Sky Eco-Warrior Poster

With many firms now trying to jump on the band wagon of being greener and more economical, Sky have now followed suit to make sure people know that they are doing there bit. However, I don't get the feeling that Sky is trying to throw this message across at the customer, but are trying to do it in a much more lighthearted tone of voice, which I feel works. Whether or not this is a new tactic by Sky to gain an advantage over Virgin I don't know, but from a tone of voice point of view I like it. It's simple, clear cut and informative.
Sky fully admit that by having this power saving scheme in place it won't make a huge difference to the economical crisis, but will over time. They seem to shadow Tesco's line, 'every little helps'. What I wonder is whether these little schemes will work to save the world, or do companies need to bite the bullet and deal with the issue head on?

The X Factor

What is it that has made this TV show so popular? Louis Walsh? No Kate Thornton? I don't think it really matters about them, the reason I feel that the fourth series is as popular as ever is due to the same reasons as we always watch it. The dedication, determined and somewhat deluded performers we see audition for the X Factor show every single year. The first episode didn't disappoint as we saw some contestants make us feel inspired as well as others that made us cringe. Having Louis Walsh on the panel was probably the icing on the cake for many.
X Factor has grown through the years from something huge to something that beats TV rating records. It has successfully taken over ITV1 and also ITV2 with Xtra factor as well as further brand extensions. Each series introduces new rules, new faces but something without doubt that makes the show what it is, is Simon Cowell. He's the judge that brings the most entertainment, even if staged at times, its fantastic TV. The judging panels personalities bounce of each other so well, which adds a further dimension to the show.
Even when the show isn't on TV on a Saturday night, X Factor has a YouTube channel as well as an official Facebook group. With the ability to upload your own auditions tape, it attracts an even larger audience to participate in the programme. Constant news in the tabloids and girls magazines, people are continuously kept up to date with what is going on in the life on X Factor.
There’s definitely a Marmite love, hate relationship going on with this show, but no one can deny the success of this programme. Finishing at Christmas, there’s no question what the Christmas number one will be this year.

Odeon Cinemas to show Rugby World Cup

With the Rugby World Cup fast approaching, 20 Odeon Cinemas including Liverpool, Bath and London will show live games of the rugby. This is to be showed for free as the Rugby Football Association and National Sports Federation seek to attract people to uptake the sport.
All England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa games as well as the knock out stages will be shown.
Watching the new film, The Bourne Ultimatum, ads were shown before targeting rugby players. The ads tried to attract past rugby players by reminding them what they are missing.
I think this a great idea socially as it increases awareness of rugby, and will nationally increase children and adults in sport participation. With there being no fee to watch the games in the cinemas, it is a free form of entertainment. Sport participation is something that the government is desperately trying to achieve, and with this type of option I feel it will certainly help the cause. Some feel that rugby is quite a specialist sport, but by opening the doors to everyone, there will be a much better chance of rugby being something that ‘jo public’ understands.

Gavin Turk 'Me as Him'

When looking at this image and others at first glance, I thought it was Warhol’s. However, Gavin Turk has reworked Warhol’s self-portraits in order to challenge and haze the limits about who the artist is, who the subject is, the familiarity of the image itself and how the authorship and ambiguity affect the value of a work.
With an exhibition entitled ‘Me as Him’ at the Riflemaker gallery, the layered patterns of colour are in fact pictures of Gavin Turk himself, taken in the same style as the Warhol prints.
Continuing his manner of using other artists work as the starting point for his own, the screen prints appear in 2D with the colour work layered over the top. Each original print is the same, but with different coloured patterns over it, this following in the style of Warhol.
The combined effect of colour and pattern make the portraits of Gavin Turk personal and distinctively different, with each piece expressing a different aspect of personality. A great exhibition as it questions Warhol’s work as well a make a statement of Turks.

It is a free exhibition which is on viewing till September 8th.

