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Nissan's self healing paint
Wednesday, 15th May 2013 at 9:52am
In a clever marketing campaign Nissan has released a special advert for those that read the news on their tablets. The ad itself is for their 'self healing' paint, which recovers from light scratches to look as good as new.The advert, created by TBWA/G1 Paris, creates scratches in the paintwork of the car as users try to swipe through the ad, which then repair themselves.
Very clever use of the swipe motion that people use whilst browsing to highlight another innovation.
Watch the ad in action below.
Tagged Nissan, advertising, marketing, innovation, creative, video, ad, film, advert
Budweiser lets you make friends with a clink
Wednesday, 1st May 2013 at 4:02pm
It's an age old tradition across the globe. You say "cheers" (or regional equivalent) then 'clink' glasses, an almost universal symbol.
In Brazil, Budweiser is making this act, even more sociable, with their Buddy Cups.
The smart cups detect the contact between them and adds the other person as a friend on Facebook, this is done via a chip in the bottom of the cup and a code which you scan with your smart phone to activate it.
The cups are reportedly going to be used for events and concerts, but it is interesting to see how far afield this technology will be used
Watch a video about the new cup below.
Man-Made Tornado in a Museum
Wednesday, 1st May 2013 at 12:02pm
The Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart has a bit of an unusual attraction.The building has the world's most powerful man-made tornado, and whilst this does attract visitors, this is not the reason for its existence.
Created from 144 jets spewing 28 tons of smoke in a 112-foot-high column, the idea of a tornado in a showroom containing over 150 luxury vehicles may seem like an odd one, but it is actually a clever fire-safety mechanism.
The building is made from a steel structure based on a double-helix, featuring a massive central atrium viewable from the floors that spiral around it. All rooms are open, all walls are curved and each of the 1800 triangular window panes on the exterior walls is unique. This however means that there are no fire zones within the building so by creating this tornado they are able to expel smoke emissions from within the building. It is said to take about 7 minutes for the jets that line the interior walls to get the smoke to whirl into a tornado and escape through vents in the roof.
Watch a video of the tornado in action below.
Tagged Tornado, man-made, Mercedes-Benz, Museum, classic cars, architecture, design, innovation
Sunken platform gives different view of lake
Wednesday, 10th April 2013 at 4:01pm
An observation platform in Vöcklabruck, Austria is giving visitors a new perspective over a picturesque scene.The platform is set below the water level in the middle of a lake, giving those from the shore the impression that people are below the water line.
The platform is a huge attraction for visitors to the region and consists of a ramp from the shore down to the cirlular enclosure which has seating provided for tourists to sit and enjoy the beautiful views.
Tagged Observation platform, architecture, design, Vöcklabruck, Austria, innovation, creativity, tourism
Heinz creating a noise with Beanz
Wednesday, 3rd April 2013 at 5:11pm
We're sure that most of you will be familiar with the childhood rhyme that gives the adage of beans being a musical fruit, now Heinz are playing on that with some deluxe flavours.The 5 special flavours, will be available from London's Fortnum & Mason in a special pack which includes a themed bowl and a special spoon that will play music or sounds whilst you eat.
The spoons contain a special MP3 player with pre-recorded sounds that can only be heard whilst eating through vibrations that travel up the jaw-bone to the ear.
Each flavour has a distinct sound associated with it, be it an Elgar ditty played with a cheese wire or the sound of rustling garlic skins.
The special edition bowls are also tailored to the unique flavours which includes, cheese, curry, barbecue, garlic and herb, and chili. Tagged Heinz, Fortnum And Mason, experiential, marketing, special edition, innovation, Beans, product
VW advert aims to catch the fast-forwarders
Thursday, 28th March 2013 at 9:16am
In a world of DVR recorders, Sky+ and TiVo it's becoming harder for advertisers to reach their audience as many record their shows just so that they can skip the adverts.
