Is it time for the #productplacement business model to change?
Walking the line between art and commerce is a very delicate act. Below is a thought provoking post on the possible future of advertising in entertainment.
Been away from the blogosphere for a minute, life sometimes has a way of keeping us busier than we realize (as I'm sure you all know). In this recent lapse of time I've recently helped in the launch of ABID Technology, a venture I've also co-founded.
If you've ever been watching a movie or show and wondered... where can I find that jacket? That tie? Those shoes? ABID is for you!
The acronym represents Automatic Brand Identification, and we're trying to make life a little bit easier for everyone. We're looking to connect people to the things they see and love in their online video - with a simple click. No web searching, no more guessing. A direct connect to the things you want to discover.
It's a really cool concept, and this type of connectivity will no doubt be a part of the digital future. We're constantly moving forward with improvements, but I would love to hear any feedback - it's crucial to help make the best product possible.
To experience a sample of our Interactive Video you must use your computer. It's not yet functioning on tablets or smartphones - but we're working on it.
You can also show your support by 'liking' ABID on facebook: ABID fan page
DAY 1 We arrive achy, tired, and hungry. The previous exploration of Amsterdam combined with our 3 hour train to Paris had gotten the best of us. Our packs are seemingly heavier, so we decide to taxi the one mile commute to our Hotel de France. Probably a good idea considering the 50lb backpacks we're hoisting around.
Check into the quaint establishment, which is slightly more polished than the last, yet it's doors are easily camouflaged amongst the various shop entrances on Rue Monge, in the Latin Quarter.
Drop our belongings, scope the rooms, and venture 4 doors down to a cheap recovery meal at Starbucks (I know, eating Starbucks in France is quite lame, but perfect for quick sustenance). With food in our bellies, we crash hard.
Wake late, close to 10pm, and casually wander down our street to discover a nighttime establishment still serving small sandwiches. The ham and cheese baguette is perfectly suited for a late night snack, and it's quite delicious. Our server helpfully suggests a nearby spot to grab a beer, Z Bar. We proceed to wander the neighborhood streets curiously observing this new area, then circle back to Z Bar to have a few beers before heading back to rest our eyes.
DAY 2 Day 2 in Paris is a whirlwind. We head over to St. Germain to browse the stores. From there we walk to the gorgeous Notre Dame.
Wander a bit more and then make our way to the Louvre, constantly hounded by ultra-persistent deaf-mutes wanting signatures and donations. They're worse than the timeshare hounds in Atlantic City, but I may be biased. Is sign language universal or would I have to sign in French? I'll be looking forward to googling that.
From the Louvre we hail a trike taxi and catch a scenic ride over to the astonishing Eiffel tower, a magnificent site.
With such little time in this city we aren't able to tour any of these monuments, something to look forward to with an eventual return trip. Regardless, it is still a complete joy to observe these amazing historical wonders.
Grab a sandwich and bottle of orange juice at one of the Eiffel tourist snack stands, relax on a park bench, and observe the grandiosity of the tower. The park is buzzing with liveliness and it's the perfect place to rest momentarily and people watch.
After a long day of walking, walking, trike-riding, and walking, it's time to head back to Hotel de France to rest and freshen up for our nightly activities. We decide it best to embrace the local culture and use the subway system. Turns out to be a fairly simple ride, and a small trek back to our home base.
The small amount of rest has barely quelled my screaming feet, but nonetheless, I motivate some Paris adrenaline and we are off. Coordinate a meet up with my cousin Samantha who happens to also be in France, studying abroad for 6 weeks. P-Lo and I are to have dinner near Notre Dame, and Samantha and her new roomie Lilly will meet us for drinks, conversation, and translation. We had motivated later than we wanted and most of the restaurants are closing, yet we manage to find a random alleyway establishment with open doors. Fresh rotisseries slowly rotate in the front window, luring us inside with drooling mouths and empty stomachs. I wish I can next write about the amazing the food, and that it's the most perfectly crafted cuisine for our last night in Paris. I cannot tell such lies.
Everything is mediocre, except for the above average lamb and the French onion soup starter (the only saving grace of this meal).
Lesson learned, no more last minute dinner plans.
Meanwhile, Samantha and Lilly have quite the adventure of their own trying to find this back alley eatery. Even with fluent French at hand, they wind up having to meet us in front of Notre Dame. The adventures tonight will now continue into overdrive.
We stroll ourselves over to a random discotec bar with glowing violet ambience strobing from inside. Once seated we realize we're just about the only ones in here. A lonely dance floor in the center of the club begs for grooving feet with it's erratic blasts of mist, we did not oblige. First round ordered, sparklers placed in the ladies drinks. Note to dying bars, fire in your drinks will not light up the entire establishment, only the cocktails.
Toast to our first drinks, and sip slowly, rapidly catching up.
