I was asked by Spiked to talk at there event last night. A top discussion kicked of by the always thought provoking professor James Woudhuysen. I talked in a rather excited manner about my experiences with brands that had enhanced the social status of disenfranchised consumers. You can read the text I based it on here. -my speaking style means this is only an outline of what I said and I completely skipped the bit about small people in sampling teams. My favorite quote of the night was "all brands start ugly" (use makes there beauty)
The power of Advertising
A work of genius I do so hope its real, even if it's a viral for a new PSP game its still funny. Thanks to the boys at biscuit media who found it, also for highlighting (again) that girl emily.Great idea2 -just might work
Now this does look cool. A rival to Flickr. A picture hosting site called riya 2.0 that also doubles as a visual search engine. Looks like you can search not only by word but uploaded: pattern, colour, mood or even a person's face. Could be the perfect tool for people like me with goldfish memory. "I know what it looks like just can't remember its damn name" Its run by the same folks who recently launched like.com. Munjal Shah has a blog here that explains the excitement of getting this new product off the ground.
Update on 2006-11-14 08:11 by Philip
still really rather excited by what riya could be as a product. if the sketch function works its the perfect art directors tool spookily similar to the Tony Stone promotion of some years back. >The photo libary used simple art directors line sketches to show the range of options they offered) BUT one moan, with such a innovative product its a shame the side bar icon is so similar to LIMEWIRE's.
Silent brands
I have been talking to a number of people about brands with silent names. Not sure if I am on to something or its a blind ally. The theory is that a number of new companies launched within the web 2.0 world have names that consumers only type or email. These are not spoken word brands, they exist only on keyboards. For example years ago I can remember feeling a complete nob when i described the then new sportsware firm NIKE as 'nick' in public. The current joy in street talk mispronunciation does not help. But who is to say how you pronounce: del.ici.ous or how you speak about; zopa or shozu or etsy or qoop or ziki or notcot.org or so many other companies that in a rush to find a URL didn't think that outside of blogland, some consumers meet up in things called pubs and talk about the nonsense of life. such conversations are of the non-inhibiting type and there fore something that is going to make me look a tosser is of the menu. I may email you a link to plazes but i'll be buggerd if i'm going to risk social ridicule mispronouncing it in public.
Great idea, too many features
I was showing this amazing new desk top environment (bump top) to the fish. She pointed out there are just to many features. She is absolutely right. the thing is quite amazing but the true beauty is its most basic operation. It is a classic case of someone getting too close to there subject and forgetting the user, In this case non web 2.0 natives who could use this idea to file and sort there digital lives like a pro. The First minute of the demonstration is all most people would want. Stuff all the menus, 'lasso piles' etc. what really appeals is a 3D desktop that acts just as your real desk, Piles of stuff only you can recognise the order of.
Ambiant media 2.0
My friend Bill has been getting very excited recently by 3D & 'smart' projections.
Is this the future of ambient media for brands in public spaces he asks - well they are more than next generation supermarket floor graphics.
Full 3600 3D projected objects here. (just ignore the massive rig that holds it!)
Stunning blowing grass 'smart' video wall here
The people who built the above are here.
Drawing coming alive here.
The last one is an older MIT project - remember these guys also spent years trying to recreate the Princess Leia projection scene from Star Wars, The book Being Digital by Nicholas Negroponte had a bit about this ultrageek project.
The trouble often with this type of tech' is the size of the rig needed to make it work, so it ends up only being seen by delegates to the Berlin photocopier expo on the stand for the launch of the new Canon GP335-xq. rather than some really innovative lateral visual experience. Not with standing the fact porn and gaming are going to be pretty awesome on any of these three.
On the subject of oversized back-ends. one of the sweetest things about Honda's teenager sized Asimo robot is that it takes a staff of 50 to run him/her/it in public. There is a slightly creepy charm to technology when 50 people with very big brains spend there waking days looking after a child like figure - that is not really alive.
