To fully experience the joys of the Christmas season, people need the warmth and comforts of a home. So this year we’re donating to Habitat for Humanity to help build warm and comfortable homes for three Yukon families (habitatyukon.org).

To help spread the message with our clients and friends, we've created a small flipbook to share. You can see the animation here.

From everyone at aasman, may the spirit of Christmas fill your home with peace, joy and renewal.

In a few short days (pun intended) is the winter solstice, and we'd like to celebrate this darkest of days with a contest. 

Enter to win your choice of two prizes: a two-hour branding consultation with aasman or a gift card from itunes. 

All you have to do is tell us what time the sun will set on December 21, 2011 in Whitehorse.

Correct answers will be entered in a draw and we'll randomly select the winner from our fancy contest hat (i.e. a plastic bag from Tags). 

Our solstice contest is now closed. A big thank you to everyone who entered, commented or just stopped by for a look. We'll reveal the results tomorrow. Stay tuned...

Photos
top: Paul Mantle
bottom: Nicolas Dory

If you're an east coaster in Canada there's a good chance you don't live on the east coast. East coasters gravitate to Fort Mac, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Whitehorse or any other place where employment is steady – we're a migrating people. That's why each Christmas scores of islanders and mainlanders are homesick, stuck sipping B.C.- brewed Keiths, checking savings accounts and planning for trips home next year. (or maybe the year after.)

Three years ago I was in that boat – my first Christmas away from Nova Scotia – and found myself on YouTube one afternoon searching in vain for a commercial that said loudly and proudly: HOME! When I finally found it I began posting it to siblings' and friends' Facebook walls and the reposts began instantly. There was a connection, this was my generation's childhood  in under two mintues.

This spot was created when Sobeys was a regional player, not a national chain, so you'd never see an ad like this from the grocery retailer today. Nonetheless this spot works online – in the emotions of thousands of displaced east coasters, Sobeys has an opportunity to restate its position as the longtime authority in kitchens from Balls Creek to Quispamsis. Imagine being able to "gift this" to friends via Facebook courtesy of Sobeys, so simple.

That idea's free Sobeys, Merry Christmas!

Our web developer, Nicolas Dory, is many things: international man of mystery, cheese aficionado, computer-whisperer, French. 

He also happens to be a talented nature photographer. Nic's saucy lynx photo was recently selected for National Geographic's image collection. 

We're extremely proud of Nic—personally, I'm in awe of the instincts and patience required to capture wild animals the way he does.

Please join us in congratulating Nic on becoming a National Geographic contributor—you can also see the rest of Nic's photography here. 

Further to our video last week about how creativity takes time, here's a short TED talk video about how doodling can help every one of us focus on whatever it is that you do best.