Hasta La Creative!

When UK-based retailing giant Tesco launched its Fresh & Easy stores in the U.S. just six years ago, Chief Executive Terry Leahy was confident in the venture. “We can research and design the perfect store for the American consumer in the 21st century,” he said at the time. “We did all our research, and we’re good at research.”

No question, Tesco is known for cutting edge use of data. Mr. Leahy invented the Tesco Clubcard, revolutionizing consumer data collection, in addition to working closely with customer science consulting firm Dunnhumby to analyze the data. Tesco purchased a majority of Dunnhumby in 2001 and today owns it entirely.

So Tesco asked their questions, looked at their numbers, and got their answers. Americans wanted fresh, convenient, organic, quality products at a good price from a store that was socially and environmentally responsible. They did find a paradox in the data, however. Americans had a greater desire for a one-stop-shopping experience, but in reality, visited more stores than their British counterparts.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Vitamins Design a mis au point ce « Lego Calendar » proposant ainsi de gérer un projet sur un planning créé grâce aux briques de différentes couleurs de Lego. Afin de prolonger l’expérience, une simple photo du calendrier permet de synchroniser celui-ci avec sa version virtuelle Google Calendar.

Kerry Keenan, Deutsch New York’s newly installed chief creative officer and partner, is one of the few high-level female creatives in adland.

She started at the shop just days ago, taking over the role formerly occupied by Greg DiNoto, after spending time at heavyweight agencies including Leo Burnett, BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi Bozell and Y&R.

Known best for work on JCPenney, P&G and Crest, Ms. Keenan was most recently working at a brand content company, alongside producer Nathy Aviram. But as you’ll see in this installment of Creativity’s “Six Things” series, she’s had some interesting experiences outside of the ad world.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Two very different kinds of out-of-home advertising stunts have been gaining traction lately—first, the sudden appearance of a spectacular, oversized prop designed to delight passersby; and second, an intricately choreographed sequence of fake pandemonium designed to terrify them. Examples of the former: UKTV's giant Mr. Darcy emerging from the British pond, and the giant Games of Thrones dragon skull washed up on the British beach. (The British love this stuff.) Examples of the latter: TNT's dramatic stunt on a quiet town square, as well as its sequel.

Now, M&C Saatchi has combined the two approaches with a larger-than-life stunt in Milan, Italy. As part of a campaign for an insurance company, the agency built a giant prop of a submarine and made it look like it was emerging from the ground. A Smart car nearby appeared to have been damaged by the sub—a potent reminder that it's good to have insurance in case all-but-impossible events occur. Many agencies would have stopped here. But M&C Saatchi then staged an elaborate early-morning event at the scene—having actors dressed as sailors and scuba divers emerge from the submarine in a daze, and the driver of the car exit his car angry and confused. Fake hospital workers and emergency personnel even descended on the scene to treat the wounded.

Check out footage from the event below. Your move, TNT.

Via Design Boom.

People are already using NeverWet (aka the silicon-based, water-repellent spray that's been getting all the buzz lately) to waterproof just about anything that can't squirm away. But here's an interesting take from two members of Home Depot's "How-To Community." Nathan Sharratt and Dana0814 made some stencils for NeverWet sidewalk graffiti, which can be seen only in rainy weather. It's just a matter of time (and probably not much time) before advertisers will be all over this idea—and in fact, similar things have been tried in the past. But it might not go over well in every city. 

Sinead O'Connor is a woman who knows controversy, and in one of the best-written open letters in recent memory, she wants Miley Cyrus to know that twerking your way into the headlines isn't a form of protest; it's just a way to "let the music business make a prostitute of you." O'Connor's letter was a reaction to Cyrus citing 1990's "Nothing Compares 2 U" as an inspiration for her "Wrecking Ball" video, along with Cyrus saying her hairstyle was an homage to O'Connor. Instead of being flattered, O'Connor fired back with a blistering (but clearly well-intentioned) missive on how Cyrus is being fooled and exploited by the music industry:

The music business doesn’t give a shit about you, or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think its what YOU wanted.. and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, ‘they’ will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.

