The powerful link between music and fashion has been cleverly explored in this award winning campaign promoting a Singapore based online music store. When clothes are tried on, the fitting room automatically plays music that suits the garment, tells the shopper about the music, and allows them to purchase it online.

Electronic tags are added to clothes labels that are detected by readers installed in fitting rooms of fashion stores. The contactless Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag then transmits data about the item of clothing’s style and type and automatically plays a track from the StarHub Music Store that matches the fashion style.

The heady mix of music and fashion was followed up by beaming a proximity text message to the shopper’s mobile inviting them to download the track. The results were stunning, with an average click-through rate of 84%. Paid music downloads increased by over 21%. Not to mention how cool this made StarHub in the eyes of young shoppers.

Watch the video to see how they did it.

On the flip side – sportsmen and teams net huge gains from endorsing products; this poster from 2008 features three of the world’s leading sportsmen who are said to have netted £8, 000,000 between them for participating.

So when did this relationship begin? It is not known exactly but – back in 1895 Colman’s mustard produced a full-colour advertisement, in which a bushy bearded W. G. Grace strides forth from the pavilion accompanied by the tagline “Colman’s Mustard Heads the Field”. This is the first recording of a sporting figure crossing over into mainstream product endorsement.

According to his biographer Robert Low it is not known how much how much Grace was paid for these photos.

“But he was a master of self-promotion. His annual earnings from cricket reached something like £100,000 at his peak – in modern values – despite the fact that he was supposed to be an amateur. I’m sure he drove a hard bargain.”

Wimbledon have 15 sponsors this year – netting them millions in advertising revenue. My favourite campaign has to be this one created by FedEx the parcel delivery brand, who, for the duration of the tournament this year have turned Southfields, the nearest London Underground, into a lawn tennis court. It’s a witty and light-hearted way to promote their brand and uses the tagline ‘Live to Deliver’.

It does however seem that the rules have become militant – they now have a policy of confiscating any items (foodstuff’s/caps etc) if they are made by anyone other than an official sponsor and the branding is prominent. A Wimbledon spokesperson said “It is common policy across sports events to do this because commercial companies pay for the privilege to be associated with these events”.

Beer. It’s a man thing. But women make up 25% of the beer market, despite beer marketing being very male oriented. Carlsberg are the first to positively change the way they market beer, not just with ads or design but with a whole new product.

The Denmark based brewery have just released Copenhagen (the beer, not the city) at home, with plans to go global in a year’s time. The beer has a light, refreshing taste, and comes in very minimal, stylish packaging using strong typography on a white background.

According to Kirsten Ægidius, VP of Marketing, the Danish business is increasingly encountering consumers who are seeking alternatives to ordinary beer.

“Many young people aren’t keen on the bitter aftertaste of beer…we have created a highly drinkable beer with a balanced taste – a real alternative to white wine and champagne,” she says.

I think it looks great, and would certainly try it, but will it get more women drinking beer? Probably.

The most famous billboard that sprung to mind was the 1994 ‘Hello Boys’ Wonderbra advert – featuring Eva Herzigova. The traffic-stopping billboard sparked a sensation when it was unveiled. It was blamed for causing accidents as commuters stared at the huge roadside posters. It was also responsible for Wonderbra reaching their peak in sales – with a Wonderbra being sold every 15 seconds.

The advert won a public vote as the favourite ‘iconic’ advertising image in a poll of 10,000 people by the Outdoor Media Centre, the trade body for outdoor advertising.

A recent campaign which lent itself perfectly to this medium was for Gulliver’s Travels which saw a 135-feet-long, 2D cut-out of Jack Black complete with 10 Lilliputians tying Gulliver to the ground with actual rope. Nicknamed the ‘Clapham Colossus’, it is the biggest single poster site in the UK and sits alongside the railway tracks by Clapham Junction station. The entire JC Decaux site is 15 feet high and some 200 feet long. In this instance the sheer scale straightaway conveys the concept of the famous story. An arresting, witty and clever concept and perfect exploitation of the available advertising area.

Large scale graphics are Impactful not only because of their sheer scale but  often the context in which they are used. This advert for office space to let in Copenhagen takes the idea of a notice board ‘To Let’ sign with pre-cut contact phone numbers and uses it to great and humorous effect suspended outside the very office with space available.

Macdonalds & fresh produce – do not normally go hand in hand. But in a drive to promote their new ‘health conscious’ menu They positioned a billboard in chicago featuring growing lettuce leaves. Their creative agency worked closely with a horticulturalist to create a billboard that started with 1½-inch spouts that grew into lush leaves.

And lastly – Some innovative (and almost) real life cows are seen creating the billboard ad for a chicken restaurant themselves here.

