links for 2008-05-31

• Unbranded cigarette packets plan in new crackdown on smoking
  “Under government proposals issued for consultation today, tobacco companies would be obliged sell cigarettes in plain packets, stripped of corporate logos, emblazoned with health warnings.”
  (tags: cigarettes smoking uk law government)

Wind

I was reminded of this ‘happening while thinking of what happened during the trip to Wales. And it was too good not to share.

It was a while ago in school, during a history class when someone in the back of the class decided to, er, let some gas loose. It was slightly louder than he had probably thought it’d be and the teacher heard it even though he was writing something on the blackboard – he turns around and looks at everyone and asks ‘Who was it?’ Naturally, we couldn’t stop laughing and the smirk on the guy’s face gave him away. He told him to stand up and sent him out of the classroom for disturbing the lesson.

Few seconds after, we were still laughing at what had just happened while he was trying to salvage the last fifteen minutes. He turned around again, irritated by the laughter, asks me ‘What’s so funny?’ - ‘Well, you just sent him outside the classroom where it doesn’t smell and we’re left in here where it still smells, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, sir.’ – ‘Oh,’ he says, ‘tell someone he can come back in. And open a window while you’re at it.’

Motivation

Number of suicides in the army in 2007:

1. United States – 117
2. Russia – 341

Odd one out?

Andrea Does Uni Work

Oops.

Crazy is Worth Doing

I’ve enjoyed last night’s Honda ad on TV. Difficult? Yes. Crazy? That too!

The great thing about it was that the ‘O’ in ‘Honda’ looked more like a heart. Which added to the overall effect.

Lovely, lovely, lovely. I’d buy a Honda Civic today if it weren’t for petrol prices!

Lost it Good

I’m happy. I’m so happy I feel like screaming in fact. I’m so happy everyone finds it strange that I need to manifest myself. And to show I’ve lost it good, next month going over to the LAC Flying School near the Barton Aerodrome, Liverpool Road, Eccles for my introductory flight. RAF, here I come!

…well not really RAF but I’ll be getting a pilot’s licence. Beware if I get my commercial pilots licence (CPL)

Music for Rainy Days

Even though yesterday was all nice and hot with twenty degrees outside, now the weather is back to its usual…and I’m liking it!

Liking it enough to post a YouTube music video of The Knife. It’s old but I’ve rediscovered it just yesterday. In case you don’t know The Knife, they were the ones José Gonzales covered in the Sony Bravia balls advert. But it’s not Silent Shout, it’s not Heartbeats, it’s Marble House featuring Jay-Jay Johanson directed by Chris Hopewell.

” You close my eyes and soothe my ears
You heal my wounds and dry my tears”

Problem Detection Study

This might be old news for some but it’s new for me so I figured it’d be worth posting it – one of my old trainers from Leo Burnett (Head of Brand Comm or just Client Service if it sounds too fancy) decided to start a blog and posted this thing but sadly it’s all in Romanian. Credit goes to him though – it’s a document from a company called Thams & Nyås from Sweden. You can download it from my blog or from its original source and read it.

The underlying principle of this study method is simple:

“People are better at complaining than telling you what to do. If you ask consumers what they want they will seldom tell you anything new.”

It reminded me of the fact that when people have a bad experience, they’ll tell about twenty others about it and maybe then they’ll decide to complain to the company that committed the injustice. And frankly it’s a clever way of looking at things. In the case of say, shampoo, most women might say they want smooth and silky hair, nice smell etc. but they’ll end up buying a bottle they can hold and won’t slip in the shower. Which makes most of the research and previous thoughts redundant.

Preparation, identification, quantification, analysis, development and control. Sounds about right to me. I’ve always liked looking at what’s genuinely wrong, not what people say is wrong. Most of the time they don’t know themselves! It comes as no surprise that even IKEA have worked with these people. At least to me.

DHL Too Cool to be True

If I were DHL, I’d do this!

Fascinating

There was this article in a magazine I read about how women all over the world learn about love and how they interact with men and sometimes vice versa. Like how in France there are ’schools of seduction’ or manners and how to dress properly (or should I say appropriately), in other parts of the world there are supposedly schools and classes that teach you the ways of interaction over the internet – speed dating, blind dating, how to use a webcam properly and so on and so forth.

The most interesting thing about international women’s magazines, the ones that you’re likely to find in foreign countries translated and with slightly different content is when they feature articles that talk about their ’sister’ editions. Elle used to do it when I used to read it and so did Vogue from what I can remember and it was shocking to see how different women were across the world. Being able to travel and buy loads of magazines from everywhere made me realise how even the slightest bit of copywriting can make a big difference.

It’s so easy to see who the readers are (or the editors think they are) and assuming the articles are ‘what turn them on’ then the general impression is that in the UK editions, most women are very concerned about what other women do or think – the sheer amount of experiences from readers or celebrities is amazing, as well as the ‘numbers’ that say these many women do this or that. The pages of ‘It’s okay to…’ as if there’s some kind of lurid fear lurking around the corner every day and someone’s watching your every step. Women in France on the other hand appear to be the ‘motherly’ figures, a lot more caring and family-oriented, the ones in Holland very independent and hard-working but deep down inside warm-hearted and caring about the environment…

…but the ones in Russia! They have ads for a school that teaches them how to be b*tches because of all the ‘toxic bachelors’ in the country. Now that’s shocking! But fascinating at the same time. Living in the country where all the expensive brands have migrated and the nouveau-riche as well as oligarchs then it comes as no surprise that they’d just swat any puny man that’s not even worthy of their attention. I mean love doesn’t buy you Prada, does it? I can just see the classes: “Today we discuss why nice guys are nice but not husband material.”

Would the men in Russia need therapy too? Classes on why all these women date douchebags?