Impressionists by the Sea

'Impressionists by the Sea' is currently on show at the Royal Academy of Arts in Westminster. The exhibition shows a number of seascapes and beach scenes by artists of the 1860s and 1870s such as Monet, Manet, Boudin. Prior to this period, pictures of the sea had focused on the romance of stormy weather, or on picturesque coastal landscapes. However the Impressionists work captivates the ordinary intersections of sky, sea and sand. The sea off France's northern coast offered infinite opportunities for the artists to express there fascination with colour and movement. Many of the paintings are studies of how light glimmers off the sea and sand, whilst others illustrate tourists enjoying themselves, or the work of local fishermen finding a simple beauty in there daily routine. Coming away from the exhibition, I found it interesting how over time an artist’s style of work can change so much in the contemporary beach scene. Skill wise, a much firmer understanding of how light and movement can be used was obtained.

Amanda Levete/ Future Systems

I recently read about Amanda Levete of Future Systems designing an installation that comes in the form of a curving wall of about 220 interlocking leaves which is to be unveiled outside the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank as part of the London Design Festival's Materials Project. The brief instructed designers to choose a material and 'push it to its limits'. The picture below shows how Amanda has used DuPont Corian for the thermoformed leaves.

















Having been inspired by the thinking behind this installation I wanted to divulge further into who Amanda works for, Future Systems.
Future Systems is renowned globally for consistently challenging conventional pre-conceptions of space and demonstrating environmental concern and efficiency, without the need to compromise on contemporary form.
In order to remain at the cutting-edge of the field research has been the fundamental component. It has allowed for practice and the balance between experimental and real projects.
The practice work includes a number of startling, speculative projects and competition entries and has led to much attention. The work today is grounded in sound commercial principles, allowing clients to attain an array of business objectives such as raising their profile, enhancing their brand positioning and attracting sponsorship.
Future systems have been quoted as ‘laying down the agenda for architecture in the 21st century’.
The photos below show projects which would support this statement such as the new department store of Selfridges in Birmingham, a media centre at Lord’s Cricket ground and a bridge linking West India Quay and Canary Wharf.
Go to www.future-systems.com for a further insight.

lynxplayers.com

The website is aimed at young lads from 16 to 24. I came to visit it as there was an advertisement inviting me to vote for a bikini being modelled by a 'Lynx Mynx'. As a lad who’s in summer mode, there was no question that I would resist this opportunity.
When entering the site you realise that it’s well designed and uses video streaming very effectively. Lynx as a brand has made a sizeable shift from being just another deodorant to one that gives the consumer an interactive brand experience.
Lynx TV ads have always delivered great entertainment, but in the past it was careful on the suggestive tone due to women being big purchases and influencers on the men's choice of deodorant. Today however, that gap has gone, where the strategy of 'sex sells' is in place.
The website offers customers lots of experiences and opportunities such as the 'Bom Chicka Wah Wah Rally' competition. This allows four teams a chance to go Miami and compete to become the 'Lynx Player with the Mynxes'. You are able to download a screensaver and interact with a Mynx via a series of challenges, including 'Massage a Mynx' which was entertaining. I was also able to see the finalist of the competition.
With regard to interacting with the target audience, I think Lynx has hit the nail on the head perfectly.

Virgin Radio was taken over by Magners this Bank Holiday

Listening to Virgin Radio a lot this Bank Holiday, I noticed that all the usual commercial advertisements have disappeared and everything is about Magners Cider. It is trying to position itself as ‘what bank holidays are made for’. All commercial breaks have disappeared for the day, with Magners focusing everything on listeners requests through live reads and four competitions to win a trip to the Magners International Comedy Festival in Dublin. The Virgin Radio website gives listeners the opportunity to nominate tracks they want to hear on the day.
I have found this all day promotion to really stand out and has giving me the feeling to go and get a bottle of Magners to make my Bank Holiday complete. A great campaign idea I feel.

