Tim Burton is hard at work creating his version of Alice and Wonderland. Check out the amazing visuals below…

A scene where Alice, played by Mia Wasikowska, greets talking rose blossoms at the entrance to what seems to be a forest of giant mushrooms. “But as in the book, her size shrinks and grows throughout her journey.”

Below you’ll see the first promo banners – one for Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), one for the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), one for the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), and one for the White Queen (Anne Hathaway).

Via Firstlook and USAToday

Fantastic ad for Hyundai, flighted during the 2009 Super Bowl. Love it! Simple truth gives life to a simple idea:

It’s been a while since I posted anything… I’m clearly either extremely lazy or extremely side-tracked (or both). When I started this site, I had every intention of publishing a post every day. I’m usually pretty good at sticking to my intentions, but other things have taken higher priority.

To be perfectly honest, the dream of publishing one post a day is completely unrealistic. Rather than posting stuff just for the sake of it, expect to see quality over quantity this year. My goals for 2009 are pretty hefty, so with a focus on personal development and creativity, I’ll do my best to document the journey and share what I’ve learned (and the mistakes that I’ve made).

Gone are the days of selling a product or service simply by communicating it’s benefits / unique selling proposition. Brands need to work harder at connecting with new customers and building stronger relationships with existing customers.

Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts talks about this in his book entitled “Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands“ in which he states that without some kind of emotional connection to a brand, the relationship will dry up like a generic raisin in the sun.

One of the oldest and most effective ways to communicate an idea is through telling a story. The online environment has evolved, and it’s the ideal place to take the user on a journey (that they can control) and weave a story around a brand or product.

A fantastic example of this is a new campaign for Dove. It’s called “Waking Up Hannah” and here’s a brief summary courtesy of Creativity-Online:

With “Waking Up Hannah,” visitors can choose from three storylines–Energize, Refresh and Cool Moisture–then watch the adventures of the title character as she recovers from a drunken night and gets ready for a blind date. Each of the narratives corresponds with different Dove deodorants and body washes. Within the interactive film experience, visitors can click on Hannah’s phone to view her pics and text messages, hear commentary and get Dove coupons. In fact, each scene offers four different views and there are seven different endings overall to Hannah’s day.

Additionally, you can send the film to friends, learn more about the products and participate in forum discussions.

It’s INSANE! A very girly example indeed, but a great one none the less. Even though this example happens to include a crazy amount of video and no doubt has a seriously large budget behind it, an online experience need not look like a big-budget movie in order to hinge around a story. All a website needs to do is take the user on a journey.

Our objective as people creating online experiences for brands should always be to MAXIMISE the length of time users spend interacting with the brand. So next time you have the opportunity to create something truly amazing, think about how you can weave a story into the experience. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Things are getting REALLY exciting at Stonewall+ on a number of different fronts. We’ve landed some GREAT new accounts and are doing work for some of the countries leading brands, including Virgin SA, General Motors (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Isuzu, Opel and Hummer), Investec, Pam Golding, Cadbury, Shoprite, Checkers and PriceWaterhouseCoopers to name but a few.

We aim to achieve a number of goals with our work:

1. Produce work of international standard
2. Create exceptional value for our clients
3. Push the boundaries of the medium and experiment with new technologies
4. Have fun doing it.

If you share these values, and you’re keen to join a dynamic, innovative company full of people you can learn from and produce some outstanding work, apply now! Here’s a short rundown of what we’re after:

• Interactive Motion Designer
  Are you an After Effects and Flash junkie who gets off on visual effects and constantly downloads showreels? Do you have an eye for animation and see video as the future of the web? This job is for you. Get in touch! Send a link to your showreel / portfolio as well as your CV to designer[at]stonewall.co.za
• Actionscript Guru
  You’re object-oriented by nature, and you communicate in classes and functions (). You’re not scared of conceptual thinking, and you know what Papervision 3D, Sharikura, and WiiFlash are. Don’t miss this opportunity. Send your CV and work samples to developer[at]stonewall.co.za
• HTML/CSS Programmer (Code Ninja!)
  You’re presentation layer is separate from your content, and you validate when interrogated. What are you waiting for? CV and work samples to developer[at]stonewall.co.za
• Senior Interactive Designer
  Photoshop is your playground and Flash is your friend. You so over the Web 2.0 look, and you eat complex design problems for breakfast. You make the most of every opportunity to create, and your portfolio speaks for itself. Come on - send it on to designer[at]stonewall.co.za
• Production Manager
  You’re a compulsive list-writer and you’re a natural born leader. You understand the web inside and out, and you’re able to bring out the best in people. Send your CV to studioproduction[at]stonewall.co.za

Peaked your interest? Maybe, just maybe this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Get in touch - what do you have to lose? Oh, and if you know of anyone who fits the above descriptions, we also offer a R5000 referral commission. Go on then!