Could Google's Android End The iPhone Madness?

Google’s Android mobile operating system serves as no more than another platform for advertising, it would seem. By providing the platform free of charge to any phone manufacturer and wireless carrier, the search giant hopes that the platform will proliferate into the majority of new phones, which would open up a whole new channel for those connecting to the internet via their phones to make use of Google search and in turn, click on Google ads.

Jon Fortt at CNN Money has an interesting take on why the Android platform poses a serious threat to companies such as Microsoft and Apple, the latter of whom could previous do no wrong. Click here to read their analysis.

So far, the up-take of the platform from developers has been rather slow, but with Google's track record of continuous innovations and reliability, the likes of Apple and AT&T could well be getting a bit worried.

Ego For Bentley Laptop

Bentley, not content with merely building and selling some of the most exclusive and expensive cars in the world, have decided to try their hand at computers too.

The 'Ego for Bentley' laptop share some unique features with the Bentley cars, such as cases for the computer notebooks covered in fine Bentley leathers criss-crossed with hand stitching.

The laptops retail for around £10,000 and the company has decided that no more than 250 will be produced worldwide. It has also been said that the the laptop is supposedly "hand-built" just like the cars.However, both Engadget and Autoblog have reported that the new Bentley offering contains a sub-standard set of specs, which probably wouldn't appeal to the really rich computer geeks.

The Car For "Only The Brave"

Fashion house Diesel and car brand Fiat have created a new car, based on the Fiat 500.

The Diesel 500 was designed collaboratively by both brands with the intention of making the navigation of cluttered city street a lot easier, and doing it in-style. The Diesel branding is subtly incorporated across the exterior and interior of the car, and Diesel’s famous Mohican ‘Only The Brave’ logo can also be found on the 16” inch alloy wheels and chrome gear shift.


According to Trendhunter, "The Diesel 500 exudes attention to detail and includes many exclusive design modifications that bring attitude and style to the popular Fiat car. The driver and passenger are greeted with the ‘For Successful Living’ claim moulded into the door sill, the tachometer and dials have been redesigned to look similar to Diesel’’s distinctive watches, and even the stitching of the leather and fabric interior recalls details from Diesel’s denim jeans."

The car, priced from $15,000 - €$17,000 will be available in a range of engine configurations, and bronze and black colour options.

There is, however, a limited production run of 10 000, with orders initially made available online. Lucky brand-conscious owners can expect delivery before Christmas this year!

Portable Retail Space

High-end US clothing retailer Iisli has opened up what PSFK refers to as "something of a pre-fab store" in Manhattan.

The retail outpost, which has 1,000 square feet of retail space is designed to be taken apart and reconstructed easily in almost any space. The design also incorporates a self-contained lighting system, fitting rooms and clothing racks. Most interestingly, the shop is decorated with furniture from founders Sisi and Nelson Li’s own apartment.

Sisi Li, who is the line’s designer, says "For us, it’s like the modern way to do retail. This way, we can travel with the store and try out different neighborhoods. It’s like we are trying out the relationship before we marry."

In an era where relationships with consumers is of the utmost importance for brands, who can blame them for a little bit of polygamy?

Welcome To The 4th Screen

Trendhunter highlighted Nokia's recently launched new epic commercial highlighting how screens have changed the way we interact throughout the ages.

The movie screen had initially allowed for a socially interactive as people met and shared in the cinema. TV and computers, however, did the opposite and led to people withdrawing into their own worlds. Nokia alludes to their hope that cell phones, and the 4th screen will be able to bring the community spirit back again.

Collaboration Between Shoppers & Designers

Ponoko is a company that manufactures highly creative and bespoke products. The company initially began by selling unique items designed by aspirant designers. But realising that many consumers have great ideas for products and as another way of appealing to the target market, the company has introduced a clever new option, Ponoko ID.


Ponoko ID allows users to submit a request, including a description, reference material, as well as their ideal price and delivery deadline. The request is then sent to a selection of designers who can put forward a bid by emailing a brief proposal to the shopper.

After reviewing bids, the shopper can accept the one that best matches their Once the designer confirms the transaction, the request/bid becomes a binding agreement. The shopper makes payment to the designer (through Ponoko), and the designer creates the item. While this may seem an arduous process, it does create transparency for both groups. By allowing shoppers and designers to review each other's profiles, the transaction also feels far more personal for both parties.

David ten Have, Ponoko's CEO comments, "Ponoko ID is the world's first online service for getting unique products custom designed just for you, without the costs and hassles involved in finding a designer, manufacturer and materials."

Sounds like a win-win for both parties, and it's a novel way for aspirant designers to ply their trade in today's world.

Via: Springwise

The Right Words For Every Pitch

The New York Times highlights the finding of a study in the Journal of Consumer Research regarding what language advertisers should use in countries where English is predominantly spoken as a second language.

