As if we need to say it: we’re super into media in physical spaces. We were into it before it was a trend in advertising at large, but we’re also happy that our community has embraced this type of experience as something valuable for brands – measurable ROI, an ability to create experiences about learning, information sharing, and a childlike sense of wonder.
For Hearst Media, and with architect Marc Thorpe and technical partners Flightphase, we conceived of, directed and brought this three-part Infiniti installation to life. The documentary video of the event at Pebble Beach will be released momentarily (as well as our brand new site) but for now, think gestural interactivity, haptic play, and large format projections.
August 17th, 2010
david
There were several social media efforts in effect last week during the Cannes ad festival. Kudos to you over-achievers and fake URL makers. HUSH embarked on our own social media endeavor, not composed of 0s and 1s, mobile devices, roving cameras or GPS, but with good ol’ fashioned stickiness.
What happens when you bring thousands of stickers to the Riveria and pass them around to your fellow advertising brethren? A new social campaign emerges involving lots of alcohol, double-dares and waking up with stickers on your ass. Sorry if that was you, but you were just too temping…and it probably wasn’t our fault anyway. This took on a life of its own.
Check out the Flickr gallery of the stuck stickers.
Check out the Flickr gallery of our trip.
June 30th, 2010
david
The Superbowl is coming to NJ – and no wonder brands are flocking to the new stadium to leave their mark in an indelible fashion. HUSH is currently engaged in a great project with SapientNitro NY to develop some great game play animation content for an 82″ (yeah, that’s huge, see the blue tape on our wall above) multi-touch gaming experience for installation in the stadium. Buy your tickets, if not for the Jets/Giants, then to play with this big screen yourself!
June 22nd, 2010
david
I watched this movie on the plane ride to #cannes. I should have slept instead knowing the week that lays ahead. Even so, it was a great reminder of the role technology plays in our cultural zeitgeist (I really wanted to use that word) but can also so quickly date us. It started me thinking about how we view technology at HUSH…
We don’t make it; we harness it. There’s a big difference. We’re constantly evolving, learning, and challenging ourselves to explore new platforms. We broke outside of the TV with our first job. But it’s a never-ending battle. Our passion is developing brands, visualizing ideas as designers, putting things in motion as lovers of narrative storytelling. These passions are technology agnostic – but absolutely, undeniably predicated on understanding the technological platform.
I have to say though, Gecko’s phone might have been a tough nut to swallow.
June 22nd, 2010
david
We are usually the first to nix the word “viral” from our vocabulary when talking with potential clients. Anything viral is only deemed so by the crowd, not by brand or agency behind its creation. And even those things appearing to “go viral” are nearly always manufactured – a complex system of seeding and syndication creates the appearance of virality to the uninitiated. But despite that word, when a good idea comes our way with a good technical platform to boot, we can’t help but jump at the opportunity.
We spent the last two weeks developing a project that mixes Dr. Strangelove with Airplane, all skinned in a paper craft world of our art directors and production designers. I think it’s a nice blend of satire, absurdity and craft. You can’t say that every day. Stay tuned for shameless self promotion over the interwebs in the hope that this thing goes “viral” 
June 22nd, 2010
david
HUSH was asked by Marc Thorpe @ Third Eye Studios to take part in the reputable Showtime “Cassa” project that happens every year in a new, coveted architectural space here in the city. To promote various new and old Showtime series, Showtime invites architects, designers and now, media / storyteller specialists like HUSH, to design architectural spaces around the themes of their shows. This year, we have access to famed Mexican architect Enrique Norton’s new private residence building in mid-town. HUSH and Third Eye Studios will develop interior design and media projections for a space based on the themes of the upcoming series “The Borgais” about the original gangstas – the Italian mafia – god, religion, family, crime, etc. Here at HUSH we’re sure to bend those themes pretty far. So far, we’re pushing physical neon signage, projection of religion icons that twist perception and provide sensory overload/deprivation. Welcome to our home!
See last years Showtime house to see the project and scope. http://www.sho.com/site/showtimehouse/tour.do
June 22nd, 2010
david
The Creativity CaT conference was held at Pier 94 – one of the most remote locations a Brooklyn-based body can travel to. On the edge of Manhattan, the space is a huge warehouse/hanger that resembles something out of Christopher Nolan’s (no relation) Dark Knight. The line up of speakers included some of the usual suspects: Faris and Nick Law of RG/A.
What I enjoyed much more (having heard those two speak a good deal already this year) was getting some insight from people like Theo Watson. Theodore’s work ranges from creating new tools for artistic expression, experimental musical systems, to immersive, interactive environments with full-body interaction. His recent work includes the Eyewriter, an eye controlled drawing tool, Graffiti Research Lab’s Laser Tag, laser graffiti system and Funky Forest, an immersive, interactive ecosystem for young children. Theodore works together with Zachary Lieberman and Arturo Castro on openFrameworks, which is an open source library for writing creative code in C++, and it was a pleasure to be walked though his projects by the man himself.
We were also excited to see our tweep Alex Rainert, talk about Location, Location, Location. Alex is currently Head of Product at foursquare where he and the rest of the team are working to change the way you engage with the world around you.
