Missed the Eurostar

The Eurostar is a fantastic service whose staff provided some of the quotes of last weekend. I had managed to miss my train which involved the following exchange. Me, in very poor school boy French, 'Can i change my ticket for the next train?' Eurostar employee 'But monsieur you have missed your train'. me, 'funnily enough i'd spotted that.'

Eurostar's trains and station are all looking a little tired these days (prior to a re-launch come next years move) But the staff retain a sense that they are representing a premium brand. Even when dealing with the mixed bag of consumers that this time of year throws up.

Fantastic briefs

I received two very different briefs yesterday. Both utterly fantastic but in oh so many different ways.

 Brief one: Large international client, newish brand, I thought was just considering a refresh of its marketing approach has turned round and questioned just about every aspect of the brands communication. What's more they have a will and budget to allow real change. Fab! best creative challenge I have had for a long long time. oh and a decent deadline to boot. (i.e. not Jan 2)

Brief two: New UK brand, backed by a celebratory, lots of green credentials, Research shows gap in market. TV ideas using said celebratory, simple. ah not quite. The celebratory is already on air for a rival (non-green cred) brand. er ideas on a post card please.

Free wallpaper

Giant sized images free, courtesy of the printer at work. This fab use of the office CLC. Huge blow-ups from your normal snaps or found images from the web. Either on-line or via a free download (which I can’t get to work on my mac).

This natty device is from the people at: homokaasu.org who appear as barking as they come. Witness the following:

“We are testing Google Analytics to enhance your privacy violation experience and to provide the best possible visitor behaviour scrutinization and abuse service. We are deeply committed in providing this information to a huge American company for exchange of some statistics.”
 

Update on 2006-12-01 19:43 by Philip

Forgot to put the right credits for the Rasterdator find. Arje.net. Also JPG magazine has a Rasterbator competition running as part of there upping in size.

Playing music while you work

Thank you to the ever observant Russell Davis for highlighting Musicology a fascinating visual bespoke music site. Ever since being introduced to Pandora I have been in two minds about this type of service. On the one hand they are great for creating a mood, on the other if you are using a well known band as a starting point (Bowie,  The Clash etc) you just end up with second rate sound alikes. But I suppose the biggest draw back is that rather than an ipod that hums away in the background while you work. Sound matching sites are so intriguing in the 'who's this?' way, that you are forever checking band names and details, Last.fm is worst as it provides so much background info on each band. I spent the best part of an afternoon cross referencing second division punk bands connected by the sound of  Sham 69 (while my presentation went unfinished) For new music Haystack works well, but they appear quite pro' Snow patrol so be careful.

1. iPods = Surprise yourself with what you own. reassuring

2. Pandora = generic sounds, unmoderated tends to go off on a tangent.

3. Last.FM = Good punk selections, time consuming, customisable graphics

4. Musicovery = Fab graphics but limited range too much Aha & Aerosmith

5. XFM = Can be repetitive but you could win tickets to winterwonderland.

6. Humming = Rather comforting but bloody annoying for your co-workers 

Update on 2006-11-30 22:58 by Philip

XFM Winter Wonderland. forgot to link etc. fab event except the no tickets left part that is. Anyone with a spare one (or three  -do call)

Passion Brands: America and its Armed Forces

  Sometimes a single article can sum up a whole nations state of mind. The correspondence on the Advertising Age web site just about catches everything you need to know about how America feels right now. The whole thing kicked off on November 12 when Bob Garfield wrote a fairly straight forward review of the new MaCann Erickson US Army recruitment TV spot. What followed caught everyone out. This posted a few days later HERE is just amazing. or rather as one reply simply put it "wow people...just wow"

Top Quote

I read a few geek blogs to help me understand the tech' side of brand communication issues. Greg linden has posted a great quote that actually very neatly sums up the morbid staffing issues in a few agencies I know.

"...companies cannot only be quick to create. They need to be quick to destroy. If something does not work, the company needs to move quickly. failures need to be acknowledged, all possible learning extracted and then the product should be eliminated..." 

Picture search prt 57

 

Draw crude pictures, retrievr matches to Flickr images. The world does not need more ways to waste time online, BUT this is really fun and absorbing, I am coming to it a little late as it was launched at the beginning of the year. Christian Langreiter from a bunch of work done by The University Of Washington. The interesting story of it HERE.

Talking about web 2.0

There has been quite a bit of follow up after my talk last week, most around a throw away comment I made about web 2.0 being a bit of a myth. I think I said perhaps we have missed something, all the talk about new web might actually be just that, empty comment, because the product's functionality (AJAX code, consumer interaction) is really not that new or clever, its the digital natives (young creative minds) that have used this tool in a way a digital migrant (like me) would not have considered, we had mobile phones and text messages, they went straight to Bebo and habbo hotel, which rapidly took them into: ziki / riya / odeo / flickrblog etc. I am still constantly bowled over by these fab new applications such as this new picture finder. from Felix Turner at Air Tight Interactive.

Growing up with calling your mates or texting under the covers, is very different to sharing thoughts online.

So the point being its the older generations (40 +) fascination with communication protocols of the young of mind that is driving the brand 'web 2.0' Because web 2.0 is after all a conversation topic rather than a product.

I find parallels with corporations trying to understand dance music 10 years ago.

 

Brands, what are they good for?

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.