$10 from Google

Win U$ 10 million for creative idea.

Online Bookstore

Zoomi brings Amazon to a real-bookstore-like.

Community Marketing

In this web 2.0 era, the internet has become most people's tool for their daily routine, for sharing ideas online by creating community of interest, forcing members to create user generated content. This is how to lurk business owner, by showing the strength of your community's Sense of Community (SOC).

Obama's Online Campaign

This is how word of mouth and online social networking works for Obama's campaign.

We have raised money from a million dollars people just like you who have said, "We can bring this country together..."

A Mild

Toni Darusman - a kinda good looking guy-, A Mild Brand Manager, a Sampoerna-Philip Morris product, was giving a lecture in our class.

A Mild is one of several products made by PT Handjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk., Indonesia's third-largest manufacturer of cigarettes, which in 2005 acquisited by Philip Morris International, categorized in Low Tar Low Nicotine, and a machine made cigarette. The cigarette is targeted to young market, aged 18 to 25, who are active, dynamic, music and movie lovers, and sport (basketball and billiard) lovers (am I right?)

Toni was talking about the constant wittiness of A Mild's ads. Given the undisclosed whisper of the next ad theme, A Mild will provoke a series of survey-like premise. And in the unwavering time, the result of those chain will be shown. Can't wait for that.

Also, for the next TVC, they are preparing something related with screwdriver and its partner. He even showed us the under construction storyboard of the ad :)

Except the ads, he also uttered about the hustle and bustle of smoke industry in several countries like Thai, Aussie, S'pore, HK, Korea, and Japan, and how those stern regulation compel them to perform an original approach, to find some possible crack, in order to act resourcefully. It was quite stunning, knowing that numerous government counsel on smoking risks to the health are shown sharply, directly, metaphorically, and not too literally, unlike the one we have here in Indonesia. Take a look at these packaging expressions:

face --------------------------- reverse side

Above, you see that creepy warning for Marlboro in Australia, showing that smoking could cause blindness. More thoroughly, irreversible damage to the back of the eye - or macular degeneration. Your central vision may lost and followed by permanent blindness, they said that. And you can call the quitline or visit quitnow.info.au. There, you'll see the tobacco campaign and also some other scary pictures that truly encourage you to quit.

face ---------------------------------- reverse side

On top you see Langham (of Poland?) The government health warning is also explicit and straightforward. Forgive me for the blur picture.

But I like the creativity of packaging. The sliding lid pack of Marlboro Korea, the menthol shield of Philip Morris Japan, they even have patented it.

face --------------------rear ------rear------------- reverse side

face------------------------- rear-----------------reverse side

In order to counter the more rigid government regulation, A Mild build an 'A Store' to maintain the brand, a store that trade non cigarette materials.

A little bit more about A Mild's brand manager: Graduated from one of universities in Liverpool, Toni started his career by joining trainee squad. He has now been working for up to 8 years in his profession. He was once handed over in Philip Morris Hong Kong for about a year. And he said, you don't have to be a smoker to work at Sampoerna. Interested?

Update: The TVC is now available in Indonesian TV. Have a look.

Dove Unslaughter

Unilever is the biggest single user of palm oil in the world, they used it for their soap, and they got it from Indonesia rain forest, via greenpeace.
Watch the two videos:

Dove Unslaught - Unilever

Dove - Greenpeace

Muhammad Yunus and His 'Digital Aladdin Lamp'

Not many people could contribute for the poor, with a devout will, giving to the less fortunate, after they gain a degree, or after they earn penny. But an awarded Noble Peace Prize winner for his Grameen Bank in 2006 is an exception.

After awarded Morgan award, a James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award by the Tech Museum of Innovation, he then willing to accomplish another deed for the poor, not creating money from the poor. Salute!!