In an attempt to tackle this issue head-on, DDB Brussels has produced a special TV ad for Volkswagen that when fast forwarded still works as an advert.
Given the moniker 'slowmercial', this new format features the VW beetle convertible in action, mainly closing the roof. At normal speed this could almost be painful to watch were it not for the relaxing birdsong in the background, but at a fast forward speed the ad works well.
The advert is only presently only being shown in Belgium but you can see it below.
It is a clever concept but does it impact upon the effectiveness of the normal speed ad, after all you cannot bore people into buying a product1
Christo's big air package
Tuesday, 26th March 2013 at 6:55pm
Big Air Package from Christo opened this month at the Gasometer Oberhausen, Germany. It is reported to be both the largest inflated frameless envelope and the most expansive indoor sculpture ever created.
The 90 meter high inflatable boasts a volume of 177,000 cubic meters and uses 20,350 square meters of semitransparent polyester fabric as well as 4,500 meters of rope. Despite lacking a skeleton the 5 ton form fills the interior of a former gas tank.
Christo describes the experience as 'virtually swimming in light' as a result of the vast expanses of fabric, lit from above via skylights in the Gasometer.
Filled with diffused natural daylight and muffled sounds it becomes a place of tranquility.
The project runs until 30th December 2013.
Photos: Wolfgang Volz © 2013 ChristoTagged Christo, big air package, gasometer oberhausen, Jeanne-Claude, art, design, sculpture, innovation, installation
Clouds inside create silver-lining for artist
Friday, 22nd March 2013 at 9:33am
Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde controls the weather and creates beautiful indoor clouds with the help of a smoke machine and dramatic lighting. The fog machine emits dense vapour / smoke that makes contact with sprayed water and forms a small white cloud.
Smilde, who lives in Amsterdam, said he wanted to make the image of a typical Dutch rain cloud but inside. ‘I imagined walking into a classical museum hall with just empty walls,’ he said. 'There was nothing to see except for a rain cloud hanging around in the room. I wanted to make a very clear image, an almost cliché and cartoon-like visualization of having bad luck. Indeed there's nothing here and bxxxxcks, it's starting to rain!"
The few people who have seen the clouds in person should consider themselves very lucky; each cloud only exists for a moment before dissipating.
To document the clouds Smilde photographs them; the only proof of their existence if a viewer misses them.
The first exhibit, called Nimbus, was created by Smilde in 2010.
Watch videos of the creation of the clouds below.
Tagged Art, innovation, creativity, sculpture, clouds, indoors, experiential, exhibition, Dutch, artist, Berndnaut Smilde
Make your drawings come to life
Thursday, 14th March 2013 at 9:15am
3 Doodler is a new kind of pen that will draw in 3D. It will allow users to create sculptures or designs in 3D, either by drawing free hand, or by tracing sketches on paper then 'welding' the pieces together.
Currently only available by backing the project on Kickstarter for $75 or more, the pen uses 3mm ABS or PLA plastic as its 'ink', which is heated and cools quickly to build solid structures and shapes.
Although there is not a date for general release, nor a suggested price, from the Kickstarter page we can see that the lowest price they ask is $75 and the upper is $99, with plans to dispatch the finished product in February of next year.
To showcase the capabilities of the pen, the makers, Pete & Max from Wobble Works, worked with some wire artists on Etsy to create some special pieces and templates for backers.
The 3Doodler has seen a lot of press since it was made public and the project has received almost $2.1M in funding, 70 times more than the $30,000 goal.
Find out more on their Kickstarter page or watch the video below.
A 'lickable' bit of advertising
Wednesday, 13th March 2013 at 5:08pm
Fanta has produced the world's first tastable advert. The concept developed for the drinks market in the United Arab Emirates, features a printed ad promoting their new recipe for Orange Fanta, which people pop into their mouth and experience firsthand.
The campaign featured a full page ad, which is kept in a plastic sleeve within a publication, and encouraged the consumer to tear off a piece to try the flavour and share the experience with their friends as 100% of the ad is coated in the flavouring.
