I was 8 years old when a ship named MV Doulos docked in the Madras (now Chennai) Port.

Decommissioned now after visiting over 600 ports around the world since 1914, MV Doulos’s vision & purpose was to “Bring knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world”. The crew’s aim was to inform, involve and inspire the younger generation around the world.

The ship and the day I spent on-board are quite vivid in my memory. It was a floating book fair, for the most part. There were also other learning activities disguised as games. I remember meeting the multilingual crew, trying new cuisines, meeting and playing with other kids from various other schools from Madras.

The day ended with me saying goodbyes and walking back home with a big smile - I had made many new friends and was carrying a big bag full of new books and comics.

In many ways, the time I spent at WPP Stream was like that day spent on-board MV Doulos. It was all about getting informed, involved and inspired.

Informed

With no group ever the same, it was like speed dating of ideas, thoughts and opinions. Since the sessions were not officially moderated or policed, the ideas and opinions found levels they deserved based on how the group received it.

The mathematician-philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.” The eccentric opinions and ideas at Stream varied from elaborate and complex ones to basic 101s.

Mindshare’s tech brains (@splimsoll & @ssorokin) showcased what could be the closest thing to rocket science in the media world. Their new product (or service) called CORE has been built on algorithms and rules that feed on the latest technologies in analytics. It is bringing the future of marketing intelligence to now.

On the other hand, I also attended some simple but highly informative and useful sessions. @garyshainberg took a group of us though a beginners bag of tips and tricks on digital photography. Someone also made a presentation on ‘How to visualise your ideas’. In other words, I learnt how to make my doodles useful.

Involved

The first quotable quote at the opening of Stream 2012 was “A conferences is like life. You get out of it, what you put into it”. I wondered if I could push my involvement to more than just listening to various presentations.

I had written a fun paper on Client Archetypes a while ago. The idea was to take individual clients’ behaviors, try and second guess their value systems and build archetypes. It was based it on various clients and colleagues I had worked with or known of. There were 6 archetypes and most of them fun to an advertising agency or client audience. I had shown it around to a few people earlier but had never thought of taking it any further. WPP stream felt like possible great place to validate my model and I made a last minute entry to the agenda wall.

Contrary to my expectations, the enthusiastic audience joined the debate, challenged me to think harder and helped add new facets to my old theory. I ended the session with a renewed passion to unfreeze my old project with the help of a few ‘Streamers’ who want to help develop it.

The open-source format made it easy for everyone to get involved in various sessions.

Inspired

WPP Stream was about learning about what inspired others and finding inspiration for yourself. Many a new idea premiered in those two days. These eccentric ideas at Xstream will soon become part of the mainstream.

No words can explain the 3D sound demonstration that we heard. 3D printing technology was real and we witnessed it.

There is also great power that comes from cross-pollination of ideas from various categories. Who would have ever thought that a political party could become a leading edge marketing organization. I participated in an interesting discussion about what Fortune 500 companies can learn from the Obama campaign. The success of Blue State Digital was a testament to the fact that corporations were keen to learn from the hard hitting, ROI driving digital campaigns that the agency works on for the President. Learnings from campaigns for the political world (highly analytics driven and rigorously tested but within shortest of time frames) can have great application in the corporate world.

@Danfung of @conditionone presented his embeddable and immersive video player. Covering the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, he realised the need for 180 degree virtual reality. Apart from the fact that his personal story is inspiring, I feel that Condition One’s player is going to change the way we consume videos.

Childlike state

It is no doubt that creativity and innovation will always be the heart and soul of the media, advertising, marketing and technology businesses. To reach your creative high, you must shed your fear of mistakes, banish rigidity and surrender to the flow. In simple terms, reach a childlike state. It is quite rare, in this world of structure and formula, to find an environment and a few days that inspire and allow you to dwell in that state. And WPP Stream managed to be more than that.

As for me, I left WPP Stream like I left MV Doulos many years ago — many new friends, a bag full of ideas and a big smile.

I flew into London after many months on business early August 2011. I got frantic calls from my family who were witnessing the London riots. I was around for a week. I even walked accidentally had through some of the affected zones like Oxford street. I didn’t witness any rioting personally. News channels, twitter and other social media were buzzing with flash news about mobs, places being burnt, people dying, martial law and police brutality. It seemed like it was the collapse of western civilisation as we knew it. No one could predict when the recessionary times would end- that only meant that the social unrest would continue. Many predicted that London would never come back to its former glory. Brand London was going through testing times.

