Twittertim.es. Yes, this is my favourite app right now.

August 24th, 2010 • Underway
Tags: App, Apps, Gerald, Page, Tools, Twitter, Underway

Just a quick personal update – Page Online, one of Germany’s leading design magazines put my supersized head on the frontpage today (which is a little bit creepy). I was asked to recommend my favourite application. And I think it is twittertim.es as it gives me a very handy overview of what’s hot among my followers. The article is in German only, but if you are interested in its essence – use twittertim.es.

Bizarre. My Tram Station is an Outdoor Award Entry.

August 22nd, 2010 • 3 comments Ads
Tags: Ads, Agencies, Amsterdam, Awards, Funny, Ideas, Media, Outdoor, Truth, Underway, visual, World

I work pretty much in the center of Amsterdam. I love the city. But to be honest, there are nicer places than Leidseplein, the square nearby which opens the gates to the touristic part of the city.

What I find really bizarre (beyond stoned German teenagers) is Leidseplein’s tram station. In fact, it’s not a tram station – it is a living Cannes Outdoor Lions Award entry for the city’s agencies. Every second week the tram station is in the center of another expensive outdoor ad idea that you cannot see anywhere else. It’s the kind of stuff that you see in award videos. The kind of idea that is getting sold to award jurys as a globally executed ad campaign, while in fact we are talking about one tram station at Leidseplein.

This week it’s 180 TBWA\BEC with adidas F50 Lightspeed.

A couple of weeks ago it was some fantasy motion picture…

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My Saturday. ‘Give me an iPhone 4. I want an iPhone 4.’

August 2nd, 2010 • Underway
Tags: Funny, HTC, Iphone4, Mobile, Truth, Underway

Yesterday I tried to get my new iPhone 4 here in Amsterdam right after launch day. They told me there is a waiting list for at least 8 weeks. That’s not cool. And it looked a little bit like this…

Telekom. Witness my Personal Shitstorm Live.

Juli 29th, 2010 • 10 comments Brands, CRM
Tags: Brands, Mobile, Service, Telekom, TMobile, Truth, Twitter, Underway, World

This morning I checked my German bank account and found out that 1,400 Euro were missing. The reason? My former telecom provider Telekom had withdrawn the money. I had terminated my iPhone contract months ago. So why did they withdraw so much money?

In Germany you usually have two year mobile contracts.

• If you cancel your contract prior to this two year period, your telecom provider is nice to you, offers new handsets, special conditions etc. to make you return to him
• If you forget to terminate the contract it is automatically prolonged for another year without a real option for you to get out

Sounds bizarre? Yes, absolutely. Actually we all know that keeping a pleased client is much cheaper than acquiring (or reacquiring) a new one – but telecom providers in Germany don’t seem to think that far.

Back to the 1,400 EUR. Where were they? In April 2010 I found out that I am moving to Amsterdam to start a new job. I immediately withdrew from my iPhone contract which was still in effect by September 2010. In other words – I had to pay at least 4-5 more months.

Later I realized, there is  a way out of this little problem. Simply because I moved abroad – Germany’s Telekom could not offer their services in the Netherlands. A German law gave me the right to instantly terminate the agreement  if this is the case. So, in June (while already being in Amsterdam) I sent them another letter, withdrawing from my German mobile contract with instant effect.

What I did not know was – by withdrawing for the second time my first contract termination was considered as inoperative. The result…

• Telekom disconnected me instantly
• But (as I withdrew ‘too late’) they prolonged my existing contract for one more year and
• Made me pay for this prolongation for the whole prolonged year = 1,400 Euros

Very twisted ‘reality’. Of course I instantly screamed at a poor guy from customer service who promised me to solve the problem asap. And as usual, nothing happened. I called up my bank and got the money returned…but of course the problem with Telekom was not yet solved.

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Comic Sans. There is absolutely nothing left to say about it anymore.

Juli 20th, 2010 • 8 comments Underway, We like
Tags: Comic Sans, Cool, Design, Funny, Truth, Underway, World

Thank you reddit for linking to this wonderful pic on Passiveagressivenotes.com. I am afraid there is nothing left to add.

