Revver has just launched and it's aim is to be the Flickr of videos. As with Flickr you can upload and tag but this time it's video rather than photos.

Good luck to the guys at Revver but I hope someone like Flickr comes and does it better.

Tags: revver, video

Philips have displayed their vision of the future for consumer electronics. And it is a return to the past. Gone are the overt symbols of affluence such as huge TVs, telephones and stereos. Instead these crucial items are integrated with everyday furniture that serves multiple functions.

"This sketch by Philips Design CEO and Chief Creative Director Stefano Marzano in 1999 sets out his design philosophy. For him, the home of the future will look more like the home of the past than the home of the present."

We've already seen this happen to a limited extent as computers become more TV like. Some small companies have already started to integrate TVs etc into everyday items but to little effect. It's about time someone radically altered the look of our living spaces.

Via: Business Week
Tags: Philips

London has, for once, got ahead of the game when it comes to mass transit systems.

18 of these driverless pods are coming to Heathrow so that passengers can travel from their cars to the terminals quickly and easily.

The ULTra pods are electrical and follow a route that is electrically tagged. When used at Heathrow the pods will arrive within 1 minute of being called and will normally operate in 10 second intervals.

Could this be the future of urban mass transit? I hope so.

via: WMMNA
Tags: Transport

Hart+Larsson is the creation of two New York creatives. With a background across a wide variety of media they have created the most expensive shirt in New York and are expert at finding words that begin with the letters H or L and then putting them together.

Fashionistas and Film Critics these guys clearly know their design and write some top copy. They've also got a penchant for the great Neil French, advertising and life guru.

Their beautiful site is most defiantly worth a look.
Tags: hartlarsson

Paul Smith opens his latest store today. But this time it's got even more of a PS twist to it.

Basically, it's a shop full of all the bits and bobs PS has picked up on his travels - either a bizarre or a bric-a-brac stall, depending on your view. The difference is that PS has added his own little touches, so it might be that the antique Chesterfield sofa has a shocking Paul Smith pattern on the cushions reverse.

It's sure to be beautifully curated and is a great example of how brands can take second-hand goods and give them a new value by placing them in a new context.

Maybe Levi's should start selling second hand jeans alongside their standard lines?
Tags: paulsmith

Toyota have unveiled their version of the Segway at the Tokyo Motorshow. Once again displaying the innovation that has made them one of the biggest car companies in the world.

The i-swing works by the driver leaning in whichever direction they wish to travel. According to Toyota it is 'a new personal mobility vehicle that allows drivers to express their individuality'.
Tags: Toyota, iswing

Last week on IF I interviewed Carl Christopher, Sony Europe's head of events and marketing for the PSP, and we talked about Sony's innovative approach to the launch of the PSP. Well worth a look.
Tags: PSP

Plej are the greatest musical discovery of 2005. Their album Electronic Music from the Swedish Leftcoast is an incredible example of how to get emotion and beautiful subtleness from electronic music.

A combination of jazz, electronica and downtempo house, this album is minimalist and yet has incredible depth.

You can read my first thoughts on Plej here.
Tags: Music, plej

I love American Apparel. Their brand is great, their ethos is great, their marketing is great. But... their logistics SUCK. For the last month I have been trying to buy two medium size sweatshirts from their Carnaby Street store but everytime they've only had XS, S or XL sizes. And everytime I go in, they promise the delivery is coming next week.

I would use the website, but I know their sizing can go wrong and then I can't just exchange it at the store, I have to send the garment all the way back and then wait for a replacement.

So come on American Apparel - get your customer experience to live up to your brand.
Tags: americanapparel

The LA Times has published an article about the death of coolhunting. With the proliferation of the web and in particular blogs it is no longer just professional coolhunters and trendspotters who know about the latest and greatest scenes, products, looks and fashions.

'Today, fads ping across continents and disappear so quickly that the coolhunter, even the whole notion of "cool," has become passé. Every big-city scenester or bored teenager on the planet has a blog or mass e-mail anointing the moment's hot restaurants, hobbies and handbags. Add to this, mass obsession with celebrity style and global corporatization and you can get nearly the same chai latte or straight-off-the-runway skirt in Columbus, Ohio, that's available in Manhattan or Milan...'

'Trend-spotting has, in essence, become just another trend. Consequently, the most successful trend forecasters are repositioning themselves as something more than mere arbiters of taste. They're now social scientists with a hipster edge.'

We've also picked this up on PSFK and Piers has posted this excellent article.

The value of coolhunting or trend spotting has always been in it application. Once you have mined the raw data (whatever that may be) how do you apply it to your business or your client's business? For bright people with an eye for trends there will always be a market.
Tags: Trends, coolhunting

The second Serum vs Venom collection was announced last night.

Collection 2 continues to draw upon traditional street wear cuts, this time utilizing materials such as fireproof CarbonX and sustainable fabrics such as pure bamboo and soy, while continuing to use touches of exquisite vicuna and pure cashmere.

"The mixture of fabrics is both highly functional yet eco-friendly," said Jenna Rivers, lead designer.

"The first collection focused on lush natural fibers and the occasional exaggeration of traditional street wear silhouettes. This collections is an about face adhering purely to function and reductionism," said David Gensler, Creative Director.

Collection 2's title, aformofwar, is an extreme and direct reference to the position SVSV takes against other street wear and luxury brands.

They have also announced that an online store is on its way.
Tags: Fashion, SVSV

Apple seem to have a habit of releasing products on the same day as England matches at the moment. After all the hype, speculation and rumour, Apple have finally released the much vaunted iPod Video. Another opportunity to eat into the PSP's market. First Apple released the Nano almost straight after the PSP launch, now they've produced a product that competes with the PSP directly. Not only does the new iPod play video back, Apple have made sure that there is content to go with it - surely the key to a products success.

