Nicholas Holden 0424285907

nickholden@live.com

Relevant University projects

Purina Protection Plus: Purina Protection plus is a concept developed for a new product development course and involves the amalgamation of flea and tick protection with every day pet food in order to simplify the process of parasite protection. Below are two magazine advertisements for the campaign. One which will feature in women’s magazines and is directed at the shopping mother, focuses on the emotions involved in pet care purchases. The other advertisement is directed at a wide range of pet owners who, in normal circumstances, are unlikely to take notice of advertisements for pet food and hence an appeal that is both rational and humorous is used.

Save Your Friend Campaign: A hypothetical campaign developed as a university assignment designed to decrease the incidence of smoking in those aged 19-25 through an initiative titled ‘Save Your Friend’. The campaign was designed largely to focus less on fear appeals as has been done in the past and rely more heavily on social aspects related to smoking. This initiative encourages participants to quit smoking with a friend, providing a paradox to the peer pressure associated with taking up smoking behavior.

Pure Blonde ‘to good health’: Hypothetical campaign designed to introduce pure blonde (under a yet to be decided new name due to historical reasons) to the German market. The campaign emphasizes the health benefits of Pure Blonde in comparison to other beer products and has a light hearted dig at the country through references to the Sound of Music and the toast ‘to good health’. Whilst the campaign diverges from that used in Australia the overall feel of the campaign still suggests the product comes ‘from a place much more pure than yours’.

The Bang Pop The Bang Pop is an American run music blog for which I am a contributor. Below is an

example of a blog that I have written. http://www.thebangpop.com/2010/08/16/thoughts-with-nick-practically-wasted

Thoughts with Nick: Practically Wasted

Given that I was introduced here as a long lost friend, I felt it appropriate to make mention of a friend of mine who I have recently became reacquainted with. I can still remember my first experiences of Brendan Maclean.

In a typical territorial move against the new kid on the street, I observed this new and foreign creature in my world from a distance. To state that Brendan is a triple threat would be underselling his talent and wouldn’t prepare you for dealing with all of his eccentricities. The singing, dancing, acting, writing, radio presenting personality was like nothing I had come across before. In time however we became friends and ultimately I believe we were good influences on each other. Through high school and beyond we drifted apart however, but thanks to the wonder that is the internet we are now back in contact.

Some 10 or so years ago Brendan promised me a Porsche when he became famous and here’s hoping that as his talents continue to become more focused this promise will blossom into a reality. I recently managed to catch one of his shows at a trendy little joint in Cronulla (a beach, despite being 40 minutes out of the city, I would recommend over Bondi for those travelling to Sydney) called the Brass Monkey and I was blown away. Brendan’s work can be rather delicate and understated but yet for the most part is flamboyant and passionate enough to excite when necessary without becoming repetitive or fading into background music. If you can imagine Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds making love in a circus then you might begin to picture the results of how Brendan’s powerful vocals and piano tinkering fuse with indie, folk, pop and cabaret. Having independently released his debut EP White Canvas this year, Brendan is relatively new to the game. Given that when I last knew him I am almost certain he didn’t even know how to play the piano (I started playing the piano when I was 4 so I am sure it would have come up), it is rather impressive to see what he has become.

Practically Wasted is one of Brendan’s more eccentric pieces. The video, which is more reminiscent of something released by a major rather than a self funded clip starring volunteers, fits the song perfectly. As the opener, Practically Wasted sets a unique tone for the EP, which moves from the frantic and unconventional feel of the lead track to a delicate and meticulously calculated finish in White Canvas. Take a listen.

To the right is a screen shot of a portion of a review published on the online magazine Music is Love for which I was the co-editor. Whilst we only published one issue due to lack of funding we received a large deal of positive feedback and publishing another issue in the future has not been ruled out. The full review can be found below. To read other reviews by me in the online magazine visit myspace.com/musicislovemag

Full Review Okkervil River-Stage Names

Despite hearing the name, prior to the release of ‘The Stage Names’ their 4th full length studio album, Okkervil River were not a band I had made the effort to listen to. This was something that I would quickly begin to regret. Okkervil River, although not a band one is likely to truly appreciate initially, through Will Sheff’s warm vocals and interesting and poetic lyrics provide us with an album that is deeper than most and wills the listener to investigate deeper. The bands sound, defined loosely as indie/folk/rock, sways between aggression and sweet seduction and due to Sheff’s sometimes hysterical vocals the band manages to create a feeling of being close to the edge both vocally and instrumentally. This, a feat more commonly achieved by bands when playing live, is done so in a way that is both passionate and infectious. Despite the sense that things almost seem out of control at times, the album seems incredibly polished with every song perfectly thought out and every sound rightfully earning its spot on the album. ‘The Stage Names’ despite being only 9 songs long is extremely dense in content with Sheff’s thoughts on himself, his band as well as the workings of the world around him being littered within each song. Lyrically the album is incredible with Sheff using the English language perfectly through imagery and symbolism creating a collection of short stories each interesting on their own merits and as part of a whole. The opening track ‘Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe’ depressingly concludes life to be little more than a bad movie claiming that “It’s just a life story, so there’s no climax”. Although hard to pick highlights from the album the final two tracks ‘Title Track’ and ‘John Allyn Smith Sails’ deserve special mention. ‘Title Track’, a harsh but delicate observation on creating a name for oneself in American popular culture, sees a clever mix of vocals and instrumentals switching between singing with little more than soft acoustic guitars and loud and crisp piano and drums. ‘John Allyn Smith Sails’ the true highlight of the album is written from the post death point of view of John Berryman (originally John Allyn Smith) a poet who committed suicide in 1972. The song features several allusions to moments in Berryman’s life as well as his poetry and finishes with a chilling cover of The Beach Boys ‘Sloop John B’ a song about the boat John B that not only shares its initials with Berryman but also came to a similar demise, sinking in the early 1900’s. After being seduced by ‘The Stage Names’ I made an effort to listen to Okkervil River’s back catalogue and as hard as it is to say ‘The Stage Names’ is not quite as impressive as 2005’s concept album ‘Black Sheep Boy’. Let this take nothing away from ‘The Stage Names’ however as both are masterpieces. Unless familiar with Okkervil River listeners are not likely to instantly appreciate the depth and quality of the album but if willing to give it some time may well find themselves a new love, as I have. This album is contender for album of the year. 9/10 Nicholas Holden