Alledaags. A year in the life of an Amsterdam Expat.

Juli 9th, 2010 • Books, Friends
Tags: Amsterdam, Books, Cool, Creativity, Friends, Ideas, Underway, World

Just a quick personal note and a recommendation for my fellow Amsterdamers.

As I am still a fresh expat in Amsterdam, I found this interesting book project that will finally see the light of day on Saturday, 10th of July, at the American Bookcenter, Amsterdam. They’re hosting a book launch/signing with Toby Morris from 2 to 5pm. Toby Morris is a New Zealand born illustrator who started his Amsterdam life at W&K. He has now created ‘Alledaags’, a collection of illustrations recording a year in the life of an ex-pat in Amsterdam (some of you probably know what he is talking about

In January 2009 Toby Morris began a daily sketchbook diary documenting his life and his observations of his adopted city. Alledaags collects 333 of the drawings and covers everything from canal boats, hair gel and the madness of Queen’s Day to Vondelpark picnics, Zwarte Piet and blunt Dutch service.

Looks like a very interesting little book project. Go there if you happen to be in Amsterdam on Saturday. Check out the book if

you’re not. Learn more on Toby’s blog.

Hire this guy. A ‘Contest to be my new boss’.

Juli 6th, 2010 • We like
Tags: Agencies, Cool, Creativity, Funny, Jobs, Truth, Underway, World

If there ever was a post on craigslist that you couldn’t but agree with – it is this one. This bloke know the rules of the industry. Hire him.

I am a graphic artist and in need of a job. I have decided to fill this need the same way many people think the can fill their graphic design needs; with a contest!

Here is how it will work;

Send me one weeks worth of salary and benefits. I will keep all of the checks that are sent to me and use all of the benefits.

Whoever sends me the best salary and benefits package will win the contest and get the prize of two days of graphic design work!!!

Good Luck! I am really looking forward to recieving your payment packages!

Eye Candy. 100 Beautiful Slides from Cannes.

Juni 29th, 2010 • Business
Tags: Agencies, Award, Awards, cannes, Cool, Creativity, Ideas, Presentation, Underway, visual

I may neither be a fan of advertising award shows nor of what is said on award shows. But if there is one thing I like about them (beyond drinks and food) it is well designed powerpoint slides. All of us have seen a couple of really ugly, undigestible slides in their lifes. So check out these PPT posers that were just presented in Cannes… (via)

Soccer. Three Failwhales on a Shirt.

Juni 28th, 2010 • Underway
Tags: Funny, soccer, Truth, Underway, World

Yes, you can call it Schadenfreude. Watching England lose against Germany after days of the usual British yellow press saber rattling (along with all anti German sentiments you can think of) is just glorious. Plus, watching the British Press whine about the ‘Anti Wembley’ goal is just hilarious. Who quoted the 1966 goal as proof of British superiority for four decades now? At least Germany did not win with just one goal difference.

To end my rant here, I found this wonderful suggestion for a revision of the existing British Arms of Coats today on twitter. Time to end malice now, but I think our sarcasm wouldn’t be as pronounced as it is, if words like ‘The Hun’ would simply be banned from England’s Yellow Press. For god’s sake, it is 2010.

I kind of like the logo. How about you?

Digital Conferences. Let’s create a list of the top Events in Europe.

Juni 24th, 2010 • Underway
Tags: Collaborative, Conferences, Europe, google wave, Ideas, Underway

I am currently in the process to find out which digital/tech/marketing conferences I would like to attend 2010 and 2011. And as I will never know as much as all of you, I decided to outsource this question to a Wave. In fact, this is my first try to create a list with a public google Wave in my blog. Please feel free to add all conferences that you endorse. Preferrably in Europe.

Warning: google Wave is a great collaborative platform but not exactly usable. To edit the list please click the little arrow in the top right hand corner of the box below and select enter…and you are ready to go.

Thanks a lot for participating.