Rot Blog 9: Speechless

Our rotting chums are still here and the whiff is pretty overpowering. I think we're into week 17 at the moment, which is quite an incredible feat. I'm not sure what more we can say that we haven't already banged on about before. They are nasty, disgusting and smelly, but somehow beautiful. I've tried getting through to those book of records blokes to get some rot-orientated record or something, but they're not biting. If you're ever in the area and fancy a rotty fumble, give them a squeeze by all means. See it as a sort of pilgrimage. Nice.

Welcome to Hell 5: Look At The Size Of It!

Just in case you thought it had all gone nice and quiet here, thought you might like a quick update on the size of the gawd awful structure thing being built outside our window. To the sound of a constant 'TAP TAP DRIIIZZ BANG BANG EEEERRRRGGGGHHH', us happy Karma people ply our trade. The foundations have been laid, what looks like an underground carpark ('Darling I couldn't possibly work anywhere I couldn't park the Merc') has been built, and those little blighters have been hard at it, getting higher, higher and higher. But we'll be off soon to pastures new (don't know where yet, probably Balham at this rate) and the new tenants who will be paying an unholy amount of cash will have the pleasure of our friendly Pot Noodle eating neighbours. Unlucky.

Summer Party (Late) 07

By golly, it's been a right long time since we last wrote. It's all go here, very busy, lots of meetings, a couple of chuckles and some funny Autumn footwear.
But, above and beyond all that, I felt I just had to show you a few of our piccies from our rather late summer party.
This year's theme was a Karma treasure hunt around our great capital whilst travelling on a Duck Boat. If you've never been on one, do, but take a cushion and some waterproofs.




I won't go into too much detail other than to say we had to get up to all sorts of mischief including getting as many people as possible in a phone box, finding a dog and dressing it up, giving one of the beasts of Trafalger Square a rogering from behind, hanging off a tree, a company looki-likey (in this case Phil) and, to top it all off, the best 'aquatic' photo, won hands down by Jono and Craig who, in the pouring rain, put on trashy tourist pants and went for a swim in the Trafalger Square fountains.















Blimey, what a day. It all finished off with a very nice dinner indeed in some part of gentrified South London where the muggers say please before robbing you. All this organised by the lovely ladies at Karampharma, Hattie, Sarah, Gina and Alice.

Daft Hands - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Time, work and tea drinking stopped at 415 today as we all crowded around Fern's computer to marvel at this film. I'm sure you super-cool people have already seen it, but for anyone else out there like me who's been trying to earn a crust rather than watch spoddy videos all day, enjoy...

I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast...

...but I'm like hot butter on your morning toast.
Or so the Sugarhill Gang sang on Rapper's Delight way back when.


So, look, we don't like to go on and on about how great we are, how we've bought a new kettle (those that know will know), or how we've created a spurious (good word) new department/discipline focusing on toilet seat behaviour. See, we're just not like that.
But, every now and then, it feels right to reassure you, kind reader, that we are a serious and somewhat successful company of fine and upstanding creative types.
So, I drawer you attention to the latest new business league where little old us, coiled like a spring at number 8 for the last 2 weeks, has only gone and leapfrogged (is that the right word?) our friends W&K to number 7. Bugger me sideways.


Next stop, let's take on our friends down the road at BMB. They're only a few grand ahead of us and we've got some new business wins in the pipeline that we'll be announcing soon.
After that, who knows? Obviously it will be disaster, deceit and debauchery. But let's enjoy it while we can.
I thank you.

Meet Rod - The family keeps on growing

Say hello to Rod, who joins us this week as our head of creative services. For people that don't know what that means, he's the person who makes everything that we ponder and argue about all day long actually happen. He also strides around the place a lot with pieces of paper saying things like 'is the registration any good on this?'.
Rod comes from AKQA and prior to that the world of publishing, so he's a sort of analogue/digital hybrid. He seems terribly nice, dresses very well and will fit in right well to your ever-growing family of happy folk. He's a great find and we're very chuffed to have him. Welcome.

Man Down, Man Down

This lovely little fella is, apparently, the common flu virus. And it's currently living the life at your one and only Karma-Hurrrahara. There's people falling all over the place, smashing foreheads into their Macs as they let forth with another spray of snot. It's bad. Fair enough, it's mainly the male of the species that's worse for wear and yeah yeah yeah, man-flu and all that, but I'm telling you, I don't know how the pesky little germ-thing gets about, but he 'aint half, what's the word, oh yes: virulent.

