Meet Sunni Brown, Sharpie’s new doodle expert! Of course, at Sharpie, we know the importance of doodling, but we thought with a real live DOODLE EXPERT, you’d be convinced too! Did you know that doodling actually stimulates the mind?
Maybe teachers frown upon it in class and most likely your boss thinks that you’re not listening in meetings when she sees the corner of your note pad filled with aliens, flowers and race cars, but here at Sharpie we encourage this form of creativity! We’ve created a community on Sharpie.Uncapped.com entirely devoted to doodling!
You can submit your doodle to SharpieUncapped and Sunni Brown, our resident doodle expert, could select yours as to be the Doodle-of-the-Day! Every day Sunni will pick a doodle to be analyzed – Ever wonder what your doodles say about you? This is your chance to find out. Submit your doodle to SharpieUncapped.com today!

big-mouth boss
How often have you sat in a meeting or lecture and suddenly your pen heads off into all sorts of unchartered territory? Next thing you know your paper is covered with squiggles and cubes, bubble letters and zzzzzzzzzzs — maybe even a stick figure rendering of your boss with his big ears and even bigger mouth : )
We didn’t either – until we met Sunni Brown, doodling expert and the inspiration behind the doodle revolution, ”a growing effort to debunk the myth that doodling is a distraction. ”
Sunni is author of “Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers and Changemakers“ and her soon-to-be-released book, “The Doodle Revolution.” Sharpie brought her on board as our resident doodle expert after some research showed that Sharpie Pens, unlike any other pens out there, inspired people to doodle. Now Sunni is front and center on our website, sharpieuncapped.com, talking up doodles and inviting Sharpie fans to submit their doodles to our gallery. (Click here to read Sunni’s post about her new gig as Sharpie doodle spokesperson). Even more interesting, Sunni will select a Doodle-A-Day and offer up her expert analysis.
Sunni is, well, pretty sunny when it comes to her enthusiasm about doodling. Have a look at her video, then head to sharpieuncapped.com and donate your doodle today!
I know the Sharpie Bandits are so 2009, but I’d like to revisit the topic for a moment after coming across a Sharpie DIY project featured on Instructables.com not too long ago.
Instructables.com offers a How-To on making a “No-Sew LOOT Sack.” (This is a pretty cool idea that you could take in several directions, outside of the “loot” theme, it’s just up to you as to where you want to take it.) But staying in line with the $$$ theme, reading this How-To reminded me of the infamous “Sharpie Bandits” ..
For those of you who don’t remember, here’s a recap: October 2009, two male 20-somethings, from Carroll, IA needed to inject a little excitement into their lives. What to do? What to do? …How does that age-old saying go? “When in doubt, Choose Burglary.” Ah yes, that’s the one.
Long story short, things didn’t pan out so well for this dastardly duo. The Carroll Police Dept., responding to a call that two men had attempted to break into a home, stopped a car matching the caller’s description to find the two would’ve been crooks behind the wheel. Here’s the catch, these two geniuses voted against your standard ski mask & ladies’ stockings and went with a unique disguise option…
It’s been 9 months and this still baffles me! Tell me, who in their right mind (or wrong, for that matter) would think of this and say, “Yeah……YEAH! This is it, this is genius! What a fail-proof plan” ? And to that point, how is the one guy capable of convincing the other that this is in fact a good idea?
I choose to believe that these “Sharpie bandits” just love Sharpie markers SO much that they cannot even entertain the thought of not incorporating Sharpie into every second of every day. Well boys, if this IS the case, next time, I would advise you to go for the Sharpie DIY LOOT Sack option instead of playing connect the dots on your faces for a number of reasons:
WARNING! DO NOT participate in any criminal activity and DO NOT Uncap What’s Inside if you’re going the Sharpie Bandit route.
DO Uncap What’s Inside for constructive, creative, good-for-the-community-and-yourself purposes!
There is one glitch in the collegiate system… For most, college is pure joy – You’re on your own with this newfound independence, the rents can’t ask you where you’re going, who’s going to be there, or what time you’ll be home. You are at that stage of life when technically you’re an adult but somehow can get away with things that would never fly in the real world! In college, you build lifelong friendships. You face your fears & take on challenges you never thought possible. You find out who you are and want to be. And let’s be honest, this is the only time in your life when it is socially acceptable and you are physically capable of going out 7 nights in a row and still be productive the next day! Bottom line, college is awesome.
BUT (there’s always a “but”) there is one downfall… Shelling out the cash for books! That’s at least twice a year when you are forced to pay +$600 for textbooks! It’s like a friend stabbing you in the front - You see it coming, you know it’s going to hurt and then AAHH! You’re hit! If only a saint could come down and lift this burden.
TOO BAD! (bursting your bubble) There is no saint! Fortunately, for you there IS Sharpie! Sharpie can’t magically make textbooks free or drop prices to $0.25 but we can offer something else… How about letting us pick up the tab next semester?
You heard right – Let Sharpie cover your textbook expenses! Currently on Facebook, we’re giving you the chance to have your textbooks PAID FOR next semester for you AND 2 friends in Sharpie’s Right to Highlight Sweepstakes! Imagine what you can do with all that extra cash!

