Well it’s May the 4th err Force Be with You!” In celebration of Star Wars Day – which character did you like best? Vote HERE. I think I’m gonna have to vote for Lei…

It seems other people share this same interest – one even created a website exclusively devoted to the slave outfit called Leia’s Metal Bikini.

It got me to thinking… and so of course I googled it and crikey! The results were… diverse… and perhaps a little perverse…

Check out some of the lesser deeply disturbing star moments in the pantheon of Princess Leia slaveness.

Yeah… okay so one of them isn’t Princess Leia but it does appeal to me. Odd. Very odd. Almost as much as this clip where some artists have engineered a full on pillow fight of a group of girls costumed up… for artistic purposes.

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Rubber Ducky, you’re the one,
You make bathtime lots of fun,
Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of you;
(Woo woo be doo)

Seriously who doesn’t like Rubber Ducks.

In fact according to some – Rubber Ducks and Fundraising Events are a perfect match!

If you’re looking for a great charity fundraising idea, then organising a rubber duck race for a charity fund raising event is the perfect idea! A rubber duck race is easy to set up, wholesale rubber ducks are quite cheap to buy and you can make a good profit for your charity. People love watching rubber ducks float down a river or stream and are generally only too happy to sponsor a rubber duck to help raise money for your charity. There are plenty of great charity fundraising ideas out there, but we think that a rubber duck race can be a unique and fun event for all.

This blurb was taken from a UK outfit that sells wholesale Rubber Ducks. it just goes to show that there is always someone out there happy to sell something….

To me plain yellow is a tad meh’ – if you want to make a ‘splash’ (LOL) at your fundraising event, consider ducks branded with your company logo or designer ducks.

Ok ok, so we got the ducky-vibe going on but what else for the rubber duck…

Wellstrap yourselves in, check your reality at the door and launch yourself into Rampant Duck Madness that is Rubber Duckzilla.

Lotta fun that. Also love the cool tag - ‘for people who don’t like drinking water’.

Yeah, I have admit it, I’d try an Oasis beverage based on this strange advertising event.

Imagine a fundraising event stormed by a RubberDuckzilla! Pocket ‘emptyingly’ Cool!

I also like that fact that you can extend this RubberDuckZilla event experience in the form of some equally strange online flash games  http://www.rubberduckzilla.com/

Rubberduckzilla was brought to you by The Coca-Cola Company.

Yeah, we don’t know why either but we suspect someone got fired over it … or promoted… but be rest assured, something would have happened for sure. You can’t create rubberduckzilla online flash games and not expect something to happen. It’s like a butterfly flapping it’s wings and ka-bammbee! We got tsunami for dinner.

Look having said all that – my post today is all about giving some consideration to ducks within your event desing. They are proven winners when used within fundraising events and can be suprisingly effective as prizes and props during team building exercises where guests need to get all their proverbial ducks in a row.

Anyhoo, some other helpful linkagery for you -

Rubber Ducky lyrics courtesy of Squidoo

The Logo Duck is brought to you by… Dell I guess via LogoDucks.

The funky looking designer duck can be purchased at a number of placed including Giftmonger.

Editor:  Arrr Greg mate, that’s a lotta outbound linkage we got right there. I can already hear our SEO expert fellow weaping and muttering inbound links people… inbound! But you know what, I am guessing you don’t give a proverbial ‘duck’ about that. Still, ducks are kinda cool…

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

This is a personal favorite from the current featured gallery.

If that doesn’t stoke the creative embers into a roaring fire of creativity nothing will.

Okay, got the creative fires roaring but from a live communication perspective how would this work. Good question.

Answer – many different ways.  We’ve employed similar artist-at-work techniques within public event spaces and have found it to be very impactful. The scope here is broad, from chalk on footpath artists, painters at easels, tagging spray painters to sculpturers. All on brand.

People really enjoy watching and participating in the creative process at work and this is particularly the case for corporate and invitational events.

From sandcastle making competitions in a hotel foyer, ice sculptures being formed in spectacular action, perhaps a brigade of roaming cartoonists descending on guests intent on creating an ‘impressions’ gallery.

