This is the stuff that makes me smile. As we were walking around the West Village in NYC we spotted this clothing shop.

What caught our eye was actually the dress you see above. Flowing, breathing and showing us how it would work when a woman puts it on. We went inside and if I am not mistaken we left with some purchases.

Of all the shops on the road this one caught our attention by knowing that just showing dresses like the rest, might not be enough to entice. One simple portable fan strategically placed, made all the difference.

Looking around, identifying conventions and breaking them in audience relevant ways is still the cheapest way to make a big impact.

Salute

Continental Inflight Magazine: One page, four educational institutions, I am guessing four different agencies and yet the same pitch: variations on “do it for you”. Personal growth, beating the competition, or showing that you are equal (at least) to the boys.

Why even bother? Why waste time and money briefing your agency, buying mediaspace, and running the ad, when the end product show nothing but general lazy thinking?

What if it is not about me the individual? What if I am from a culture that values, for instance, collective well-being over individual achievement?

Given the major demographic (and in the case of the usa cultural as well) changes brands are going to be faced with and are facing now, brands realise that not all people react to the same stimuli (just even writing this makes me want to puke).

Most societies are filled with people from divers backrounds that hide many latent cultures, ambitions and fears that can trigger and activate them, if approached in the right way.

The sooner brands realise this,the sooner they will realise that they are leaving a shitload of money on the table that can never be compensated by the savings of running generic ads.