It appears that English should be used when advertising luxury goods, but hybrid of English and the local language should be used for household necessities communications.

Aradhna Krishna, an author of the study and a marketing professor at the University of Michigan, said the reactions were probably a result of students associating different languages with different aspects of their lives.

“English is the language which is global and cosmopolitan and upper class,” she said. “You associate your first language with family, with warmth, with belongingness.”

Read the full article by clicking here.

Preview The First-Ever F1 Night Race In Singapore

The first ever F1 night race on a street circuit will take place in Singapore during the 2008 race season. With so many unknown quantities surrounding the race in terms of the track and the novelty involving a night race, Red Bull took the opportunity to dispel some of the mystery of the event for us with a beautifully produced spot which recreated part of the island nation’s pristine downtown area, with an added extra of a virtual high-speed test lap starring Mark Webber.

It's well worth a look and great 2 and a half minute long promotion for Red Bull. View the clip by clicking here.

Via: Notcot, Space Invaders

Virgin Atlantic Seats Worn Again

UK-based Anti-Apathy organisation promotes and supports people who take creative approaches to social and environmental issues. They have highlighted fashion, food, energy and water as their four themes to focus on this year.

Worn Again is such an eco-fashion initiative originating from Anti-Apathy. The organisation has teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to find a use for old aircraft seat covers and other materials. Spingwise reports that Anti-apathy is now working to help Virgin Atlantic meet its goal of halving the waste it sends to landfills by 50 percent by 2012.



The airline has already reduced the waste it produces in its offices and ground operations, and now Worn Again has produced 2,000 limited-edition bags using materials reclaimed from approximately 1,000 airplane seats during a renovation. The Worn Again Virgin line includes two handbags, a messenger bag and a toiletry case, priced ranging from GBP 25 to GBP 65. All are handmade in family-run and small-scale workshops in Portugal and come with a list of the "ingredients" and sources used.

By continuously innovating, eco-designers such as Worn Again are keeping current eco-consumers intersted, as well as appealing to the broader target market by injecting a cool factor into eco-consciousness.

Around The World By Solar Power

Louis Palmer embarked on an ambitious journey in July 2007 with the mission to put climate protection on top of everyones' minds. With the help of a crew of around 200 volunteers and various organisations, Palmer built a two-seater car powered entirely by solar power, resulting in a vehicle that emits zero harmful emissions.


Palmer wanted the car to travel around the world from West to East, with at least 50,000 km in total mileage, through 40 countries across 5 continents. All within a period of 18 months... The journey would start and finish in Europe.

The team set-off without a predetermined route but was rather set by the invitation they received along the way. They would also visit inventors, organisations, individuals and scientists, who are active in climate protection

So far, the Solar Taxi has traveled around 43000kms. There's also an in-depth site explaining the intricacies of the project as well as a blog update on their travels. Well worth checking out and shows what can be achieved if we put our minds to it.

Via: Solar Taxi, Elephant

Apple's Continuous Innovations

Apple has introduced a whole lot of additions for their fourth generation iPod Nano, as well as improvements to the second generation iPod Touch and some new features incorporated across the new iPod range as well as iTunes.

The new Nano will be the Apple's thinnest iPod to date and features a sleek new design with a curved aluminium and glass enclosure, available in nine colours. Along with a refined interface and high resolution display, the device also has a built-in detector, which automatically flips the image on screen to fit the way the device is held, and automatically goes into Shuffle mode when lightly shaken -- dubbed "Shake to Shuffle". Also included is the Apple's "Genius" technology, which automatically creates playlists from songs in your music library that go together, as well as automatically going into 'Cover Flow' with just a turn of the wrist.

iTunes version 8 includes the Genius feature and for the first time offers television programmes in high definition for sale on the iTunes Store.

Ambitious Plans For Manchester City

Manchester City, the 'other' football team in Manchester, was recently subject to a take-over bid from the Abu Dhabi United Group, who reached a deal to buy the club for around £200m last week and on the same day broke the British transfer record when they paid Real Madrid £32.5m for Brazilian footballer Robinho.


Proposing some ambitious plans, which have been outlined in an 83-page document called 'A New Model for Partnership in Football', reveals a strategy that would lead to a significant rebranding and tap into markets as wide-ranging as financial services, fashion, retail, transport, communications and the food industry, leveraging the worldwide popularity of the English Premier League.

The document boldly states that the club should aim "to be the Virgin of Asia and the world".

Some of the ideas include deals with Tata, the Indian car manufacturer, for 'Citycars' and China Mobile for City branded phone cards, a range of new energy drinks by Red Bull called 'City Powered', 'City Energy' and 'City 24/7'.

Others include food outlets under the name 'City Eating' and a range of credit cards dubbed 'Citycard'.