Here’s the rundown:
Sharpie is giving you the chance to win free textbooks for a semester for you and two friends when you enter Sharpie’s Right to Highlight Sweepstakes. To enter, you must be an enrolled college student and “Like” Sharpie on Facebook. Next, complete and submit the entry form provided. After you’ve submitted, choose two other lucky undergrads to share this GRAND prize with!
Head over to Facebook for all the details & enter Sharpie’s Right to Highlight Sweepstakes for your chance to win!
We’re not done yet! In addition to the grand prize, we will also be giving away FREE weekly Sharpie Prize packs on Facebook! Once you enter you are instantly qualified to win so keep checking back with Sharpie’s Facebook page to see if you won! –Because who doesn’t love free swag!?
**Having trouble deciding on whom you should share the gift of free textbooks with? Here are 10 People to consider:

I bet you can’t name one student over the age of 18 that doesn’t own a highlighter…
That’s because highlighting is often an important part of note taking, reading and studying - especially in college! College students are inundated with information overload and use highlighters daily as a tool to cut through the clutter to help them clarify, organize, and synthesize subject matter. Highlighting helps to cut down the excess so that students can more easily focus on the main concepts that are important to them and study more effectively and efficiently.
Highlighting correctly can be very helpful for students, however it can often be a distraction when done incorrectly. Have you ever looked back through your textbook after reading a chapter only to find either, A) You had so perfectly colored every page a bright neon hue that your kindergarten-self would be jealous? Or B) you retained ab-so-lute-ly NOTHING? If you answered yes to either (most likely both), you are a victim of “Over-Highlighting”!!
“Over-Highlighting” is a common problem while reading – Take a look at your friend’s notebook or textbook next time you’re at the library – I promise you’ll see entirely too much highlighting. To keep this time-waster from happening you’ve got to stay focused and refrain from getting caught up in mindlessly “coloring” the page.
Try applying some of these tips on highlighting text effectively from CliffNotes.com:
Now, don’t be a victim, highlight effectively and efficiently. Above all else,
Sharpie Highlighters are the number one choice when it comes to highlighting and doing so effectively. Available in 8 different styles and 10 bold fluorescent colors, there’s a Sharpie Highlighter for your every need:
Did you know that June 29th is deemed Camera Day!
In light of such a great holiday, why not dig up those Polaroid cameras out of the basement and put them to good use! Take pictures of your favorite things, favorite people, or make a funny face, then scribble down a note using a Sharpie to express yourself one step further!
This would be a fun activity to share with kids, friends or even an afternoon project by yourself.

You’ve seen him featured on the Sharpie blog several times for his amazing lunch bag art and for his involvement as a Sharpie Squad member!
Most recently though, Derek Benson has been recognized by the San Diego UpTown news for his incredible work! Check out the article below:

"Derek Benson draws a new image on his three children’s lunch bags every day"
Mission Hills resident Derek Benson has been chosen as one of 20 members of the 2010 Sharpie Squad.
The squad’s artists and bloggers are a group of passionate Sharpie marker users who serve as vocal brand ambassadors, sharing their enthusiasm, creativity and unbridled passion for Sharpie products.
A Namco Games employee by day, Benson creates art for video games. But away from gaming he is known for his lunch bag art, consisting of intricate drawings of cartoons and super heroes, which he showcases on his blog, lunchbagart.tumblr.com.
Benson has been using Sharpie markers all his life, he said. The father of three children ages 9, 5 and 3, Benson began drawing art on their lunch bags every day as they went to school, eventually adding 370 entries to lunchbagart.com.
“I do this mostly as a hobby for my kids,” Benson said. “They really have the final say in what goes up on the blog, I definitely take constructive criticism from them.

