The Unknown Studio

Attempting to cast a net around and harness that ethereal sense of nationalism and pride is a dubious exercise at best. Trying to make something with the intent of it going viral is seldom successful. Viral is successful when it’s clever, when it’s true and when it’s honest.

I don’t know what the boardroom discussions were like when Pepsi decided to make the “Eh Oh Canada Go” chant the chant of a nation, but I know this: it was a misguided, misinformed attempt to take the attributes of successful viral campaigns, and transform them into a full-on marketing machine. Other companies attempting to do something similar — to co-opt a sort of popular culture icon as simple as a “Go Canada Go” or “Ca-Na-Da” chant — would do well to learn from Pepsi’s experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 34% [?]

Hollywood… dun dun, dun dun, dun dun dun, Hollywood…

It’s that time of year again when nominees are set on edge, performers begin prepping the musical numbers, and the band gets ready to play you off at the thirty-second mark. Yes, friends, it’s Oscar season!

And that means it’s time for me to keep with tradition and and give my picks for the awards – which have historically proven to be totally accurate*. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 13% [?]

This Wednesday marks a fairly significant day in Edmonton, one which is tied to a fairly significant event taking place in the fairly significant month of February (which is fairly significant for, among other reasons, being the shortest month of the year, and if my girlfriend is reading this, Valentine’s Day). That’s right, friends, your brush with greatness, as it relates to athleticism and the corporatization of such, takes place tomorrow when the Olympic torch winds its way through the City of Champions.

Whatever you think of the Games — and I personally have a love/hate relationship with them ever since I was cut from the Canadian jet-luge team (no longer an Olympic sport) in the mid-90s — this definitely marks an historic moment in Canadian history, only the third time the games have taken place in our country. The last time was in 1988 in Calgary, when mascots Heidi and Howdy graced every toque, coffee mug and mitten in existence in this country. Before that, Montreal hosted the summer Olympics in 1976, which allowed them to score a now-dilapidated stadium as a permanent fixture on their landscape. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 12% [?]

In this latest instalment of our ongoing Watch This feature — in which Adam and I give you a rundown on movies you absolutely have to see — we don’t talk about movies at all. Instead, we’ll be running down some of our favourite science fiction television series.

The main reason? We spend way, way too much time talking amongst ourselves about the various pros and cons of the shows we like to watch. The other reason? We can. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 14% [?]

Rather than pick the ten best albums of the last decade — a nearly impossible task, in my opinion — I decided to pick one influential album from each year and talk about why I think it’s particularly important in general, or just specifically for my life.

The beginning of this decade for me marked a significant time in my life, where I felt as though I finally had direction for what I wanted to do. And it all started at the Gateway, the U of A’s student newspaper. I was fortunate to meet so many cool people there who exposed me to an incredible diversity of music and popular culture. To my friends from those times (and beyond), thank you for always sharing your delicious tastes with me. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 63% [?]

I didn’t realize it until very recently, but I am without question a huge Arnold Schwarzenegger fan. I could give two squirts what the man’s political policies are now that he’s the Governor of California. What interests me about Arnold isn’t his post-film life; it’s what he contributed to American popular film before he decided to, you know, help the people of California (I would argue he was helping the world by starring in action movies, but I’m also extremely shallow). Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 10% [?]