co-operation » Paul

Dunhill Campaign

Paul — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:50:33 +0000

Is Local the new Global?

Paul — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:11:49 +0000

As the economy in China booms, and consumer spending power increases, we are seeing more demand for luxury and mid market brands. Western brands are being seduced by the opportunities in China and if they haven’t already, they are actively putting together expansion plans for the east.

The two most interesting trends in expansion strategy are new brands for the new market and re-design of products.

1. New Brands For the New Market.

Rather than re-purpose their brand for the Chinese consumer, some brands are going the extra mile to create new brands that would better connect with the audience. Leading this trend are Hermes with Shang Xia and Levis with Denizen.

Shang Xia:

Hermes’ decision to launch Shang Xia, a lower priced (when compared to Hermes) Chinese brand that incorporates local design in furniture, dish ware and apparel, has been received with great skepticism. Some question how it will impact the Hermes brand, some question why it’s priced lower and some insist that Chinese audience desire only Western luxury brands over a brand inspired from China. But really, this is the first time we are seeing a luxury brand that embraces the Chinese culture and aesthetic sensibility.

Denizen:

On the other end of the spectrum, Levi’s launched Denizen, a brand targeted to the younger emerging middle class of China (with plans to expand into Korea and India) who seek high quality jeanswear at affordable prices. Could Levi’s have adjusted pricing of an existing line of jeanswear to work in Asia? Of-course. But they didn’t because they wanted to create a brand for the people – a brand that is an embodiment of what the growing younger middle China sees as cool, fashionable and accessible.

The name Denizen comes from “denim” with “zen” a word with Japanese and Chinese roots means “medidtate state” or “an escape from the hustle and bustle of every day life”

2. Re-design.

A product re-design or re-shaping shows a commitment and a long term vested interest in China. Leading this trend are BMW and Audi.
A simple insight – wealthy Chinese have chauffeur driven cars, led them to re-design their cars to better suit smoother ride for the passenger in the back seat. BMW and Audi control majority of the luxury car sales in China.

BMW and Audi:

In addition to product re-design, both BMW and Audi are manufacturing locally and have also put into place pricing strategies that resonate with the Chinese.

So what does YOUR BRAND need to make a REAL CONNECTION in other parts of the world?

The answer is all about the consumer – they are ultimately in control.

The consumer needs to be top of mind from the beginning of business strategy through to brand vision and expression. That means everything from understanding the environment they live in, their habits and behaviors, the music they listen to, the food they eat, their social settings, their ancestral history and how that impacts them in society today. You need to empathize with your consumer and the only way to do that is by being and getting local.

Let’s take Chinese food as an example. Chinese food is popular around the world – it is likely that no matter what country you visit you will find it. But in each country it tastes different. Why? Cause it’s been adapted to the local flavors and the palette.

There is no formula to enter the Asian market – we can’t say it’s right to launch a new brand, or to have a new product or to adjust your marketing strategy. What we can say, is do your due diligence, listen to your audience and understand where they come from.

To be global you need to get local.

Sources: Financial Times, Shang Xia, Denizen, Ad Age, BMW, Audi, Business Week

Glenn Ligon

Paul — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:41:24 +0000

I just got news that this New York artist has a show at The Whitney coming up shortly in March. I find his narrative text based paintings (based on writings and speeches) really intriguing and his neon reliefs simple and provocative.

This exhibition features roughly one hundred works, including paintings, prints, photography, drawings, and sculptural installations, as well as striking recent neon reliefs, one newly commissioned for the Whitney’s Madison Avenue windows.

DOT

Paul — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:55:19 +0000

From the stop-frame film makers of Creature Comforts and Wallace & Gromit, Aardman creates yet another ground breaking short film. This microscopic masterpiece is all done with a mobile phone – Nokia N8 using its 12MP camera.

Click here to view this video.

If you thought the film was great, just watch the making of it! Talk about painstaking attention to detail, this shows the dedication, passion and talent of this amazing studio.

Click here to view this video.

For more:

http://www.aardman.com/

Natural Gas Ad

Paul — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:19:51 +0000

It took a month of preparation, 4 days and nights shooting, with a crew of over 40, shot live and in stopmotion with 4 different cameras. A film for TBWA Brussels, directed by Olivier Babinet produced by Lovo Films

Click here to view this video.

Ice Sculptures

Paul — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:00:44 +0000

As I write this post very early on Monday morning it is yet again snowing in Larchmont, NY! Here’s just a few of the many icy artworks from from Harbin.

Brand Innovation—Yotel

Paul — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:06:14 +0000

An interview with global hotel brand, Yotel, and its London-based marketing director, Jo Berrington, by Paul Newman, Creative Partner of CO-OP.