"Lunchbagart.com contains more than 370 pictures of Benson’s artwork, which earned him a spot on the Sharpie Squad."
“I like to draw things that are weird and what I feel is cool. Right now, if you check out my blog, you’ll see I’m drawing things from this cool comic line called Dreamland Chronicles.”
Benson is formally trained as an artist but insists that daily practice is a better teacher.
“Only draw what you are passionate about,” he said he advises prospective young artists. His art is displayed on the walls of his son’s preschool and has been published on the front page of the San Diego Union-Tribune and on the cover of “Parents” magazine.
“It’s an honor to have been chosen to be on the Sharpie Squad, but actually I was very proactive about it and I actually contacted them myself to see if I could become part of the squad,” he said.
As a Sharpie Squad member, Benson will be tweeting, blogging and sharing his out-of-the-box creations and ideas on what is possible with a Sharpie marker throughout 2010.
In return, Sharpie will provide Benson new product news and shipments, virtual meetings with the Sharpie brand team, and publicity through blog posts, Twitter and Facebook.
To meet the rest of the Sharpie Squad and to check out their latest endeavors, go to sharpieuncapped.com.
***
You can find this article at San Diego Uptown News’ website. Be sure to check out more of Derek’s lunch bag art at LunchBagArt.com.
Break out your daisy dukes, grab a cowboy hat and saddle up – Sharpie’s headed to Nashville!

Sharpie is teaming up with an all-star country line-up this Tuesday, June 22nd for “NASHVILLE RISING: A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery” at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena! Spearheaded by country sensations Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, all proceeds from this star-studded concert will benefit The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which is working to address flood relief and recovery in Middle Tennessee.
Performances by: Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Montgomery Gentry, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Julie Roberts, Blake Shelton, Michael W. Smith, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, ZZ Top


During rehearsals, a massive Sharpie Autograph Wall will be set up backstage for all the performers, special guests and celebs to sign. On the day of the event, the Sharpie Autograph Wall will be opened up to the public so that they can check out their fav. country stars’ signatures and even sign themselves!

NASHVILLE RISING Sharpie Autograph Wall
For every autograph signed on the wall, Newell Rubbermaid and Sharpie, Paper Mate & EXPO brands will donate $1, up $10,000 to the cause. We will also be donating a year’s supply of school supplies to Kingston, a local Nashville school, to help in their rebuilding efforts caused by the flood.
Not a problem! Text RISING to 501501 to donate $10 to flood relief at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Click HERE for details.
I’ll follow up with and update & pics from the event so stay tuned for more! In the mean time, check out www.nashvillerising.org for more info, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, how to donate to the flood relief, check out the celebs & learn about all of the event’s sponsors.
Feels good to help someone out, doesn’t it!

If you have a Twitter account you’re in luck!
Beginning Wednesday, May 26th through Tuesday, June 1st create a random act of self-expression, take a picture of it and send it to @SharpieSusan on Twitter for a chance to win a Sharpie Prize Pack! We will award the top 21 pictures entered with Sharpie Prize Packs loaded with Sharpie products! The winning pictures will be based on creativity and originality, so be sure to enter only your BEST acts of self-expression!
What is a Random Act of Self-Expression? It’s everything and anything that you find to be the best portrayal of personality! Of course we love our products, but self-expression is not necessarily always done with a Sharpie marker… it’s found everywhere and in practically every thing! Whether that be in a note you wrote on your mirror, a funny facial expression or how you positioned a manikin in a window, maybe it’s the bumper sticker on your car or your funky hairstyle, there is personality and expression everywhere - Now it’s up to you to show it off! Send in pictures of your best random act of self-expression to @SharpieSusan for your chance to win some Sharpie swag. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 1st.
Why are we asking for your Random Acts of Self-Expression? The newest Sharpie TV ad encourages people to boldly showcase their individuality, express their creativity and boast their true colors on everything and in all forms. From skateboards and stadium posters to motorcycle helmets and billboards, we at Sharpie are encouraging you to show off your best self in every situation and on every canvas. Watch the TV ad to get a better idea of self-expression:
A Few Examples of Random Acts of Self-Expression: Here’s a look at some examples we’ve pulled together to get your wheels spinning. Remember to have fun with this, create random acts of self-expression and show us who you are.