Transformers

Being someone whose not really into robot type films, I went into this film not expecting to be taken back much, but that’s exactly what happened. Transformers is so action packed, with a hugely loud spectacle, that I was fastened to my seat for the entire time. The CGI was so incredibly intricate and seamlessly realistic that it made trucks morphing into robots seem almost probable.
This mind boggling assault on the senses is everything I expected from the film, I just didn't expect the humour that ran alongside it. Sam, the lead character brings about down-to-earth dry humour in an American Pie type of way as he tries to pull his long-time crush. The robots meanwhile get there own laughs as they try hiding from Sam's dad in his back garden. This humour definitely balances the insanity of the fight scenes and makes it appeal to a much wider audience.
One of Paramount's objectives was to make the film appeal to females, but there advertising doesn't seem to achieve this- the press and posters are dark and apocalyptic and the trailers don't reflect how fun the film really is. It's not just for robot obsessed people!
The film doesn't have deep character or plot development, but what Transformers does deliver is pure entertainment which doesn't disappoint.

Cool Brands 2006/07- An insight into some of Britain's coolest brands

This book that looks at the nation's coolest brands. It identifies how these Cool Brands have gone about achieving this highly desirable status and what makes them the success they are. How are the Cool Brands chosen? A Cool Brands Council consisting of individuals that are well qualified to judge what the nation's coolest brands are as well as the opinions of consumers make the decisions. This accessible, inspiring publication provided a great insight into many of the leading Cool Brands in the UK. Having read the book, it has been extremely informative and has fuelled further debate about the complex area of branding.

Casino Royale Opening Credits

One of the biggest movies to be released in 2006, with media coverage being huge, everyone was judging the latest Bond movie, Casino Royale. The build up and excitement to see the movie was massive, and the opening sequence would give audiences the first impression of what they have been long awaiting to see.
Opening credits can be somewhat tedious, and James Bond has a somewhat stereotype opening credit scenario associated with it i.e. silhouettes of naked women. However Casino Royale goes in new direction. The famous shooting scene in the circle is there, but in a classic Hollywood studio-inspired black and white prologue. Just by this scene, you can tell that this Bond is definitely not your classy, prim and proper Bond. He appears to be brash and uses his brawn rather than his brain. He kills people without hesitation, this conveying that Bond is now violent.
What follows are stylish digital credits featuring playing card images that are mixed with scenes of the James Bond personality. Accompanied by the cool and breezy theme song ‘You Know My Name’ by Audioslave’s Chris Cornell, this colourful, chic and elegant graphics makes this one of the most effective opening credits I have seen as it builds up to the start of the movie perfectly.

Global Cities at the Tate Modern

After reading about Global Cities exhibition at the Tate Modern I went and visited it. At the exhibition you are able to peer into the Mixtacity installation, designed by Nigel Coates. As you peer in, inanimate curiosities such as upturned dinner plates represent buildings such as the Millennium Dome. The installations aim is to highlight the issue of diversity in the London riverside area. It seems to fit in well with the rest of the exhibition which looks at architectural and social changes in ten international cities.
If you are in the London area and want to see it, hurry, it closes on 27th August.

Google Earth Sky

Stargazers can now wonder at the vastness of space at the click of a mouse button thanks to Google. Yesterday saw the release of the latest version of Google Earth, which allows users to pinpoint exactly what lies billions of kilometres above their homes by simply typing in their postcode. A virtual telescope allows them to zoom in on more than 100 million stars and see 200 million galaxies. It even shows people what constellations you can see from your home.
In effect it is just Google Earth but in reverse. I simply typed in my postcode then clicked a button and saw the views that lie above above me. It has made astronomy accessible to many others and myself. I think it is an imaginative, unique and powerful tool that uses modern technology to help people gain a better understanding of science.
Visit www.earth.google.com to download the latest version.

The Sony Playstation Stand at the Games Convention in Germany

This is a picture from the Sony stand at Europe's biggest video and computer games fair in Leipzig, Germany. What I find interesting is that there sat on a toilet seat. Is there some irony in the fact they’re playing on a Playstation whilst perhaps going for a Wii.

