-^- PUNCH BOWL ORIGINALS -^-
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A culture x commerce conglomerate of fruity projects occasionally spiked. Some are completed, some partially resolved. They are concepts, experiments and ventures by @daveking
“This is our wildest mount - a headless horse But though it runs unbridled off its course,And all our blandishments would seem defied, We have ideas yet that we haven’t tried.” (Riders by Robert Frost).
Botz 🤔
In creating bots and fine-tuning language models like GPT2, I’m imagining a way of working where people have access to “tiny tools for thought”. These are little widget-like generative language tools that help you get started, trigger a thought or see something from a different perspective.
The following are pretty raw but have potential when applied:
Ideahead is a little idea-generating bot inspired by Nicole He’s work. Here’s an idea: “Imagine stoners and jocks met at work to talk about schadenfreude.“. Also made into an Alexa skill.
Slog on! is a very, very powerful slogan generator*. It digests complicated human strategies and outputs captivating headlines like “Find your dog. Live without people”.
Atari Baldessari juxtposes an artist’s struggles with ambition and progression against a background of Atari 2600 situations. The artist is attempting to level up.
Chase the dragon is a bot that warns you of the dangers of memes by generating fictional drug names from meme stem-words and inserting them anti-drug slogans.
Shrink Me is a Google Action based on the original ELIZA program by Joseph Zeizenbaum (MIT 1966). It’s modified for contemporary use but I can’t link to it because I can’t get Google to accept it. Works nicely on my test device.
The Royals 🙌
A creative agency based in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
FOUNDED: APRIL, 2008
“A place made of most interested humans.”
The Royals, a living, breathing commerical creativity experiment. It’s a company whose founders have chosen a precarious path on the precipice of credibility, creative merit, artistic and technical integrity and financial success. This place is populated by hearts and minds keen to create communications, experiences and products that offer inspiration, entertainment and utility.
The Royals are largely named after the Majestics, California’s oldest black lowrider car club originally founded in Compton, CA. The Majestics are a community of like-minded legends with a bond that goes way beyond hubs ‘n’ rims. The Royals name was also a nod to the Tenenbaum clan of misfits, who despite everything, gelled.
Advance Party 🤓
The research and prototyping arm of the Royals, exploring the fields or creative and communication technology.
LAUNCHED: 2016
“Protptype or die.”
Advance Party is an active, R&D lab that looks beyond the next product cycle, identifying trends, technologies and behavioural shifts that will become significant in the next one to three years. It deliver programs that helps people imagine and document the impacts these changes will create.
Move 37 🧠
How might we create tools that help people work with new types of software in positive and enjoyable ways?
FOUNDED: 2017
“You’re the face behind the face that keeps me dreaming.”
Move 37 is creative AI startup with a vision to augment creativity with machine learning and data science. We’re making tools to help people get inspired, come up with ideas and create content.
Storymart 📱
Imagine enjoying work from new and award-winning writers, any time, anywhere for a small subscription fee that directly supports writers.
LAUNCHING: TBC
“Storymart is an online home for the world’s best short stories.”
Rivals 👨🏼🎤
A hybrid media/art/technology label, purveyors of mischief and fraud.
COMING SOON.
A zine in pieces that collects the thoughts and intentions of the Royals and community.
LAUNCHED : 2016
The Welcome Mat Project 🧕🏼
A Welcome Mat is a gesture of hospitality and generosity. A front door with The Welcome Committee mat conveyed the resident’s willingness to be hospitable to asylum seekers who seek refuge in Australia.
LAUNCHED: 2015
“Harnessing the power of design and advertising to create social change.”
Funds raised through the sale of Welcome Mats are being used to implement a media campaign advocating for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. The campaign has been developed with a team of pro-bono advertising, design and media professionals.
FRKBK 👀
A hardware x software prototype for a connected ideabook.
IN STEALTH
Open Field ✍🏽
An iPad magazine that served as a collection of creative work (stories, photographs, cartoons, poems, songs, film, audio) from across the globe.
LAUNCHED: 2012
“Empowering women in developing communities.”
Yellow Arrow 👊🏼
Location-based media without the load times.
FROM 2004
“A harbinger of the geospatial web.”
Yellow Arrow was a global public art project originally out of New York. Yellow arrow stickers could be obtained from their website and placed anywhere in the public realm. When you attached a sticker, you texted a message to a central number with that sticker’s unique code. When someone came across the arrow, they could retrieve the message and find out why someone had put a sticker there. I loved it and brought it to Australia to work with local phone numbers.
Some little things:
The imaginary agency of my dreams is Global Ads Incorporated.
One of my favourite bits of ad work I’ve been involved in is Abbot's Internet
A long-time blog that I never touch but never want to kill off is Your Manifesto.