When the happiness machine struck last year it was a truly exciting piece of content that went viral immediately and seemed to actually bring a little bit of coke happiness to those who watched it. Now's it has struck again, this time in London. The students all look really delighted, but I'm guessing they never saw the original video. I just can't get any sense of joy or surprise out of this version.
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Nikon Festival - nice work
This is just a quick observation that I wanted to share.
I really like the Nikon Festival: Your day in 140 seconds or less competition. The whole online experience is so clean and simple. There's great creativity already in the work on the site - and a nice twist that it's a film competition from what you would normally think of as a stills camera. Plus, the substantial prize pool ($100,000) suggests to me that they're putting their budget into making this great and hoping it will get passed on through photography forums rather than spending it on media.
I also love how they've squeezed a few honest brand values into the judging criteria (01&02 especially):
01. Quality of video: Looks matter. So when you’re shooting keep technique in mind. Watch the composition and the clarity of the shot
02. Originality: If it’s been done, don’t be doing it again. Show us something fresh.
03. Ability to capture the theme within 140 seconds or less: This isn’t the 142-second video festival, so make sure you tell your story in the allotted time.
Will I enter? Maybe?
Wieden's nice data jewellery
Judging by the comments in the Brand Republic press release you would think there are some among us in the marketing community who are a little jealous...
Wieden+Kennedy's range of data-inspired jewellery that launched today is a great example of an agency that believes in creativity and isn't afraid to support it, whether or not there's a client funding it. Even better, the idea came from the planning department:
"Lisa Prince, a planner who encounters a lot of data in her day to day job, noticed from sitting in the (occasional) boring meeting that the way in which data was being presented was becoming more interesting, and if you squinted your eye a little, even quite beautiful."
I think it's lovely stuff, beautifully presented. I'd wear it if I were prepared to pay for it, but that's an entirely different matter. See more here
The Recessionista's 30 Day MBA
As planners and strategists our roles and required skillsets are constantly evolving with the changing media landscape and the effect this has on both consumer behaviour and our own agency models. There's so much to know, and luckily there's a great deal of fantastically useful information being shared and created in the planning community - not least the recent IPA Social, for example.
However, one thing that seems to be missing in general is a really good grasp of business. There have been a few recent online case study discussions where the statistics have been used in entirely the wrong way to arrive at conclusions and "insights" that are quite frankly, wrong. This is a huge issue and something that worries me constantly as a specialist in Brand & Business strategy - how to make sure that we stay relevant and confident against the likes of management consultancies who are producing rigorous, data driven brand strategies for our clients, and how to be sure that as our clients adapt to new business trends, we do too.
While I'd love to take 2 years out to go to London Business School, the cost of tuition plus lost income is too frightening right now. So, I've decided to set myself the Recessionista's 30 Day MBA challenge: I've bought 3 books (pictured above) but will use the 30 Day MBA as the core. I'll be taking one chapter at a time, including the web lectures and online exams, and posting about what I'm learning and how it's relevant to what I do.
So... now it's out there.. here I go!
A margarine company that knows my heart
This could be the most irresponsible advertising I've ever seen. I have a particular issue with companies that prey on our vulnerability when it comes to health.
Flora is on TV and online giving people sage advice about the age of their hearts, as well as plenty of lifestyle information intended to help us get healthier. How is it even legal for a margarine company (or any company really) to run a completely serious online questionnaire that tells me whether or not I should be worried about the health of my heart? Let alone that it's an awful brand decision. Surely they can see that it's pretty sensitive advice that shouldn't be taken lightly.
Even if margarine is a healthier alternative to butter, that doesn't make it healthy. So many brands seem to misunderstand - even though they are not as unhealthy as other products in their category, it doesn't give them the right to claim health benefits.
IMHO Flora has in this case completely overstepped the boundary of being useful and engaging in their communications and potentially encouraged some very dangerous behaviours. I could just about accept Flora aligning itself with the London Marathon, but with the health of one of my most vital organs, no way. What if Flora tells me that my heart is very young? Will I then be more complacent about how I take care of it? And imagine the reverse - if I hear that my heart is older than my years? I would panic, I'd be upset, and I'd probably start costing the NHS and myself a lot of money in possibly unnecessary tests.
I certainly wouldn't eat Flora.
Fraser Island album
I was so excited to see the clean, simple way that Posterous organises photos that it inspired me to start posting series of pics that I've taken over the years. I've been meaning to build a website for years and this is exactly the functionality I was going to look for.
