Carrie Bradshaw isn’t the only
person obsessed with shoes. We live in a culture that is so in love with shoes,
we see them not just as objects to wear, but as objects to consume. Shoe-shaped
pastries and chocolates line up next to shoes presented in bowls that sit atop a
bed of macaroni, fitted on disembodied feet, refrigerated in ice cream tubs or
displayed “in action” on mannequins. In this changing marketplace, there is
nothing shy about staring at your feet, nothing weird about staring at someone
else’s feet and nothing embarrassing about putting a foot, so to speak, in your
mouth!
European products show humor can
go hand in hand with respect. Laughing with, not at consumers, is what counts.
Imagery and language tickle shoppers, while cutting to the chase and imparting
an immediate sense of what the product is all about. What’s not to like about a
beer called Babbelaar (blabbermouth) or shampoos and conditioners acknowledging
that every woman has more than one side, not to say personality? This is
another way to engage with consumers on a deeper, emotional level. And, wasn’t
it Charlie Chaplin who said: “A day without laughter is a day wasted”? Take it
from the master.
No breadth, all depth. That’s the best way to describe the emerging trend towards niche retailers offering highly specialized, comprehensive inventories focused on a single, narrowly defined product or service. Sure, there have always been locksmiths, bookstores, florists and the like. But these new One-Trick Ponies are dedicated to offerings you might not expect. For example, consider the Condomery, a store dedicated to – you guessed it – condoms (we might have named it the Rubber Tree, but Condomery is a fine name as well). Or, Klamboe, a store whose sole focus is mosquito nets. If you know anyone who’s THAT crazy about mosquito nets, please tell us. We’d love to meet them.
Pick a bubbly tulip...taste a bit of the Sun...sip some
abstract art. Beverage imagery in Europe is a world away
from that in the U.S.
The States tend to focus on drinking occassions and the social aspects of
imbibing. Or, as we might call it: the literal. The other side of the pond goes
more for complex visual metaphor, providing instruction, key product features
and brand attitude all at once. The benefit? Requiring a bit of interpretation
of these layers involves the viewer more deeply with the product and, to a
degree, makes them co-creator of the message and meaning.
Millions of dollars are spent each year on product naming. The objective? To create something that defines the brand, breaks through the noise, captures the mind and is remembered. We've had a generation of faux-scientific-pharmacological Latin root word mashups. We've had bizarre syllabic combo splatters in the effort to get unique and available URLs. Enough. Finally, we see emerging everyday words and clear communication returning to the streets of Europe and the US. Readers of Modernist poetry will appreciate this especially. It's always been about "le mot juste" -- the right word!