Quick Response (QR) codes are popular in Japan, and are starting to gain acceptance in europe and the US. Have you seen these little squares of black and white pixels and wondered what they are for? This article explains what they are, gives you a couple to try out and highlights their marketing potential.

What are they?

Well, they are a two dimensional matrix barcode which are readable by dedicated barcode readers and camera phones. They are made up of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. They contain encoded information that is typically text of a URL, but can contain other data. They can be read by special barcode scanners, or by a modern cameraphone. I downloaded i-nigma for my iphone, which seems to work well, and is also available on Android phones.

Who makes them?

Well, they are free from any kind of licence, so anyone can make them. There are various websites that allow you to encode your message as a QR code. Here are a few:
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
http://www.i-nigma.com
http://www.qurify.com/en/

Here’s a couple I made earlier, with a bit of VGroup customisation. Try scanning them if you like, the first one is a website link, and the second our contact details.

Will they work for marketing?

Perhaps. The main thing to think about is why anyone would bother to scan your QR code. It has to give them something they want, or make something easier, like adding contact information, or any other information that is printed, but would be useful if it was digital.

While this technology is still a novelty, slapping a code on some marketing material may seem a good way to appear current, but there is a danger that without being useful you will be ignored, or annoy people.

What can they be used for?

• They could be added to produce to provide added nutritional information, recipe suggestions or where it has been produced on groceries.
• You could add access to free giveaways, such as wallpapers…
• Add a code to a poster that can be scanned for a walking map from the poster location to the venue. (An extremely long URL – such as a Google Map with directions – can be a simple scan code!)
• Links to product pages on posters showing multiple products

• They could contain calendar info for events – save the date, time and place straight to your calendar.
• Codes to unlock extra levels in computer games, or download bonus tracks on a CD.
• Or added functionality in software, plugins, templates etc.
• They could be added to clothes labels to track back where the clothes were made
• On business cards they can make it easy to save all contact info, and likewise on event nametags.
• In shop windows or point of sale displays

• Add personal info to tattoos (temporary or otherwise), clothing, accessories or possessions.

It all started with a mouse mat.

Since CNC, our lovely new client, was first established they have been sending out mouse mat calendars annually to their customers and suppliers. A simple bit of merchandise, but apt for an IT company and one that stays on their clients’ desks all year round. If their clients don’t receive a mouse mat in January they call to ask for one!

After 15 years in the business, CNC has evolved, alongside offering day-to-day IT support they focus on creating bespoke IT infrastructure solutions for their clients, designed to aid and grow their customer’s businesses. Now mature and progressive, CNC wanted a more dynamic look to reflect their core values and the increasing success of the company.

So in December, with the mouse mat send looming, a new year, an expectant audience, it was time to begin the rebrand. The first thing to feature on our to-do list, the mouse mat would announce the new identity.

CNC had a very clear strategy about the direction in which they wanted the business to progress. They are technologically advanced and also committed to listening and reacting accordingly to their customers’ requirements. Our task was to distill these aims into clear propositions for potential customers. There was no existing strapline but the longhand for CNC—Computer and Network Consultants—featured on the brochure. We started with the keywords as we saw them: dynamic, proactive, process, accountable, inspired. Ultimately we felt there had to be a strapline. It is impossible to encapsulate all that they do in one line but we certainly could convey their ethos. “Inspired Business Technology” is what CNC are all about.

The existing brand had done well for CNC to this point, but lacked the punch and standout that CNC now wanted. The logo comprised of a cyan square, an abstract marque and a light, lower case cnc within the square. The three elements jostled for prominence and the lower case cnc felt weak. There was however, equity in the logo and although CNC were not averse to a complete change, we felt there was an argument to evolve the elements that had mileage.

We were drawn to the cyan square. It had structure, and was the most noticeable thing about CNC’s existing brand, so we felt that the evolved logo should include reference to that shape and colour. When we explored the typography we noticed that CNC looked stronger and more confident in uppercase. We have set it in a customised version of Gotham; a classic, sans serif font which is clean, contemporary and has a bigger company feel.

We’ve transformed the flat cyan square into a three-dimensional cube adding a white cube within it to represent IT infrastructure, which is at the heart of many modern businesses. The structural feel of the marque reinforces the solidity of CNC, but also nods towards their progressive approach. With a mind to production costs and consistency, we designed the logo to be printable in only two colours but with creative use of tints it has the feel of more colours.

Taking elements of the logo, we created a sculptural and abstract graphic device as part of the brand identity. We call it the ‘Infrastructure Device’. Although it is actually more than one graphic, there can be infinite variations on the theme. We use this throughout the printed collateral and website, and have plans to use the device to create signage and branding within the CNC office for example. This fluid branding device reflects the adaptable nature of the way CNC works. On printed items we added a metallic silver to the palette, this fits well with the forward thinking technology and adds a ‘special’ quality.

