Browsing Tag

celebrity

On The Radar: Starbucks

Love struck with a Starbucks barista? You’re in luck! Soon you can show your appreciation (or affection) with a smartphone. Starbucks is rolling out a new digital tipping function for its mobile payment app next summer, as well as through Square for U.S. customers. (Source: CBC)

Starbucks has begun testing 500 sq. ft. drive-thru and walk-up shops run by only a few employees that offer the full Starbucks menu. In an effort to go green, the new LEED-certified coffee shops in the pilot program are hyper local, whereby the design materials are sourced from within a 500-mile radius. The McDonald’s at Richmond and Dundas in London has a walk-up window, but I haven’t seen anyone use it. That said, I’m sure Starbucks’ sophisticated design will make these new venues a nice addition to modern cities. (Source: Fast Company)

Eager to please their most well-known clientele, Starbucks crafted a personalized cup for Demi Lovato by writing her name inside a star resembling her new place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Fans pleaded to Starbucks via Twitter, with the hashtag #putdemisnameonastarbuckscup and Starbucks responded, as seen below. Hopefully other patrons didn’t wait longer in line while baristas designed it. (Source: Twitter)

October 9, 2012 by

Jian Ghomeshi Visits London

When someone famous visits London, take note because from what I can tell, it doesn’t happen often. However, CBC host Jian Ghomeshi visited the Forest City today to promote his new memoir 1982. Rather than telling his life story “from womb to tomb,” Jian chose to share coming of age stories about fitting in as a young immigrant to Canada, focusing on the awkward year that was grade nine. His fan base immediately bought the book  – enough to ensure it debuted as the nation’s #1 bestselling non-fiction book, which is a huge accomplishment.

Taking a break from Western Homecoming festivities, I went to Chapters South London for Jian’s book signing. Delighted by the chance to have a seat without waiting hours beforehand, I eagerly waited for him to come out of the green room. Once on stage, Jian talked about 1982 and his memories of London, such as performing with Moxy Fruvous at Western Fair and drinking at the Spoke. Then he read aloud 2 stories about men watching sprinklers in Thornhill and his parents’ disapproval of his fashion sense inspired by David Bowie.

The Q&A that followed covered Q interviews such as Billy Bob Thornton and Harrison Ford, his transition from musician to broadcaster and tips for preparing for interviews. Jian emphasized the importance of doing in-depth research about guests, adding that he insists on knowing his guests’ work well before doing a ‘dance’ with them, as that’s how he metaphorically described the routine between interviewer-interviewee. I found it interesting when he talked about how his show disproves that listeners and viewers suffering from attention defecits are uninterested in longer content. People don’t tend to turn off Q 3 minutes in to the show!

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September 29, 2012 by

Katy Perry, LinkedIn’s Thinking of You

Music icon Katy Perry, one of my favourite pop sensations, continues receiving credit for inspiring how everyone uses social media. First, she kicked off the summer with a lyric video for Top 40 hit ‘Wide Awake’ by embracing Facebook Timeline’s features to showcase her milestones, such as concerts, magazine covers and awards.

More recently, Wired shared that Katy Perry inspired LinkedIn’s global redesign. According to Wired, “One of the main goals in Project Katy is to create a cohesive experience across all platforms, no matter the device or operating system.” LinkedIn’s team began focusing on their Katy-inspired  redesign project following an update to its iPhone app. Modelling the site after Katy’s success seemed natural to Steve Johnson, LinkedIn’s director of design and web development, who loves following pop culture. Wired succinctly explains that Katy’s “irresistible pop hooks” make her a great go-to when designers need a muse.

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September 21, 2012 by

Some Kind of Wonderful Summer

My Facebook album featuring summer 2012 highlights is called Paradise, after the hit song by Coldplay, which captures my sentiment this summer. Here’s why:

Walt Disney once said, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” Going backstage at a concert has been a dream ever since meeting a Marianas Trench band member working the merchandise table at their 2009 Western O-Week show. 

Ian Casselman, Marianas Trench (September 2009)

Saturday afternoon, I managed to meet Jesse Labelle, a 2012 headliner at the same show. Leaving that tent afterwards broke my heart, but at least I also got to meet my mitZine editor IRL for the first time!

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September 9, 2012 by

Next Top Role Model

Elizabeth Bromstein, who earns a living commenting on celebrities, work and love, yet refrains from gossiping over dinner at the Spoke Club. Elizabeth’s published work reflects her wit and intelligence that earned her a spot on this list, but my favourite memories with @missbromstein involved meeting in person to discuss Twitter, food and life.

Hilary Duff, Hollywood’s eternal good girl whose [extended] team coined the term ‘momager’ and eventually married a Canadian hockey player.

Kelly Cutrone, a PR pro known for succinctly spreading the message Normal Gets You Nowhere. Both her books gave me a lot to think about – enough material for a term paper about The Culture of Celebrity. I’ll never forget when she pegged me as a journalist, or her knack for bringing people together.

Kelly Cutrone (May 2011)

Lauren O’Neil, a professional internetter and online creep with FIMS training at Western as well. She’s made the rounds helping brands improve their social media, running around Toronto to share insights, and then wound up at CBC, true to her roots in journalism. On a side note, it’d incredible to get us, Julie Geller, Matthew Stradiotto and Jerry Seinfeld in the same room and determine Ms. O’Nizzle’s ultimate job title. Patrick Thoburn can moderate.

Shania Twain, whose motivational life story and lyrics taught me the word ‘prerogative’ once upon a time when I played ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ over and over again on my desktop karaoke software. Many thanks to the Toronto Star for organizing a contest to meet her in 2005, which marked the beginning of my winning streak, and to my pals at Indigo for reuniting us in 2011. I still don’t have a photo with her, but 3rd time’s the charm.

Tomorrow I’ll be of legal drinking age in the U.S. & Canada, so message me when you’re free for a champagne-inspired tweet up.

Cheers!

September 4, 2012 by