Tour de Monde at Getty Images Gallery in London

In commemoration of London staging the opening stage of the Tour de France, Getty Images Gallery in London W1 hosted a cycling exhibition, named Tour de Monde. Curated by Lewis Blackwell, the event drew on the visual links between the Tour de France and cycling life across the world: from a boy standing on his bike in Basra in Iraq, to a cycle polo match from the 1930s, to Lance Armstrong putting himself through the pain barrier.
On display was a unique selection of photographs that immerse you in the world of the bicycle and celebrate the passion of those who use it, whether as a means of transport, a status symbol, an ecological statement or a finely-tuned racing machine.
Having looked round the exhibition it provided a journey of emotion and experience, which increased the anticipation for the opening stage of the Tour de France vastly.

The APG Creative Planning Awards Book of 2003

I have recently just finished reading this book which records the Creative Planning Awards of 2003. The book demonstrates how account planning has made a big difference to the outcome of the creative work. It shows how innovative thinking and excellent creative work produce great results. The jury panel evaluates the original insight; how that insight manifested itself in the creative brief or briefing; and how well the creative team was able to utilise that insight. Having read about real world examples, I have realised how good, thoughtful planning has led to better, more creative advertising.
It’s a book which unfolds how great campaigns were planned out in order to achieve the results they did.

Solar Powered Bikinis and Computer Pants

Reading BBC’s technology website I found an interesting article which discussed designers Andrew Schneider and Jenny Chowdhury at a festival exhibition in San Diego.

Andrew displayed a solar bikini. It overlays a swimsuit with strips of photovoltaic film sewn on with conductive thread. The suit produces a 5 volt output that can recharge gadgets such as the iPod.

Jenny meanwhile displayed her computer pants which are not designed as underwear but for use in a video game activity.

These designers and many more at the Siggraph exhibiton have shown how textiles and technology can produce innovative outcomes.

To read the article in more detail follow the link below http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6934559.stm

Bassetts Allsorts New Packaging Design

Whilst looking at the sweet confectionary stand at the supermarket the other day my eye was drawn to Bassetts Allsorts. I noticed a new package design which incorporated a refined logo, as well as colourful shapes based around the sweets themselves. This is what initially 'caught my eye' to look at the packaging. I felt the new design expressed the natural qualities of the product as well as targeting a wider audience. The result of this change in design was that I purchased a packet.

Travelodge ‘pods’ target festival-goers

After the scenes from Glastonbury and many other music festivals around Britain this year, an opportunity in the market arose. Travelodge have tried solving the problem of comfortable accomodation by releasing a prototype mobile hotel room, known as Travelpods. The budget hotel chain concept aims to bring luxury camping to festival-goers at a trial price of £26.
The pods, 6m by 6.4m are clear polycarbonate boxes that will be delivered to sites complete with luxury double beds, en suite bathrooms, heating, air conditioning and a flat screen TV.
The Travelpod aims to redefine accessibility by bringing the room to where the people are. A great idea which I could definitely see working as many festival goers see sleeping in the rough as something of the past.

Find further information at http://www.travelodge.co.uk/whats_new/

New BBC Radio Five Live Logo Design

When viewing the BBC Five Live website I noticed that a new identity had been given to the station. Although the design is very simple, it communicates the personality of the brand well and will work over different spaces more effectively than the previous logo.

Plans to Offer Targeted Advertising on Facebook

Having seen that Cadburys was bringing back Wisper due to social networks, I decided to research further into these social networks to see what they were doing about advertising. When reviewing Facebook, I found that they are to launch an advertising system that will allow marketers to target users with ads based on the large amounts of information people freely provide about themselves on the site.
They hope to produce a system that predicts what products and services users might be interested in, even before they have specifically mentioned an interest. The company aims to accomplish what Google did with AdWords, which allows anyone to place ads next to search results by buying keywords online.
The service allows advertisers to visit a website to choose a wider variety of characteristics for the users who should see their ads, such as favourite activities and preferred music. However, advertisers would not be able to access personal information about the Facebook users. These ads would appear on the "news feed" of each user's page and not as on banner ads and boxed flyers that appear on the borders of the site at present.