The previous branding featured stark, austere photos of the office and abstract shots of cabling. We immediately saw the need for adding personality to their collateral. We commissioned a photographer and art directed the shoot at CNC’s offices. The images produced portray not only the collaborative, approachable nature of their staff, but also their professionalism.

In the updated typographic style, bold headers are juxtaposed with a modern, very legible serif font. The messages are confident, yet the body copy is informative and plain speaking. The complexities of IT made easy to digest by the customer.

Again, the website reflects a fresh, clear approach to ordering of information. All the information visitors immediately want is available on the home page, and further detail can be accessed without leaving the page by panels which slide open to reveal more information. We created concise messaging written in a straightforward way, avoiding jargon and waffle, which reflects the approach and personality of CNC.

The site is controlled by a CMS, allowing CNC to control the information, and to easily keep it up to date with the fast moving technology they work with. They now have a blog section, in which they publish their ideas and insights, helping to keep their customers up to date, and proving their expertise to new or potential customers.

So CNC start the new year with a new brand, which we hope you’ll agree is befitting of the company they have become and positions them to achieve their strategic business goals in the future.

Consistency has been one of the mainstays of branding for longer than it has been called branding because it builds trust, recognition and efficiency. But with an ever-increasing array of channels and localities, and increased awareness of transient customer preferences, should brands now be more flexible?

The case for consistency
If you think about brands as the relationship between a company and it’s customers, it is easy to see why consistency is considered so important. If a person behaves erratically he or she risks loosing the trust and respect of friends, family and colleges. If they talk and act in one way one day, then in a different way the next people may start to wonder who they really are. The same thing applies to brands.

If that wasn’t enough to convince, extensive studies show that consumers need to come into contact with a brand at least 17 times before considering trial use. Brand owners are unlikely to want to risk the clarity that consistency brings, and the increased communications investment that may be required to persuade consumers that have not linked diverse brand messages or visual cues. Add to these persuasive arguments the efficiencies and cost control of centralised brand control and you have the reason for the resounding call for consistency.

Can consistency cut it?
Despite the obvious benefits of consistent branding, there are arguments against consistency. For one thing, if a brand adheres inflexibly to brand guidelines it is not moving forward, so one could argue that only brands that change over time can be consistent, rather than growing old and dated. And having a rigid brand could stifle creativity, which is core to many brands’ promises.

Historically brands have been restricted by technology. Producing logos of varying sizes and colours used to be a difficult and costly exercise—so logos were restricted to being created in a handful of sizes. This has not been the case for some time, and with the proliferation of digital media, the size and position of logos and visual brand elements are being forced to be more flexible, whether they like it or not. So brand owners need to address the flexibility of their brands, or their brands will be manipulated by evolving technologies out of their control. Modern brand identities need to be able to respond to constantly changing channels and attitudes.

Flexible brands are not, however, a new phenomenon. A well-known example is the MTV logo, which has seen endless permutations. Although the logo hasn’t changed in essence since 1981 until recently, MTV used the logo in countless creative ways, and it is one of the ways they have stood out against other, more static music television identities. In fact, the flexibility of their logo is in a way, consistent in that is expresses what MTV is all about, and that it evolves whilst remaining true to its core values.

Many television brands followed suit, and the flexible application really suits the medium. There have been some fantastic BBC idents, and I love the channel 4 idents. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CVdllN67OQ

This flexible style of logo application is becoming more popular outside of television with online brands and increasingly more offline brands. Google is famous for having fun with it’s logo, creating a new seasonal theme almost daily.

Aol rebranded in late 2009 with an identity that was intentionally flexible. The logo itself stays the same, but the background it appears against changes.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers rebranded last year with a somewhat flexible visual identity. Although not a wacky as MTV, or as varied as Aol, it really suits them and demands creativity in application.

Flexibility in practice
For brand owners or managers whose mantra has long been consistency, opening up their brands to be more flexible can be an uncomfortable shift. But in reality only some parts of a brand need to be flexible in order to optimise on the benefits of a flexible brand. Defining what must remain static can further define what’s at the core of a brand. And bearing in mind that there are two types of consistency in branding can be a great help. There is consistency in visual expression and tone and there is the brand’s ability to repeatedly deliver on its promise to its customers. As proven by periodic rebrands, it’s the brand’s core purpose and its delivery on its promises that must remain true, as long as the visual expression and tone fit.

Clearly, changing your logo and graphic elements willy-nilly is not the way forward, but remaining absolutely static in a world where brand touchpoints are dynamic and reactive to consumer preference could leave brands lacking relevance. A sensible strategy could be to consider consistency in a brand’s core purpose, remaining true to its central organising thought, or big idea. Other aspects of the brand can evolve with time, or change dynamically to suit context, channel, audience or region.

