It's a wonderful life. Most of the time.

And that's me, done for another year.

Thanks very much for reading and I do hope you have a Happy and Peaceful Christmas. Look after yourselves.

A new competitor to YouTube launches.

Vessel is coming to take on YouTube and Vimeo.

Although ad-supported, they will also charge 2.99 us dollars a month to be able to watch your "favourite" YouTube stars first. In other words, they'll have video before anyone else (by at least 3 days).

What makes it a serious contender is that it is being founded by Jason Kilar, the former Hulu CEO. 

Video creators will get a cut of the ad and subscription revenue by holding off on posting their content until it has been shown on Vessel. They currently get 55% from Google's YouTube although it's generally poor and they will be encouraged by Vessel's promised revenue.

Although one wonders will subscribers be prepared to pay for content they'll probably see free some days later?

Not sure. But having said that it's a new model that very much highlights online video as now being 'programming' and having value.

So in every sense, it's to be encouraged.

And anyway, do like the logo.....

Best of the Web 2014

Really nice cut of some of the best of the Web 2014.

But how much go-pro cameras have helped with online video! wow, everywhere.
Super editing by Luc Bergeron. Super

180 million + views. Now that's what you call a viral video

Whilst this link shows 162m views, I've seen the video reposted on YouTube so many times with one repost receiving over 20 million alone.

It just shows too, the style of video people want, to be entertained and that applies equally, to brands. Tell them a story and brighten the day.

It also shows what can be achieved. There's no media budget that can achieve 200 million views. None.

Except online digital video.

Personal Flying. The future is not far off.

I've dealt with this before - personal flying - and how some countries such as New Zealand are allowing testing. Latest testing from Dubai you'll see for yourself in the video.

It's nothing to do with online per se (except it's a lovely video) but to do with the future and innovation.

As we develop electric cars, tesla cars, google driverless cars.....I believe quickly they'll become old technologies.

The future of getting to work and to school, is personal jet packs. I'm convinced our children will do it as standard. Especially with the developments already taken place, this is only 10 years away.

The idea of getting from A to Z on congested roads, eating up carbon fuel and taking hours doesn't make sense. What takes an hour by car now, will take 10 minutes by air. Car manufacturers should get on board now.

So which do you think, will consumers demand?
I have no doubts.

"Yet more evidence that Advertisers are pulling money out of TV" - says Business Insider.

Business Insider UK, reports that there is now "quantifiable evidence" of advertisers switching away from TV.

It's based on the US Standard Media Index which pulls about 80% of US Ad Agency spend including the 5/6 Global Networks. In October, it showed a further drop of 9%.

Mightn't sound like a lot, but it is considerable especially in a high sales month like October. 

TV viewing declined too, by -4%.

And given that it was October, it's normally the pre-booking period for Christmas which traditionally kept TV prices high. So advertisers are now switching to more flexible media such as online digital video. Digital Advertising grew +11%. Newspapers grew +5%. 

So it looks like digital video is now starting to take advertising dollars away from TV. A shift that has been well predicted and in fact, was slow in coming.

Omnicom recommended to clients earlier this year, to switch 10-25% of budgets away from TV onto online video.

The audience has shifted.
Now it looks like Advertisers and Agencies are shifting too.

Facebook's biggest shares in October 2014

Newswhip have published the top Facebook shares for October (which they developed via Spike).

The Huff Post leads the way with 67 Million interactions in the month. PlayBuzz and BuzzFeed come in ahead of the likes of Fox News and NBC - never mind The New York Times.

So it again points to the rise in online sites developing "news" over traditional sites. And frankly, the sites doing well are more "entertainment" driven rather than hard news reflecting too, the desires of a Facebook audience.

But still, the numbers are pretty stunning....

John Lewis does it again. And again and again.

And whilst we're talking about Christmas Retail TV Ads...there's always John Lewis.

Wow.

Christmas Retail Ads. Don't you just get tired on them....and then one comes along and you go, Yes! Wow.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet for H&M.
Both ends of the demographic spectrum.

The bar just got raised.....

The most shocking reliable data I've seen on the switch away from TV to online. Terrifying reading for TV Stations.

I got this BusinessInsider/Comscore story about BuzzFeed today from a friend, by email. When I opened it, I fell off my chair.

Which is why he sent it.

The most stunning thing I've read yet, that just symbolises the online revolution that has and is, taking place. It's proof positive now, of the takeover and the switchover from TV to online.

Just look at the monthly reach of BuzzFeed in this graph for 18-34's.

