Archive for July, 2008

Why does Calm blog?

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Subtitle: What is Calm’s Blog, [AKA] ‘A Space to Talk Differently’, [AKA] ‘A Bit of Daily Calm’ ALL ABOUT?

Well, it is our firm belief that companies need to be real and touchable. They need to converse with their potential customers, otherwise those customers will just go ahead and initiate conversations without them! (Think Dell Hell). So that’s what the team here at Calm have set out to do.

We talk about what we know -  we have some fascinating people in here who can talk passionately about every aspect of marketing – starting from brand and filtering through to the kaleidoscope of ways in which brands realise themselves – design, media, message, digital, social etc. We also post things on our blog that we think represent the way we think and show you videos, pictures and link to other blogs that say it better.

Also, we want to be found! We want more business than we can [currently] handle. And the Calm Asylum will grow to fit! A blog that talks about the things we do best has got to be one of the best ways we can think of to get into Google’s top ranks without even trying! See David Meerman Scott’s blog for more on this.

We really want you to see a bit of our personality in this blog. So you’ll also find stuff about things that tickle us pink from time to time. We also want you to participate, comment and get in touch. Think of our blog as a little peek into the minds of the inmates at the Calm Asylum – welcome to our space (and grab a free poster while you’re there)!

Advertising is…

Monday, July 28th, 2008

“Advertising is the principal reason why the business man has come to inherit the earth.”

- James Randolph Adams, quoted in John P. Bradley, Leo F. Daniels & Thomas C. Jones, The International Dictionary of Thoughts, 1969, Chicago, IL: J. G. Ferguson Publishing Co., p. 12.

“Advertising is of the very essence of democracy. An election goes on every minute of the business day across the counters of hundreds of thousands of stores and shops where the customers state their preferences and determine which manufacturer and which product shall be the leader today, and which shall lead tomorrow.”

- Bruce Barton (1955), chairman of BBDO, quoted in James B. Simpson, Contemporary Quotations, 1964, Binghamton, NY: Vail-Ballou Press, p. 82.

“Advertising is the ability to sense, interpret . . . to put the very heart throbs of a business into type, paper and ink.”

- Leo Burnett, quoted by Joan Kufrin, Leo Burnett: Star Reacher(1995), Chicago, IL: Leo Burnett Company, Inc., p. 54.

“Advertising is what you do when you can’t go see somebody. That’s all it is.”

- Fairfax Cone (1963), ad agency partner, quoted in James B. Simpson, Contemporary Quotations, 1964, Binghamton, NY: Vail-Ballou Press, p. 84.

“Advertising is the life of trade.”

- Calvin Coolidge, quoted in John P. Bradley, Leo F. Daniels & Thomas C. Jones, The International Dictionary of Thoughts, 1969, Chicago, IL: J. G. Ferguson Publishing Co., p. 13.

“Advertising – a judicious mixture of flattery and threats.”

- Northrop Frye, quoted in Robert I. Fitzhenry, The Fitzhenry & Whiteside Book of Quotations, 1993, Canada: Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, p. 18.

“The art of publicity is a black art.”

- Learned Hand, American jurist, quoted in Robert I. Fitzhenry, The Fitzhenry & Whiteside Book of Quotations, 1993, Canada: Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, p. 19.

“[A]dvertising is a symbol-manipulating occupation.”

- S. I. Hayakawa, Language in Thought and Action (1964), New York: Harcourt, p. 268.

View More Advertising Quotes

Taken from

Calm likes to make websites that really work for your users

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Anyone that knows a (good) website designer or website developer will have observed that we are a picky lot. Accessibility, usability and good old ‘doing things the right way’ are top priorities in our lives (yes thats BEFORE love and money).  This can be a difficult sometimes when you spend ages making sure your code meets W3C and WAI standards but knowing that there’s people out there that don’t care.

When I’m sat in Digital corner and I feel a little sad I like to read “19 Things NOT To Do When Building a Website” This article really makes me laugh because I agree with everything he says (although possibly not with so much anger) and everything on this list is very, very right.

Its well worth considering some of these points if you are getting a website or redeveloping one – so many times something that seems like a good idea and is attractive to you, can be very fustrating for your users and without users your website is a very expensive way to entertain yourself.

Calm introduce Lucy and Bart Amazing Art

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Calm introduce Lucy McRae and Bart Hess.
Their Art is “described as an instinctual stalking of fashion, architecture, performance and the body. They share a fascination with genetic manipulation and beauty expression. Unconsciously their work touches upon these themes, however it is not their intention to communicate this. They work in a primitive and limitless way creating future human shapes, blindly discovering low – tech prosthetic ways for human enhancement.”  (Taken from Lucy& Bart Blog)

Click here to see more

Calm has found a page full of interesting illusions…

Friday, July 25th, 2008

This blog post celebrates what we here at Calm Asylum like to think of as trick of the eyes… In a world where we are bombarded with marketing messages all day every day, images really need to catch your eye and make you look twice!

Click here to see a page full of great illusions