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The Art of Business Cards by Moo

We have to tip our hat to Moo for the great name and URL. (We are Milk after all.) But what really excites us about Moo is its passion for making business cards cool, as well as mini cards, stickers, postcards and more. You can customize your cards with your own images or choose from their excellent designs. Now business cards can do more than pick stuff out of your teeth. They can show a lot of creativity too. Check it out.

Rock Me, Amadeus – Phoenix

Our man Brendan is the Minister of Music at The Boathouse, and he’s turned us on to the new album from the French rock band Phoenix. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is chock full of catchy, radio-friendly confections like “1901”, “Lasso,” and the opening track “Lisztomania.” Frontman Thomas Mars sings it all in English, but his sentiments and the band’s breezy sound is universal. If you want to get ahead of the curve on the next wave of relevant pop music, check this one out on iTunes or visit the band’s site here.

What a Load of Crap – The Comfort Wipe

Honestly, we posted this just for the headline – but come on, a stick that holds the toilet paper so you can wipe your butt? Does North Korea make this stuff so they can laugh at us? Not only that, when you visit the website (and you know you want to) you may notice the three spelling errors in the main paragraph. So you know it’s a quality product. Check it out.

Ignore Everybody (Just Not This Author)

Hugh MacLeod, the blogger behind the popular gapingvoid.com has just released his first book, Ignore Everyone, And 39 Other Keys to Creativity. It’s a quick read that expands on the whip-smart insights and cartoons found on the blog. It’s common sense, e-duh advice dispensed for the risk-adverse world such as, “Selling out is harder than it looks: Diluting your product to make it more commercial will just make people like it less.” Great stuff. Check it out.

A Different Kind of Ending?

Back in college many eons ago this writer competed in the American Advertising Federation’s collegiate competitions. One year our case study was Saturn. The assignment was to pitch the brand to first-time car buyers. So our team learned everything we could about the fledgling brand. Quickly we learned there was nothing else like Saturn. They completely redid the math. It was, as Hal Riney and Partners so accurately penned, “A Different Kind of Company.” It became cult-like. Imagine that. It wasn’t a car like the Vette people worshiped – it was the entire brand; the same way people worship Mini today. Even the ads were great. They were honest, smart and quirky. It cemented my belief in my chosen career. Now it’s new owner Roger Penske’s turn to to revive the brand after GM starved it nearly to death. The racing legend and dealership king claims he he will be profitable from day one, something Saturn never was. Roger, start your engines. But please, don't forget about the power of the brand.

Behold the Power of Cheese – Awkwardfamilyphotos.com

This site is a fascinating look at how families and friends choose to display their affection for each other. Frankly, we can’t get enough of it. It’s almost hypnotic. Check it out.

A Storm’s a Brewin’

The coffee wars are heating up and ultimately, it’s good for coffee. But who will be the big winner? And will there be any losers? McDonald’s has officially thrown its hat into the ring with McCafé (it’s biggest launch ever), Starbucks is fighting back (with advertising no less), and as we all know by now, America runs on Dunkin’. Some brands like Joffrey’s in Tampa believe that customer attention and product quality will win out over convenience. On its blog Expresso, the company writes, “Face the facts, McDonald’s is not a coffee house and cannot deliver the experience to the customer that so many local coffee houses can and do successfully.” Joffrey’s believes coffee is a culture and focusing on that culture will be a key for independent shops to survive. They may be right. What’s your take? Check it out.

What Are We Really Learning Here?

This isn’t a soapbox post. Or maybe it is. That’s for you to decide. But what are we learning from The Learning Channel’s (in case you forgot what TLC stood for) Jon & Kate? Forget about the “8” for a moment (everyone else seems to be), because right now it’s all about Jon and Kate – or more specifically, Kate. She’s cute, she’s scorned, she’s…marketable! The tabloids are making a ton off of her. And pretty soon, she will become a fully realized brand. Can’t you just see her having her own show or a semi-regular spot on The View? This is a lesson about how you can literally pluck people off the street and turn them into branded celebrities in the digital age. This is not voyeuristic silliness like awkardfamilyphotos.com; this is serious. There are eight kids to think about. TLC’s slogan is “Life surprises.” Are any of us really surprised anymore?