Shocking stuff for TV Stations....

BuzzFeed now reaches 50% of US millennials (18-34's) a month according to Comscore/BusinessInsider and this is terrifying reading for TV. 

BuzzFeeds monthly reach outstrips CBS, Fox and NBC.

In fact it's winning in all ages and spelling the end of TV in terms of audience decline, audience attention but notably in terms of advertising money. And be assured, exactly this same model is being replicated in every country including Ireland. The same thing is happening everywhere. 

Put simply, advertising money chases audience and as BuzzFeed climbs it will take those big brand lucrative TV dollars with it. Whilst the TV stations will go into financial decline through that same lost advertising. They simply cannot hold their audiences no longer.

Look too above, at the BuzzFeed video views and Subscriber growth!!! Pretty impressive!!!

50% of the views are from mobile. And those video views are peaking for BuzzFeed in the evening. That's right, smack dab in the middle of prime time TV. The expensive advertising bit.

And that signals a strong probability that the younger 18-34's are having a look at BuzzFeed....during the evening ad breaks! Not what an advertiser wants to hear.

And as The BusinessInsider story says, advertisers want to reach consumers with messages that have sight, sound and motion. Those advantages don't just apply to TV anymore.

I've never seen reliable data like this, that clearly shows the media pulling power of digital and all of this happening in the lucrative TV space - once regarded as the bastion of all things advertising. 

And then we've only spoken here about the impact BuzzFeed has had - nevermind the others!

This ladies and gentlemen, is the end..... Or the start...... It depends on where you're sitting. 

But one thing it sure is, the world has just changed. Totally.

Different, interesting use of video on suzuki.ie that you won't have seen before.

Great use of video on Suzuki Ireland website.

Sorry too, that you'll have to cut and paste this link but I think you'll be interested to do it. Here it is;

www.suzuki.ie

What it does is allows a Presenter to pop up automatically every time you visit and explain what's on the site.

Equally, that presenter could be on every page of the website perhaps explaining each page's content.

It is of course, specially recorded video on a greensceen by streamabout and then applied. In fact it's a great use of video online!

Mobile overtakes TV in The USA for the first time.

There's always a reason why people pay to produce Reports. Normally, to further their business and rarely do you see companies producing reports that show they got it wrong!

However, whilst they should be taken with a pinch of salt, they are helpful in identifying trends and probably re-enforce what we thought anyway. And thank you to John Fleming, him a 'Tripp Crystal' App developer, for pointing it out to me.

So this one by 'Flurry' shows that mobile has bumped US TV Screens for the first time. Nearly 3 hours a day usage versus 2.48 hours and remaining static.

So the growth in mobile marches on and particularly because of functionality. You can do more on your mobile (email, apps, calendar, etc) than you can do on your TV and it has the key advantage of being in your pocket all the time.

Equally to, the development of the mobile into basically a 'pocket pc', means it can do more and more. Like watching TV or online video. It also shows, as Flurry would like you to see, that Apps have greater and greater potential.

Seems to me anyway, to make perfect sense.
Mobile is and will continue to march on.

Advertisers be aware.

Nokia. It's gone. A victim to innovation.

Most of us probably grew up with Nokia.

The Finnish cutting-edge mobile phone manufacturer that was first to market. And that eventually dominated the market globally.

I remember staying at an upscale Helsinki Hotel with a person from Nokia and they paid the bill with their business card. In other words, the Hotel would simply invoice Nokia, no questions asked.

It was a tech giant.
Like Microsoft or Apple.

It was the brand of reliability.

And it's no more.
Bought by Microsoft who announced last week, they'd be dropping the 'Nokia' brand on devices.

And what happened?
Well we all have Samsung or Iphone devices now.

So the reason for that was that Samsung and Apple built better phones and Nokia customers switched - so there was no real brand loyalty to Nokia. It was just a phone (compared to say Apple, who's customers are product devotees).

But the real reason was innovation.
Or lack of it.

You can even be the 80% market dominant player and in a few short years be gone. They simply didn't innovate as quickly as they could and sat a bit on their laurels.

Stand still and you're dead.
Remember Nokia.

Is this the best online video ever? Honda.

I have seen a lot of video. Too much for one life but I can't think I've ever seen anything better than this.

Because it's interactive, you have to copy and paste and go to this page. Sorry but do it. Honestly, it's well worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/user/HondaVideo

It's for The Civic R and the main video in the top player. Press R as it runs.

Trust me, you won't believe this.