There is no question that if managed well, this artist-at-work technique can provide a memorable thematic thread that can link a series of event moment together as one overall experience.

During a recent financial conference we had an artist-at-work and as guests returned from a coffee break and saw him onstage and his efforts projected to the event site screens – they were mesmerised. This then evolved into the next presentation about perceptions… and for this specific project we revealed the artist as a ‘speed-painter’. With a rock’n'roll soundtrack, a series of spinning canvas frames, and unexpected audience participation – the audience went wild. Engaged. Message delivered. Big Tick.

Another fun technique we’ve employed with great results – specifically within expert panel discussions, is the use of a guest cartoonist providing real-time cartoon inspired editorials of the discussion as it develops.

Naturally an artist-at-work should be deployed strategically according to the event, the event program, the event tone and identified communication objectives.

For more of this amazingness - grab a mug of your fav’ brew, settle back in your chair, and then with single minded purpose – click on over to odosketch and be prepared to lose some time marvelling at the efforts of some amazing artists at work. Very cool. I like it.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

* And for those that want to give it a go themselves – go here for mad sketching!

Consider branding slogans such as ‘Nike = Just Do It‘ or ‘, Compaq (HP) = Inspiration technology‘, ‘Nokia = Connecting People‘ or ‘FedEx = Absolutely, positively overnight‘. With amazing economy, they capture the essence of each companies personality, project their unique selling point, and are universally recognized within the marketplace.

A good event name and in turn theme should do exactly the same thing – present and project personality and purpose.

With the instant recognition that comes with famous movie one liners, they too can also serve as a creative resource starting point when developing an event identity.

Two one liners that I like to drop into conversations with work colleagues and family alike are – whispering in a knowing way that ‘I See Dead People’. And falling dramatically to my knees, arms outstretched to the sky and screaming ‘Stttte-lllllllla!’ Care should be exercised when delivering this when receiving the bill or check in a restaurant. It is not appreciated as a general rule by anyone.

I am also mindful of not sharing these movie inspired one liners around my significantly better half. It would seem that my wife no longer is blessed with a sense of humor. Along with a new facial tick whenever I am in the house. She also objects to the sound of me breathing while I sleep. But enough about me.

Check out this compilation as it counts down in 200 second the 100 top movie one liners. It’s really interesting to note how many of these have now become a firm fixture in our day-to-day language.

Good fun and a great source of ideas for building a marketing campaign from. And yet…

I am a tad disappointed.
This compilation missed the two all time favorites.

Despite the huge number of Jack Nicholson appearances there was no ‘You Can’t Handle The Truth’. And the famous line taken from the last Tom Cruise movie, before he really lost his mind, didn’t make the list. My wife likes using this one. Let’s not go there. She is lovely, she just has shockingly bad taste in her men… thank goodness.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

This probably comes as no surprise that we are huge champions of brainstorming.

The results are always interesting. Sometimes surprising and curious. And brainstorming for us, has always proven to be a great source and driver of creative innovation in the design and execution of events.

We do it as a team, we do it with our suppliers and partners, and we love doing it with out clients.

But it’s not always about working in groups, some of our best ideas have come from individuals finding their ‘muse’ – we call them ‘idea-showers’. Taking a break in a new cafe, flicking through design magazines, a wander through an art gallery for lunch, justing sitting back eyes close with iTunes running Genesis style.

Different strokes for different folks.

Personally I subscribe to crunching up a ball of paper and tossing it across the office for a 3 pointer basket.

if you’d like to practice before indulging in the real deal – check out these two FACTOR168 approved flash games.

Totally free to play and accessible from any web browser – the first is strangely titled Cyrkam Airtos.

It’s a nice touch where you have to catch the paperball from another fellow wihtin the office before you get a chance to drop one in the basket. More difficult than it first appears.

The second game is kinda more ‘technical’ in that you need to contend with urban environment elements (desk, chair, rotating fan) to drop the balls square into the baskets. This game is called …to the rescue.