Although holding unique atmosphere, this empty disco was about to become emptier. With the emptying of our beverages, we were off.
The search for Club Prive begins. A random establishment P-Lo had spotted in our earlier restaurant search. We wander in circles allowing the girls to despise their heels on the tricky Parisian streets. And finally… the dim lit glow of Club Prive beckons our attention. Upon approach, Prive seems as though they will not be entertaining tonight. Sturdy oaken door shut tight. Peering through the windows shows nothing but darkness, and we turn to leave. The door slowly creaks open, and there stands a weathered looking French woman, draped in black cloak. She looks us over, and motions for our entrance. Okay… Let's do this.
Once inside we immediately descend a tiny spiral staircase, wondering what this basement dwelling shall serve up. A dim lit, well polished, compact bar is the first thing spotted. This place rests empty, aside from a small group of well dressed Parisian mafioso type gentlemen seated in the rear corner. They stare at us as we enter, sipping slowly on their drinks. Their judgments are accompanied by the sounds of a live pianist, seated in opposite corner, belting out obscure American tunes with slowed tempo. Seductive red velvet couches line the compact room, and we immediately grab seats. I'm now waiting for vampire Leststat to enter for his midnight feed. The walls are solid block, and no one would hear the screams. Definitely time for a drink.
Converse to ourselves as we sip on overpriced cocktails, and decide it's time to move forward. The bill is payed and immediately an acoustic mariachi band sets up, blocking our exit from the small room. What is up with this transnational room of death? We climb over and through the three piece band to our eventual escape. Ok, it's time for something a bit more… normal.
We jump in the first cab we see and he's zipping us around in search of somewhere that's still open. A crowded alleyway with alcohol indulgent Paris locals looks to be our best bet. We plunge into the packed sweatbox of a bar as my bladder screams for mercy. Stand in line as drunken Frenchmen converse with me never figuring I'm not comprehending a single word. Once relieved, I find the rest of the group outside and curbside, forced out by the wall of sweaty bar-hounds blocking access to our much needed alcoholic refreshments.
Ok. New spot. The search continues. Somehow we manage ourselves back into a cab, and wind up at an establishment with outdoor seating, delicious cocktails, and a handful of casual folk enjoying their late night. Perfect. I feel like the Parisian Goldilocks after the nights prior events. Too empty, then too over-packed, but this place was juuuuuuust right. We sip our final cocktails, say our goodbyes, and return to our humble hotel room. 4:30am?! Damn. must. Rest. Eyes.
DAY 3 Awake early and tighten up our packs. Checkout and store our baggage in the lobby closet. We kill some time before our departure to Spain by stomping lightly around our neighborhood, baggy-eyed and bushy-tailed we somehow lazily wander further towards Saint Germain.
Attempt to shortcut it back, wind up walking random alleyways, and find ourselves completely off track. This map is not helping and we momentarily subdue our adventurous pride by asking direction. Hustle back towards our hotel as rain begins to spit from sky. Return promptly, grab packs, situate brains, taxi it to the train station.
Perfect timing. Perfect pace. Grab one final meal in Paris at the station, which is surprisingly decent. Wait patiently until our Spanish Caravan arrives. 13 hours before we hit Madrid, and we can use the rest.
It's wednesday. For a moment the days were difficult to recollect, but now i am certain it is Wednesday. Exhaustion keeps me still as I ride the Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris, wondering what the next city will serve up as an offering for this soon to be 30 year old.
Amsterdam was strongly overpowering in the first 24 hours, spinning my head like coin on counter. Two halves of opposite paradise join amsterdam together in strides towards an accepting world. A city where love and lust stroll through a park holding hands, settling any quarrel with a shot of absinthe and a puff of plant.
Beautiful organic textures line the streets and buildings in this fairytale city. Wood, stone, and brick serve as sturdy reminders of years passed, as treelined canals comfortably flow through many of the neighborhood walkways.
Bicycles whiz by in rapid succession, creating the need to constantly peer over your shoulder before making any change in direction or stride.
We trekked the city thoroughly each day, exploring alleyways and window displays, parks and recreation, and embraced the relaxed lifestyle of an ever-flowing canal culture.
We rested our packs and our eyes at the petite Hotel Hegra. A cozy establishment with narrow red carpeted stairwells, leading us two flights up to room four, where the large double windows opened to a view of the canal.
Private shower, shared toilet, snug room, yet clean and quiet. An amazingly serene neighborhood a few blocks west of the action packed Dam Square.
Hegra on Herengracht street was advantageously equidistant from most of the major attractions, lending ease to our stomping sessions around the city.
Hidden gems of street art disperse throughout the nooks and crannies, with sly passageways leading to both beauty and indulgence.
The food was delectable wherever we settled each day.
Pancakes are a must, with their thin dough and variety of toppings.