One more speaker I want to shift some attention to was Eric Rodenbeck of Stamen. Mr. Rodenbeck is Stamen’s founder and creative director. A 14-year veteran of the interactive design field, he has worked to extend the boundaries of online media and live information visualization.
Needless to say it was a day full of handshakes, networking, and the free exchange of ideas – exactly what a conference needs to be in this ever changing state of our industry. Kudos go out to Teressa Iezzi and the entire Creativity Mag team for a successful day.
June 15th, 2010
tim
Part 1 / Creative UnConference, Day One
Tim: The One Show’s Creative Unconference, was for me, the intellectual highlight of the week. The format of this gathering is unique and encourages conversation, confrontation, and sharing, three things that I feel are essential to our industry. What I like is that there is no set structure but rather a rough outline, and the day is created on the fly. I hosted a discussion entitled “Y.R.U. Fucking me?” The title, although comedic, was a serious conversation on how traditional agencies, digital agencies of record and clients all get along and interface with one another when constructing a campaign, or when developing a brand platform for their clients. What I really liked is that 90% of those who attended my panel were vocal and had something to share. All in all it was two very exciting days of open dialog. Nick Law I am sorry I drew a penis on your submission.
David: I attended this event last year as well and was very impressed, hence our return. What I convey to people when they ask about the experience is the absence of hierarchy. Traditional conferences are so top-down…literally. Think about it: a group of industry leaders, chosen by an unidentifiable “God” curator, arrive on stage. The rest of the audience waits expectantly to hear pearls of wisdom roll off their tongues. It happens. Sometimes it doesn’t. After that, the mass of attendees scrambles to get a minute with said speakers during a coffee break. Cards dropped. Hands shaken. Insights lost in the shuffle. With the Unconference, the world is flat. Groups form organically around a subject matter not a around a name or title. You sit in a circle. You speak when you want. You makes the rules. To your right, an intern. To your left an ECD with the power to bankroll your company.
Part 2 / Creative UnConference, Day Two
Tim: The gem of day two for me was a discussion hosted by Richard Schatzberger, of BBH New York. Richard is the Director of Creative Technology and walked us through what he does all day. The one sound bite that stuck with me was “Make, Make Make!” He reminded me why I started creating content for the Web, and I have really tried to apply this thinking to my everyday. Prototyping and building out demos in Flash, trying out things in HTML 5 or Javascript has been filling my free time and I must say, it has really re-charged me. Thanks @Schatz
David: While Tim was discussing why everyone is simultaneously fucking and getting fucked, I was listening to Nick Law of R/GA as he drew graphs on a white board. He drew a graph that was butter – it told the entire history of the advertising process and the DNA of creativity as it’s developed to date. It’s got two axes. It’s got a bunch of points. And best of all, he scribbles all over the damn thing as the crescendo to his talk. (I saw him in DUMBO this week, introduced him to one of our business advisors, then proceeded to draw Nick’s graph on a napkin. The discussion became the basis for the remainder of our meeting.
Tim: The evening was capped off with a few hours of debauchery provided by McCann New York’s creative duo, Matt & Ale. The Fucking Party, was an attempt to collect the industry’s largest profanity filter and build out an API for it. The party turned into a tightly packed sardine can full of drunkards. Go Advertising.
Part 3 / One Show Interactive Gala
Tim: We closed out the week in classic Mad Men fashion… well Digital Mad Men fashion at least. The One Show Interactive showcased some of this years biggest and best digital campaigns. The theme this year was Brazilian, unfortunately the cuisine did not translate as well as previous years. I truly enjoyed watching great projects like The AXE Dirty Balls web video, Lego Photo iPhone App, and The Nike Livestrong ChalkBot take home awards. Next year will prove to be an innovative one.
May 19th, 2010
tim
DUMBO is staking its flag in becoming the New York “Digital District”. Over 60 digital agencies, while competing on a professional level, have vested their interest and unified to establish DUMBO as the “Digital District” for purposes of attracting talent, clients and recognition of where brands should come for their online needs. This emerging business sector would benefit by having an organized body of professionals dedicated to advocacy and charged with identifying DUMBO as the place to look to for new media marketing and web design needs.
The most important, innovative, and influential new media agencies are located in DUMBO, with more moving in all the time. DUMBO is leveraging itself to strategically grow into the epicenter of New York’s digital future. It seems only fitting that we receive the bandwidth fitting of such a digital mecca. When Google opened the door, by offering free Google Fiber, HUSH joined forces with some DUMBO allies, and took giants steps to make this happen.
Here at HUSH, we look at our neighborhood, as one big family, and sometimes as one big open-air agency. As the resident directors of the hood HUSH took it upon ourselves to write a script and creative treatment, then disseminate amongst the many digital shops, creative agencies, and businesses here in DUMBO. The idea was simple to create a clever lo-fi treatment that anyone with a webcam or hand-held video camera could shoot and then upload to our campaign website.
What we came up with, used a simple system of poster-board backgrounds based on the colors of the Google logo, and a no nonsense script with a clearly defined message, If we don’t deserve Google fiber… No one does! Check our our submission here.
May 3rd, 2010
tim
Thanks to the students from BYU’s graphic design program for stopping by the studio. I hope we made the idea of life after school a little more inspiring! Thanks professors too, of course!
April 8th, 2010
david
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