So, in honour of how your favourite 'gosh I thought they'd be at least twice the size' ad agency are being hit hard, I thought I'd bring you some really grisly pictures of fellow sufferers, so you can almost taste what it's like to be here at the moment.

First up, the snot drop:



Second up, the kiddie snot waterfall:


Third up, the super-sneeze:


Now of the above, my old Mum always used to say 'Oh my Gawd' whenever anyone sneezed near her 'that goes 15 bleedin' feet you know'. And this piccie seems to show that she's knows what she's talking about. So, next time you're squeezed into your local public transport and you hear a gurgle, a shuffle and then a big old sneeze... Duck!

Joy Joy Joy!

I am so in love with this website it makes me want to poop myself. It is absolute perfection and has given me more laughs than anything in living memory. Please visit and click on the explanation videos. The one about 'happiness' brings a tear to my eye.

Click here, please please please, and share the joy

Toto | Washlet - Flash Player Installation

LESS BANG BANG, MORE PING PONG

We're very proud to bring you our latest short film, showcasing the talents of the amazing Mr Dave

Want it!

The folks here at Karma-Kara-ma are a pretty right on bunch when it comes to matters of world peace, semi-skimmed milk and protecting our funny little planet (cos we have only one of 'em you know). We don't get taxis everywhere (well, some of the lazier ones do), we try and recycle paper and stuff (we got a bit confused about recycling toilet paper - it got all a bit messy), and of course, as you know dear reader who has nothing better to do with their day than read the ramblings of a bligblog, we loves our bicycles.
Well, I love this. You've probably seen it on all those coolhunting websites that you are subscribed to but delete every morning in-between all the cheap viagra spam. It's a scheme running in Amsterdam where the people of that fair city 'borrow' a bike from one of these dispensers, ride around a bit, buy some clogs and papers and stuff and then deposit it back at another dispenser. Oh the joy of altruistic behaviour.
Anyway upwards, I've found out the supplier and I'm very excited about getting a couple for our new building (which we still haven't found yet - more on that in another posting) so we can allow Karmacrew and clients alike to pootle around town on nice little bikes. What a lovely idea.
Of course it will never happen because the minimum order will be about 10 squillion, but I can dream can't I, I can dream?

Rot Blog 8: The Fester

It's been a while since we checked in on our old rotting friends. People that think we may have opted to chuck these little stinkers in the bin should now be impressed with the agency's resilience and lack of olfactory senses.
There have been some quite dramatic developments since the last posting. The biccie has started to slowly disintegrate. If you check carefully you can just spot a bit of crumbling at the edge. The satsuma though is an entirely different matter.



We're talking weeping sores here. The Black Death. Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses, all that sort of stuff. Our citrus but juiceless pal has moved into an advanced state of putrification. Perhaps more terrifying is the effect it's having on Craig and his hair which is turning an odd yellow colour.


Not sure how long we can stand the stink and the little black flies, but, in the name of science and witless blogging, we'll keep going.

Welcome Welcome Welcome

Yet another new trooper joins us this week.
Meet Siobhann (I know, easy to say, difficult to spell, a bit like chrysanthemum) and she's a wonderful account manager who has come to us by way of JWT (yes, they are still in business) and Bates (no, they are not still in business).
Siobhann (doesn't get any easier no matter how much you write it) originates from somewhere is Western Australia which means she can wrestle crocs, drink 24 tins of beer in one sitting, and shoot the eye of a roo out at 100 paces.
Actually, I made all that up and I'm ashamed of myself.
She actually rides a portbale-foldable-bendable bike thingy and wants to learn how to play the banjo. Yee haa.
Welcome Shieobauhn ... oh bugger it!

Big Hands

Hattie and Fern were at Bestival last weekend, where this pair of giant inflatable hands were photographed, promoting the new Chemical Brothers album. They looked rather stunning, standing magically in a ploughed field at the side of the 2hr traffic tailback to the main entrance. There really wasn't much to look at, but these certianly were 'eyecatching'.

The Big Time

We're a humble bunch here at Karma-tarama. We don't seek the limelight, we eschew glory hunting, we don't play the awards game, all that stuff. But every now and then a bit of fame comes our way and we just have to ... well bang on about it relentlessly, puff our chests out (girls as well as boys -it's a sight to behold, believe me) and swagger around like the cock of the playground.
So, today, we're proud to announce that you bestest and most favouritist agency in the whole of the world, or Great Titchfield Street at least, is number 8 in Campaign's new business league.



It's a first for us to be in the top 10 and we are really rather chuffed. Many thanks to all that helped us get there and we only need a dribble more of new biz to edge ahead of our East London pals W&K. So we've sent new business dawg Hattie out to Oxford Street touting for any scraps she can find. Boys, we're coming for ya like cleo-bleedin'-patra.

