Covert affairs from Ralph

In support of the new USA Network original series COVERT AFFAIRS, digital creative agency Ralph recently developed The Farm (http://thefarm.usanetwork.com), which allows fans to work alongside Annie Walker (series star Piper Perabo) to hone active spy skills, including closed-course driving, video surveillance, lock-picking and more. For completing tasks, fans can win prizes such as iPods, Bose products and more. New challenges continue to appear, allowing fans to use Facebook Connect to pull in information, share scores and gain extra points by recruiting their friends to help answer questions. Check out The Farm anytime, and COVERT AFFAIRS on Tuesday nights 10/9c on USA Network. You can also become a fan of the series on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CovertAffairs and follow it on Twitter: http://twitter.com/covertaffairs.

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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NYC, where will you watch the World Cup?

With soccer (er, football) now reigning as our planet’s most popular sport, beginning tomorrow, the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will take center stage as its most prominent sports event. According to Jeremy Hollister at creative ideas studio We Are Plus, as a tribute to New York City’s vibrant international diversity, World Cup fever is greater there than nearly anywhere else in America.

We Are Plus is applying the power of social networking software to tap into this native enthusiasm with its World Cup Game Finder, a free mobile app — now available at iTunes — that helps NYC-based fans find local venues screening games featuring their favorite teams, and offering the easiest way to find the best spot in the city to join your fellow fans and support your favorite team. For more information, please visit www.nycgamefinder.com, and please help spread the word!

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

N.A.S.A. NSFW 2010 (adult content)

Last February, N.A.S.A. (North America/South America) debuted “The Spirit of Apollo” on Anti- Records. I’ve written before about the ongoing creative collaboration between lifelong music aficionados Squeak E. Clean (aka Sam Spiegel) and DJ Zegon, and their friends, friends of friends and musical heroes. Today, “The Spirit of Apollo” continues involving many superstar artists from both U.S. coasts in bringing people together through music and art. I hope you enjoy the updated playlist, featuring the talents of N.A.S.A.’s many fine-artist friends. Read more

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

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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Haiti Now

Our thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected by this catastrophe. Donations can still be sent via text message:

Red Cross: Text HAITI to 90999 ($10 donation)
Yéle Haiti: Text YELE to 501501 ($5 donation)

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