Online Video went to another level just now and why can I see the hands of Wieden Kennedy behind this? Just never thought it possible online. 

Stunningly stunning.

5 ways to use video better online.

'Video is eating the media world'. So says NewsWhip.

According to Pew Research quoted in their story, 63% of Americans watch online video and 36% of those, watch news video clearly driven by smartphone usage.

They suggest (and I agree) five ways to use video.

Firstly, Facebook. If you have a lot of fans, Facebook can be your TV Channel. I note in Ireland for example, Radio Station FM104 have over 200,000 likes and so a video placed there, reaches a big audience immediately and a potentially huge audience if some of those share again. 

Remember too, that those "likes" are potent because they already "like" what you're doing.

Secondly, use short clips to draw attention to long clips.

Not a bad idea either, as video viewers always look at video length first so if you make a shorter version, they'll be more disposed to view that first. So it's almost a "preview".

Thirdly, explain things using video. In other words, simple video can demonstrate how things work (like a graphic) which illuminates a story. Interesting but a bit of a fringe idea.

Fourthly, Twitter 'video cards' allow videos to be played in a timeline and draw attention to the video. And using Twitter as a strong video teaser is a good idea.

Lastly, they also point to Vine and Instagram. Although limited in length, they work on those platforms quickly so the user can be enthused even with very short clips.

I think overall, they're looking to ways in which video can be promoted. A really important issue that's often overlooked. Creation of content is only one side of the equation, distribution is the important other.

Get a video company that can help you with both.
Streamabout. So there.

Native Advertising is sponsored content. Is this the way for online publishers?

Native Advertising or in other words, sponsored content, is proving a strong revenue earner for Media.

It is an ethical issue because it is "disguising" Ads, as non-commercial content and I for one, are seeing more and more "news" which is clearly paid for. So it will affect the reader "trust" of the brand.

The New York Times has called it the "driver" for its growth in online revenue last week, clearly indicating that there's a lot of it about.

Forbes have "Brand Voice" Ad options.

Sponsored Posts/Native commentary is over 30+ of LinkedIn's overall Ad revenue. Like their "sponsored updates". 

Tumblr are introducing similar "sponsored video posts".

The UK's Guardian is doing the same as are, most Irish online publishers.

It's euphemistically called "content marketing" but in reality it is PR dressed up as news. And that's an issue for the PR Industry because they may find that Clients will simply have to pay to have their brand stories appear. In fact it cuts across the very core as to what PR is about. Regrettably.

Traditional Broadcast Advertising to be fair, has at its core, a warning.

Called an 'Ad break', listeners and viewers clearly understand that at that part of the broadcast, someone is trying to sell them something (legitimately).

And Traditional Press Advertising is 'bordered' off from content so they're obviously Ads, not content.

So there must be, should be, some concerns raised about "native content" or sponsored content or whatever it's called designed to hide the fact, that it's advertising without a warning. And the very fact that they're trying to hide it by renaming it, in itself shows the concerns are already there.

But money is money I guess.

There must be questions raised too, by media owners themselves, that by "prostituting" their product in this way, could damage their trust amongst their consumers who may depart to other reliable publications.

Fundamentally, we all agree and want, online media to generate more revenue. Absolutely.

However, we should question, is this the way.

Without fear or favour - seems to me to be more favour than without.

Online Digital Video. You've made it, now what do you do with it?

There's a point about online video.
Once you've made it, what do you do with it?

According to Ad Age, General Electric put a video out online featuring Jeff Goldblum and within 24 hours, had 700,000 views (2 million today). Not bad, given that not a penny was spent on media promotion of it.

Notable too, is that it is over 2 minutes long (so none of your traditional 30 second messages) and the light bulb, sold out.

This is the exception though and not the rule. You can sit down and pray that things like that happen or you can help make it happen.

Creation of content is one part of the equation, distribution, another almost as vital.

Perhaps put in on YouTube's 'Trueview' Ads or Facebook's new auto-play video ads but perhaps too, place it on traditional online media such as news sites.

Paid for syndication or media buying, gets the video out there but it has to be good in the first instance, to get engagement and notably, sharing. 

However, the combination of both, creation and distribution, can be a lethally effective piece of marketing. You shouldn't have one without the other or at least, a clear understanding as to where the video is appearing.

Consider too, that in targeting different audiences, you may even cut/edit the video story differently to suit better, the audience watching it on different sites. One size doesn't always, fit all.

One thing for sure though. If you don't have an online video....you've no chance.