Not on Twitter? Click HERE to Join!
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING.
THE FOLLOWING PROMOTION IS open ONLY to individuals 18 YEARS OF age OR OLDER who are legal residents of THE 50 UNITED STATES OR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (“D.C.”) AND WHO FOLLOW “SHARPIESUSAN” ON TWITTER (@SHARPIESUSAN). you must have internet access and a valid email address at time of entry and through completion of this Promotion (including prize awarding period). YOU MUST ENTER THIS PROMOTION FROM A LOCATION WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. VOID OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES/D.C. AND WHEREVER PROHIBITED. THIS PROMOTION WILL BE CONSTRUED AND EVALUATED ACCORDING TO U.S. LAW.
1. PROMOTION PERIOD: The Sharpie® Random Acts of Self Expression Promotion (the “Promotion”) beings at 12:00:01 a.m. Central Time (“CT”) on May 26, 2010 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. CT on June 1, 2010 (the “Promotion Period”).
2. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who as of the date of entry are 18 years of age or older, and who at the time of entry and through the completion of the Promotion (a) are a follower of sharpiesusan on Twitter (@sharpiesusan), (b) have internet access and (c) have an email address (which must remain the same throughout the Promotion). Employees of Newell Rubbermaid Office Products, its affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, suppliers, distributors and advertising, promotional and judging agencies, and such employees’ immediate family members (defined as parents, spouses, children and siblings, whether biological, adoptive, step or in-law) and/or those living in the same household of each (whether related or not) are not eligible to participate or win. Entrants who are not the age of majority in the state of residence must have permission from their parent or legal guardian (who must agree to all terms set forth in these official rules) prior to entry.
3. HOW TO ENTER: During the Promotion Period, “Tweet” a link to a picture showing your random act of self expression and include “@sharpiesusan” in your message.
You may enter as often as you like, but each picture you enter must be different. Limit one prize per person, email address and Twitter account. Entries become the property of Newell Rubbermaid Office Products (“Sponsor”) and will not be acknowledged or returned. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt by Sponsor. Entries made through any robotic, automatic, mechanical, programmed or similar method are ineligible and will be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any individual and all entries using such method. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a person submitting an entry, such entry will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the Twitter account associated with the entry. Any entries not in conformance with these Official Rules or with the policies posted in connection with http://blog.sharpie.com (the “Sharpie Blog”) will be disqualified. In the event the judges are unable to access the link to the picture, the entry will be disqualified.
4. REQUIREMENTS FOR PICTURES: The picture you “Tweet” (the “picture”) must show a random act of self expression that you created. Picture, and anything contained in the picture, must be entrant’s own original creation, executed solely by entrant, and may not have won any other award or have been entered in any other competition. Pictures may not have been published previously. Modifying, enhancing, or altering a third party’s work does not qualify as entrant’s original creation. Entry must be in keeping with Sponsor’s image or desired image, and may not contain obscene, lewd, unlawful or inappropriate images or text (as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion). Entries may not contain any nudity, acts of violence or acts that incite violence, or acts that appear to cause harm, all as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Entries may not defame or invade the publicity or privacy rights of any person, living or dead, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or proprietary rights, including but not limited to intellectual property rights. If any people appear in your picture, they must be the legal age of majority in their state of residence, and you must have their permission to appear in the picture and to submit the picture in connection with this Promotion (including all uses which may be made of the picture once submitted in this Promotion). Any picture which in the judges opinion appears to include a minor may be automatically disqualified. Any picture that includes elements not owned by entrant (such as, but not limited to, company names, trademarks, third party art or other copyrighted elements) may be disqualified, at the sole discretion of the judges.
5. JUDGING: All eligible entries will be judged by members of Sponsor’s social media team based on the following criteria (each given equal weight): creativity and originality. In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken based on the higher rank in the creativity category. The top twenty-one (21) scoring entries will be deemed Winners.
6. GRANT OF RIGHTS: By submitting a picture in this Promotion, entrant grants Sponsor the right to use, publish, adapt, assign, sell, license, edit, dispose of and/or modify such picture in any way, in commerce or not, and in any and all media worldwide, without limitation or compensation to the entrant or any other party. Entrant may be required to sign a release to that effect upon request by Sponsor. Sponsor may post some or all of the picture entries at http://blog.sharpie.com (the “Sharpie Blog”) or on any other websites operated by Sponsor, in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
7. PRIZES/APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES: Each of the twenty-one (21) verified Winners will receive an assortment of Sharpie® products with an approximate retail value (“ARV”) of $25. Total ARV for all prizes is $625.00.