A clever concept but we expect many would be reluctant to start eating paper supplied in a magazine?
Watch the campaign video below and let us know if you would be willing to taste a printed ad.
Advert targeting Doctors can only be heard with stethoscope
Friday, 1st March 2013 at 9:40am
Africa Health Placements and South African agency Boomtown collaborated on an innovative direct mailer, targeted specifically at doctors.Africa is currently suffering from a lack of medical personnel, in particular doctors, so to encourage foreign doctors to work in Africa they sent a special mailer that could only be heard by doctors. The mailer had a pressure sensitive pad, with a label stating "place stethoscope here". Once the pad was activated the device played a low level MP3 that could only be heard with the help of the medical device.
The advertisement won a silver Clio Healthcare award, which rewards creative excellence in advertising in the medical industry. Check out the video below for more info about the campaign.
Tagged Marketing, advertising, innovation, direct mail, MP3, technology, targeted marketing
Google Glass is here
Friday, 22nd February 2013 at 1:58pm
Recently Google gave developers the chance to get their hands on a pair of Google glasses, called Glass, but more importantly, access to the API which allows apps to interact with them.
They also set up an opportunity for "creative individuals" to trial the glasses via a campaign on Twitter and Google+, called Project Glass.
Using the hashtag #ifihadglass they are looking for people to give a reason why they should be the first to get their hands on the glasses in 50 words or less, however the winners will still have to fork out $1,500+tax for the privilege.
To encourage people to enter Google has released a video on YouTube which shows how Glass can be used, inclduing the voice operation, which uses the line "OK glass" to begin a command; i.e. "OK glass take a picture"
The video also highlights the sort of tasks you can perform with Glass, from text messaging and video calling to searching Google and finding a location on a map. There is also an automatic-picture-taking mode, which takes pictures at preset intervals.
The glasses are the next step in wearable technology, allowing the user to record everything they do, as well as interacting with others via video, although the headset doesn't actually have lenses in front of your eyes, just a small screen (viewable via a mirrored glass block) above and to the right of the wearer's right eye. Whilst not the only wearable technology in development (other companies including Microsoft has been developing their own version of Glass), the Google Glass is the one closest to completion, having first been announced last year, and featured in our blog last April.
Find out more at the Glass Website and watch the video below.
Space saving seating
Thursday, 21st February 2013 at 10:05am
A system of stools that slot together to form a cube has been designed and built by Naho Matsuno.Cube 6 is a product made from birch plywood and maple and the cube is 350 x 350 x 350mm when slotted together, and creates 6 stools or tables when taken apart.
Perfect for those who love to entertain or are short of space. The clever use of rails allows the stools to easily slide together and come apart when needed.
The is also a 3 stool version.Tagged Design, furniture, space saving, innovation, morphing, Matsuno, interiors
Walk into this painting
Sunday, 17th February 2013 at 10:00am
We love interactive art, and this amazing piece called "Indian Chamber" fits the bill perfectly. Created by Australian artist Anna Kristensen, the piece is a 360 degree panoramic painting of the Jenolan Caves' Indian Chamber, in New South Wales.
Painted onto curved plywood panels, viewers enter via a door into a cylindrical room and are then surrounded by the painting.
This incredible piece has been on tour across Australia, visiting Gallery 9 in Sydney, Shepparton Art Museum in Victoria, Artspace in Sydney and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.
Tagged Art, innovation, interactive, experiential, creative, design, Kristensen
Swing to infinity
Friday, 15th February 2013 at 5:14pm
An installation at the Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark by German artist Thilo Frank, allows visitors to swing into the infinite.“The Phoenix is closer than it appears” is a 4 x 4 x 8 meters box that contains a swing in the center, and the inside is covered in mirrors on all sides, creating infinite versions of yourself as you merrily swing away the time.