And Streamabout.com helps you do BOTH.

Nice one Guinness.

Have to say I like this.

Guinness, the "All Blacks" (geddit?) and just as we come up to the November Internationals.

Nevermind that it features Wardy (2 drop goals and a converted try) and there's hardly a nicer man to grace Irish Rugby.

Of course when you think Munster and think of this match, you think Mossy Keane. Nicknamed by team mates as 'The Exorcist'. Why? Because he never went home until all the spirits were gone.

Munster G. A. McLoughlin, P. C. Whelan, L. White, M. I. Keane, B. Foley, C. Cantillon, C. Tucker, D. E. Spring, D. Canniffe, A. J. P. Ward, J. Bowen, G. Barrett, S. Dennison, M. Finn, L. A. Moloney

New Zealand B. R. Johnstone, J. E. Black, G. A. Knight, F. J. Oliver, A. M. Haden, W. G. Graham, G. N. K. Mourie, A. A. McGregor, M. W. Donaldson, E. J. Dunn, B. G. Williams, J. L. Jaffray, B. J. Robertson, S. S. Wilson, B. J. McKechnie 

Television Advertising overtaken by Digital. It's in a death spiral.

Digital to overtake TV Ad spend in ALL US spending in 2016.

And that's not me saying it, it's respected researchers 'Forrester' as appearing in the Ad Industry "bible", Ad Age.

Wow.

They estimate it will hit 103 Billion Dollars in 2019 - 36% of all Ad spend whereas 86 Billion will be spent on TV Advertising. 

And why? Because digital works - with fundamental proof that's lacking in traditional Advertising.

Interesting too, 'Search' (SEO) budgets are starting to be capped. In other words, brands have spent whatever they're going to, on Search. Because once you've optimised Search, no further money is needed.

Mobile too will drive the spending switch as will Social Ads and of course, online digital video. Editing your TV Commercial just isn't as effective as native video.

So the long awaited budget switch is on.
Traditional Advertising is fast becoming unbalanced towards digital.
And TV Advertising,is well....... 

Publicis acquire Digital Sapient for 3.7 Billion. Today.

Publicis, one of the giants of the traditional Advertising Agency model and the Agency which failed to merge with Omnicom some months ago, has acquired a Digital Agency/Business, Sapient.

For 3.7 Billion usd in fact.

It's all cash at circa 25 dollars a share and creates 'Publicis Sapient' and through "integration" (job losses) between the two, claim to bring savings of 60 million a year. They also acquired 'Razorfish' recently.

Sapient started in 1990 and largely was seen as a tech company but this deal brings it more into mainstream marketing. It advised companies on IT but was seen as an early-adopter of the Web and a fairly "cool" google-esque style and structure.

What it shows again, is the role of the changing traditional Ad Agency where traditional media is now something of a futile pursuit. The money is in digital and the audience is in digital.

Publicis, whom I one-time represented, were very much in the traditional space and at least, they are moving more into digital using cash to do it. However, culture will always be an issue.

You can't just be seen to be in digital, you have to want to be.

But at least, they're recognising that and doing something about it. 
Good all round really.

Online Video explodes again shows new data. Television going into freefall.

Europe's online revenue from Ads and Subscriptions through online video is skyrocketing.

It rose +51% in 2013 to 3.2 billion usd and expected to grow +41% in 2014.

In Western Europe Video on demand (VOD) grew +103% alone in 2014. One of the main drivers is ease of access to high end broadband. So the easier it is to connect online, the more online video grows and too, the ease of new devices being available on the high street.

And obviously, Traditional TV is the loser here.

Emarketer have the full report but this is only going way. TV is collapsing, online video is growing. 

That tipping point, where TV becomes irrelevant for viewers and advertisers, is not far off based on these figures.

Indeed in Ireland alone, 200,000 homes have Netflix which is ad free presenting a problem to both TV broadcasters in audience loss and to Advertisers because it's ad free.

It's also clear that Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE, would simply close without the circa 180 million they receive from Government. They cannot exist commercially and their commercial future looks dim as they face greater, better online competitors - who aren't state funded.

Pity that.....

Catherine Donnelly. In peace at 66.

Lutonphobia - the fear of Luton and how to overcome it...launched Ryanair. Powers whiskey short story ads. Table Water for Two....launched Ballygowan. Barry's Tea and the Christmas Train set. And so much more.

The Irish copywriter for generations of followers. And none came close. Rest in Peace.