The Power of the Blog

We've all heard about citizen journalists. You blog, the big guys in the press pick it up. Fame and fortune awaits the blogger. Well, it may not be fame and fortune for me personally, but it's nice to see that what we write here occasionally gets picked up by the press. You may recall a couple of weeks ago we posted a story about our one and only Benjy who did a naked dash once he'd locked himself out of his hotel room following a client night out. Well, esteemed industry magazine, Campaign, picked up on the story and gave Ben his own little piece.


Ben's biggest concern? Nakedness? Humilitation? Nah. What will come up when people google his name in the future is his only worry. That boy, he'll go far.

The Great Debate: The Greatest Sweet The World Has Ever Known

There’s a long history of debating at Karmarama, from the world’s greatest sandwich to the greatest miracle of all time (currently held by Aaron’s sister who’s dismembered finger grew back, nail and all).
Close to all our hearts though, was exactly what is the world’s greatest sweet?

After weeks of planning the agency assembled around the debating table. There was good representation from the old school and the new school, with ‘downstairs at TopShop’ apparently being a good source of retro sweets, as well as the stall down Berwick Street market by the moody book shop and next to the very accommodating young lady at number 37.
Hopes were high for the chocolate éclairs for their two-in-one good value, the apricot yogi nuts for their possible nutritional value, and the Chupa Chups for their sheer quality of design.



The Space Dust grabbed everyone’s interest early doors, partly due to Sarah’s innovative delivery system. The gay fudge then took an early lead, only to be disqualified due to cheating. The paedo’s favourite, Werther’s was given a wide berth, and there was a lot of rush buying towards the end which saw everything from Parma Violets to Chewits vying for attention.
But a winner was found, and this had everyone surprised: Apple Sours. These funny little green things that are in no way pleasant clearly tickled the taste buds of your discerning cutting-edge-advertising-type-folk friends.
So stunned were we about the result, the only solution was to go down the pub and continue the debate. Unfortunately, as with most Karmacrew debates, it all got a bit messy.


Thanks to all those that took part. Apple Sours! Who’d have thought?

A Planner's Dream

Oh deep joy! If there are any planners out there, or anyone who likes organising data and making it look pretty, this is for you. Deep, deep, slightly creepy and geekish joy.

A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods

We Can Rebuild Him

Now we know poor old Ben is a bit of recurring theme on Karmarama Stories, but he creates such great ... copy. The latest is a growing realisation that, slowly but surely, Ben is rebuilding himself. Whether it's a mid-life crises, a middle-class crises, or he's watched too many episode of 10 Years Younger, were not sure. But in the last month Ben has:
Had his teeth done.
Is having his eyes lazered.
Has had his back seen to.
Has had his colon evacuated (a rumour, as yet without evidence - we're checking stool samples as we write).
Has had extensive physio.
Has had acupuncture.
Has started swimming.
Has started cycling to work.
Is wearing jeans with expensive holes in them.
So, it's either that the poor lad is coming apart at the seams like a Cabbage Patch Doll, or the US have started their Universal Soldier program and our Ben is somewhere between Steve Austin and Dolph Lundgren. If you see him around town, chances are he'll either be moving very fast indeed, or will be on his way to some strange alternative therapist. Wave when you see him, he may look a bit different next time.

Welcome to Hell 4: Robots in Disguise!

It's been a while since we treated you, happy reader, to an update on our living situation here. As you'll recall we appear to have fallen into a rather large demolition site and are surrounded on all sides by men, machines and discarded Pot Noodles. The noise continues to keep us on the edge of insanity, the rumbling keeps us shaken AND stirred and the eyesore that we see everyday fills us with despair.


We've still got no idea what they're doing out there other than really, REALLY hacking us off. You'll see a group of men at the top of the photo spraying some liquid into what we assume are the steel rods of the foundations. Or have they simply chosen something as noisy and as annoying as they can find to keep them, and us, fully occupied?
The bloke in the big crane just looks down on us each day, picking hi nose, rolling it in big balls and flicking them on our roof. Nice.
So it goes on. Lots of drilling, squirting stuff, banging and smashing. Oh joy.

Bikes - Serious Stuff 3

No gallery of gallant cyclists can be complete without the bearded wonder, Rob, man of the sea, the land and the pedal. Here he is in full cycling gear, none of this lycra nonsense, it's all stolen from Albanian refugees and re-purposed. Great calves mate.

Rusty Rob