Like steroid-pumping weightlifters at an academic dinner party, the traditional auto show muscle car stars are looking more than a little out of place. At least that’s the report from the 2009 Canadian International Auto Show. This is the kind of event where auto makers roll out their flashiest new ...
The ultimate recession-proof claim: “Our products actually won’t poison you!”
One by one, news stories are surfacing that are waking consumers up to the fragility of the globalized manufacturing chain. In China, melamine-tainted milk was responsible for six babies dying and some 300,000 cases of kidney infection. In Canada, the federal government recently placed on its list of toxic substances ...
Recession killing your high-end products? Try marketing your junk.
I was wandering blissfully through my local supermarket when a magazine caught my eye. ‘Junk Beautiful’ it proudly proclaimed. And with its clean, well-styled photography, and a decent design, this magazine/DVD bundle actually does fair justice to its title. What’s more, it has lessons for any company that is facing ...
A font that saves toner?
You copy on both sides of the paper. You don’t print your e-mails. You pour reclaimed rainwater water through old coffee grounds. BUT YOU CAN STILL DO MORE!! Yes, until you consider how many grains of toner you waste on each and every letter you print, you are not worthy. ...
“Houston, we have a problem.”
Here we are, floating blissfully through our Universe, as the Christmas Star begins its annual glow overhead. Suddenly, warning lights begin to flash on the dashboard of Spaceship Earth, and a disembodied mechanical female voice bleats its irritatingly calm countdown of doom … “Warning… Waste disposal systems on overload. Bulkhead ...
Organic Wines for a Tighter Christmas
Well, Dear Readers, I am happy to report that the selection of affordable and palatable organic wines seems to be on the rise, and the whole organic section at my local full-service BC Liquor Store (8th/Cambie in Vancouver) appears to have grown. (Note to international readers… our Canadian Province has ...
Can we save recycling with marketing?
The global financial meltdown has hit the green movement hard, right here in our back yard. Everything that goes into your blue box for recycling is sold to mills, usually offshore, who process it and sell it to the factories that make the cheap consumer goods we love. This works ...
What’s the Green Deal with London Drugs?
This summer, a new green growth quietly sprouted at London Drugs. ‘What’s the Green Deal?’ is a program that puts environmental and sustainability information on display, with in-store signage, flyer features and even a new web site – www.greendeal.ca. (Full disclosure – Unicycle Creative was the consultant employed to help ...
Applied Arts awards my trash!
Well, Dear Readers, I have managed to parlay my recycled office paper business cards into a coveted Applied Arts Advertising & Design Annual award in the category of best logo usage. AA is a highly respected magazine profiling the finest design, advertising, photography and new media from across Canada and around ...
Want to make public transportation more popular? Think Underground.
One of the big drawbacks with public transportation is that it just isn’t cool. Unless, of course, you’re in London. Here, tourists gladly shell out 20 bucks for t-shirts featuring their favourite stations, coffee mugs with the Underground logo and everything from umbrellas to boxer shorts featuring – get this ...