4 in a series. A truly great series about Advertising in the digital age. Alka Seltzer. These are just great adland.

Here's the original commercial which actually, although legendary, mafia boss of New York Joe Columbo tried to get it banned - because it insulted Italians.

But here's the digital lessons told by Adman.
Great stories that really make sense of digital advertising.

And that Advertising people need to see. 

Here you go....(but go back to the previous Coke, Volvo and Avis posts too). Alka Seltzer. The story.

3 in a series of wonderful lessons in Advertising. Avis. we try harder. Amazing.

A great, great series about Advertising in the digital age that I've been posting over the last few days.

This is Avis by Google.

But you'll see Coke and Volvo as the previous posts. Watch them and be stunned. Admen and Adwoman must see these. Must.

And this is why online is the greatest medium ever.

2 in a series of Advertising lessons in the digital age. Volvo. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

The best thing I have ever seen online.

Here's the original 1962 commercial....

Yesterday's post was Coke, today Volvo re-imagined for a digital age.
Watch the lead video on top and then if you're smitten go to the ones below.

It's really showing Admen the digital way. Beautiful. 

Coke. One of a series showing Admen the digital online way. Stunning. Beautiful. Enthralling. And every other cliche. A must see.

Over the next 4 days I'm going to post these sensational videos from Google. And trust me they are.

It's about taking classic Advertising campaigns from the past (this one is "I'd like to teach the world to sing" for Coke) and see how they can be applied in the digital age.

Although they're older, most haven't seen them and they really are wow. 

It shows Admen (of which I am one) the digital way.
By Admen.

And the lessons as to how digital is Advertising's strengths.
Take the time and you'll be entranced and probably cry.

I did.

Netflix Price Crash? What? In Freefall!

What is happening today to Netflix stock?

Looks like it's down -25% in after hours trading today.

The market is down for sure but a 25% drop? (down another -3% to 28% at time of writing and sliding).

They did report earnings/profit earlier of 59 million usd in Q3 (well up on last year of 32 million) and they also reported a slower than expected growth of subscribers. Revenues of 1.2 Billion versus expected 1.4 Billion.

But 3 million new subscribers up to a staggering 53 million in total albeit, below expectations. The EPS is about half of what was expected. And the market is identifying a cashflow issue.

(HBO also announced today that they are moving into the online streaming space as a standalone in 2015 and will compete with Netflix).

But But But...really - extraordinary profits and growth in subscribers - yet a crash in the stock price? It's in freefall!!!!

There's something up....that's not just in the numbers.....somebody knows something we don't.

(BTW And it has opened this morning on the markets -23% down).

From those wonderful folks who gave us Pearl Harbour.

I was asked for a book that explains Advertising.

Real Advertising - the way it used to be and not the way it is now.
When ideas ruled and when Ad Agencies were more concerned about their work, than their share price.

1970 but it's known as the book than genuinely inspired 'Madmen'. He was 34 when he wrote it and the title comes from a slogan for Japanese brand 'Panasonic' (read it and you'll know why).

His view on the 'Madmen' TV series? "we were wilder, we drank more".
Believe it.

Christmas? No Adland, no.

Somebody just said it's only 11 weeks to Christmas.
No Adland, no. Please.

No online Christmas videos with staff this year.
Just send a card.

Switch 10-25% of your TV Budget to online video. Who said that? Only global Agency Omnicom!

It brings a joy to my heart when I hear an Agency, like giant Omnicom, advising Clients to move 10% to 25% of TV Ad "dollars" to online video.

Here it is in The WSJ if you want to read it in full (not that you wouldn't believe me....)
http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2014/10/06/omnicom-advises-marketers-to-move-10-to-25-of-tv-ad-dollars-to-online-video/?mg=blogs-wsj

Omnicom handles about 54 Billion usd in ad spend for clients like Visa, Apple, Pepsi, McDonald's and are in Dublin as Irish International and Cawley Nea as well as, media specialist OMD.

Not just that, their CEO Daryl Simm says "If you're trying to reach against light TV viewers, the answer is to move a significant amount of the video budget to online video". And he goes on, "There is more talent....entering the online video space. That holds a lot of promise for the online video space".

Of course too, he rightly points out that it's a move or a response to more measured advertising. Digital gets results that are deeply measured. Accountability.

And when you get advisors of this calibre, global advisors, encouraging the switch away from traditional TV, that's more great news for online. Pretty rubbish news for TV broadcasters.

Streamabout too are seeing this explosion to online video in Ireland practically daily. October will be their best month on record after three years beating their last best month - September.

