(TrendHunter.com) Designer Julia Treutiger has come up with an eco-friendly shower tap design that reminds you to conserve water.
Happy Tap features segmented joints that break apart providing a visual timer as they slowly snap back into place. This subtle mechanism reminds you to cut your shower short and stop wast…
(TrendHunter.com) Save space and bring out the hamster in you with TurnOn , a Multi Functional Spinning Wall that integrates several revolving modules linked together. Change between dining table, kitchen, bedroom, or exercise room with a simple spin of the wheel!
“The wheel literally turns, and as the positioning o…
Breaking the 180db sound barrier.
Advertising Agency: BPG The Big Idea, Dubai, UAE
Creative Director / Copywriter: Thomas Fernandes
Art Director: Gopakumar M
Illustrator: Samir Padwal
Photographer: Kundan Raut
Published: February 2008
(TrendHunter.com) Is existing antivirus software not cutting it? A new, physical method called “Hi Volt Antivirus” plans on using electricity to protect your computer. OK, not really but, let’s not burst anyone’s bubble. This guy created a rotating electrode and decided to take a pic as it hums around his laptop and …
Advertising Agency: EURO RSCG, Warsaw, Poland
Creative Director: Jacek Szulecki
Art Director: Sylwia Rekawek
Copywriter: Justyna Nakielska
Photographer: Wolowski & Partners
Mock-up: Pepto
Published: March 2008
(TrendHunter.com) Rumplo, a newly launched, but already very active community, aims to provide a home to the most creative t-shirt designers from around the world. Not only is it very easy to search through the ever growing library of great designs, but it provides a great platform for designers and means that it wil…
This Mexican ad by Swedish wodka maker Absolut caused angry reactions in the United States.
The ad shows a map of North America as it was in 1830, when the Southwestern United States was still part of Mexico. The ad was created by a Mexican subsidiary of TBWA. When news of the campaign reached the US, reactions varied from “they shot themselves in the foot” to “an ethnic supremacy/nation-erasing campaign“. This poll from the Los Angeles Times which drew more than 50,000 responses, shows how the isssue has stirred emotions:
At first, Absolut stood by its decision to go ahead with the campaign, stressing the fact that the ad stimulates the fantasy of the Mexican public. In a post on the corporate blog, VP of Corporate Communications Paula Eriksson wrote:
The In An Absolut World advertising campaign invites consumers to visualize a world that appeals to them — one they feel may be more idealized or one that may be a bit “fantastic.” As such, the campaign will elicit varying opinions and points of view. We have a variety of executions running in countries worldwide, and each is germane to that country and that population.
This particular ad, which ran in Mexico, was based upon historical perspectives and was created with a Mexican sensibility. In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues. Instead, it hearkens to a time which the population of Mexico may feel was more ideal.
As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market. Obviously, this ad was run in Mexico, and not the US — that ad might have been very different.
But yesterday, apparently when noticing that the storm hadn’t stopped, Paula Eriksson offered her apologies and announced that the ad had been withdrawn:
During the weekend we have received several comments on the ad published in Mexico. We acknowledge the reactions and debate and want to apologize for the concerns this ad caused. We are truly sorry and understand that the ad has offended several persons. This was not our intention. The ad has been withdrawn as of Friday April 4th and will not be used in the future.
In no way was the ad meant to offend or disparage, or advocate an altering of borders, lend support to any anti-American sentiment, or to reflect immigration issues.
To ensure that we avoid future similar mistakes, we are adjusting our internal advertising approval process for ads that are developed in local markets.
This is a genuine and sincere apology.
What can we learn from all this? Even when most agencies are part of international groups, they know their local markets very well and they understand what makes the local target audiences tick. But this has drawbacks too. Today, information can’t be stopped at borders. A marketing message that fits one market can offend people in other markets, even when that message was not intended for them. This is a potential risk factor that should be taken into account. Act locally, but don’t forget to think globally.
(TrendHunter.com) Are you tired of idiots on the road? Or does your vehicle just need a little personality? Let the world know how you really feel with these Hitch Hands brought to you from the same rednecks who felt your truck needed balls. Whether it’s a peace sign, love sign or the ever popular flipping the bird s…
(TrendHunter.com) Jill Townsley’s impressive art piece Spoons is constructed using over 9,000 plastic spoons and over 3,000 rubber bands.
Spoons is exhibited at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in NYC.
The fragility of the installation, contrasted with its sheer magnitude and the huge number of the pieces used r…
(TrendHunter.com) Rape survivor – Heather Corinna – has turned her terrible experience into something positive and set up a support group for fellow survivors. But it is the “I was raped” shirts which people were talking about. Designed to try and break down the stigma many people is attached to this crime. I will l…
(TrendHunter.com) Famous multi-talented designer and artist Karim Rashid has created an exclusive bed design, The Sphere, for Hollandia International.
The Sphere was recently revealed in Moscow to much hype and fanfare. The fancy bed features 32″ Colored Television with an optional 5.1 surround sound Theater System,…
(TrendHunter.com) It seems there are new concerns that the ever popular Botox may do more than get rid of wrinkles. A study suggests that the botulinum toxin appears to move from its injection site to the brain. It was thought that the toxin only acted locally but now it appears it can be transported along axons to s…
(TrendHunter.com) Encouraging words sometimes aren’t enough to get someone to work out — sometimes, a good visual is a lot more powerful. In my opinion, this ad for Gold’s Gym could have been drawn with the signs reversed as well.
As this image implies, you walk into Gold’s pinner, you walk out a buff and built st…
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — British Airways has awarded marketing duties for its new premium trans-Atlantic airline, OpenSkies, to a pair of independent agencies — Taxi, New York, and Horizon Media — after a review, executives close to the matter say.
(TrendHunter.com) The NICE concept for vehicles is based on a very simple algorithm: there is no internal combustion energy. It is a new hit in London as the vehicles provided work on electric engines.
The cars are built in France and they are exclusively available from the NICE Car Company in London. The Mega City…
(TrendHunter.com) Famous designer Ingo Maurer has designed the world’s first organic LEDs (OLEDs) table lamp for OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, entitled Early Future.
Early Future made its debut at the Light&Building;fair on 6 April, 2008, and is being produced as a limited edition.
Martin Goetzeler, CEO of OSRAM said…
Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is lifting the Caracas barrios out of poverty and giving the slums a new kind of meaning.
(TrendHunter.com) As more and more of us (millionaire non-astronauts) are traveling into space, we need a means of telling time. Apparently, the zero-gravity environment in space is enough to render earthly timepieces, obsolete. Watch-maker, Seiko, has answered our challenge by producing the Spring Drive Spacewalk wa…
(TrendHunter.com) This cartoon image of Victoria Beckham is a screen grab from Headcases, an computer animated TV show featuring media icons like politicians and celebrities. Like most caricatures, the illustrations on the ITV show aren’t particularly flattering, but they are incredibly entertaining!
“The best sket…
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