If anyone out in the wide world of webbery strays across other paperball games – sing out and share this strange passion of mine.

* The image above is courtesy of Chuck who seemed to have taken a stab at their own ‘mousetrap’. It would seem that Chuck have taken it upon themselves to reinvent the wasterpaper basket. Umm okay.

They call them the ‘waste-less’ baskets because they are constructed from 100% recycled cardboard, and printed with low VOC based inks that is totally recyclable.

Smart design at work. I wonder if the ‘world will beat a path to their door’. Perhaps.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

Options and combinations. Endless sides. Huge laminated menus. But thankfully they all shared a common trait – they were all unimaginatively literal. They detailed exactly what was in the meal to the exclusion of everything else. And that’s mighty handy for a traveler half out of her mind with roadtrip candy and cola.

America is the land of choice. No doubt about it. When I visit for business and pleasure, I always try to make time to spend sometime walking the floors of their supermarkets like Winn-Dixie or Vons. The long cabinets packed full of every different type of ice cream flavor possibly imagined. It leaves me gob-smacked and disgruntled by my poor excuse for a diary aisle back home.  Our chocolate and beer is far superior. There is that.

A personal favorite is the more upmarket (eye of the beholder) and the seemingly more personal service offered by Trader Joe’s. Love their little hand written menu suggestions, in-store product reviews, and a selection of cute shop-boys hard at it.

The thick paper bags in the West Hollywood store are so retro cute. They make me feel so much greener while I over consume  – well more so than my normal plastics. And they sound great when you crumple the tops up as you walk.

Anyway back on message – Americans are a lot of things, good and not so good, and one of them is that they are literal. They say it how it is. They are not shy about coming forward and spelling it out. Unlike say the French… sure they always sound cool and exotic in their accented English but really… what are they really saying? So… obscure.

And I suspect that as a nation the French share a limited appreciation for a massive range of diary confectionery goods to choose from. A vast wine or cheese selection? Sure. The French love it. Mint Ribbon Ice Cream with Pralines… nope. Only us Australians and Americans there… the English? Most probably still in the pub eating salt and vinegar Walker Crisps and nursing a pint of something warm that may with care and refrigeration resemble beer. Gross generalization but there you have it.

Sometimes being literal yields the most unexpected results. Rather than the extended song and dance… just ask for the sale… wondering – just ask her/him out. Unhappy? They’ll never know unless you literally spell it. Just as importantly – happy? Then literally tell someone… tell everyone.

The guys and gals from Dustfilms agree and have recreated some really funny results from their compact series of ‘literal videos’.

Drawing on their personal music video favorites (they are without a doubt Gen X), they have remastered them with ‘literal’ lyrics to match the video clip.

Sure – it is a little hit and miss.The Billy Idol rendition of ‘White Wedding’ isn’t so hot.However the following clip from Tears for Fears featured below is a clear winner. Enjoy.

* Check out the old card filing system in this video. Yes Virginia – their really was a world before the world wide web and ‘puters. Entire libraries were full of paper books with covers and woven spines, and ka-thousands of index cards and heavy date stampers to manage them all.

Take an electronic leaf out of the kindle book – and just say it how it is. What you want, what you expect, what you like, what you don’t. And hopefully there will be someone who will be listening and care – like we do…. and perhaps the cute guys at Trader Joe’s.  Literally speak and listen.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

Now in Australia we do have some cheerleaders… from the top of my head you can find them at National Rugby League games (well the more successful teams anyhow) and possibly the National Basketball League… although I don’t know about the basketball anymore.

This season there are no teams representing two of the largest population centers in the country – Sydney and Brisbane. The other largest city, Melbourne, may not also enter a team. It’s fair to say that basketball in Australia may be following deadly dull Baseball as a failure of American sporting imperialism… still the League, Rugby Union, Football (aka Soccer) and of course Australian Rules are very healthy…

Anyway I digress… Pom Poms.

I came across a Pom Pom supplier who provided very handy web tips for those not Pom Pom savvy. It addresses the big questions such as size, application & technique, the vexing issue of extra length.