Mat Kearney – City of Black & White

Stop by our home base at The Boathouse and you may just hear this terrific new album providing the soundtrack to another day of creativity. Kearney is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter, but don’t expect a twang. Kearney takes his Chris Martin-style voice for a ride through funky backbeats, smooth guitars and soulful melodies on songs like “Closer to Love” and “All I Have.” Check it out.

Word of Mouth – The Shrinkwrapper Restaurant Blog

Posted by Cynthia & Jeff who like small, unique places with inventive food and atmosphere, The Shrinkwrapper has become our go-to source for vittles everywhere from SoNo to the East Village. The duo knows what they like, and present it in a palatably honest voice; as you’d hope two friends would. They pull no punches and they don’t get paid for this. Like so many in the digital age, they’ve paired something they love with the ability to blog and it’s done well. Which is rare. For this medium. The Joe Sequenzia pick of the month. Check it out.

Please Check this Out. We Won’t Be Too Upset if You Don’t. Really

Billed as “painfully polite and hilariously hostile writings from shared spaces the world over,” passiveagressivenotes.com is like watching a sitcom without the actors or the laugh track. We’re being treated to the script instead. Happy reading. Check it out.

Lego My Guggenheim!

Here’s the perfect kid’s toy for they highly educated designer in your life. Lego is producing an Architecture Series, starting with six Frank Lloyd Wright buildings such as the Guggenheim Museum, which will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. The site is still being constructed, but like all great structures, it will be well worth the wait. Check it out.

55th Annual Connecticut Ad Club Awards

We took home several awards at this year's event that showcased the best the Connecticut ad industry had to offer in 2008. Congratulations to our entire team, but mostly to our clients for green-lighting ideas that were honest, engaging and different.

Not the Same Ol', Same Ol' - Southern Brand Apparel

Southern Brand just launched its line of vintage soft tees for men, women and lil' ones, and we've quickly become big fans. It's not just the vintage soft 100% cotton we love, or the fact that it's all made in the US of A - it's the fact that they print with vegetable and soy inks that produce no formaldehyde discharge. A great brand with a pure soul. Check it out.

Still Green to Being Green? Start Here.

Maybe you're a little late to the whole "Green" thing, or you just feel you could do more. No problem. There are tons of sites dedicated to green living and, not surprisingly, Live Green is a good one. The site does its homework and offers high quality products at fairly affordable prices. There is a $13 a year membership fee but you'll make that back in savings, or at the very least, the site can serve as a good resource. Check it out.

Meetings Give Me Gas – Carbon Free Meeting Coalition

Have your next client face to face without the carbon footprint. Created as a conduit for companies interested in the reduction of carbon emissions, the Carbon Free Meeting Coalition’s mission is to increase the use, measurement, recognition and value of advanced communications technologies as a critical tool in the effort to reduce carbon and drive energy sustainability programs. Check it out.

Turn Your Blueprints Green – P&H Construction

If you think transportation eats up a lot of energy, consider these stats from the U.S. Green Building Council: buildings account for 70% of electricity consumption, 39% of energy use, and 39% of all carbon emissions. That’s why P&H Construction has become an expert in structures that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. They can show you how to reduce operating expenses and cut your energy, water and waste. Check it out.

Bye. Bye. Toxins. – Simple. Pure. Clean.

All natural cleaning products are a great way to go green, and there are many on the market now. Here’s a brand from Connecticut that uses plant and vegetable based ingredients and smartly packages its products in recyclable containers that have been discontinued by other companies to keep landfill waste down. Check it out.