8. PRIZE NOTIFICATION/WINNER VERIFICATION: The potential winners will be notified by direct message to their Twitter account, and must reply to Sponsor in the manner indicated within three (3) days with their full name and mailing address to which their prize can be mailed. Failure to respond as indicated within three (3) days of notice or attempted notice will result if disqualification and an alternate potential winner will be selected and notified.
Prizes are non-transferable except as provided herein or at the discretion of the Sponsor. No prize substitutions or cash redemptions, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if for any reason an advertised prize cannot be awarded as intended in these rules; and potential winners agree to such substitution as a condition of entry in this Promotion. Limit one prize per household. Winners are responsible for payment of any income taxes on prizes under applicable federal, state and local laws.
If any prize notification or prize is returned as undeliverable, or if winner fails to provide the response requested with the prescribed time period as set forth in notification email, the corresponding prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner, time permitting. All prizes properly claimed will be awarded. Unclaimed prizes may not be awarded. Sponsor’s decisions are final in all matters relating to this Promotion.
9. MISCELLANEOUS: Winners and all entrants, as a condition of entry into the Promotion, agree to defend, indemnify, release and hold harmless Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, members, employees, agents, assigns, and all others associated with the development and execution of the Promotion (collectively the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, claims, losses, actions, or damages to persons or property, whether actual, incidental or consequential, which may be sustained in connection with (a) submitting a picture/entry or otherwise participating in any aspect of the Promotion, (b) the receipt, possession, ownership or use/mis-use of prize awarded, (c) or any typographical or other error in these Official Rules or the announcement of offering of the prizes. By entering and/or accepting a prize, each entrant and/or winner consents to the use of his/her name, likeness, picture, quotes, contents of his/her posting(s), and/or identity by Sponsor for advertising and publicity purposes in commerce and in any and all media worldwide without limitation, with no additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. Released Parties are not responsible for and are hereby released from liability with respect to: (i) electronic transmissions/entries that are lost, late, stolen, incomplete, illegible, damaged, garbled, destroyed, misdirected, or not received by the Sponsor or its agents for any reason, (ii) any problems or technical malfunctions, errors, omissions, interruptions, deletions, defects, delays in operation or transmission, communication failures or human error that may occur in the transmission, receipt or processing of entries, or for destruction of or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries, (iii) failed or unavailable hardware, network, software or telephone, cable or satellite transmissions, damage to entrants’ or any person’s computer and/or its contents, or causes beyond Sponsor’s reasonable control that jeopardize the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Promotion or (iv) any entries submitted in a manner that is not expressly allowed under these Official Rules. All incomplete or non-conforming entries will be disqualified. Released Parties are further not responsible for and are hereby released from liability with respect to incorrect or inaccurate entry information whether caused by Internet users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion or by any technical or human error which may occur in the transmission, receipt or processing of the entries. For any reason, including if for any reason this Promotion is not capable of running as planned, or if this Promotion or any web site or technology associated therewith (or any portion thereof) becomes corrupted or does not allow the proper playing of the Promotion and processing of entries per these Official Rules, or if infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, actions by entrants, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes, in Sponsor’s sole opinion, corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Promotion, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual implicated in such action, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Promotion. In the event this Promotion is cancelled, Sponsor reserves the right (but not the obligation) to conduct a random drawing to award the prizes from among all eligible, non-suspect, entries received prior to the time of the action or event warranting such cancellation.
10. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY ANY SUCH PERSON AND SEEK DAMAGES FROM HIM/HER TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
11. WINNERS LIST: For the names of the winners of any prizes over $25, please send a request that includes the name of this Promotion to Whitney.Kelly@Sanford.com
12. PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF USE: Please see Sponsor’s privacy policy posted on the Sharpie Blog regarding Sponsor’s use of personal information collected in connection with this Promotion. Please see Sponsor’s Terms of Use posted on the Sharpie Blog for information concerning reporting unauthorized use of intellectual property in connection with this Promotion.
13. SPONSOR: Newell Rubbermaid Office Products, 2707 Butterfield Rd., Oak Brook, IL 60523.
You’ve seen the new Sharpie Commercial, but have you seen the new Sharpie print ads?
With a Sharpie Twin Tip Marker you get the best of both worlds when the bold stroke of the Fine Point marker joins forces with the crisp line of the Ultra-Fine Point marker. These double duty markers make it easy for you to express yourself on any surface, whether it be on a lunch bag, fishbowl, school folder or picture frame! Sharpie Twin Tip Markers make it easy to turn the ordinary into extraordinary, making those everyday items in your life one-of-a-kind works of art that are completely your own.


Look for these colorful ads in your favorite magazines including People, O The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Essence, Us Weekly & more!