The details of the new iPod are as follows: 2.5 inch display, 30GB or 60GB hard drive and available in black or white. And it's just £219.

I think there are plenty of opportunities for advertisers to do something interesting with this new product - possibly free sponsored content...

Let's hope England fare better tonight than they did when the Nano was launched.

Tags: Technology, iPod

The Guardian has an article about the extent to which English Premiership clubs are having to go to in order to attract fans and fill their giant stadia. For the past 10 years Premiership football has been on the rise but for the first time since the creation of the Premiership, clubs are struggling to get the punters in.

Manchester City, Chelsea, Fulham, Southampton, Charlton and Aston Villa have all resorted to advertising. Manchester City have even gone so far as to appoint Grey London as their ATL agency.
Tags: Marketing

Dunkin' Donuts have released the results of a survey they conducted recently which shows that more adults would give up sex rather than coffee. According to Trendcentral 'Just like that other primal urge, people are looking for more variety than soy milk or extra foam in their caffeine, and don't want to just choose from a list of frappalatteccinos anymore. Along with t-shirts and sneakers, coffee is the latest item to customize. In fact, 28% of American adults prefer to customize their beverages compared to other items, which may account for the recent surge in flavored coffees. Coffee drinkers want to make their respective beverages their own, which is why you can now get a coconut cinnamon marshmallow coffee along with your box of Munchkins, as Dunkin' Donuts now has a flavor menu from which customers can choose up to three add-ins to their cup 'o joe.'
Tags: Marketing

Nokia believe that they have seen the future of mobile phones and it sits on your wrist. The Nokia 888 concept phone is an all in one communications device.

Designer Tamer Nakisci describes it as follows:

*technologies that are used
It uses liquid battery, speech recognition, flexible touch screen, touch sensitive body cover which lets it understand and adjust to the environment. It has a simple programmable body mechanism so that it changes forms in different situations.

*the functionality of design
You don't have to carry it in your pocket or on your wrist. You can carry it anywhere, in anyform. You can roll it, bend it, put on your clothes like a clip. It also makes some form changes that makes it more ergonomical: i.e. when you want to talk on the phone, the body form turns into the form of the good old telephone. You can personalize these forms and record them. So it fits you the best in the way that you have chosen. The functions that it has also create a feeling of electronical pet, as it senses your moves, understand what you want, respond you in the best way. It learns you, to fit you better.Also e-motions lets you send forms to the other 888 users. It could be the shape of a heart or a small dance. This way you can talk without words.

*how the user interacts
E-motions... It means electronical motions that 888 has. You can send and receive forms from / to friends. You can send a heart shape to your girlfriend, so her telephone turns into an icon of heart. Or you can send a dancing form to your friends to call them to the party tonight. This is the fun side of the product. If we look from the functionality side, 888 is quite flexible. You can put it into your pocket, roll it and make it smaller, or put on your wrist when you want to make a video call on the go. If you want to talk like a normal telephone, there you have your telephone shape. We go through a lot of places and situations in the daily life, so it seems like one form is not enough.

*what is unique ?
You can change the form of the body. Not just the color. And you can do the same by sending an e-motion to your friend.

*the inspiration
The idea is that "the perfect form" does not exist. "Form follows you" We create the perfect form for each function.

via Yanko Design
Tags: Design, nokia

No Garlic Please is the latest offshoot from We-make-money-not-art, the excellent blog on all things new and interesting.

No Garlic Please concentrates its energies on design, architecture and household interiors. Simple and elegant design is the order of the day whether it be the products featured or the site itself.
Tags: Design

I've just posted this article on IF. You may need an account but here's a quick preview:

'Apple have been one of the most successful brands of the 21st century, of that there can be no doubt. They have gone from strength to strength across their product line and this has seen their share price rocket.

But how much of this is down to dancing silhouettes and how much of it is down to the innovative culture of Apple and its inherent marketing culture?'
Tags: Marketing

The latest in a long line of blockbuster Guinness ads is about to hit UK TV screens. However, prior to its launch on national television, Guinness have released it onto the web. This follows a whole host of other advertisers who have decided to release their ads to an online audience first.

Brands (although not all agencies) are starting to realise the implications of the Internet on their media buying strategies and trying to reach mavens through viral ads before the rest of the world gets to see them.

Whilst this execution is enjoyable I'm not convinced it is in the same league as the iconic 'Surfer' or other classic Guinness ads of the past decade. The premise of this particular ad is 'good things come to those who wait' except this time the whole of evolution has been geared towards the perfect pint of Guinness.

Well shot and well directed the ad has high production values, but the story just isn't sticky enough or clever enough. Quite how this ad and the previous 'Moth' ad fit into a coherent brand strategy I'm not so sure.

Update: Absolut have also got into the act
Tags: Marketing, Guinness

Fast Company have a brief write-up on PSFK, the excellent trends and marketing blog that I contribute to. Keep up the good work guys.

BLOG: PSFK
WHO WRITES IT: Brand consultant Piers Fawkes, creative director Simon King, and their trend-watching entourage
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT: While it rarely identifies original trends on its own, PSFK does a good job of rounding up global cool news and cool businesses, spotlighting trends such as photo-flirting (teens swapping mobile-phone photos) and hair graffiti (shaved and dyed hair designs). Check out its Cool Hunt group on Flickr, which asks readers to photograph their versions of cool.

Tags: TrendsTags: Trends