I'm going home to have a beer now. Might have 2.
And say cheers to Daryl Simm. 

Excellent Economist cover. Yet we don't change our website homepages. Why?

At least 10% of sales of magazines are sold on the cover. You see something you like or that interests you and you pick it up. You also know by the cover that it's a new edition.

It's critical to magazine and newspaper sales to "sell off" the cover.

And the current issue of the excellent Economist, has that. Great cover, great design.

What's worth considering is that we don't change our website homepages every month? So that when people re-visit, it looks the same whereas if we did change it, visitors would see it being different, more interesting, more topical. Like magazines, like newspapers.

Even a new front video on your homepage each month?

Is there a lesson here from traditional publishing for digital for once?

Traditional TV can be saved by Digital Media. Look at BBC.

Interesting story in The Sunday Telegraph by way of an interview with Andrew Cave, Head of BBC Worldwide.

Interesting because the BBC is THE quintessential traditional TV broadcaster and yet, in this digital age, they've had to become more commercial. In fact BBC Worldwide with turnovers of 1 Billion Sterling, contributed 174 million stg to the BBC itself - 10% of the content budget - by selling content overseas.

Programmes like Sherlock (224 markets), Doctor Who, Top Gear, Ripper Street and so on. They also licence shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.

So their investment in drama is really paying off with 35% of revenues coming from US broadcasters with their major customers being Netflix and Amazon Prime. 

So what you see is something of a switch away from creating programmes for themselves into selling programmes for digital. In fact, you'll see BBC Worldwide creating programmes not for broadcast on BBC but to re-sell under their quality brand.

They're becoming commercial content makers in a serious way through embracing digital media rather than being protective of it.

And that's the future for traditional broadcasters. Rather than create content to show, create content to sell. It's a different focus but digital media are opening up a market that's hungry for content.

Joan Rivers is alive and promoting the Iphone 6?

The problem with sponsored and pre-scheduled Social Media posts or Tweets, is that you need to keep an eye on them.

The much heralded Apple Iphone 6/U2 Album launch of last week, had sponsored, scheduled posts as part of its marketing drive.

One, from none other, than Joan Rivers.

The late, departed Joan Rivers that is. In fact, late, departed two weeks before the launch.

But that didn't stop her because on the day, she said she thought it was a 'great product". Indeed.

Prompting of course, a response. You get the picture.
Bad Apple.

Chris Burke @chrisburke

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Joan Rivers talking about the iPhone 6... Maybe The Cloud is more than we think. pic.twitter.com/K8w3XLiJsR

1:19 PM - 19 Sep 2014

Dan Dryden @DanDryden

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Well if the iPhone 6 is good enough for Joan Rivers from beyond the grave, it's good enough for me. ;-)

6:18 PM - 19 Sep 2014

Merry Morud @MerryMorud

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#D’OH > The late #JoanRivers promotes #iPhone6 from beyond the grave. Steve Jobs could not be reached for comment http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/19/joan-rivers-iphone-6-facebook-instagram/ …

5:39 PM - 19 Sep 2014

Scotland goes to the polls. Newspapers fiddle. Rome "burns".

Very interesting piece on Mashable, given the day that's in it when Scotland goes to the polls, to examine the newspaper front pages today.

There's something beautiful about the design of 'The Guardian'; The 'Scottish Daily Mail' pins its colours to the mast; FT takes a more objective view; 'The Telegraph' (my paper of the decade) gets its readers right; 'The Sun' walks the line; 'The Mirror' doesn't and 'The Independent' looks great but says nothing.... Or something about democracy and the rest of the world....

Interesting though.

It'll be a Yes. 

No doubt about it. 

As Robbie Burns himself, once said.

(day after and I got that wrong! astonishing because I was never so sure of it and I cover/watch a lot of it. There you go)

Love this go at Apple by Samsung. Simple.

Love this go at Apple by Samsung.

Nice strong simple idea, little need for major production extravaganza or of spend. But good to have a go and good to get out next day using online video.

Makes you smile.

U2 New Album. It's free.

U2's new Album, 'Songs of Innocence' was released at The Apple Event with CEO Tim Cook. What's different about it is that immediately it went free to every itunes customer (500m) immediately.

Which is the largest album release of all time. Obviously.

It's on Itunes Radio and Beats music too but I've tried to find it and frankly, can't. But it's there.

And it's one hell of a promotion!
(but pretty hackneyed launch if you ask me.....)