Cadburys Wispa comes back due to Social Network Pressure

We often hear how social networks have become so powerful that applications for jobs are now judged upon your profile. However it has now been taken to new levels with Cadburys. One of its most famous brands, the Wispa chocolate bar is coming back after a growing campaign on social networking websites forced the confectionery giant to bring about its return. The iconic 1980s chocolate bar, which was discontinued in 2003, is set to return next month after thousands of consumers lobbied Cadbury on MySpace and Facebook, which spawned a 14,000-strong Bring Back Wispa group, to reintroduce one of its most enduring brands. It shows how large companies are now listening to the internet as they believe it is a fair reflection of the public. I wonder how many more brands are now closely surveying social network activity to see if significant gains to be made. What else will the power of social networks lead to?

Virgin v Sky Advertising. Is there a need for this mass advertising campaign?

Over the last couple of months, many advertisements have been produced by Virgin Media and Sky trying to entice customers to subscribe to there services. The reason for all this advertising was due to a fall out in prices. Sky asked Virgin to pay more for offering Sky channels, in which Virgin disagreed. Since this fall out Virgin have decided to offer a product which rivals Sky. Mass advertising campaigns have been produced by each company trying to sell there product to customers. Millions of pounds have been spent on billboard posters, press, TV etc in order to achieve this. The cynic in me says if money was such an issue, why have they spent so much on advertising? And has advertising really been the most effective way of gaining new customers? I must say Virgin has persuaded me into looking into its service, but the jabs been made by both brands about each other has been rather like a teenage dispute. It has created humour and discussion, but it hasn't raised the profile or either brand for me.

Edge 'Another Way Forward' advert

I recently saw this advertisement on TV for Edge and thought it was fantastic. Edge is a government backed education foundation that has launched this ad for its first campaign. It is a 60-second TV advertisement created by Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy advertising agency.
The spot aims to communicate the dangers of parents forcing their children into the wrong career choice and challenges ingrained prejudices against vocational qualifications.
In the ad, a pushy father is seen teaching his son to drive, but as the action progresses the stressed teenager is told to jump lanes and cut other drivers up.
It ends with the car driving the wrong way up a dual carriage way and the strap line, "Another way forward". The TV ad is supported further by online and print activity.
I really like the ending with the quick disruptions of image, text, image, text. I feel it embodies perfectly how quick and fast we all felt when having to choose what to do after 18 years at home and the pushy side we received from overeager parents.
Having been unsure about what the ad was initially about, the ad was powerful enough for me to go onto the website and find out further information.
In order to improve the ad I would do a 30 second version, which would interact perfectly with viewers at a cinema.

An Advertisement Which Interacts With The Consumer Brilliantly

Each morning, many people travelling into work around Britain grab there free issue of the Metro newspaper. Last week, when going into work I got this article as the front cover. It said that a 'new planet had been discovered' so I read further into the writing about what exactly had been found. Being slightly confused still after looking at the picture, I re read the article. It was after three times of reading it and looking at the picture several time I realised that the front cover was in fact an advertisement. Ikea magazine has bought the right to advertise on the front and back of this issues paper on this particular date. It was selling the products on offer at the retailers. What I loved about this advert was that it really did engage with the consumer, as many people when reading a newspaper will interact with the front-page headline. There was a great element of surprise when I realised that it was in fact it was an advertisement. The advertisement was a successful use of ambient advertising.

Should design always be practical?

On yesterdays London evening news, it mentioned how window cleaning is to start being taken out on the famous 540ft 'Gherkin' building in London. It is going to be the first time it has had its windows cleaned since it opened three years ago.
Due to the design of the building, a specialist team of nine men have to abseil down the side of the building to do the windows on the highest section, before reaching a height where the more commonplace cleaners' cradles can be used to finish off the 744 windows - 24,000square metres of glass. The job is expected to take ten days to complete, and the workman have to have there lunch whilst strapped on top of the 40 storey building. Despite its high-tech interior, the work has to be done in the old-fashioned way: with a bucket of soapy water and a squeegee.
The question I ask is whether this is really practical? Should designers have taken manual jobs such as this into consideration?