UPDATE: Cyrus has responded on Twitter, mocking O'Connor for not exactly being a role model herself and pointing out the fact she's hosting SNL this week:

Sinead. I don't have time to write you an open letter cause Im hosting & performing on SNL this week.

— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) October 3, 2013

So if youd like to meet up and talk lemme know in your next letter. 🙂

— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) October 3, 2013

Also, Amanda Palmer has written a rebuttal to O'Connor, saying that Cyrus isn't a record label puppet. "She's writing the plot and signing the checks."

If you haven't read O'Connor's letter in its entirety, be sure to check it out below:

Dear Miley,

I wasn’t going to write this letter, but today i’ve been dodging phone calls from various newspapers who wished me to remark upon your having said in Rolling Stone your Wrecking Ball video was designed to be similar to the one for Nothing Compares… So this is what I need to say… And it is said in the spirit of motherliness and with love.

I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way ‘cool’ to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether its the music business or yourself doing the pimping.

Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent.

I am happy to hear I am somewhat of a role model for you and I hope that because of that you will pay close attention to what I am telling you.

The music business doesn’t give a shit about you, or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think its what YOU wanted.. and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, ‘they’ will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.

None of the men oggling you give a shit about you either, do not be fooled. Many’s the woman mistook lust for love. If they want you sexually that doesn’t mean they give a fuck about you. All the more true when you unwittingly give the impression you don’t give much of a fuck about yourself. And when you employ people who give the impression they don’t give much of a fuck about you either. No one who cares about you could support your being pimped.. and that includes you yourself.

Yes, I’m suggesting you don’t care for yourself. That has to change. You ought be protected as a precious young lady by anyone in your employ and anyone around you, including you. This is a dangerous world. We don’t encourage our daughters to walk around naked in it because it makes them pray [sic] for animals and less than animals (a distressing majority of whom work in the music industry and the associated media).

You are worth more than your body or your sexual appeal. The world of showbiz doesn’t see things that way, they like things to be seen the other way, whether they are magazines who want you on their cover, or whatever.. Don’t be under any illusions.. ALL of them want you because they’re making money off your youth and your beauty.. which they could not do except for the fact your youth makes you blind to the evils of show business. If you have an innocent heart you can’t recognise those who do not.

I repeat, you have enough talent that you don’t need to let the music business make a prostitute of you. You shouldn’t let them make a fool of you either. Don’t think for a moment that any of them give a flying fuck about you. They’re there for the money.. we’re there for the music. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. The sooner a young lady gets to know that, the sooner she can be REALLY in control.

You also said in Rolling Stone that your look is based on mine. The look I chose, I chose on purpose at a time when my record company were encouraging me to do what you have done. I felt I would rather be judged on my talent and not my looks. I am happy that I made that choice, not least because I do not find myself on the proverbial rag heap now that I am almost 47 yrs of age.. which unfortunately many female artists who have based their image around their sexuality, end up on when they reach middle age.

Real empowerment of yourself as a woman would be to in future refuse to exploit your body or your sexuality in order for men to make money from you. I needn’t even ask the question.. I’ve been in the business long enough to know that men are making more money than you are from you getting naked. Its really not at all cool. And its sending dangerous signals to other young women. Please in future say no when you are asked to prostitute yourself. Your body is for you and your boyfriend. It isn’t for every spunk-spewing dirtbag on the net, or every greedy record company executive to buy his mistresses diamonds with.

As for the shedding of the Hannah Montana image.. whoever is telling you getting naked is the way to do that does absolutely NOT respect your talent, or you as a young lady. Your records are good enough for you not to need any shedding of Hannah Montana. She’s waaaaaaay gone by now.. Not because you got naked but because you make great records.

Whether we like it or not, us females in the industry are role models and as such we have to be extremely careful what messages we send to other women. The message you keep sending is that its somehow cool to be prostituted.. its so not cool Miley.. its dangerous. Women are to be valued for so much more than their sexuality. we aren’t merely objects of desire. I would be encouraging you to send healthier messages to your peers.. that they and you are worth more than what is currently going on in your career. Kindly fire any motherfucker who hasn’t expressed alarm, because they don’t care about you.

Via OurStage.