WE CREATE AND NURTURE BRANDS
Once again we are at the end of a monumental year of change and it’s time to publish the 4th edition of our Little Book of Inspirations, a book that has become synonymous with BrandSeers’ probing curiosity and insights about the world we live in. This year saw people feeling increasingly disenfranchised and apathetic towards central authorities, governments, brands and institutions. We are at a crisis point with trust. Brands are being forced to design open, transparent systems that answer to the people they touch, be it those they serve or those that serve them. Tenuous authenticity can no longer be justified, openness and credibility are everything. As storytelling merges with radical transparency, provenance becomes the new premium, mega systems become more human, brand experiences deliver the unexpected, augmented reality and artificial intelligence hit our stores and spaces encourage connection and participation, not merely transaction. We are entering a new world order. With this book we aim to feed your mind, allowing you to make connections between ideas where perhaps none previously existed, to think the impossible, to hold light on what the future may just hold – or to understand that it might already be here. We hope to ignite imaginations and trigger creativity and innovation so you can deliver transparent stories and experiences that will pass the scrutiny of our times and bring value to your business. We wish your stories happy beginnings and endings in 2016. ÖZLEM TUSKAN
Founder, BrandSeers
1.
Liquid Water on Mars We have been exploring our planetary neighbour for generations and are still being surprised and delighted by what we find. It has taken many expeditions but we now know that there is liquid water present on the surface of Mars. Our search and dedication to discovery for life in the solar system is relentless. We are starting to see things only ever thought imaginable. Curiosity is leading us closer to the possibility of colonising Mars.
#CURIOSITY
Do we need to leave or do we have a choice?
2.
Are We Striving to be Heroes? There are more than 1.2 billion gamers across the planet, with sales projected soon to pass $100 billion per year. Bethesda Software released Fallout 4 in November 2015, earning over $750 million in 24 hours. The digital worlds created allow us to become who we dream of being and navigate our way through stories we wish we could tell. As the power of the storyline and the capabilities of techonology fuse, gaming enters a new era.
#HEROOF YOURSTORY
Are gamers becoming storytellers?
3.
Catch the Magic Hour By 2020, the global virtual reality market will be worth $15.89 billion. It is expected that 50% of this will be dedicated to gaming. Where will the other 50% go? To brands? Swedish sports brand Peak Performance created virtual pop-up stores in beautiful locations that unlock at those magic hours before sunrise and just after sunset. Running to these locations sets off an alert on your mobile device and allows you access to the store and one free item.
# C ATC HTH E M AG I C H O U R
Peak Performance offer more than just a virtual store, they offer a joint adventure, a beautiful memory and a great promotion. Promotion does not need to come at the price of experience.
4.
Amazon Phygital The online shopping experience has many benefits, such as convenience and accessibility, but is always struggling to recreate the experience of a physical store. The online and offline worlds are converging and a new term has been coined – phygital. Consumers are no longer looking to purchase online or offline, they just want to purchase in the best way possible. There is only one channel: the purchase channel. Mega systems like Amazon are using their mass of data to create better experiences offline. Store layout and products are being presented in a physical store as they would be online, creating a new, easier and more pleasurable interaction.
# A M A ZO N PH YG ITA L
Data is collated by digital input, but are we forgetting that it’s people who are the ones pressing the buttons?
5.
Tate Sensorium Tate have worked with London-based creative studio Flying Object to add layers to the journey of art by exciting the senses with sounds and smells directly linked to the artworks. In Tate Sensorium, the traditional white gallery walls are being left for an immersive experience. Upon entry, gallery visitors are being given bracelets that collect their sensory biometric data whilst they view and experience each piece of work. This experience not only allows visitors to connect more emotionally to the art but also helps create a solid memory.
#TATE S E N SO R I U M
What additional sensory enhancements can you bring to your experience to reinforce relationships and recall?
6.
Vending Ethics Stocked with cheap €2 t-shirts, Fashion Revolution’s vending machine shows the customer a video of the realities of fast fashion, child labour, bad working conditions and poor wages. The machine then asks if you would like to buy the t-shirt or to donate the money. 95% of customers chose to donate. Consumers are interested in where their money is going – they want to feel empowered by their decisions. The more information they have the better they will feel about themselves and consequently about the brands they choose to be with.
#FASHREV
The desire to own is no longer coming at the price of values.
7.