The external is also mirrored to reflect the scenery of the room it is housed in, whilst also providing solitude for those inside the box.
This is an innovative and fascinating piece of art, and we hope that it comes to the UK one day.Tagged Art, design, sculpture, innovation, modern art, creative, exhibition
Dyson takes on all in one taps
Wednesday, 13th February 2013 at 5:02pm
After creating innovation in the vacuum cleaner and hand-dryer worlds, James Dyson is taking on the all in one tap, producing a tap with their Airblade technology built in. The new tap uses the Dyson V4 motor, which 125 engineers have spent 15 years working on, costing over £40 million to develop. All this goes to prove that despite this time of austerity Dyson has continued to invest in design and technology.
There's a lot of different statistics being thrown about at the launch, but the ones that grab the most attention are the reduced carbon emissions; 67% less than traditional hand dryers and 62% less than paper towels.
The company has also developed new Airblade hand dryers that are smaller and more efficient than previous models.
Take a look at the hand dryer tap and the new motor in the video below.
Tagged Design, Technology, innovation, energy efficiency, Airblade, taps, bathroom, invention, Dyson
Top 10 public spaces
Wednesday, 13th February 2013 at 12:30pm
Boca Do Lobo has featured on their blog the Top 10 public spaces, architecturally speaking.
The feature has some amazing examples of innovative design and amazing engineering from all over the globe, including the Floating Movie Theatre, Thailand, El Bosque de la Esperanza, Colombia and possibly our favourite the170 foot Trampoline in Russia.
The list is a great representation of architecture from 2012 that is accessible to all, and helps to make the world a better and more fun place to live. Enjoy!
See the full list and read more about them here.
Fancy a seat with some style?
Wednesday, 13th February 2013 at 9:33am
Creative furniture company Sixinch is giving away their amazing Hex Stool.It's very easy to enter; all you need to do is email them at pr@sixinch.eu with your name by the 28th February, and you will be entered into a draw to win one of five of these funky bits of furniture.
Sixinch specializes in the design and manufacturing of high concept foam coated furniture and architectural products.
Find out more here.
Tagged Competition, seating, design, innovation, furniture, promotion, Hexstool, Sixinch, funky
'Ugly' public buildings get makeover
Tuesday, 12th February 2013 at 10:04am
A Dutch designer, Roeland Otten, has decided that power substations and public toilets are too unsightly and so has given them a makeover.
The project has taken him to Rotterdam and Amsterdam, where he has used different methods to make the buildings blend in to the urban landscape.
‘City Camouflage’ employs mosaic tiles, paint and photographic prints affixed to the outside of these small buildings to make them visually less offensive.
A variety of creative solutions has either helped them to blend in or provided the public with an insight into what they are actually for.
Design Museum open exhibition of permanent collection
Friday, 1st February 2013 at 6:13pm
The Design Museum has opened a new exhibition containing some of its permanent collection.
Extraordinary Stories about Ordinary Things will be on display on the top floor of the current home of the Design Museum, broken up into six themes or "stories".
The 'Identity & Design' story features items that contribute to national identity such as the K2 Phone Box by Giles Gilbert Scott, UK road signage by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert, and the London 2012 logo by Wolff Olins.
The 'Taste' story charts the influence of modernism on British design and includes pieces by Marcel Breuer and Erno Goldfinger.
'Why We Collect' features recycled designs from Jasper Morrison's table made of bicycle handlebars to the Campana Brothers' Cartoon Chair made of soft toys.
'Materials & Process' charts the development of plastic technology.
Whilst 'Icons' follows iterations of the Anglepoise Lamp.
'Finally Fashion' focuses trends from the 1960's to the 1990's.
The exhibition was designed by Gitta Gschwendter and consists of the objects being displayed on rough, chunky shelving alongside contextual images and documents. It will run until the museum moves to its new home next year in the former Commonwealth Institute building in South West London, which is currently being redeveloped by John Pawson.
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