Files Go in the Trash, Not Computers – 1000computers.org

We banged on this back in May of last year, but it’s never a bad time to remind you that millions of computers end up in landfills each year where their highly toxic materials leak into the groundwater and produce carcinogens. So why not donate your unused computers to 1000computers.org. They’ll give them to children in developing countries who use them to build better lives. It’s that simple – and easily achievable. You help collect just 1,000 computers, and they help hopeful countries to begin creating a critical mass of computer skill and an economic link to the rest of the world. Check it out.

Milk Supports a Carbon Neutral Planet

Thanks for visiting the Milk blog. We're glad you enjoyed one of our banner ads. Here are some others you might find on sites like SonoCtGuide.com and StamfordCtGuide.com. To see more of our work check out our site.

Still So Simple

A very simple company with a very simple purpose. Best of all, Simple has never once strayed from its core values or brand identity. Oh, and they make great products without harming the planet. They've been doing it long before "green" became trendy, and they still do it about as well as any company. Check it out.

Going Bigger in 2009

That’s our rally cry for 2009. Bigger ideas. Bigger campaigns. Bigger bigness. It’s something we were talking about near the end of ’08 then Robbie Madison went super big on New Years Eve and we knew there was no going back. We’re going big. Check it out.

Interview with Your Brain – Buy•ology

In our July edition of the blog we told you about Luke Sullivan’s great book, Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Advertising. We read a lot of marketing books and if you’re taking the time to read our blog, then chances are, you need to read them too. We’re currently reading Martin Lindstrom’s Buy•ology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. It’s a fascinating look into neuromarketing. Want to know why people prefer the taste of Pepsi but still buy Coke? Want to know why mirror neurons affect just about every purchase decision you make? The brain knows. Check it out.

Thinking Inside the Box – The Houdini Solution

Ernie Schenck is one of our favorite contributors to Communication Arts. His Advertising column is a highlight of each issue. Like his pal Luke Sullivan, Ernie penned a must-have book for everyone with a brand story to tell. In The Houdini Solution, Schenck shows you how to use tight budgets and last-minute deadlines to your advantage. It’s easy to think outside the box with a millions of dollars at your disposal. But lately that box is getting smaller and smaller. Which is why you need this book. Check it out.

Reinventing the Wheel – The Honeycomb Tire

"There's all sorts of armor on (a military Humvee), but if you're running in the theater and get your tire shot out, what have you got? You've got a bunch of armor in the middle of a field." This is the insight behind the Honeycomb Tire, a non-pneumatic tire (no air required) that can survive an IED attack. Simply brilliant. Check it out.

Good Winter Music – Bon Iver

This is a gem of an album. The New York Times called For Emma, Forever Ago “irresistible,” and the reviewers on iTunes are raving about its poetic beauty. Bon Iver (pronounced: bohn eevair; French for "good winter" and spelled wrong on purpose) is basically musician Justin Vernon who recorded this intimate collection over the course of a winter at his father’s hunting cabin, deep in the Wisconsin woods. And it shows. You feel like you’re in the room as he sings “Skinny Love,” an exceptional track. Check it out.

Performance Enhancer – Forearm Forklift Lifting Straps

Usually anything that is “As Seen on TV” is pretty cheesy. But this is pretty cool. Invented by a professional mover, the straps allow you to lift furniture and appliances that you would have no chance of moving on your own. There are a few companies selling straps like this, but the product demonstration on this site is pretty good. Check it out.

Why So Grumpy, Neil? – Fork in the Road

We love Neil Young. Great musician. Belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of singer-songwriters. But it seems like Neil has a bee in his bonnet about Apple, the iPod and iTunes. Did they ruin the music business? Is Apple evil? Maybe. Maybe it was the Internet. But Apple didn’t invent MP3 players or file sharing. They just made it better. And the last we checked, no one steals music from iTunes. The record industry thrived for decades because you had to buy the whole disc to get the one or two hits on the disc. Now you don’t. No more moving the needle. No more fast-forwarding. We love you, Neil. Great video. Check it out.