It is unclear whether any of the companies mentioned have been approached by the ruling Al-Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi and Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim, the prominent Middle East businessman fronting the takeover.

Via: BrandRepublic

Experience The Military, Without Potential Death

The US Army has a yearly recruitment target of 80000. Being an all-volunteer organisation and sending the recruited into life-threatening situations, the messaging for these recruitment drives needs to be of special relevance to entice the American youth to sign up.

AdAge reports on the US Army's recently opened Army Experience Centre in a Philadelphia shopping mall- complete with Humvee and helicopter simulators. The Centre's objective is to provide a rich geared to show young people today what the U.S. Army is like in a very rich, immersive, educational and factual environment for the youth, while at the same time, providing some form of entertainment.

They have also tapped into the strength of online gaming with the popular "America's Army" online game, which today has more than 9 million registered users. The US Army is further set for an updated version of the game due for release in 2009.

Military fashion will also shortly become available at retailers Sears Roebuck & Co. in October this year. The First Infantry Division apparel collection will feature Army-licensed insignias and will be manufactured for a wide range of ages, including sizes for boys.

These initiatives seem to be working. The US Army has beaten its recruitment target for three years in a row. With these latest initiatives, the US Army brand would surely be further entrenched in the youths' minds.

BMW's Transparent Speed

BMW’s latest Art Car exhibition, called Transparent Speed, is currently on show in Tokyo.

The artwork, designed by Japanese artist Jun Aoki features his interpretation on the visualization of speed.


Aoki wanted visitors to not only visualise movement, but physically feel movement, while at the same time seeing the artistic displays.

To accomplish this, the artist hung 10,000 clear plastic pipes of varying lengths from the ceiling providing a tangible presence for the air in the room. The end result bears a strong resemblance to the images produced by aerodynamicists while studying airflow.

Have a look at the Wallpaper for more information and some amazing visuals.

Luxury Retailers Set Sail

LVMH - Louis Vuitton - the world's leading luxury products group is set to expand into the yacht business.

The company is in talks to acquire the services of Royal van Lent, a Dutch designer and builder of luxury custom mega-yachts, currently sold under the Feadship brand. The company currently specialises in yachts over 50 meters which sell for an average of $44 million each.


The news comes just days after luxury group Hermes announced their joint venture with the Monaco-based yacht maker Wally on what will doubtlessly be a new line of sleek and modern luxury yachts with Hermes appointments.

Luxist comments: "Both of these announcements send a strong message that these brands believe the ultra high end of the luxury market is safe and sound in any economy."

Via: Reuters, Luxist

US Police Serve By Twittering

It amazes me how a seemingly simple tool like Twitter can be utilised in so many different, interesting and useful ways.

It seems the Arizona Police force in the town of Scottsdale are pioneering the use of the micro-blogging service to better serve the public. They are currently using Twitter to send out alerts on pertinent town information such as road closings, traffic problems, power outages and severe weather warnings.


PSFK says: "Although Twitter’s track record of periodically not working isn’t a good fit for disseminating critical information, more communities looking to get the word out may see Twitter as an easy to use broadcast system."

Perhaps if we applied our minds to some of the challenges we face in this country daily - ranging from traffic congestions to resource management - we can also pioneer creative ways to solve problems.

Coke Zero Zero 7

Coke Zero - which was recently launched locally, is poised to temporarily rebrand the product in the UK. Set for roll-out next month, limited-edition bottles, supported by a global ad campaign and on-pack promotions will use the 'Zero Zero 7' strapline to highlight the brand's involvement with the latest 007 film Quantum of Solace.

The deal is the first global marketing partnership for the cola, dubbed "Bloke Coke" in the UK, since its launch there back in 2006.

The campaign, created by Wieden & Kennedy, will be in keeping with the tone of the film, matching Daniel Craig's 'edgier' Bond to Coke Zero's male target audience.

Google Chrome - The New Web Browser

According to Trendhunter, Google announced their new open source browser, Google Chrome, which will launch in beta tomorrow in 100 countries.

“On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple,” Google says. “Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go.”

Chrome will show you thumb nails on a start page and your nine most visited pages and will recommend pages.

The browser will use a Google search box, but because it is an open source platform, companies and independent developers will be able to devise new add-ons and tweaks. Will this be the next Firefox?

Some Mad Men Now Twitter

New York Times reports on a new Twitter trend for some of its users. It seems many are posing as characters in their favorite TV shows and updating their followers on their virtual movements.
Most notably, there is an unusually active group of people whose screen names are from the AMC television show “Mad Men,” and they have been posting updates in the characters’ voices.

For instance, the Twitter version of Don Draper, the creative director for a circa-1960s advertising agency, adheres rather closely to his television persona. “Heading into a meeting with @Roger_Sterling,” the user wrote on Wednesday, referring to Mr. Draper’s television boss.