(Actually, this isn't working on Typepad, so you can either view it on Posterous via the link below, or just enjoy the massive, cropped images below)
Time to change the way we think about mental health
I've just finished reading a critical article about a campaign I've been working on. I think it's worth drawing attention to because it's followed by a loooong string of comments which add an extremely important dimension to the issues touched on in the campaign.
Above all, there are tons of comments from people who have been affected by mental health problems as well as senior Time to Change people who've been leading a massive research project about it. These are the people at the heart of the campaign objectives, they know first hand about the problems that we're trying to tackle, and for once those opinions are getting a proper public forum to be heard.
If you haven't seen the TVC or the posters, press or online work, take a look at the Time to Change website www.time-to-change.org.uk and let us know what you think via the forum, this blog, your own blog, youtube, twitter, the facebook group, whatever.
Even better, take the "What would you do?" quiz and compare your reactions to real-life experiences.
I'm betting that (if you haven't already experienced a MHP) even reading this you're probably thinking that this is important for others but irrelevant to your life. That's pretty much how I felt when I started working on it.
That's why this stage of the campaign is aimed at those of us who don't yet equate mental health problems with discrimination, so that eventually we won't even have to debate it.
iPhone picnic
When I first arrived in BA in 2006 all the cool people still had Motorola RAZRs. Being a very image-conscious country this wasn't so surprising considering the new wave of mobile devices tended to be high on confusing technology that wasn't supported by the local infrastructure, and not much in the way of aesthetic desirability. People thought my N93 was hilarious. Everyone also said that tech products were too expensive.
Well all of that changed when the iPhone arrived. As soon as it was released in the states in appeared on tables next to lattes in the cafes of Buenos Aires. Now my favourite designers have released a special edition line of iPhone skins that make me want to ditch my Nokia for an iPhone... and a new nano...
Lovely stuff. Just need to work out how to get them to the UK.
www.picnicdecor.com
I love Boxie
Ever since I heard about this I've been trying to decide what I would tell Moxie if I were to ring her up and relay a story to have it boiled down into a line for a tshirt. I really want one.
Map of Buenos Aires
The whole time I lived in Buenos Aires, I was always looking for maps of it online. It's such a map-able city... that never ending grid with numbered blocks and streets that stretch from the centre to the suburbs, you always know how far you're headed based on the 'altura' of a street (and better check carefully as it could be the difference between a 5min walk and a 1 hour drive).
Well finally someone has done something about it. An expat in fact. Once you get used to Google Maps it's hard to live in a city without them, so this fusion of Live Search Maps, geocoding and GuiaOleo is just what we need.
It's got lots of useful shortcuts too - I selected Spas and here we have them - I knew I lived in Recoleta for a good reason...
www.mapabsas.comPecha Kucha BsAs Tonight!
Pecha Kucha Vol.9 is tonight at Konex:
Fecha vol9: martes 24 de junio // 20hs.
Dirección: Ciudad Cultural Konex // Sarmiento 3131, Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Entradas: $20
Descuento: $15 anticipadas
I wish wish wish I could be there but here are some thoughts from the last one I went to.
You can also find out more about the presenters and past presentations at www.pechakucha.com.ar
Untitled, Anonymous
It's nice when agencies try to bring their employees closer through activities, and even nicer when people enjoy it.
Here at Naked we've just celebrated at our first private viewing of artwork created by each of us. The catch was that none of us knew who had created what until the online gallery was launched today.
It's quite a nice site so take a look and stay tuned for the next installment...
Meaningful Conversations: The Brands that Bond
I have been traveling so much recently that it's only now that I've been able to see the published version of my most recent New Next article. It's about brands that have mutually meaningful conversations with their target audiences even though it means talking to a smaller group of people.
I'm going to post the original article here because it reads a little awkwardly after the edit and... <eek I can barely even say it>... they have added grammatical errors to the printed copy.
For the record, if you do read the published article, I know that "its" doesn't require an apostrophe of possession.
The New Next
Digital technologies are constantly presenting us with new opportunities to get closer to our consumers
and into their communities. It’s an exciting time to be working in this
industry. 2007 saw the explosion of online social networks into the mainstream
and beyond. Suddenly it wasn’t just our early adopters that we were talking to
via clever digital activities. But just for a change, let’s consider real world
communities.