Melodic Gossipmonger – Ray LaMontagne

This is what we’re spinning at the Boathouse this week and it’s a gem. Ray LaMontagne’s third album Gossip in the Grain “touches upon a range of styles and musical settings– spanning pastoral folk, railroad blues, front porch country, and plangent balladry.” One iTunes reviewer says he “writes like Dylan, sounds like Cocker, plays like James Taylor and has the soul of Otis Redding.” That’s pretty good company. Listen to his ode to Meg White. The girl had to swoon. Check it out.

Ice Storm – Hockey Suspends Player for Remarks

Once again the lines between professional athletics, entertainment and celebrity have blurred. Witness the indefinite suspension of Dallas Stars troublemaker Steve Avery. Maybe you heard. Before a game in Canada, Avery walked up to reporters, made sure the cameras were rolling and mics were hot, and offered a crude and well-rehearsed opinion about ex-girlfriends who now date other players. So the NHL suspended him, which is the league’s prerogative. Avery was probably trying to bring attention and personality to the league, which it sorely needs and he injects (he interned at Vogue and attended fashion shows with the likes of Martha Stewart in the off-season). But he forgot that the rules are different for athletes than they are for other celebs. Kanye West can get off a post-Katrina crack about President Bush, but there is no Commissioner of Music to suspend him. Is it just? Columnist Damien Cox of the Toronto Star delves deeper into the confusion. What’s your take? Check it out.

Even Wes Craven Would Be Horrified

Though it was released in 2006, there isn’t a more relevant movie today than Who Killed the Electric Car? A top screenwriter on his best day couldn’t dream up a story of greed, fear and ineptitude like this one. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll mostly cry. Maybe the heads of GM, Ford and Chrysler can pop it in a DVD player as they road-trip back to Washington to beg for their handout. The Joe Sequenzia pick of the month. Check it out.

You’re Punished! Don’t Go to Your Room!

Italian furniture company Tumidei Spa has taken the loft concept to elevated levels with its beautiful and ingenious Tiramolla bedroom collection that allows for maximum flexibility, fantasy and fun. They are truly a marvel of modern design. What wouldn’t kids do to get sent to rooms like these? Check it out.

Smart Exhibitionist – Girl in Your Shirt

Give it up to Jenaé of Jackson, Ohio for taking what’s cool about YouTube and BzzAgent and launching Girl in Your Shirt, a site where she pimps your company while wearing your shirt. Will it work? Will she become a media darling? The site is new so the jury is still out. But the girl’s got moxie. And scruples. She won’t wear tank tops because she likes to keep things focused on the company rather than showing skin. Good for you, kid. Check it out.

The Real Miracle Spread – J&D’s Baconnaise

Stuff a stocking and clog an artery with the yummy goodness that is Baconnaise. That’s right; Justin and Dave think everything should taste like bacon so they’ve added their bacon-flavored mayonnaise to a product line that already includes bacon-flavored salt. You hear that cauliflower! Prepare for a bacon bath! Check it out.

Do You Believe in Heaven Now? – The Twinkies Cookbook

Listen up Rachel Ray. And this goes for you too, Emeril, Giada and Naked Chef. Your cookbooks are fish wrap compared to the culinary wonder that is The Twinkies Cookbook. Any hack can whip up a chicken dish. But could you dream up Twinkie Sushi, Twinkie Burrito, or the unbelievably savory Pigs in a Twinkie? Huh? Could you? Check it out.

Face Painting Without Looking Like a Clown – MyDaVinci.com

Who has time to sit for an oil painting anymore? That’s the question the folks at MyDaVinci.com were answering when they launched this cool site. Just send them a photo and their artists will turn it in anything from pop art or Warhol-style panels, to a sketch or caricatures. There are a few services like this on the net, but this is a pretty good one. Check it out.

Find the Other Side of the World - antipodr

A fun little site in the spirit of other web curiosities like Twitter, antipodr allows you to locate the opposite point of any other point on the globe. Why? Why not? It's fun. Check it out.

This Little Piggy Went to Wall Street – The Savvy Pig Bank

What better way to teach your kids about the true value of money than with this great Piggy Bank from Toys R Us? This smart little porker has four chambers: Save, Spend, Donate, and Invest. Just the fact that it has Donate makes it a winner with us. Check it out.

