Good Stuff

One reason I love Copenhagen

Its no secret that I'm completely nuts about bikes. I love riding them and when I'm not riding them I like taking them to bits and putting them back together again. One of the fantastic things about living here in Copenhagen is that it is arguably the best city in the world for cycling around. I stumbled across this blog which is packed full of interesting bike related stories.

This post about IKEA introducing the free use of bikes and matching trailers caught my eye. Again, a great example of IKEA showing they know how to market themselves in more interesting ways than the traditional poster campaign.

Interesting scaffolding

Cycling through Copenhagen yesterday morning on my way to a client meeting I came across this creative use of scaffolding. The hardware store which is behind this temporary facade is identical to the life-size poster they've hung outside. Cool eh?

Corporate Ipsum

Rasmus just gave me a great little widget. It's a handy text generator that spews out corporate nonsense which can be pasted into any brochure layout in seconds. Here's a sample peice of text:

"Credibly incubate web-enabled markets and alternative opportunities. Continually plagiarize robust materials and extensible process improvements. Dramatically drive ethical paradigms vis-a-vis distinctive collaboration and idea-sharing.

Professionally coordinate focused processes vis-a-vis alternative partnerships. Energistically enable progressive resources whereas premier opportunities. Synergistically mesh world-class growth strategies before multidisciplinary quality vectors.

Uniquely maintain highly efficient strategic theme areas via effective vortals. Dramatically reconceptualize customer directed human capital before interactive outsourcing. Conveniently disintermediate prospective synergy rather than diverse meta-services."

Interesting 2007

Just back from London and Interesting 2007. Now, instead of writing a long-winded post about the most blogged about conference ever, I'll simply say it was indeed interesting: Their are loads of pics here and all kinds of related info here.

Green Fun-Park thoughts

Having thought about my earlier post a little more, I actually think there's a pretty good business idea in it.

Reading about Kidzania reminded me a little of the stories I heard about the way they financed that film 'The Terminal'. Apparently they had brands queing up to buy a space in the terminal/script. Like the film, a green theme park would be a great way for organiations to demonstrate an interest in green/sustainable ideas.

Springwise wrote this about the Kidzania concept:

"It's a hit among sponsors, too, who get the opportunity to introduce their brands—and their trades—to the younger set through a unique interactive experience."

A big part of doing the 'green' version would of course be getting the right kind of companies in involved.

I'm thinking maybe someone like LEGO might be interested in something like this?
The down-side is of course it would require a huge investment up front.

Anyone got a rich uncle with a taste for green initiatives?

missed opportunity?

I just read about this theme park which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity to me. I love the idea of children playing grown ups. The whole idea of having a mini econmy is brilliant. It's a shame they seem to have recreated a tiny version of the developed world as it exsists today. A theme park is a brilliant platform for a whole new generation to start the innovation process towards more sustainable alternatives to the ones we have created in the real world. I've even got the name...Greenland, ah, that's already taken.

I heard a story that the name Greenland was actually a Viking marketing ploy to encourage people to settle there. The Iceland brand wasn't doing too well back in Scaninavia due to it's rather frosty associations. Learning from this, Erik the Adman decided that the new territory shouldn't be called 'Even-icierland' and be re-branded Greenland. I wonder if this is true or just something I heard in the pub?

My dream job in a box

I love this idea. Now you can change the world for the better and have fun doing it. (which is basically what I'm attempting to do for a living I guess)

Via newconsumer

Food from Britain

I was at a meeting this morning in a north west of Copenhagen when I came across this sign. As if food from Britain hasn't enough problems what with stories of mad cows and deep fried pizza! The rusty d-i-y stickered sign itself is bad enough but if you look closely you will see that they are neighbours with the District Psychiatric Centre.

Reading can be dangerous

At least reading the wrong books can be as Adbusters point out.

Your name on toast

Thanks to Guerrilla Innovation for pointing to this. I'm toying with the idea of buying a slice.