livingbrands

Understanding cravings

Good article in the Guardian yesterday. Looks at new learning from neuroscience that is providing insights into why we crave things - food in particular. It seems that the more sensitive you are to rewards, the more your brain lights up when presented with rewarding stuff...and the more you respond as a consequence.

Interestingly, and maybe not surprisingly, there is quite a strong correlation between reward sensitivity and obesity. And as the article points out, this has implications for advertising: it both shows why the 'beauty shot' is important and not just an annoying client request; but also raises slight concerns over whether this then makes advertising (almost) dangerously irresistible for some.

Second hand advertising

Take one retailer specialising in second hand, high-end clothes (Fashion Go-Round). Buy up a load of old fashion mags. Place stickers on the ads ("available soon at the Fashion Go-Round Consignment clothing store, where everything gets a second chance"). Put the magazines in places like doctors' surgeries. It all adds up to a simple but clever campaign.

Don't know if it worked, but it's very good example of how some of the best creative ideas come from that place where execution and media interact.

Interestingly, not at all 'media neutral' either, which everything is supposed to be now. Just goes to show: it's still better to have a great idea that's very media specific, than an average idea you can execute everywhere.

(Thanks to Chroma for the heads up)

FutureScope 47

Just to let you know, the latest edition of my trends newsletter is now out: "emerging trends, new ideas and general thought stimulation"...or so it says on the cover.

Tango Sony spoof

This is great: a pitch perfect, spot on pastiche...

And the 'is it real' website that goes with it is brilliant as well.

Just goes to show how the world of comms can (and is beginning to) learn from the world of entertainment when it comes to expanding ideas digitally (just look at Lost for a good 'Extended Universe' example).

Animals that bite

Had a trip to Woburn Safari Park for Joshua's 9th birthday last weekend.

They've got some great 'do not feed the animals' signs. Particularly graphic were these two...

I especially like the touch of dripping (red) blood on the lion one: communication that tells it how it is!!

Police & thieves

That explains Britain's crime problem. The police can't spot the bad guys even when they're standing in front of them!!!

No idea what was going on. Caption competition anyone?

Try that nose

Not that I particularly think plastic surgery is a great thing, but I like this from DDB Canada.

Colourful personality

I love personality tests (sad I know). And Personal DNA is particularly fun for a few reasons. The questionnaire makes good use of graphical interfaces (if you like that kind of thing). And the output is a rather funky block of colour, like the old TV test card.

This is me...

Considerate Inventor

And as it says, I'm a Considerate Inventor...which sounds like the kind of thing a planner should be (and also sounds a bit more meaningful than an INFJ...which is what I also am according to Myers Briggs).

Float around the colour block, and you can find out my high and lows (in a spirit of openness, or maybe reverse voyerism, you you check out the full report here).

And as well as a block, you can also express you personality (if you so wish) as a handy DNA strip...

Considerate Inventor

...which looks like the kind of thing you could make into a handy wrist band - the next big trend anyone: let's compare personalities!?

Honda: weird and interesting

Was watching Superbike racing recently (not that I'm into bikes, it's just what you do when you have a 9 year old son).

Anyway, Honda's Impossible Dream ad comes on, which Joshua said he really liked. And this was different to his liking of, for example, Churchill Insurance ads (you can take only so much repetition of Churchill the Dog's 'oh yes' before you want to break something!). This was real engagement.

His reasons why? It's "weird and interesting". Which I guess it is really.

Personally, I've never been totally convinced by this particular Honda ad: think there could be a bit of Emperor's New Clothes about it. But then maybe that's just the head of an envious old cynic talking and 9 year olds know the truth.

Interestingly, the last ad I can remember him showing an engaged interest in was 'Hate Something', so Honda must be doing something right...if that's only sowing seeds with future generations of motorists.

Suggests an interesting angle for research though. It's usually pretty obvious whether you're saying the 'right' thing I think (but if you need reassurance, talk to some of consumers). Want to know if you have something truly magical and special though? Maybe it's better to ask kids. Skip the world-weary cynicism and see what those who haven't had the sense of wonder beaten out of them think.

After all, even us cynics respond at a gut level to a bit of stardust and magic (even if we don't like to admit it to anyone).

Here's to the crazy ones

Really needed this a few weeks ago, but couldn't track it down. Now that I have, I thought I would post it. If nothing else, at least I will know where it is next time.

So, in full, here is the copy from one of the (launch?) ads for the iMac...

"Here's to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,
disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things.

They invent.    They imagine.    They heal.
They explore.    They create.    They inspire.
They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones,
we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world, are the ones who do."