Colours have a significant impact on a person’s emotional state. They can also affect our ability to concentrate, learn and perform.
I thought it was the dizzying sensation of being in love that sent women into a flap when she’s faced with ‘the big question’. But now I understand. It’s the tiny egg blue Tiffany & Co box, perched on the hand of the man you no longer have anything to say to.
As we move into the pre-Christmas marketing blitz I was planning on writing a piece about how much I love this time of year. Not for the festive build-up, the winter wardrobe or crisp autumnal air - no, I love it for the plethora of overblown and hilarious perfume ads that crop up at every imaginable ad break.
And then it happened. THAT Brad Pitt ad for Chanel No 5.
‘Banker Bashing’ has become such a popular pastime that it’s practically a national sport in the UK. With the financial worlds in turmoil and the incense spreading to attacking the wealthy in general you’d be forgiven for getting tired of ‘same old same old’ and for losing sight of the point of the argument in the first place.
It seems that modern day consumers no longer have to choose between the ease and simplicity of online shopping or the drama and buzz of the high street. Retail brands are drawing on the emotional benefits of both physical and digital purchasing channels, to create a holistic brand experience that is set to completely re-define they way we think about shopping.
People often struggle to hide their boredom at research groups or debriefs. I recently attended some qual research groups in London, which were so popular it was practically a ticketed affair. Broadly speaking (and because of client confidentiality) the topic was ‘play’. We were there; behind the safety of a two-way mirror watching the Jeremy Kyle show unfold before our eyes.
In August of this year, the Economist Intelligence Unit published its half-yearly Global Liveability report, and while we love the Economist, it’s baffling how stuff like this is gets received without much scepticism. The survey rating is based on factors across five categories: Stability, Healthcare, Culture and environment, Education and Infrastructure. Of course what’s lacking is the emotional factor – nothing about personality, character, ambience. And that’s why you end up with Melbourne at the top. Melbourne? I’d sooner move to Antarctica.
For most women and a particular type of man, two popular ways to induce a buzz involve alcohol and shopping. Combine them both and you have Fashion’s Night Out NYC, which kicked-off NY Fashion Week. Stores stayed open late and held special events featuring live music, free drinks, special gifts, and discount merchandise. In shopping neighborhoods like Soho, Fifth Avenue, and the Meatpacking District, revelers and deal-seekers mingled late into the night.
I’ve been doing some work on lotions and potions for the beauty category in developing markets for a while now. I tuned into some focus groups with Indian women who were discussing whether or not icons of body parts should be present on packaging. Their answer: ‘No! What if my father-in-law finds it?!’
So imagine my surprise when I came across the advert for ’18 Again’ – India’s first ever vaginal tightening and rejuvenating cream.
Alexander McQueen have certainly raised the stakes in the world of luxury accessories with the arrival of their first ‘it bag’. Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding for ‘the Heroine’.
Lance Armstrong’s legacy is in question as many feel let down by his refusal to fight the doping allegations by USADA. The jury is out on whether or not Lance took performance-enhancing drugs. Through his refusal to challenge the verdict, Lance has pre-empted a formal charge and the release of evidence. One suspects we will never get to know the whole truth about the allegations. People will believe what they want to, with critics labeling him a cheat and diehard fans defending him as a victim.
I was watching Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympics in the UK when the ad break came on, with an opening slot for Brother. The ad, for Brother ‘label makers’ featured a melee of kids in classroom making labels and sticking them on, well, each other. All followed by the campaign line of ‘labels are good’.
To celebrate the launch of David Beckham Bodywear for H&M in London and New York, they placed a few silver statues around the town and flanking store doorways to drum up excitement.