Bag for Life By adding a 5 pence charge to every plastic bag, Scotland saw an 80% reduction in usage in one year. This pilot scheme has now been rolled out across the UK. The tides are slowly turning on what is usually put down to the supply and demand debate. Governments are starting to act in cooperation with large corporates in the interest of society and the environment.
#BAGFORLIFE
Making small changes and challenging everyday practices can have big positive effects, especially when we bring our forces together, regardless of whoever we are or whatever side we are on.
8.
Trash to Table Professionals in the hospitality and catering industries witness waste everyday. Some are looking deeper at what they can do to make a difference. They are reinventing processes and reconsidering what constitutes waste in every link of the food chain. NYC-based WastedNY is one such initiation aiming to “create something delicious out of the ignored and to inspire new applications for the overlooked byproducts of our food system.”
#TR A S HTOTA B L E
As the world’s population grows and resources become scarce, we are becoming more conscious of our consumption and indulgence. We are learning a new way to see, appreciate and use all the ingredients we have.
9.
Rethinking Urban Planning In 1930, just 30% of the world’s population lived in cities, compared to about 55% today. By 2050, however, about two thirds will be based in urban areas. As increasing amounts of people move from rural to urban spaces, architects have to innovatively rethink how we use our space and how our cities grow. In order to stop the sprawl spiraling out of control, perhaps we truly need to think smaller and simpler.
#TINYHOUSE
Getaway is one start-up that is a part of this innovative rethinking. They are bringing the idea of the tiny house into the mainstream and turning it into a viable option. A tiny house isn’t just about efficiency and environmental impact, it's about a growing need for a simpler life.
10.
Time for Tea A healthy alternative to stimulant and caffeinated drinks? Who wouldn’t want that. We are more and more aware of what we are putting into our bodies. We don’t want additives and flavourings, we want good, clean energy. Runa is just that and a little more. Entrepreneurs are starting businesses that don’t just have a great product but that actually give back to the society they are working with. Consumers love to see that by doing good to themselves they are doing good to others too.
# R U N ATE A
As trade operations are ever more in the limelight, do you think you have a starring role?
11.
Provenance.org We have a wealth of information at our fingertips and we use it to inform our purchase decisions. But we don’t always know if the information is true or reliable. We are at a crisis point with trust. Brands have no choice but to design more open, transparent systems. Provenance.org is an open-source platform built to bring makers, sellers and consumers closer together. It’s all about transparency; restoring the connections between the two ends of the supply chain, and trust between brand owner and end user.
#PROVENANCE
The time has come to proof your provenance story to make sure it's undestroyable.
12.
DNA Dining We now know that one size certainly does not fit all and that fad diets are nothing but that; fads. We are entering a stage of understanding the workings of the body like never before and are discovering what we need on a molecular level to best suit the way we live our individual lives.
#DNADINING
Go into the PharmaCafĂŠ in Dubai and, after a hand scan to collect your data, you will be treated to a bespoke drink based on your DNA. With whiffs of Memory Enhancing Peppermint and Ginger Wellness Mist floating from flasks at the bar giving guests a restorative boost, are we seeing the sensory dining world merge with holistic healthcare?
13.
A Cure for Bigotry? Turkish born Aziz Sancar MD, PhD, the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the UNC School of Medicine has been awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work in mapping DNA repair. This work has the potential to be a turning point in the struggle against cancer.
#FIGHTINGBIGOTRY
Unfortunately a shadow was cast on this triumph when the press chose to focus more on his ethnic background than on what he had accomplished. Sancar’s work is paving the way to finding a cure for cancer... but will we ever pave the way to curing bigotry?
14.
A New Ancestor A new species of human ancestor discovered. A discovery that has changed our history. What we know is never set in stone and can be reshaped in an instant through new knowledge. When was the last time you thought you still had something to learn?
#ALMOSTHUMAN
When was the last time you investigated the known to discover the unknown?
15.
We Are All Humans “The object of terrorism is terrorism. The object of oppression is oppression. The object of torture is torture. The object of murder is murder. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?” – George Orwell, 1984
16.
Precious Souls Lost Müzeyyen Senar
July 16, 1918 – February 8, 2015
Leonard Nimoy
March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015 li v e long a nd prosper
Yaşar Kemal
October 6, 1923 – February 28, 2015
Kayahan
March 29, 1949 – April 3, 2015
Zeki Alasya
April 18, 1943 – May 8, 2015
B. B. King
September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015
John Nash
June 13, 1928 – May 23, 2015
Sadun Boro
1928 – June 5, 2015
Omar Sharif
April 10, 1932 – July 10, 2015
Jackie Collins
October 4, 1937 – September 19, 2015
Levent Kırca
September 28, 1948 – October 12, 2015
Çetin Altan
June 22, 1927 – October 22, 2015
17.