Just Do It

A reminder from your friends at Milk.

For Some Reason, We Want to See This

A true story. An incredible story. And the bizarre birth of the Twinkie defense. Nothing else we say can match the power of the previews. Check it out.

Off-The-Wall Idea - IdeaPaint Dry Erase Paint

Our favorite new product. Idea Paint is a patent-pending single-coat roller-applied paint that transforms any smooth surface into a high performance dry-erase writing surface. IdeaPaint is perfect for the conference room, creative spaces, classrooms, home offices, kids rooms, playrooms… or any other spaces. Check it out.

High Fiber Fashion – Eco-fi Polyester Fiber

Eco-fi, is a high-quality polyester fiber which has been developed using recycled plastic soda bottles. Eco-fi is used in fleece fabrics, carpets, home furnishings and fiberfill. The Eco-fi process has the capacity to keep almost 3 billion plastic PET soda bottles out of the world's landfills each year, saving over 1/2 million barrels of oil and eliminating 400,000 tons of harmful air emissions which contribute to acid rain, global warming and smog. We need more innovation like this. Check it out.

Client Spotlight - DataPath

DataPath is a new client of ours. They make mobile satellite communication systems and networks that allow our military forces to communicate anytime, anywhere, which means it keeps them safe. We like that. And so far, they like our work, as does their audience. Response has been overwhelming and posters have been requested. Check them out.

Can't Stop Touching Myself - Drum Kit T-Shirt

School Boards across the country will LOVE this cymbal-lic expression of freedom from the genius minds at ThinkGeek. Just tap the drums on the shirt and they actually play through an embedded speaker. There are seven different drum sounds and a “top volume level (that) is really loud.” Maybe it goes all the way to 11! Check it out.

Can’t Wait for the Mouse Doily – The Keyboard Napkin

Keep those crumbs out of your keyboard. Save you control key from your greasy digits. Block your PowerBook from your Red Bull. Yes, do it all with the Keyboard Napkin. It’s just a concept for now, but we’re keeping our Cheeto covered fingers crossed that it goes into production.

Kelly Coveny & Michael Maxwell – From There to Here

A wonderful debut from two of our favorite artists and people, From There to Here is a stripped-down surprise full of rich melodies and emotive lyrics. If an autumnal drive up the New England coastline had a soundtrack, this would be it. Check it out on iTunes.

Crapquest – Find Hygienic Public Restrooms with Diaroogle

We’ve all been there. You’re on the go, you have to go, and the nearest restroom looks like the hellhole Ewan MacGregor dove into in Trainspotting. Well this community-authored database lets you know where it’s really safe to do your business in Manhattan. Now if they can only show us dads which ones men’s rooms have changing tables. Check it out.

The Last Lecture. One Year Later.

Today (September 18) marks the one-year anniversary of the day Randy Pausch gave his inspirational Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon. It has since become something of a phenomenon. If you have not had a chance to see it, do yourself a favor and watch. There’s nothing earth shattering here. Nothing you may not have already heard from any secret-to-life self-help guru, or even in your house of worship. But coming from a regular guy who knows that he has a few months to live, the simple message of “don’t be a jerk, be good to yourself and others” - a message we all still struggle to follow - carries far more weight. And Professor Pausch delivers it beautifully. Check it out.

Money Whoas! – One Bank Offers Security AND 4.00% Savings

With big banks in big trouble, consumers are scrambling for options. Enter Darien Rowayton Bank (a client). DRB is small, local, and doesn’t have the baggage other banks have, so it has the flexibility to offer better rates like its new MAX Rate Savings, which boasts a CD-like 4.00% APY. Check it out.

You’re Getting Warmer – Seek Out this Cool – er, Hot – Showerhead

Never jump in a cold shower again. This great showerhead has an LED light that changes the color of the water based on water temperature. It starts out “blue” then changes to “red” when the water reaches 89º F. It fits most faucets and even includes a universal adaptor. Check it out.