It would seem that the jury is out on the question of length versus the inevitable ‘stringier look that comes with…umm extra lengthage. Personally I am firmly in the camp that believes it should be more about what you do with your Pom Poms than physical ‘pomery’ questions.

Unless of course we are discussing the aesthetics of colour color. So many to choose from and of course combinations – go a contrast or just have colored accents… perhaps a three color mix. Perhaps you prefer holographics…. ooh boy.

Some handy tips to takeaway from the site include -  consider your performance area, consider your uniform, consider future performances, consider choreography. Not unlike a basic showcraft checklist when designing a staged event performance.

So after I finished researching the web for Pom Poms… with so, so, so many pretty cheerleaders demonstrating their Pom Pom skills – I came across this little gem on Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die website. Love the fun energy and simplicity of it.

It is a seemingly Brady Bunch inspired homage by Jonathon Smith to Missy Elliott’s track “Shake Your Pom Pom”.

Not quick on the uptake – this clip required a second viewing before I realised that each face was performing a very specific audible signature within the song track. Brilliant.

An event idea being formulated ahead.

This would be a great format for a corporate video clip showcasing top business achievers at play. In fact a series of these 3×3 ‘Brady Bunch’ styled clips could be produced and played progressively throughout the program as conference ‘zingers’ – kicking off each program element of a conference.

A finale clip of the day or perhaps as a presentation at a closing gala dinner could feature a compile build of all the various event speakers, guests, various stakeholders – expanding on cue from 3×3 through to perhaps 12×12 or 32×32 layout. With the physical use of multiple projection/display screens, a really cool full room effect could be achieved.

We have found that these sort of video production techniques have proven not only to be effective in terms of creating a memorable shared experience, but can also effortlessly restate the key event message as well as providing for an additional sponsors profiling platform.

Oh and don’t forget to add Pom Poms! Interaction is powerful.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

How to best describe bucky balls?

Well the manufacturers describe them as as “the Amazing Magnetic Toy with Millions of Uses”. Really? Look I think that’s a stretch but it’s a nice tag line in any case.

The bucky balls are a collection of magnetised balls that allow you to fiddle and fumble with them as you create different shapes and patterns. Consider them a strange toy cross breed between perhaps a Rubic’s Cube, possibly an Etcha-a-Sketch (check out the wacky Etcha-a-Sketch LAND …so umm way cool and chillin in ma hangout… apparently) and without question a fistful of BB air gun pellets.

Okay. Granted. It sounds kinda boring and somewhat… well.. dumb.. but I assure you once you start playing with them (or crafting a new muse if someone in the office inquires) it can become very very addictive.

The Bucky Ball guys website can be found here.

It has a couple of info-commercial videos that are a guilty enjoyment. And of course if you feel so compelled, you can order directly from these fine folks your own set of balls. Enjoy.

Oh, and since this is our finding and sharing our creative muse part of this website and since it seems all my compadres seem compelled to post with a youtube insert, I thought you might enjoy the creative efforts of this basketball fan as he employs the etch-a-sketch toy at an NBL event with some sensational results.

Hoo-boy! Can this guy sketch. Amazing. He’d be great as a sizzle moment during a tradeshow me thinks. Check it as they say. Man, I am so not hip to the ways.

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A girlfriend of mine who also works as a producer of special events sent us this link and we love it so much we thought we should share it. Cue dramatic organ music followed by a manical laugh from the stationary cupboard “Maaawwwwaaaahahahaha!”

Importantly – you’ll need speakers for this link…otherwise… well you’ll find out.

So turn the speakers up, click the link and sit back and listen… one of the things we really like about this is that the longer you listen the more the ‘story’ develops… good fun and we recommend leaving it running while you pop out for a meeting or lunch… guarranteed to drive your workmates zombo-crazy. Enjoy – zombo.com

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I can’t explain it but I just can’t stop at one and the more I peel the more I need to peel….

FACTOR168 | Event Management Company

FACTOR168 | Event Management Company

FACTOR168 | Event Management Company