Blind Hug November 16th, Paris, Place de la République. A man stands with a sign at his feet: “I’m a Muslim and I’m told I’m a terrorist. I trust you. Do you trust me? If yes, hug me.”
#BLINDHUG
Crowds gathered and a collective outpour of love was shown. This small but powerful act reminds us that however dark things may seem there is always someone near to you who is optimistic and who you can trust.
18.
Welcome to the Refugee Republic Frustrated with the bias of mainstream news, Dutch journalist Martijn van Tol has created Refugee Republic, a transparent interactive digital experience that truly portrays the reality of living in a refugee camp. Mainstream media skews the truth to its own agenda, but individuals are using the freedom of the Internet to offer new perspectives and an unbiased view of what is really going on in the world.
#LIFEASAREFUGEE
This digital storytelling experience tells a raw story about people whose lives have been disrupted and will continue to stay disrupted. With 2 hospitals, 7 schools and 58.000 inhabitants, this refugee camp is no longer a camp, it has become a republic.
19.
Cyber Archeology War destroys, collaboration rebuilds. Project Mosul is harnessing the Internet’s power to digitally recreate invaluable artefacts recently destroyed. By connecting worldwide collaborators with specific 3D rendering skills and the people with the knowledge and photos of the artefacts, they are rebuilding treasures thought lost forever.
#PROJECTMOSUL
There is a wealth of experience and skills at your fingertips. How are you using them?
20.
Facebook Safety Check Technology is created so fast that sometimes we do not know what to do with it. But when a brilliant idea comes along, it’s hard to think what we ever did without it. Facebook’s Safety Check feature uses what is essentially a basic digital contact list to provide the most important piece of data to us – the welfare of our loved ones. As we grow as a collective worldwide society, mega systems like Facebook have a growing responsibility; that they use their power for the good of everyone they cater to.
#SAFET YCHECK
But even if we are not mega, we can still do our part. After all, what does it truly mean to be ‘mega’?
21.
A New Age of Social Media – Ephemerality Snapchat and Periscope are new players in the world of social media. They both provide something that many other platforms don’t: Ephemerality. Built on the idea of content that is live in nature and exists for a limited amount of time, they are giving the user the present moment.
#EPHEMERALITY
Through Snapchat and Periscope, social media is starting to mimic our brain and the ephemeral nature of real-life memories. After all, nothing is meant to last forever.
22.
In-between the Lines Need a hobby? Feeling a little uptight? How do you de-stress? How often do you need to? Is your work and life balanced? How can you escape? Is it too hard to be an adult sometimes? Remember your childhood? Need some creative relief? In the last two years, 9.9 million days were lost due to stress, depression or anxiety in the UK workplace alone.
# CO L O U R I N G F O R A D U LT S
Maybe it's just a case of zoning out to zone back in. Craft and creativity can combat depression, if only you allowed yourself the luxury of engaging your hands as much as your mind.
23.
Cannabis Commerce How do we find world-renowned design consultancy Pentagram designing a celebrity backed cannabis brand? Are our taboos becoming mainstream? If branding weed is now acceptable, what's next? What is so successful about the Leafs by Snoop packaging is that it’s using traditional iconography with a contemporary visual style that would look welcome in any store on the high street and on any confectionary shelf in store.
# B R A N DATA BO O
What else needs reinvention for a contemporary society?
24.
Post-It Almost half of US internet users and 39% of UK internet users have installed ad-blocking software on at least one device. Advertising is increasingly seen as an annoyance. A great way to break through and remind consumers of your creativity and innovation can be by solving an annoyance, helping them and being on their side. Post-it have turned annoyance into your best friend.
#BFFPOSTIT
How will your brand hold up if its digital presence is blocked?
25.
Right in Front of Your Eyes A Volvo is a safe car. This is not just what consumers or authorities say, it’s a brand truth. Volvo have extended the essence of their brand by going beyond the car and into the car’s environment. LifePaint sees them creating a luminescent paint for cyclists, making roads safer for everyone. Thinking wider about your brand’s essence, production capabilities and the wider environment in which your product or service sits, how can you extend your brand?
#LIFEPAINT
Sometimes golden opportunities are sitting right in front of your eyes.
26.