Final thoughts on the video's above. it is clever stuff BUT Google Earth 4.0 with the 3D buildings turned on, can be as much as most people can handle. The fuzzy bit between reality and dream does unsettle the untrained eye. The proof if needed is the fact that acid never gained the popularity of E despite being cheaper and lasting longer. The element of human control is a deeply ingrained emotion. People are easily spooked when the ability to control your environment is unsettled or at the very least misunderstood (looks solid = is solid)
Any brand taking on these technologies needs to keep charm higher than wow for any messages to take hold.
New airline brands
I am working on one of the new all-business-class airlines at present. really interesting to see how this market will shape up. With private charter doing so well at the moment I do think there is a significant audience for more bespoke airline offerings.
There are three brands at present on the transatlantic route. EOS with a close to first class service, MAXjet with a business class value positioning and new comer Silverjet citing ease of check-in. I am developing ideas for MAXjet so am biased when I say I think there business model is pretty spot on. EOS looks very plush and there customer profile has appeal to third party brands but with such value in exclusivity how are they ever going to run believable cut-price seat sales to fill the plane? and if they do will the Sarah Fergusons and Venus Williams be happy sitting next to a bunch of lads who got 'last minutes' from the Standard? Silverjet does not fill me with confidence. Its not just the fact it flies from Luton with its railway connection from hell but the 'Silver jet private terminal' would appear to be a room with tea and coffee making facilities. I like the tone of the some of the copy on there web site. but the total package of there service appears to have alot of costly add-on-extras. The key appeal of a new brand is to be different. pricing should be part of this. I don't like being sold glamour features only to be told they will be charged (an unknown amount) extra. One last point, for a brand that sells online you should really start with company and URL matching, the fact Silverjet don't own silverjet.com is eye opening. But I should not really quibble yet. It is very early days for all three brands and any one who tries to be different should be applauded for having a go.
The new Hong Kong service by Oasis started last week. Really not sure about the idea of long haul in Ryanair type splendor, but there probably will always going to be enough backbackers to fill it. The German, Alexander W. Schoppmann who is planning a smokers airline to and from China may well have the real winner though. Plus a classic 70's retro logo.
Rather coy
These last few months I have been rather coy about what I am doing for work. So have only really skirted around the point that I am acting as a consultant at present. Truth is, despite a blogs traditional, confess all structure I have been rather embarrassed about not having full-time work. With my last two roles both ending in a very unplanned way I was greatly troubled by thoughts of 'what next?'
Even though Marketing Week recently called me "...one of the below-the-line industry's most high-profile creatives..." I have found it hard to find a role to fully occupied myself. One very well known agency recently said '...I would unbalance them...' not sure if that's a compliment or a reflection of there ambitions. trouble is they are right in one respect, I am not an ambient creative, but I like to look at it as value for money, being hyper active you do get rather a lot of me.
Actually the last few months have been very interesting, working on the 2012 Olympics, distillers in Scotland and most recently an all business class airline.
There is an intriguing discussion happening at present about a rather unique agency role for the New Year. more news on that as and when etc.
Update on 2006-10-31 22:50 by Philip
thinking about it now, the above all sounds rather pompous and a bit arse. But I can not really explain what its like to be suddenly cut-a-drift. one minute (internally) you feel like London is yours everything fits and then suddenly you've been past by. There was a great talk (sorry, can't find it now) from BBH about how Levis survived the combat pant craze, at first caught out, but then gathering the core elements of the brand they represented themselves to the market using there own tone of voice. I am finding a new role for myself, trying to be me.
Old school ambiant media
There has been much debate about visual clutter within urban environments. Quite a bit also on the ethics of it all. but sometimes you hit on some little gems like this. left high and dry by redevelopment 
around it. While stood in front of this shabby Barcleys the thought of Turkish baths was quite intoxicating. Now when did the floor graphics in your local Tesco's do that?
endless fun
Old ads with old sterotypes, endless fun. plus the added benifit in this bar of a polish barmaid who found the concept of a pint of bitter puzzeling to the point of asking why we didnt want to drink the cloudy, sour smelling one she poured. 'arn't they all like that?' er no.