How Great New Designs Can Be Developed From Old Ones

Until May 2006, Highbury used to be the stadium of Arsenal Football Club. With the club's departure to Emirates Stadium, Highbury was left. Instead of knocking down the stadium and selling the land, architects have redesigned the stands so that the stadium can have a new purpose. With major redevelopment Arsenal Stadium is being converted into apartments, in a project known as 'Highbury Square'. East Stand and the matching West Stand are being preserved and incorporated into the new developments. The pitch meanwhile will become a communal garden.
As can be seen from the pictures, it looks magnificent. What can be taken from this as a designer is if you are given something to work from, magnificent results can be achieved to show great innovation.

For further information of the properties follow the link below
www.thestadium-highbury.com/

The o2 Poster Campaigns

Since o2 have taken over the Millennium Dome and renamed it 'the o2', they have released some great billboard advertisements promoting the new venue.
They have incorporated the venue into the poster as well as into the brand logo design. It has worked extremely well as it is eye catching and communicates a clear message about what it is trying to show.
With o2 now owning this venue, it has created a great brand extension. Customer loyalty has been increased as customers who belong to phone network gain special offers that others outside the network are not entitled to. This therefore is a great unique selling point for the brand.
Furthermore, this ownership has made o2 not just look like a mobile phone network, but someone that provides great experiences and gets involved in a variety of cool activities. The brand now targets a much larger audience.

A Unique Business Card

A business card is to reflect the personality of yourself and provide the all-important contact information. Often enough, the business cards I have received have a standard layout, material and font. Last week I was handed this card, which was not only intriguing but made the person memorable. On one side it has the contact information but on the other a material that when you touch disappears and reveals a silhouette of a naked posing woman. This reflects not only the brand as well as the personality of the person I was dealing with. From this I have learnt that it is very important how you present yourself and the brand in all forms of communication.

Urban Beach in Finsbury Square

Having seen the O2 business picnic in Soho last week, I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw this beach scene being created when going through Finsbury Square at the weekend. With tonnes of sand and plenty of palm trees the square is being transformed into an Urban Beach for the week. Sponsored by BT, the aim is to promote flexible working by showing that you can work as easily on the beach as you can the office. There are deckchairs, mini-golf competitions, live music and food provided by Jamie Oliver's famous Fifteen. Wi-fi Internet access is also available to allow London workers to keep on working.

With this and last weeks O2 event, it shows that many brands are now participating in interactive activities. However with rain and 50 mph winds expected in London this week, the beach is to get a real touch of England with it!

Ann Summers New Vibrator Poster

With the launch of Ann Summers new vibrator, The Wave, an innovative and slightly risqué campaign is to run alongside it. The sex toy will be marketed in bus stops using vibrating posters. The poster involves the consumer by touching a button, which triggers a vibration sensation as well as the sound of waves. This two-week campaign will take place in various cities including Birmingham, London, Manchester and Nottingham. On top of this, 1000 copies of the September edition of New Woman magazine will include a vibrating page.
I think this a great campaign for the product, which will cause much press and viral marketing. Being edgy reflects the personality of the consumer and product, as many who buy this type of product keep it as a 'hidden secret'.

BBH's London Office

Having been working with BBH recently, walking into their head office made you feel very special. It felt like walking into an empire. The architecture, the large amount of light and the close proximity between workers of each department felt very special. It seemed much like a scene from Men In Black when the lift doors open and Will Smith overlooks the MIB HQ for the very first time. However instead of aliens, Macintosh computers replaced them. The feelings you got from going into a building such as this makes you feel extremely motivated towards completing work. With work mottos, awards and fellow workers surrounding you, you feel as if you are part of something special. Being positioned in Central London, the surroundings are enjoyable and you become infused with creativity.

