch or tear in a garment has a story. Granted the story isn't always a good one, nontheless, Levi's is using that idea for its new campaign. They've created an interactive site for users to explore its latest denim collection, utilising the functionality of Google maps to take users on a cross-country road-trip of sorts. The journey follows three band members across the country, tracking their experiences with video, images and short blog-style posts. Here's the thing though, the locations on the map aren't real and the 'continents' are actually giant cartography-style illustrations of denim jeans. From what I can put together, you navigate the rips and stains on the denim and unlock the stories that lie behind each and every mark. As you traverse each of the 'continents' you piece together the story of an aspiring band and their ups and downs on the road to fame and fortune.

www.levisroadwear.com/my

Improv Everywhere Is Coming To Design Indaba. Hmm...

I was lucky enough to see a talk from Improv Everywhere's founder, Charlie Todd, at the Cannes Ad Festival last year. What he and his team do is just brilliant! Probably why so many ad agencies, ahem, "borrow" his ideas for brand activations. Well, the word is that as part of Design Indaba this year, the MP3 Experiment (based on the video above) is coming to Cape Town. Follow the link for info on how you can join in or RSVP on the facebook invite. Be at Camps Bay at 15:00 on the 20th of Feb to catch all the fun.