GrannyTunes

If my grandmother had an iPod it would definitely look like this.

Food Snob much?

I love this. The developed conception of the package shape resembles an udder, which presents the first half of the message in that soy milk is identical to that of a cow. The second part of the message is delivered via the colour score and décor of the packaging, which concentrate on the phytogenesis of the product, creating an image of nature and health.

This brings me to mention a recent 'situation'.

I had some friends stay for New Year. I've known them for a long, long time, and it was fun to have them. But I was surprised to discover an area of life where we seem to have little in common: food. Now, I am not a food Nazi. I (attempt) to run quite regularly, and enjoy keeping fit. Plus, I have a slight intolerance to lactose. What this translates into is that I prepare/consume mostly food fresh, and try ridiculously hard not to snack. I also drink/use on cereal soy milk.

My friends think I am a freak. So, this special diet you're on. Can you have bread? Can you drink milk? Wow, what a commitment! It’s not exactly a medically regimented diet. She was also unimpressed with the contents of my fridge, giving it a cursory glance and a shrug. For breakfast, I offered homemade whole wheat blueberry pancakes made from scratch. She opted for a full fry up. I'm surprised how strongly I feel about this. Many people do not seem to share the passion for fresh vegetables. They have never even been in a Whole Foods store, and it's not because they can't afford it. None of this makes them bad people. They are in fact very pleasant people. They're just not food snobs. But I apparantly am. And it's an issue. Not a big one, not one that I would bring up in a million years, but it's there. If you would have asked me, I would have never said that food can separate people. But now, I see that it can. And a couple of times my friends stay I felt like saying, "Drinking soy milk does not make me weird!"

I'm going to go have a tomato.

R.A.K.

When it comes to the mega trend of GENERATION G (that's G for Generosity, not Greed), there’s no better way for a brand to put its money where its mouth (or heart) is than engaging in Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.). Consumers' cravings for realness, for the human touch, ensure that everything from brands randomly picking up the tab to sending a surprise gift will be one of the most effective ways to connect with (potential) customers in 2011 - especially beleaguered consumers in North America, Europe and Japan.

For brands, a serious (and sincere) R.A.K. strategy may mean no longer being seen as inflexible and unwieldy, but as more compassionate and charismatic instead. Something which is, of course, priceless and actually fun.

Fueling the R.A.K. trend is brands’ ability to actually know what’s happening in consumers’ lives (good or bad!), as people publicly and knowingly disclose (from Facebook to Twitter) more and more about their daily lives, their moods or their whereabouts.

Social networks also enable acts of kindness to spread far beyond its recipients, as they will gladly tell their friends and followers about the unexpected good news (see SOCIAL-LITES). Two fun examples to copy or improve on in the next 12 months:

Flower delivery service Interflora has launched a social media campaign in the UK designed to brighten up the lives of Twitter users by sending them flowers. As part of the campaign, Interflora monitors Twitter looking for users that it believes might need cheering up. Once found, the users are contacted by tweet, and sent a bouquet of flowers as a surprise.

Dutch airline KLM’s ‘How Happiness Spreads’ Foursquare-based campaign employed a ‘Surprise Team’ to give passengers tailored, unexpected gifts at the airport. Throughout November 2010, as soon as someone checked-in at a KLM Foursquare location within its network of airports, the Surprise Team went online to find more background information about the person, decided upon a suitable gift and gave it them before they flew. For instance, one traveler tweeted he would miss a PSV Eindhoven football game while he was in New York. The Surprise Team, accordingly, gave him a Lonely Planet guide book of NYC with all the football bars highlighted in blue.

Bleached Out

Givenchy are expecting us to see double in the Givenchy Spring/Summer 2011 ad campaign. This ad campaign is suppose quite confusing since the images do not flow with one another, but it somehow it does still works together.

The Givenchy Spring/Summer 2011 will feature animalistic themes and futuristic themes. Shot by photographers Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, the ads will send shivers down your spine. From leopard print shirts to bags, the Summer/Spring collection will please a lot of fashion-lovers.

Personally, I am not a huge fan, however, Carlsberg does seem to offer undoubtedly the best of the best when it comes to advertising.

With no need for explanations, watch the video...

A Champagne Extinguisher

Inspired the Jim Morrison quote: “I just want to get my kicks before the whole shit house goes up in flames.” this little beauty is the epitome of haute couture of the fire extinguisher world.

(Dom Pierre Pérignon (c. 1638–14 September 1715) was a Benedictine monk who made important contributions to the production and quality of Champagne wine in an era when the region's wines were predominantly still and red. Popular myths frequently, but erroneously, credit him with the invention of sparkling Champagne, which didn't become the dominant style of Champagne until mid-19th century).

Lucky Duck, a new brand of wine, with adorable branding from Dragon Rouge.