There is something to be said for brands that recognize the value of having a conversation with people
face to face. It’s not as easy as it may sound. Taking the time to find and
meaningfully interact with groups of the right people requires subtlety, and
often odd working hours. Brands have to resist the temptation to overwhelm
captive audiences with their messaging. There is also the challenge of
measuring the returns on investment, especially when that investment amounts to
a meaningful conversation with a mere handful of people. Am I selling it to you?
I believe there’s a strong case for making the effort, especially for brands that target specific interest groups (fitness freaks or mothers, for example). In Argentina we’ve found a few big brands that are seeing the rewards of targeting existing communities and giving them useful ways to be involved with the brand.
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Sports brands and amateur running clubs
How would you feel if your friendly local running club suddenly got sponsorship
from a major sporting brand? Exploited? Not here. One Saturday my coach handed
out Puma hoodies to his 40 or so amateur exercise enthusiasts. Two weeks later
a Puma representative casually popped by at the end of training to tell us
about the brand. There was no liveried vehicle, no obligation to use the
equipment, just an explanation – and it was a Saturday. That’s dedication. It
was also very smart.
Our group shares the parks with other groups of runners that I’d assumed from their
gear to be elite training units. Turns out they were just fellow amateur
runners, color-coordinated thanks to the well-targeted largesse of other brands
like Reebok, Fila or Adidas. As ‘outfits’ we quickly defined ourselves and one
another; (“Oi Reebok, we’ve got the overpass today”). Without very much effort
a handful of sports brands improved the training experience of a lot of regular
people. It’s win-win: certainly it’s no accident that these running groups work
out along the parks that line the main road out of the city. To the onlooker in
traffic they’re a brand in action.
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Ala and mothers
Ala is Unilever’s second tier washing powder in Argentina, but it uses Persil’s “Dirt is Good” platform in its campaign.
In 2007 Ala hosted a conference on the importance of play in a healthy childhood. It was
part of a global study commissioned by Unilever but the delivery of the conference
seemed far from brand motivated. Interested mothers crowded the auditorium, and
the take-home packs included not sachets of Ala, (they saved the sampling for women in areas who really need it) but information
on independent programmes dedicated to healthy, educational activities for
kids.
Ala is by far the leader in washing detergent sales in Argentina.
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Mimo & Co: Wealthy parents trust them with their children
After
decades of bad government it’s not surprising that people are ready to trust
brands over institutions. Mimo & Co is an upmarket children’s clothing
chain with boutiques across Latin America and in the US. They have built their image
from their humble foundations 40 years ago through constant dialogue with
parents. In recent years they have appeared at the annual Argentine Polo Open
where they provide an outdoor children’s crèche complete with activities. Child
care is not taken lightly in Argentina, yet stylish couples happily drop their little ones off in the care of minders vetted
only by the fashion label.
Objects of decoration for happy surroundings
I've just picked up my other chair from the tapicero. I was really excited about how this one would turn out because I took the plunge and bought some funky fabric (not exactly Henry XV) from some new designers whose studio I visited last week.
The girls at Picnic have only been in business for a year or so but they are designing gorgeous prints and applying them to fabrics, wallpapers and laptop bags, among other things, and getting lots of attention. I liked their style so much I also bought these cushions:
All in all I think it's going to do what it says on the box "Objetos de decoración para un entorno feliz" (or the title of this post).
0800-chairdesigner
This isn't really about brands... but it's something that I love about Buenos Aires. Whether it's the influx of foreigners buying up and decorating rental apartments, or just the natural resourcefulness and creativity of people here, there's a heck of a lot of attention paid to interior design.
I've spent many a weekend wandering around the flea market over the past year, imagining all the fabulous furniture I could restore and sell for tons of money in the UK if only there weren't exorbitant export barriers that make it just too much hard work.
Since we're here for work, we have a shipment allowance that makes it possible for me to do up a couple of things... and they've been keeping me pretty busy lately (who'd have realised how much running around and creative stress goes into it!)
So I bought this:
And turned it into this!
Yay! I'm hooked.
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Likemind BsAs
Buenos Aires' first Likemind took place at Mark's Deli last Friday. It was nice to meet some more design-types in this city (and hear a lot of Spanish vocab that I haven't really heard before).
I had quite a few messages from people who would have liked to be there so hope you can all come next month. It'll be a bi-lingual event so no excuses!
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tempting...
Thank goodness we had a few restaurant recommendations before we got to Cusco.