The o2 Business Picnic Lunch in London

Wondering near Carnaby Street in London at lunchtime the other day I came across a sponsored picnic event from o2. The brand had taken over a very popular square at lunchtime where many city business workers go for lunch, and created a picnic lunch. Providing branded umbrellas, beanbags, frisbees, board games (such as jenger and snake and ladders), barbeque food etc the square was buzzing full of city workers lavishing in this fantastically sunny chilled out atmosphere. Without directly trying to push sales, there was the opportunity to go up to one of the o2 girls if you wanted to ask further questions about the brands products and services. What o2 achieved by doing this was great brand awareness and an association with fun times. With work in the city being stressful and fast moving, the opportunity to escape from this on your lunch break was provided with this event. Since going to the event, participants would have virally mentioned the success of the activity as well as who sponsored it. Without having to try to hard and spend a large budget, a great atmosphere and talk point was created. It has certainly raised the brand profile of o2 within me.

Crocs

Having read an article in the Daily Telegraph on Sunday, it stated how John Lewis Department store has seen a 1000 percent increase in sales over the past six months. How has this shoe become such an object of desire? This pair of shoes seems to be worn by everyone, everywhere. An acquired taste of shoe it seems, with a love/ hate type of relationship tagged to it. Crocs are a cross between a shoe, sandal and clog and have recently been spotted being worn by an array of celebrities. From Prince William, to Kate Middleton, to George W Bush. This celebrity endorsement certainly seems to have helped its profile but the hidden secret to why this product is so popular is one simple factor, comfy ness. Whether you be wearing them on the beach or to work, they are both cool and provide everyday comfort. The ultimate multi-purpose shoe it seems. Being simple, stylish and easy to clean, the design behind the product is spot on. This is the USP of the product, that it sells itself.
The brand is continuously bringing out news colours and variants to the range, which is appealing to an even larger market. Once a success as they are, they are continually developing the brand. Crocs is a great example of what the strategy should be behind a product.

Simpsonize Yourself- Great Idea, but does it really work?

With all the advertising and marketing of the new Simpson’s movie, Burger King launched a campaign with www.simpsonizeme.com. The website allows you to upload a photograph of yourself, and then see what you would look like if you were to be a Simpson character. I think the idea is fantastic, and appeals hugely to a wide audience who would love to see what they would look like if they were to become one of the yellow ones. The idea seems to fulfil a dream of the target market that wishes to see what they would like in this format. With the campaign interacting the consumer and gaining much publicity it works successfully.
However in practice when using the website, the picture you upload to transform yourself has very specific guidelines to what it can and can't except. For me, carrying out this process became very quickly frustrating and time consuming. With the questions it asks about age, hair type etc, I wondered whether or not the photo actually makes much of a different or whether it is just pre programmed?
Overall I feel the campaign idea is great and love how it involves the consumer. However I feel the execution of the idea could be a lot better so that it is easier to do rather than having such specific guidelines. I feel children, who would be a massive target for this campaign, would find using this website very hard to use.

Summer arrives and so do Christmas Departments

Its 138 days till Christmas, and when looking around Harrods the other day, the Christmas Department had just officially been opened. The Harrods Christmas Department is a major tourist attraction in Britain, attracting visitors throughout the world to see this famous site. However, with England just getting its summer weather in August how can we possibly start considering and buying items for the festive season? Is this weakening or strengthening the Christmas spirit? A time of coldness, warm coats and dark nights cannot be something children and adults want to be thinking about at this time. With such products and items already on sale, is the core message and feelings of Christmas time being lost in the marketing and advertising of products, or is it simply building up the excitement of this season? By Harrods and Selfridges opening their festive department straight after the summer sale, they must clearly think it is profitable to do so. Do people generally just like to purchase there Christmas items throughout the year rather than frantically in December? Personally I would just like to enjoy the summer time weather, then unleash the Christmas spirit in early November for everyone to feel a great injection of motivation and happiness as the dark nights draw in. With the sun finally descending upon Britain, I would like to enjoy this time and feel that 2007 wasn’t a year that we didn’t have summer fun!