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With breast cancer awareness month now in full swing, a few of the balloon dog crew headed down to our local football ground to help prepare for the Think Pink Norwich Ball. We got a little excited when we saw their double bun table decorations.

Congratulations go to The Think Pink Team who spent so much time on organising the event. The ball was a massive success raising in excess of £18,000 for the Breakthrough Breast Cancer, with  370 guests attending. Since their first ball in 2004 they have raised a total of £52,000 for breast cancer charities…well done girls!

Photo courtesy of Matt Brasnett: http://www.ido-photography.co.uk 

And we thought our balloon dog modelling was adventurous, until we were shown how far balloon manipulation can really go. Take a look at Jason Hackenwerth's bizarre creations.

Like any creative agency this is exactly what we’re trying to do – use our creativity to deliver commercial solutions. American artist Scott Blake  is doing it the other way round – using commercial solutions to make art.

He’s taken that ubiquitous symbol of modern retailing, the barcode, to make portraits of cultural icons – like Marilyn, Madonna, Oprah, Elvis… (you really know you’ve made it when you become a mononym).

But they’re not just any old barcodes from packets of fish fingers or cartons of milk. He tries to use barcodes related to the figures themselves. His Madonna portrait, for example, features 107 barcodes used on her albums. For Oprah he includes bar codes from 36 books in her book club.

Should we interpret Blake’s work as an artistIc statement about the commercialisation of the individual? Or maybe just as his desire to use his creative talents to make an honest living? That sounds familiar somehow.

But Scott Blake’s not the only one playing with barcodes. A Japanese agency already picked up a Titanium Lion at the Cannes advertising festival in 2006 for their ideas to turn them into something beautiful

It's that time of the month again, when one of our lucky staff gets to reveal all in the 30 second interview. This month our Disney On Ice guru, Anna Curtis, gives us the low down.

My favourite ad is: the really cheesy Shake N Vac ad – I love a kitsch jingle!

A winning smile can: get you out of trouble

I am always happy: to go to the beach (in any weather)

My favourite journey is: the country road leading to my cottage

I only lie when: I really really have to

I admire: honesty and long legs

The words or phrases I most overuse are: probably swear words

My greatest talent is: calming people down

My biggest regret: was whilst studying Graphic Design at college… I refused to submit a design for the first Coldplay album cover (my old tutor is the drummer's cousin) because "I'm to busy and this band won't amount to anything anyway". Whoops…