11 brands of fast food I didn't expect to find in Dubai

Seeing the same brand hallmarks in new ways: Lessons for N-of-8 from “Indiana Jones”

When using the N-of-8 process, it’s important to remember that you’re not just writing a story – you’re developing a BRAND story.

So the core brand hallmarks must be presented and maintained consistently. But that doesn’t mean the story can’t be told in many different ways.

Consider the series of Indiana Jones movies. The respected, intellectual professor pulls off his bow tie and glasses to search for treasure. Even across four installments, there are elements that make an “Indiana Jones” story:

• Jaunts to exotic destinations
• Dodging booby traps
• Fighting hand-to-hand with the bad guys
• Unearthing ancient ruins
• Hacking through jungles
• Taking unusual transportation
• Dining on spectacular, even bizarre meals
• Snakes!

And there are the hallmarks of Indiana Jones’ personal brand: hat, whip, watch, journal, unshaven beard, even the influences of his father.

With these central and fundamental ingredients, many stories can be crafted with their own unique locations, characters, plots, dangers, and fantasies.

It can be extended from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and 20 years later, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. What’s more, it can provide the story platform of media extensions into TV series, pinball and video games, and an amusement park ride.

Far from limiting your creative potential, defining the brand hallmarks gives a structure to which you can then build endless story possibilities.

The same principles can be seen when analyzing other popular movies series, like Star Wars, James Bond, Pink Panther, and Rocky. That’s why I often use these as a warm-up exercise with our creative teams before we start writing stories for N-of-8 groups. It helps us find parallels, archetypes, villains, conflicts, and climaxes. We recall the look of the titles and credits. We even sing the theme song or hum the main chorus.

As you begin crafting your brand’s story, put together a list of the escapades you’ll experience – plunging into a pit of snakes, cruising around on elephants, hitching a ride of a zeppelin, or searching for the Holy Grail.

Co-creation in health brands?

There is certainly a macro trend-shift from Experience Economy (here is the experience we're creating for you) to Participation Economy (here is the space in which you can participate to create your experience.)


It's happening everywhere on the web, and it's also creeping into actual customer experiences (i.e. Linux, Lego Factory, Apple retail stores, self-service hotels). Yet there's an interesting challenge when it comes to health, science, and technology brands.

I was inspired by a post on http://brand.blogs.com and have been thinking about the concept of co-creation as it relates to our categories.

I'd be interested in your ideas on how to bring co-creation to life within a medical, pharma, biotech, or diagnostic brand setting.

Thoughts?

Update on independent film “Nice Knowing You.”

It’s exciting to share an update on the independent film I’m supporting in an executive producer role. It’s a project by Joe Burke, a promising young writer/director, entitled “Nice Knowing You.”

I heard from Joe this week that his re-shoots went great and he’s officially picture-locked the film. The early reviews from faculty who have seen it have been very flattering. One said, “It is sophisticated, mature, intelligent and incredibly moving. Well written and well directed. It is even more than it promised to be on the page.”

I first met Joe while he was at Columbia College in Chicago. He was a theater major, then switched to film/directing. While in school, Joe founded Elantra Films through which he produced and self-released several of short films (including an award-winning music video). Joe graduated from Columbia College in 2006 with a B.A. in Film, plus a Minor in Theater/Acting. He lives in Hollywood, CA and is now a Directing Fellow at The American Film Institute.

The American Film Institute (AFI) is the preeminent organization dedicated to advancing and preserving the art of film, television and other forms of the moving image. AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its world-renowned Conservatory, having served the moving image arts since its founding in 1969. The Conservatory awards the Master of Fine Arts. Professional faculty members work closely with the AFI Fellows through the time-honored relationship of master and apprentice.

Joe expects that “Nice Knowing You” will be completed by mid-May.

Keep up the good, creative work, Joe. I like your brand of filmmaking.

1 Smart Second

While writing yesterday’s blog , “10 Trends for Advertising in 2009,” I was also focusing on the Super Bowl and the many advertisements reaching the millions of consumers that night. I realized that MillerCoors, the makers of Miller High Life, followed some of those very trends.

Miller High Life ran 1-second ads throughout the Super Bowl featuring the big burly Miller High Life delivery man reinforcing the brand as a “good, honest beer at a tasty price.” Considering the excessive price tag for a 30-second commercial to run during the game, it was a wise decision.

“Miller High Life is all about high quality and great value, so it wouldn’t make sense for this brand to pay $3 million for a 30-second ad,” said High Life senior brand manager Kevin Oglesby, in a press release. “Just like our consumers, High Life strives to make smart choices. One second should be plenty of time to remind viewers that Miller High Life is common sense in a bottle.”

In this economy that is a smart way to think. What is a brand saying to its loyal customers if it uses its money recklessly? It’s hard to support a brand in this economy that isn’t respecting your wallet in return. MillerCoors creatively advertised its brand in a resourceful way—and probably received even more publicity because of it.

This economy will force brands to think “outside the box” when advertising and I’m excited to see more of these trends.

5 Grammys for 2 of music's best brands -- Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

"Raising Sand," the stark, rootsy album by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, won five Grammys Sunday night, including Album of the Year. Plant and Krauss' "Please Read the Letter," produced by T Bone Burnett, also won record of the year.

You can read my blog posting from the week the album was released at http://brandinnovator.blogspot.com/2007/10/innovative-music-pairing-is-creative.html

Comfort Brands

The economy affects everything, especially the trends at the grocery store.

Less expensive comfort foods and classic brands are being snatched up at the grocery store, as well as the staples needed to make home cooked meals. More Americans are adopting a back-to-basic approach and forgoing the convenience of pricey frozen meals or pre-prepared dinners.

Classic comfort brands such as Kraft® Macaroni and Cheese and Hormel® Chili are in demand. Consumers are also making the effort to cook from scratch -- and are more likely to eat at home than out. When consumers are tempted to let someone else do the cooking they are heading to fast food restaurants, not sitdown dining.

Comfort is increasingly becoming the deciding factor in the foods people consume.

What brands register comfort for you?

Brand innovations of the past...

I came across these old brand innovations and thought you would enjoy...