Mr. Draper’s virtual self has nearly 2,000 followers on the Web site. There are also Twitter accounts in the names of Mr. Sterling and Peggy Olson, as well as other characters from the series.

It's unclear whether AMC approves of the use of their characters in such a manner, or whether this is in fact their latest marketing genius, but having fans actively involved in any manner can't be a bad thing for the brand, can it?

Beat Usain Bolt At His Own Game

Puma has launched a nice site in celebration of their biggest star in the form of Usain Bolt.

The site features the latest Puma Olympics apparel, as well as an interesting advergame allowing the user to race against the fastest man in the world.


It's a simple but amusing advergame, very nicely designed, and nicely integrated video spots and definitely worth checking out. Click here to see if you measure up.

Louis Vuitton's Olympic Guides

With thousands of foreigners visiting Beijing for the Olympics earlier this month year, Louis Vuitton, the French luxury fashion brand entered the mobile space with a unique location-based audio guide, available in six languages, to three major cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The narratives were provided for by three local actresses and directs visitors by mobile phones in real time through the cities.

The service costs 17 USD for each city in one of the six languages, English, French, Cantonese, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. I can't help wondering whether a free download of the guides would have helped the brand get their name out there a bit more - considering that the type of visitors in Beijing are probably the ones who would fall squarely into LV's target market?

Proof That Money Doesn't Always Buy Happiness

The World Values Survey, which has compiled data from 350,000 people in 97 countries since 1981, this year again found Danes to be the world's happiest nation, with Zimbabweans unsurprisingly again as the most miserable. The US, with the highest material wealth in the world, only came in 16th on the list.


The aim of the survey is to measure "subjective well-being" through qualitative measure of peoples' happiness and life satisfaction. It uses two basic questions, which have never changed: "How would you rate your happiness?" and "How satisfied are you with your life these days?"

This year's results were interesting for analysts as the findings were said to have defied conventional wisdom on the subject of happiness. Factors such as freedom of choice and social acceptance are the most powerful forces behind national moods. Monetary wealth, whilst important, doesn't tell the whole story, according to University of Michigan political scientist Ronald Inglehar, who headed up the study.

In poorer countries, happiness can be linked to solidarity among tight-knit communities, religious conviction, and patriotism, which probably explains the happiness of some relatively poor Latin American countries.

South Africans appear to not be very happy at all. We're ranked outside the top 100...

Via: BusinessWeek, Synergetics

Virtual Harley-Davidson Experience

This week marks the 105th anniversary celebration of Harley-Davidson.

Based in Milwaukee, the town has come together and is hosting a 4 day celebration with the focal point being the recently opened Harley-Davidson museum designed by Pentagram, aimed at offering a contemporary view of Harley's long-standing heritage. The museum is said to have 145 of the most iconic Harleys on display.

Unfortunately, I fear most of us back in South Africa won't be able to experience this in person. The next best thing is a virtual tour of the museum which you can access by clicking here.

Via: Pentagram, PSFK

Minority Report - Set In 2008?

I still remember watching Minority Report, not so many years ago and thinking to myself that the retinal scanning technology was fantastic. At the time, I thought technology like that belong firmly in the realms of science fiction as well as way in the distant future. Seems I was very wrong.


There have been reports that YCD Multimedia is going to be releasing digital signs that use facial recognition to custom tailor advertising on the fly.

The signage will be equipped with cameras that will scan shopper’s faces and determine their age, sex and ethnicity, based on facial features such as the size and shape of the nose, eyes, cheekbones and jaw line.

Once the system figures out who you are, it will serve up an ad for something it thinks you may want.

Initially, I suspect that the ads will only be demographically driven. But I'm sure it won't be long before databases are drawn up with truly tailored advertising the next logical step. Seems like the future is here.

Via: PSFK

Forget Facebook For Marketing, Try Facecard

Teens are, to many marketers, the perfect target market. With comparatively quite a bit of disposable income, an insatiable need for the latest and coolest, as well as the ability for quick word of mouth marketing, it's little wonder that so many marketers try to court them.

Unfortunately, this group is probably even more media savvy than the media strategists who try and reach them. Raised with constant connectivity through cellphones, internet and emial, these techno-addicts will ignore anything that they deem irrelevant.


Edo Interactive, a Nashville-based firm that deals with Web 2.0 technology, is trying to change all of this. After spending a year studying young consumers, they developed Facecard, a prepaid credit card aimed squarely at millennials and the businesses that court them.

Launching imminently in the US, Edo's application works somewhat like Facebook with a financial twist. Applicants need to create profiles on Facecard.com, after which they will receive a card in the mail that allows them to borrow, lend, or give away money to their peers electronically.

For a fee, marketers can also send them "prewards," small denominations of instant store credit, based on their age, location, and personal interests.