191 Years Later... Milanese institution Pasticceria Marchesi has expanded. Last year Prada took an 80% stake in the pastry company, saving it from ill fate. Brands are starting to realise they should carry the responsibility to invest in cultural treasures that are key parts of the landscape they are rooted in. This way they can establish concrete pillars of the brand while creating new and unexpected opportunities for growth.
#PRADAMARCHESI
If only our patisserie legend Markiz Pastanesi could have been saved in the same way.
27.
New Conversations “Design has the power to turn something that was once just practical and impersonal into something meaningful and captivating. Design is an important part of modern commerce and thinking.” – Sanket Avlani, Founder, TaxiFabric Young designers of India have a new platform, Taxi Fabric, for connecting people with design. This generation is building a way for better communication between brands, services, products and people.
#TA X I FA B R I C
How much are you leveraging the potential of tomorrow’s young designers?
28.
Cinematic Cuisine Taking inspiration from the silver screen’s iconic moments, publishing house Hato Press has compiled a treasury of cinematic cuisine. With a constant feed of media, we are becoming somewhat numb to the everyday – nothing quite surprises us anymore.
#COOKINGWITHSCORSESE
To overcome this, brands are bringing us more and more relevatory, multi-sensory experiences, the creative mixing and mashing of our favourite ‘life’ moments to create new connections and memories, surprising and exciting us in the process.
29.
Charge With Little Charge The smart home is not on its way anymore, it’s already here. And it’s becoming more and more attainable.
#SMARTFURNITURE
This year we can see technologies like this being made mass and available. With big brands such as IKEA bringing smart solutions to the market, there is no reason for being left in the dark.
30.
Istanbul Biennial – A Theory of Thought Forms Art is the platform to address any issue, add to all conversations and break down barriers. This year the Istanbul Biennial saw the opening of people’s doors, films in hammams and a floating zoo. The show was more conceptual than it has been in the past. Saltwater was tied into ocean currents and trade routes, war, migration, blood, historical narratives, Istanbul and the Bosphorus. In certain aspects it was more about the idea than the physical form of the art.
# S A LT WAT E R
What would you change if you were to focus on the process of ideation more than the outcome of your ideas?
31.
New Horizons The New Horizons spacecraft has travelled 5 billion kilometers in 9 years to provide us with stunning imagery of a planet never seen in this detail before.
# P L U T O F LY B Y
It’s sometimes impossible to see the result of long-term goals and often it’s hard to start them. But when the results give more than you could ever imagine, you will wonder why starting took so long.
32.
New Collaborations, New Opportunities This year we embarked on a new and exciting collaboration with the Future Laboratory in London, one of the world’s most renowned and respected futures consultancies. Together we kicked off with our first Futures Forum in Turkey covering global trends in the Food and Drink industry and their implications on the Turkish market with an experiential walking tasting tour.
#FOODANDDRINKFUTURES
By allowing people to perceive the present through the senses, we were able to inspire the imaginations that will shape the future. Throughout 2016, we will continue to collaborate with clients to map out a future that is forever plugged into the changing needs of the global and local consumer.
Image Sources
1. NASA; 2. Bethesda Game Studios; 3. Peak Performance; 4. Elaine Thompson/AP; 5. Tate Sensorium, Tate; 6. Fashion Revolution; 7. Will Chorvat; 8. Brothl; 9. Kataram Studios; 10. Runa Tea; 11. Provenance.org; 12. Bompass & Parr; 13. Max Englund/AP; 14. National Geographic; 15. Sean Gallup/ Getty Images; 16. Müzeyyen Senar, unknown; Leonard Nimoy, unknown; Yaşar Kemal, unknown; Kayahan, unknown; Zeki Alasya, unknown; B.B. King, unknown; John Nash, Marc Asnin/ Redux/eyevine; Sadun Boro, unknown; Omar Sharif, unknown; Jackie Collins, Reuters; Levent Kırca, unknown; Çetin Altan, unknown; 17. NBC Nightly News 18. Submarine Channel; 19. Hatra Relief by Rumix on SketchFab; 20. Facebook; 21. Huffington Post; 22. Secret Garden © Johanna Basford; 23. Snoop Dogg, Pentagram; 24. 3M, Proximity Russia; 25. Volvo Cars; 26. Delfino Sisto Legnani; 27. TaxiFabric; 28. Hato Press; 29. IKEA; 30. IKSV, artist: Adrián Villar Rojas, photo: Kübra Büyükçizmeli; 31. NASA; 32. Bradley Secker
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