“There is beauty in simplicity” reads a fortune stuck to my monitor at work. I’ve always believed that some of the best ideas are driven by common sense things or occurrences that are often overlooked. Now more than ever in this multi-tasking, on-the-go, mobile fast paced world we live in, one needs to shut off for a bit and really take in what’s going on around them.

A lot of the best opportunities are staring us in the face. It just takes an innovative mind to notice them and create something special.

We chatted with Jo Berrington, the Marketing Director of one such company – Yotel.

Yotel is a different kind of hotel brand – and the brainchild of Simon Woodroffe. It all started when Simon got upgraded to a 1st class cabin on British Airways. This fortuitous experience sparked a common sense simple innovation in two of the busiest airports of the world – Heathrow and Gatwick.

CO-OP: Can you tell us a little about the idea behind Yotel and how the company came into being? What is the ethos of Yotel?

Jo Berrington: Simon Woodroffe started the YO! company and the first brand that came out of it was YO! Sushi – a restaurant that transformed the perception of sushi being a high end dining experience to a more accessible one.

YO! was destined to be a retail brand. Simon realized that the holy grail of retail is to innovate in order to deliver high luxury without the high cost.

YO! Sushi and Yotel are completely different but they are both rooted in the ethos of YO! – it’s about giving a range of choices, it’s about getting what you want and getting it at a relatively low cost. It’s about innovating in order to deliver high luxury at affordable costs.

CO-OP: So it sounds like you take deep rooted traditional notions and transform them into a more appealing user experience.

Jo Berrington: Yes, turn it on it’s head really. We know that people want hotel rooms. Simon’s approach has been to look at what people really want and how can we offer it in a funky, fresh, appealing way, in a way it has not been done before.

Our business model is about efficeincy – how to utilizes a hotel room in a 24 hour period and which results in a much higher occupancy rate. Yotel has an 180% occupancy rate.

CO-OP: Yotel’s innovative luxury cabin style experience has added another dimension to the hospitality industry. Do you think the multi-tasking general public expects/demands more of this forward thinking from other hospitality/travel/service sectors?

Jo Berrington: Yes. Today’s consumer wants more value, convenience and quality than before and that is why we design taking into consideration the sensory experience.

We think of the traveller in the airport who is waiting between flights in the airport and the stress and anxiety they experience. We think of how to make it a more comfortable journey for them – from lighting, to the materials, to the amenities in each room, they are put in place to make experience of the traveller relaxing.

Our concept is straightforward – we have a democratic point of view as we deal with a wide target audience range.

CO-OP: What are the core principles of the Yotel brand?

Jo Berrington:
Innovation – it’s about looking at what people want, looking at what’s out there and turning it upside down to fulfill a need. It’s about connecting with people.

Location: You will not find a Yotel in suburbia. You will find us in places where real estate is prime. Yotel is an urban brand for people who appreciate good design that fit there transient needs.

Value: Today’s consumer is looking for value, for efficiency and responsibility – and we give that to them.

Quality: Our core is to provide luxury services and experiences and make them accessible to everyone in more affordable ways.

CO-OP: Name a brand that you admire?

Jo Berrington: Mini – they re-invented themselves but kept their authenticity.

Click here to view this video.

360 view, click and rotate

http://www.yotel.com/

Photos: Yotel, PRI’s The World/Flickr, missmaria/Flickr, andynash/Flickr, jaceguay/Flickr, NoirinP/Flickr

Sally Mann

Paul — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:43:37 +0000

Nadav Kander

Paul — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:54:07 +0000

I was at the National Portrait Gallery in London this summer in which selected works from photographer Nadav Kander were being exhibited.
He is recognized as one of the most original and highly regarded photographers of our time. His portrait series is a stunning collection of artists, politicians, directors and sports figures.

See more of Nadav Kander’s work”. nadavkander.com

Scottie Pippen

Barack Obama

Ian Mckellen I

Chris Martin I

Christina Ricci

Amelie Mauresmo

Michael Caine I

Negative Space

Paul — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:52:53 +0000

Mark Batty publisher. Synopsis:

As an artistic device, negative space refers to an artist’s rendering of a subject by relying on the space that surrounds the subject to provide shape and meaning. Of course, the term also refers to any topic that conjures feelings of unease and discomfort. Furthering the partnership begun with the publication of Guess Who? Internationally acclaimed illustrator Noma Bar has compiled his newest collection of work, Negative Space. Including works commissioned by The New York Times, Wallpaper Esquire UK. The Guardian and Time Out London, as well as never-before-seen illustrations, in Negative Space Bar plays with this pun, focusing on subject matter ranging from sex, global warming and nuclear warfare to religion, crime and corporate greed. With Negative Space, Noma Bar solidifies his reputation as an artist able to convert complex topics into clean, provocative and revealing lines that viewers take in with ease, though they are not easily forgotten.