my pet's cute canine be@rbrick

When I was new in advertising, I read somewhere that for an ad to get attention, there were several tricks. One of them was to use animals. After years of watching commercials, I'd have to agree. Who doesn't love a pet who can act? For me, the most outstanding use of an animal in a recent TV ad would be Bridgestone's Dog from BBDO Bangkok.

My dog, Kenzo (above, left, cuddled up with my 2006 Year of the Dog Be@rbrick, an exclusive for the Hong Kong Be@rbrick Fan Club), is cute and talented enough for the tv screen. Aside from knowing how to fetch his rubber ball, he can express different emotions: 'excitement' when he plays 'bite that finger', 'defiance' when he refuses to get down from my bed, 'shame' when he knows he made 'poopoo' where he shouldn't, 'fury' when he sees our neighbor's noisy little chihuahua, and 'sweetness' when he rests his head gently on my arm when I am sleeping.

Kenzo can act. You can tell by his eyes. :-)

be@rbricks in disguise / part 2

Back in my hometown, Batangas (Philippines), the annual 'fiesta' banquet wouldn't be complete without the popular dish called 'Kalderetang Kambing' (Spicy Goat Stew). Because of this, I've been witness to the slaughter of poor little goats in our backyard, where most of the cooking was done. But when the continuous bleating became more deafening by the minute, I would lose my pity and actually
become annoyed!

Last 2003, I regained my taste for the goat with the Year of the Goat Be@rbrick (above left), a commemorative design issued by Medicom for the Hong Kong Be@rbrick Fan Club. It has a strong 'cuteness' factor, even though its lines and colors are modern and streamlined.

The Series 12 Cow Be@rbrick (above right) wears the distinctive nose ring. Did you know that the ring is there for two reasons? One, farmers tie a rope to it and use that rope to guide them in the right direction during transport. Two, it is attached to the nose to successfully wean the calf. The nose ring interferes with the feeding process, frustrating both the calf and the cow. When this happens often, the calf gets used to the idea of not being able to feed and is successfully weaned without going through the trauma of separation.

Poor animals!

be@rbricks in disguise / part 1

Be@rbricks are so lovable even when they're not being themselves – when designers transform them to other species (from Ape to Zebra) in the most ingenious ways. These are called 'animal' Be@rbricks and there's a one in every series (set of about 18 Be@rbricks) that is released periodically.

One bear cries 'Hoot-hoot-hoot'.
The second sings: 'Tweet-tweet-tweet'.
And the third one croaks, 'Bud-wei-ser'!