Uplift and Upload Now for Prizes from BET and Coca-Cola

BET Videos

In their latest collaboration with advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, international creative design and production studio Brand New School and director Jonathan Notaro recently produced the stop-motion brand film above, which promotes the Uplift and Upload Contest sponsored by Coca-Cola for BET’s popular daily music video show, 106 & Park. Seize this chance to show how you’re creating and spreading happiness in your community by uploading a video of your good deed at www.bet.com/uplift — but please note, according to the official rules, entries must be received by 6pm ET on Friday, July 23 (even though the video states that July 21 is the entry deadline).

No moment of happiness is too big or too small for your chance to win the grand prize: $5,000 in spending cash, and an all-expense paid trip to New York, where you’ll present the “Wild Out Wednesday” Best in Show winner, alongside Rocsi and Terrence. Creating and spreading happiness is just an idea away.

Good luck!

Creative Entrepreneurs: Peter Hansen

I recently reconnected with my close friend and business colleague Peter Hansen. Over the past several years, Peter has been closely involved with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, AB Canada. Having served as the institution’s Chair, Digital Media Design, since 2002, then as Chair Digital Media and IT, since 2009, earlier this year he returned to his private consultancy, Plasmechanica Media Design. I peppered him with some questions about his experiences with NAIT, which he kindly anwers below.

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PepsiCo Refresh Project 101

There’s a lot to love about PepsiCo’s commitment in America to the Pepsi Refresh Project, which is set to give away more than $20 million in 2010 to “refresh the world, one idea at a time.” PepsiCo has vowed to award over $1 million in grants each month to U.S.-based ideas with the most public votes, with up to 1,000 new ideas accepted each month. I was just asked to look into making a submission, and in doing some homework, I’ve gained a lot of admiration for this thoughtful initiative, inviting Americans to plead the case for a real-world need — or even a dream — with seemingly a very real opportunity to win financial support on some level. While hoping this might eventually become more of an international effort, I invite those now eligible to join me every day in visiting the site and using our 10 daily votes to help along our favorite ideas.

As for the ideas themselves, we can fire away, seeking $5k up to $250k for one idea per month, where you can change your monthly submission even after submitting, and if you don’t win this month, you can resubmit next month. There are five categories: Health, Arts and Culture, Food and Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education.

The official website www.refresheverything.com provides this toolkit for developing your idea, along with a wealth of information, including key dates, what to expect and how to follow-up before, during and after submitting, and many other inspiring case studies of ideas submitted to date. You may also be interested in this April story detailing the latest winners, as well as the project’s blog.

Earth Day 2010 and beyond… onward and upward!

Huge thanks to Earth Day LA‘s Jim Stewart, Ph.D., for these insights for continuing to make positive impacts through our day-to-day activities… and to my inspirational buddy Kacy Palmieri, who has worked with Earth Day LA for the past several years, for passing along Jim’s sage advice. Read more

Scion debuts online reality series “Reinvent The Wheels”

It’s my sincere pleasure to share global creative agency ATTIK’s news release on the new online episodic reality series from Scion entitled “Reinvent The Wheels,” and the agency’s innovative cross-platform campaign behind it. You can find ATTIK’s story and accompanying digital media assets here. The series debuted online this week exclusively at www.ReinventTheWheels.com, where you can now watch the first episode. Scion’s project press release from Rogers & Cowan is available here. I look forward to hearing from you if I can provide any additional information.

Moving forward: World Water Day 2010

In honor of World Water Day, it’s my pleasure to share this video that takes a hard look at the bottled water industry and proposes some simple and powerful alternative ideas that can greatly impact the Earth, our communities, and our pocketbooks. For more information, please visit http://storyofbottledwater.org. Read more

The 2010 (Women’s) Effect: The 100th Annual International Women’s Day

I am joining with legions of others around the world today to honor women for all they are and all they do as the greatest and most powerful force on Planet Earth. Mine will not be a lengthy tribute, but I do want to point up some of the amazing resources I’ve found that are providing different perspectives on the achievements of women, and some of the biggest challenges faced by many of them. Read more

Laura Longsworth: Thanks for the Documentary

Thanks once again to Sundance Channel, I recently had another life-altering experience from a documentary film they chose to program. This time, the film is entitled “Luckey,” it was produced, written and directed by filmmaker Laura Longsworth, and it documents the challenges faced by sculptor Tom Luckey to carry on with his life, his artistry and his business after experiencing a major spinal injury. Read more

Much love to and from The Children’s Playhouse

A creative play space for families, and a powerful force for community goodness in Boone, North Carolina, USA

After helping my wife Beth Darnell, and her sister Ann Kiefert, their comrade Kathy Parham, and many others from our then-new hometown of Boone, North Carolina, open The Children’s Playhouse in November of 2002, I am very proud to see how Kathy has led the venture in countless ways which continue adding precious dimensions to our community. The video featured here was produced by our friend Beth Jacquot in 2003, and much has happened since then. I invite you to visit the official site www.GoPlayhouse.org and explore the Facebook group, and I also wanted to share news from a recent event that reveals a lot about our community, and Kathy.
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Focus on cancer today to survive for tomorrow…

With cancer being the leading cause of death worldwide, its tragic realities are all too familiar to most of us. On a more positive note, the World Health Organization is spreading the message that “Cancer can be prevented, too,” and they’ve organized a comprehensive guide to effective programs which you can find online here. Knowing that early detection is a key to survival, the Lance Armstrong Foundation is encouraging us today, which is designated as World Cancer Day, to ask our friends and loved ones to please schedule a visit with their doctors to discuss cancer and their personal risk factors:

“A little encouragement goes a long way, and we all have to work together to keep our loved ones healthy.”

Here’s their link to help us spread the word and reach out: “Make the call.”