Harrods
Anything is possible they say. well except thinking about there typography. The new Harrods poster campaign I really like but the attempt to fit it into the previous web site is a real mish mass of styles. With a new campaign that breaks so far from where they have been. why be so modest online? maybe a budget limiter got the better of them, its a shame really, seems like a lost opportunity. Plus who wrote 'A sleigh load of ideas' -with leader dots as well! Books, blogs and myself rage at such lazy grammar in print. (this blog excused, no proof reader and i'm dyslexic)
The BT brand experiance stinks
It really is astonishing how bad the actual BT customer experience is. Legion are the stories of consumers getting short changed. But its the business experience that is in such stark contrast to the projected image of cutting edge technology with a touchy feely human interface.
Passion, my last business, suffered six months of pain at the hands of BT's 'business experts' but its there mobile service that has brought forth my recent exasperation. The lowest moment was over the weekend when I found that you can only report a fault or speak to an engineer Monday to Friday! so millions are spent to convey a brand that understands business with 'flexable-wi-fi-home-hub-broadband' but only if that business operates Monday to Friday! how does that reflect today's business world? BT's web site is full of promises of help for start-ups. but no mention of the fact they'll only answer the 'phone Monday to Friday.
With a 'no-frills' brand like Ryanair you expect a lack of human contact when things go wrong. But BT is a fully featured brand leader. The point in paying extra for such brands is the reassurance they will pitch in when things go wrong. Not leave you spitting feathers and plotting a speedy brand switch.
Brand Driving
I spent an enjoyable Sunday mourning driving the new Alfa Romeo spider at Stoke Park. Brand driving days are not new but as a way of moving prospects from 'cool' to 'warm' they are very effective. Slick invitation process leading you to a comfortable environment, piles of Sunday papers, plentiful food and a stack of cars to drive. Hopefully this leads to a warm fuzzy feeling about the brand. Well it worked for Jake (11) but his father was perplexed. Why when trying to impress all things Alfa, do you have the majority of the demo cars in any colour other than evocative Alfa Red? most of the spiders were in fact, in very bland silver. Also on a day when details really count, why not hire Italian staff for all the meet and greet stuff. The agency behind the Alfa TV work KROW are here, not sure who organised the direct work.
Update on 2006-10-11 14:04 by Philip
Forgot to mention it is the Italian agency Armando Testa who recently won the global Alfa business. For evidence of the real passion within the brand look at the new 8c here. Although Sniff Petrol had a rather telling comment on its name here. Still on all things motoring just seen this Bently ad via Cool Hunters. Belongs in the file 'If you can, why not'
OK, it was us.
During the summer, kelvin (a rather brilliant writer) and myself went to The Bushmills distillery in County Antrim**, We were working on the relaunch of 'Bushmills Original' and needed to get closer to our subject (!) While wondering around the distillery buildings we came across this skip. A bit of childish retouching later (thanks Stu Wilson) and heh presto an internet myth is born! 
** = A rather fab area of Ireland. The Harbour Bar in Portrush serves some of the best Guinness I've tasted. They also have a photo of a drowned elephant on the wall - its a long story.
Kilmarnock
Spent yesterday in Scotland on business. Nice cows and didn't rain that much.
Free Charts
Trying to breath life into a rather dry Power Point** presentation yesterday, came across this simply inspired little device for making charts. Produced by the Huffington Post, it ranks blog posts into graphics. (i.e. Heat only just more important than the Hoff, also 'Shouting' loads more popular than 'flip charts') Pointed out by the excellent metasurface who used it to compare food stuffs with political groups. Hezbollah losing out to a bag of Taco's, but Hamas managing to hold there own against a bowl of Hummus
** = Actually the web is awash with advice on this very subject. The 10 slide rule here. But my favorite by far is comparing Darth Vaders slides with Yoda's. Thanks to Garr Reynolds of Presentation Zen for that.