Five days in, with shins splitting and feet aching we found ourselves packing it back to central station to catch our train to Paris.
With newly developed super senses, we had grown accustomed to sidestepping bikes, trollies, cars, and newly arriving tourists.
There was a special flow in Amsterdam, a unique slow paced enjoyment of life, these things are sometimes forgotten in the hustle bustle reality that grips us all. It was good to remember. It was great to forget.
If you don't have all of these items you may be able to substitute a small carry on bag as well.
The method is simple, you want to create a tower off fluffiness, using your tray table as a solid base. I usually start with the blanket, which is more effective if you fold it several times giving it more body to work with. Don't question me, just do it.
Next, place the inflated neck pillow on top of the blanket, open horseshoe end facing towards you. This creates a massage table effect, giving your face somewhere to sink in.
Final step, added cushion. Using the pillow provided by most airlines, you now have a plush surface to sink your head into, without straining your neck too much. The final result should look like this:
I personally find it even more comfortable placing at least one arm between the neck pillow and top pillow, but that's preference. Once you're in position, throw on some tunes to help drown out excess noise, and you're off to dreamland… until the guy sitting next to you needs to take a piss.
Air travel can sometimes be very uncomfortable, especially if you don't have the luxury of flying first class. A few of these small tips can be used to ease the inconveniences of flying.
FOOD Rather than spend money on flight, prepare ahead and pack easily consumable snacks once in your terminal, or grab a preflight meal. I personally always try to accomplish both. Trailmix, beef jerky, cheese and crackers, or even a simple turkey and cheese sandwich are all great options.
Keep in mind the others sitting around you when choosing your snack, it would be best to stay away from anything too potent in smell. The last thing anyone wants, is to be stuck next to Lady Ga Garlic for 6 hours.
Chewing gum also comes in handy to help with ear de-pressurization.
LIQUIFY The air systems on flight can easily dry out your mouth and nose, it's always helpful to bring a bottle of water with you, especially if you're traveling long distance. Yes, you could wait for an attendant to pour you a plastic cup full of your favorite beverage, but you're then at the mercy of a cluttered tray table and annoying on-flight garbage. The choice is yours, but I'm always happy to have liquid refreshment at my beckon call.
PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT Pass the time. Prepare your digital devices with new albums, movies, games, books, etc. If you're not yet up on your digital, it's okay to resort to that old school paper and print. Us techies won't judge.
Time always moves faster when you're thoroughly entertained. This is a must.
ACCESSORIZE Neck Pillow. Oh yes people! With only a simple five dollar investment, and approximately 4 breaths of air, you too can fly in comfort with an inflatable fleece neck pillow.
I purchased mine from target and it does the trick. Deflates and easily folds up to pack into even the smallest of carry-ons. It's better to have than to wish you have.
COMFORT Wear comfy clothes and remove the shoes! Traveling is not a fashion show people. With the exception of those heading directly to an event or handling business right off the plane, dress yourself for comfort. It's always nice to wear slip off shoes and pop those suckers off mid air, you'll notice the comfort level increase immediately. If you're a sweat hog with stink foot, please ignore that last suggestion.
SEATING Feel free to ask about emergency exit seating when checking in.
This seemingly obvious choice will provide you with more room to stretch your legs… as long as someone else doesn't beat you to it. Just make sure you're ready to save lives.
Enjoyed a lovely afternoon with my friend @NinaMaurio, it's always great slowing down to catch up in this fast-paced world we live in. Had a tasty Thai lunch at Beet in Brooklyn, followed by a refreshing Pear Cider @CommonwealthBar. Said our goodbyes, threw some tunes in my brain, and aimed myself towards the next destination.
Strolled over a few blocks to meet up with my traveling counterpart for the next 2 weeks, my newly retired, long time friend P-Lo.
Private car arrives promptly at 5:00pm, and we're off to the airport in style. Arrive with no problems, and begin the checkin process. This process can sometimes be a hassle, but a few small tips can make your life a whole lot easier. Look for ScoJo travel tips in my upcoming post.
Flying Icelandair, connecting Iceland to Holland. Flight delayed from 8:30pm to 10:00. Ok, it happens. Staying positive, more time to relax and charge the iPhone.
PS - the new power charging stations in airports are fantastic, be sure to take advantage.
Small pre-flight meal @Bonfire where we conversed with some hilarious Swiss travelers, Hani and Salhida, returning home after their lengthy Vegas-New York adventures. Something to look forward to. Finished the fair-at-best overpriced chicken sandwich and remained prepped for flight.
Finally board plane around 9:45, last row, isle seats. The wall behind my seat informs me I will not be reclining on this flight, we've been hosed. This dilemma later leads to 'stack-sleep' maneuver… good thing I'm a professional. Plane lifts off around 10:45pm, 2 hours behind schedule. Flying…