Finding a balance is key, and maintaining the core visual identity recognition whilst encouraging creativity in its application is the holy grail for a progressive brand. Perhaps coherence should replace consistency as the mantra of brand guardians.

So I’ve seen an increasing amount of my Social Media friends tweeting that they have been crowned Foursquare “mayor” of this place or another. As well as feeling a tad spammed, my initial reaction was “well, that’s a bit pointless and geeky”.

On closer inspection, Foursquare is a location-based game which reveals your whereabouts to your Foursquare friends and Facebook/Twitter followers (if you choose to). You “check-in” to a location and can then review or give tips on the location, viewable by other Foursquare users. I suppose it is a modern guest book with bells and whistles.

And useful. Avoid a duff meal in a restaurant you have never been into as people suggest the best thing on the menu. That obscure old-man ale you like to drink and can’t find anywhere? Well it’s served in that bar over there. And if you are wondering whether that art gallery show is any cop before you hand over you hard earned cash then it’s good for that too. Been stood up by someone? No problem. Just tune in to see which of your friends are nearby and join them to avoid Billy-no-mates syndrome.

I also like that you are encouraged to be adventurous, exploring your city or checking into multiple locations in one day, earning you further status badges.

So other that being a rather handy user-generated mini-review forum with bragging rights, what’s the point? Well, as a user, you earn points for each location you check into. Get the most points for a particular location and you become the mayor of that location. A mayor will often be rewarded with vouchers or discount incentives. Kind of like a loyalty reward scheme, and my Boots Advantage card will testify that schemes like this keep customers loyal. Big time.

Business owners with their fingers on the pulse are actively promoting Foursquare to get people talking about their establishment and offering rewards. As users become addicted and want to maintain their mayor status of a certain location, say a coffee shop, their active promotion of a certain location can only be good for business.

This is also a marketers dream; incredibly useful for researching consumer patterns and targeted advertising and messages. Analytics are now available to businesses that get involved, and the future holds a whole host of messaging based on real-time events.

The cynics will say that this is the playground for stalkers, burglars and adulterers but you can choose who to disclose your location to – just your Foursquare friends or the whole of Twitter. So you have some sort of control on who knows your whereabouts if you are worried about someone casing your property!

Foursquare is not exactly a revolutionary concept. There have previously been a few other location-based social networking apps that have been slow on user uptake (or fallen flat) but it is the additional incentives and status features which Foursquare offers that is the addictive cocktail, earning them the most interest and a strong foundation to build upon. As more and more cities are added to the service then it can only grow bigger and better. As I write this, 15 year old Parker Liautaud has just been the first to check in at the North Pole, earning the coveted Last Degree badge. Now that is seriously cool in more ways that one.

The first thing we did was to re-fresh their logo by updating the style of lettering and changing the strapline from ‘Office Interiors’ to ‘Workspace Interiors’ to set them apart from their peers.

The content for both the website and brochure also needed re-thinking. We asked Capex to provide draft copy including what they offer and how they work etc. This process identified areas that needed to be refined internally. If companies have made acquisitions or over time added to their service offerings, then it’s essential to ensure that the right message is delivered in the right way. Our copywriter edited the content for the brochure and the website taking into consideration keyword search, something vital to enhance natural online search results. The new copy added gravitas to Capex’ offer and helped them to communicate in a concise and interesting way.

Their working ‘process’ was clearly illustrated by clever use of diagrams so that customers could see that these can be tailor made and that they can benefit from Capex’ skills and experience. They can inspire and impress new and existing customers by providing a one-stop, all-in solution to full office furniture, fit-out, design, aftercare and ongoing maintenance services.

The new brand style was implemented throughout their website and literature. Using sophisticated imagery of quality furniture, fit-out and refurbishment projects and portrait shots of their staff, we added a professional and personal feel to engage clients and prospects alike.

On the website we built a slideshow with large colorful imagery, easy-to-use tabs and navigation, a downloadable brochure pdf, and now using WordPress, Capex can post case studies on a regular basis to keep content up-to-date.

To view website visit www.capexinteriors.com

To complete the transformation we designed an A4 8pp company overview brochure, printed on a sophisticated uncoated 325gsm stock along with an A5 leaflet for a DM campaign.

Capex have now repositioned their business and strengthened their offer to help them win new business in years to come.

VGroup’s primary objective of the new Capex website will be to clearly demonstrate and differentiate service offerings of the business, facilitate the collection of data on enquiries, provide a mechanism for frequent updating of content, and convey their expertise, professionalism and friendly personality. Case studies of completed projects will also be available as downloadable pdf’s to showcase their capabilities. The company brochure will be an overview of key USP’s and contact information to work as a part of their new collateral.

With our capabilities and experience in working with clients to evolve their corporate brand we see this as a positive step for Capex – to fine tune their service offering and capture more of the competitive office fit-out and furniture market.