Scrap books good
Just come across this fantastic blog: Ace jet 170. set up by a graphic designer in Belfast. A collection of found type and graphic images. (seen via typepads featured blog section - normally the preserve of 'fudge fairy' makers in Baltimore)
Scrap books are the great guilty secret of creatives and compulsive hoarders. This book 'inspired' was plugged by Russell Davies recently for the same reasons.
Are we losing something with digital scrap books like mobile Flickr and del.icio.us etc. There is a certain randomness to turning the pages of an actual scrap book pondering inspiration that the ordered neatness of tags misses. The balance of course is to use both.
Creative inspiration is so random at the best of times, (interesting view here from Greg Turner-Rahman) I am cautious of digital scrap books. mind you having seen the amazing Delicious Monster software, I have a certain secret geek need to see all my CDs/DVDs/Books pictorially catalogued. I just know i would never get round to doing it.
Soichiro Honda
This quote formed part of the F1 exhibition I saw last weekend. It reminded me what a top chap Soichiro Honda was. Having spent a number of years working on the Honda account you get used to reading about him, but it's a great story of bloody mindedness, engineering prowess and cheap dentistry. read more here. In the first few years after W+K won the business. A number of quotes were used on large banners at the motorshows of '02/03. The cavernous NEC was full of bombastic corporate over statement, and here was a brand (the former Eastbourne chariot) trying to shake off its past by introducing the thoughts of a man exposing failure as a means to succeed. Outside of sports cars (Colin Chapman, Enzo Ferrari) passionate single personalities are not felt within modern automotive brands. Recent Honda films both broadcast and online make Soichiro's influence and achievements much easier to understand.
When we pitched for and won the Honda DM business ('02), I used an anecdote about the Honda's first F1 car the RA272, and how as a child I had lusted after the Tamiya kit of it, I knew it was different I just didn't know why. It took awhile to 'get' Honda in the way W+K did, but when I did it was like unlocking the mystery of my childhood fascination. Direct mail gave us the wonderful opportunity to explain the legacy of Soichiro. In doing so we avoided making bland models* sexy and grey plastic interiors* desirable. We extended the themes W+K had begun but completed the story with invitations to visit a local dealer. This fab recent piece encouraged owners of older Honda's to return to main dealers.
** New models like the Civic address this.
You can download the award winning APG W+K Honda presentations here. (click 'downloads' +scrowll) also ex-W+K planner and fab blogger Russell Davis talks about Honda here.
Stencils? just say no.
Youth marketing short cuts part 4. Stencils = street cred. Wrong. Banksy's work has spawned so many imitators. marketing agencies do really need to move on. Or at the very least there creative departments be issued with these new T.shirts.
Typography** and live music are both in very rude health at the moment, with such a vibrant resource, stencilled fonts as shown above really won't do. There's a bunch of flyers in your local pub that will be more arrestingly new than these.
yes, yes, I do realise it was only last week I was praising the 'Children of men' poster, but that was before I considered the above and the Dirty Sanchez movie et al.
** = scroll down 4 for the myspace masterpiece
Just add water
New corporate developments talk about the harmony between public and business use. The reality is often a sterile environment that actually amplifies the difference between those high up in glass towers and those being blown around in stone clad canyons at there base. The new More London Riverside. Looks rather dull from afar but has really sweet human features at ground level, namely a stream running down one side and water sculptures like this at the main entry point from the tube and train. Just about every one I saw today either brushed there hands along the side of the sculptures or skipped across the stream with a smile. That has to be a better achievement than how many Starbucks/Cafe Rouge/AllBarOne/et al are signed up at opening. If you do get a chance to go inside 2More Place, the view is stunning. Visit London on the 6th floor, have a corner meeting room that looks out over HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge. The spare floors below are being used for a fair amount of location filming. I believe so far an intriguing mix of Andrew Marr and Footballers wives.