Society's New Status Symbols

For years, the outward sign that someone had "made" it used to be a Ferrari.

I'd like to suggest a new status symbol: The lawnmower.

Why? Quite simple really. To own a lawnmower means you've gotta' own lawn. Lawn in Sydney is expensive. The bigger your lawn, the more expensive your mower, the greater your success*

As follows:

1st place: RIDE ON MOWER
Made it big time. The bad boy of lawn mowing.
Significant lawn maintenance.



2nd Place: REGULAR PETROL MOWER
You've made it. Enough lawn to require
a decent hour or two at the helm.



3rd Place: HAND HELD MOWER
Either: environmental darling OR wish to use mowing lawn as stay-fit exercise OR (more likely) starting out and are otherwise completely broke from trying to pull togther every last cent for your home deposit (which included, lawn). Nonetheless, to be congratulated.

* And yes, I am happy to admit that for the purposes of this entry, I am choosing to define success in purely materialistic, possession based, ego-centric terms.

Supersize My Trolley?

As I wheeled around my local supermarket doing some shopping tonight (because hey, it's fun right?) I couldn't help but make the observation....why the hell are shopping trolleys so bloody big these days?

I can remember a time when average folk would pile up the groceries but somehow manage to do so using a contraption that didn't resemble a small Hummer.

As I rounded another corner, trying hard not to swipe an elderly couple looking for packs of pasta, I started to wonder.....Is the humble shopping trolley (now complete with airbags, cruise control, side impact protection and separate compartments...or at least it would seem) a metaphor for our obsession with consumption. Do we really *need* all the stuff we buy? What psychological ailment is the big trolley placating? Is it all a dirty conspiracy? Or a practical necessity born from research by the marketing dudes upstairs?

Whatever the case, I have to admit, for a Friday night, it was starting to get quite philosophical....why the heck had my trolley been supersized?

As I rounded another corner, I realised I was experiencing a mild yet growing sense of anxiety. As the shopping piled up ("organic butter or regular?...") I began to calculate the cost of my increasing supersized pile. Yes, I was out to buy a fair amount (weekend BBQ.....I hope the weather holds) but boy was I dreading the checkout experience (despite best intentions, does anyone else's trolley ever equate to a small nation's GDP ??). Have you ever noticed how (post check-out) everyone glances down at their receipts with a resigned *sigh* muttering "there goes another $200" (as they trudge out with 3 bags of groceries).

Coles are obviously onto this with their trolleys & their latest campaign ($10 meals + gift card promotion...note to coles: I have picked up the gift card promo brochure twice but haven't made it to the online sign up yet...). For a nation whose birth rate is either stalling (or in decline); where more people are beginning to live on their own; where we shop more frequently but buy less (average basket vs trolley shop I believe is $27...another obscure fact randomly filed in my brain) we have a bizarre obsession with the supersized tanker trolley. Supermarkets want us to browse more, stay longer, buy extra (but you can't fit all that extra choice in your little 'ol red basket).

Hmmm....perhaps I've just found the answer to my curious question??

Ideas that Moved Me

I love Ji Lee's work. Formerly of Drogaa5 in NYC now at Google.....one of his most famous pieces of "independent" creative was the bubble project.

So amazing it's now transformed into an international idea...http://thebubbleproject.com/

Optimism as a brand thought (p.s. it rocks).

Every morning I drive to work. And nearly every morning I travel behind a bus with a huge ad for pepsi max on the back. Admittedly I can't remember the exact words but I know how it makes me feel. Positive. Optimistic. Energised. Now, being the cynical marketer that I am, I have to admit that this reaction surprised me. But it's a reaction I have continued to have over consecutive viewings which makes me think that it's (gasp!) likely that I actually really like and engage with the message.

It got me curious so I started to wonder....in the current economic climate is there more of a role for brands to take the lead and champion hope, positivity and optimism? I think yes. Obviously any strategy needs to align with the values and objectives for the brand but (as recent charity advertising previously mentioned on my blog may have found out) the current doom & gloom is not the time to reinforce hopelessness or helplessness.

Above are some other examples (local & international) which I think point to the "optimism" trend. Obviously taken to fuller or lesser degrees but certainly all operating from a territory that reinforces positivity, can-do and glass-half-full. Again, another special mention to Pepsi.... loved what they did during the Obama election. Couldn't care less if they were riding on his coat-tails. I love the work (example above) and think it bloody works a treat.

Save the Honey Bees

I love this work.

Simple. Authentic. Engaging.

Haagen-Dazs have aligned to a cause that is on-brand.
I love their development of "honey-bee dependent" products (I believe about 30 of their 70 or so ice-cream flavours are pollinated by bees....).

This is an extremely serious issue and it's awesome to see a brand taking it on board. I'll be curious to see the impact Haagen-Dazs helps to make.


visit. http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/

Generosity is the new black

A recent trend report flagged an interesting insight...that in light of the current economic climate, businesses and brand have an even bigger duty of care to show they care, to show they are genuine and generous.

For corporations & brands, giving is apparently the new black.

Messages of doom and gloom just turn people off.

An example that comes to mind is the recent work for Starlight Day (http://www.starlight.org.au/Pages/default.aspx). Brilliant brand. Amazing cause. Exceptional potential. Only challenge is that donations have been drying up (particularly corporate).

I can understand why they've taken this approach (drive urgency) but was threat-of-loss the way to go?

Their key message was:

"With limited funds, we’ll have to choose which seriously ill child deserves happiness more."

Hmmm......

Perhaps it's driven donations (yes, charities are doing it tough at the moment) however will it damage the brand longer term? I've read other comments which seem to think it might.
It's certainly generated a lot of talk (both online and offline at the water cooler).

I believe brands need to be beacon's for optimism and confidence. I also think you can drive urgency without risking misunderstanding.

I'll be curious to see where this ends up....