It has been an year since I made that trip. I now live in London. The government has managed to stay in power by ensuring the country stays protected from the toxicity of bad news from the continent. The Royals are back in favour with the public. The Diamond Jubilee has been a grand success. Even the Mayor got re-elected. He was supported and cheered like a rockstar would be at the opening of the London 2012.  The very wet Spring and not a very warm summer has not deterred Londoners spirits. The Queen joining 007 to jump from the chopper was the most sporting thing I ever saw a monarch do.

We are now in the midst of the the magnificent London Olympics. Fans with flags have replaced hooded rioters. Hatred for the establishment have transformed into love for the city and the nation. Cheers have now substituted anger and screams. Streets that had armed vigilantes are now filled with helpful volunteers. The city feels like the best one we could ever lived in. Brand London is back!

Apparently the Tupac resurrection stunt with his hologram at Coachella was a roaring success.

This is not the first time artists’ holograms are performing. But this is perhaps the first time that this has been such a big hit. Needless to say, one of the factors that contribute to this is the great brand called Tupac.

So are Hendrix, MJ, Sinatra, Winehouse and many others. They might have died, but their legacy, work and hence their brands live. The Tupac Coachella experiment could very soon see investors like Dre trying to build a whole host of dead artists back for the world to enjoy.

Lots of questions remain, though- Who will own the holograms of artists? Their estates, their families? Will the artists then sign on record labels and tour the world? Who takes a call on what the artists’ hologram should say or not (Tupac’s hologram obviously swore a lot). Who governs the tone, manner and style? Can a brand sign on the artists hologram for advertisement or endorsements (imagine Coke signing up Hendrix)?

It will start creating a new revenue stream and business model for the struggling music industry. I feel that this is the next killer app for them (after itunes, obviously). I am sure this space will get very interesting.

My request- resurrect Elvis first!

Everybody can be 007!

soupsoup:

Liveblogging Apple’s 2011 Developers Conference

Expecting to hear Steve Jobs announce the unveiling of “iCloud”

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Anti-Retro/1466197

Three New Citroen Adverts. Anti Retro. Such a fab looking car. Even better positioning. 

They all have said ‘futuristic’ in so many ways. But this is the best I have seen so far.

Billboard Top 100 has its archives through 1955. So, if you want to find out what the number 1 song was the day you were born, go to the link below and click on the chart archives tab

http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/charts/hot-100

         http://bit.ly/jSqYT6

José Ernesto Rodriguez’s letters are surprisingly expressive and legible- Fast Company

I have been following the Rapture/ Judgement Day story with great amusement. 

Over 40% of Americans believe that today is the end of the world! http://bit.ly/jFrYfc

Here is one of the world’s worst videos on Rapture. http://bit.ly/m9nwun

There is even an US government Disease Prevention centre is advising people to be prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse. http://bit.ly/lE58o5

I feel we should have a Rapture Party! What say?

No.6 is the best of them all!

http://ti.me/lOp9Nb

Fast Company’s list of 100 most creative people.

Good to see fresh faces (yep. No Zuckerberg, Jobs or the other usual suspects). I am glad that they have covered beyond silicon valley and beyond the US.

Great weekend read! Enjoy!

http://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2011

No wonder it is the most ‘disliked’ video on youtube. 

Moral of the story: Be the best. if you cannot, be the worst.

Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO) (by trizzy66)

If you are iPad user, u cannot deprive yourself of Planetary! 

Go get it! 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/planetary/id432462305?mt=8

My American Friends, this poster will ensure that you vote for Trump in 2012

Has Donald Trump demanded a death certificate yet?

“Well, at least he got to see the royal wedding.”

It’s amazing what Americans can do when Playstation Network is down

BREAKING NEWS: Chuck Norris has just returned from Pakistan

Jimmy Fallon: Buried at sea? Tough year for the ocean - BP, Japan radiation & now, “Hey, mind if we put Bin Laden in here?

Bin Laden’s last words: ‘I knew I shouldn’t have signed up for Foursquare”

“A prince gets married, the bad guy is dead. It’s a real Disney weekend here on earth” - @revrunjnr on twitter

“RIP Osama Bin Laden, World Hide & Seek Champion (2001-11) ” - NZAfro on Twitter

“Even Osama is not safe in Pakistan” - Pakistani Colleague

Rubik meets Warhol :-)

iPad - 2 decades ago!

Tablet Newspaper (1994) (by paleofuture)

Hitler is now pissed that the PS3 network is down!

Not for PS3 lovers with heart conditions.
http://techland.time.com/2011/04/27/watch-these-9-crazy-people-obliterate-their-playstations/
Hope Sony sorts out the fiasco asap. I am a new network gamer. And i love it.