What is going on in terms of the first family and their fashion choices today is nothing short of fascinating from a brand (and socioeconomic and cultural) perspective. Michelle Obama is doing an amazing job of communicating her style, class and taste while portraying an accessibility and normalcy that people can relate to–and crave right now. The choice to dress the girls in J Crew (and J Crew’s wise support of it) is truly interesting.

Did J Crew just become America’s brand?

On a recent shopping trip to Mitsuwa, a chain Japanese grocery market in California, Christy found an interesting group of products that occupied a good portion of the local Japanese retail shelf. Promising to deliver an ‘authentic’ drip cup of coffee right to your desktop was a small, thin package no larger than one and a half inches wide and six inches tall. We thought it just might be brilliant idea!

We bought a box of five packets for eight dollars to try it out (click above for the step-by-step process). The most transformative part of the whole experience occurred when we bent the filter horizontally and ‘bam!’ the ground coffee, previously hidden, was revealed. The manufacturer tastefully glued the filter seam so it stays closed during transportation and ‘pops’ open when you bend it. The rest of the process was actually very intuitive as we added hot water and watched coffee come straight through the filter. It was a very good cup of coffee that may have been a bit expensive, but the experience rocked!

Are you on Facebook? Do you like hamburgers? You’re in luck.

Burger King has put forth its latest viral marketing experiment – The Whopper Sacrifice. The challenge asks you to ditch ten friends, and in turn, you receive a free Whopper. With the quick installation of the application on your Facebook profile, the Sacrifice is on.

In typical Facebook style, when you defriend someone, your friendship merely dissolves into cyberspace – no one is notified. Here’s the kicker with the Whopper Sacrifice: the name and likeness of the friend you ditch shows up in your feed, noting, for example, “John sacrificed Joel Kaplan for a free Whopper”.

While it’s a noteworthy concept, it’s also an ethical dilemma, reminiscent of high school days when, as Heidi Klum would say, “One day you are in, and the next, you’re out.” The campaigns tagline reads, “You like your friends, but you love the Whopper.” Over 230,000 have been sacrificed thus far.

While this creates a buzz around Burger King, the real question remains: is inflicting public humiliation really worth saving a couple bucks on a burger?

Here is an exercise for you. Match up the following celebrities and the brands you think they endorse.
(See answers below.)

Recently, the latest Lord & Taylor radio advertisement captured my attention. In the ad spot, style expert and TV personality, Robert Verdi interviews young women about their shopping experience at L&T. While not everyone will recognize Verdi’s name, fashion-conscious listeners will likely respond to the confidence and enthusiasm in Verdi’s voice as he appraises shoppers’ looks. As executives attempt to revitalize Lord & Taylor’s brand, the introduction of Verdi may be a wise choice.

Consider Applebee’s. Wanda Sykes may not be a gourmet, but I bet you know her voice and her now unforgettable line “Get it together, baby!” Let’s face it, you’re probably not going there for the fine dining anyway, but Wanda Sykes makes lunch at Applebee’s sound like fun.

How about Sam Waterston? When you hear his voice you will likely trust him even if you don’t know his name. Why? For many years Waterston has portrayed the noble Jack McCoy on NBC’s Law and Order. He sounds kind, honest and fatherly. Wouldn’t you take his advice? TD Ameritrade hopes you will.

And what about a Bud with George? I’m in.

(Answers: 1. D, 2. H, 3. G, 4. F, 5. C, 6. B, 7. A, 8. E)

Hilton housekeeping says, “Hello.”

None of the coolio hotels we like for our New York getaways could accommodate four guests in one room, but the Hilton on 53rd St fit our family and our budget.  Leaving our room on the first morning, we got a nice big “Hello” from every member of the housekeeping staff whom we passed in the hallway.  These employees were busy doing their work, but not too busy to look up, share a smile and wish us a good day.  By the end of our stay, we got to be fairly chatty together.  I don’t know if Hilton trains all of its employees to stop their work and greet the guests or if these folks were just personally inclined to put something extra into their job.  I do know that it made a difference for me.  Rule #3 of great service: Say, “Hello.”

Our good friend and colleague Lewis Gordon Pugh, an explorer and environmentalist, has launched yet another awe inspiring expedition to the North Pole. You may recall that Lewis was the first human to swim the North Pole, completing a 1km (0.62 mile) swim, in minus 1.7°C water. As he continues to raise awareness about the environmental and political threats in North Pole, his newest expedition, kayaking from Spitsbergen, Norway to as far North as possible, will certainly be just as impressive.

The purpose of Lewis’s journey is to document the loss of sea ice due to global warming and to remind the world of the crucial role that Arctic regions play in our ecosystem. As the ice depletes, new shipping routes are being created, further opening up this fragile region for oil exploration. Political tensions are also escalating, as many nations are staking claim to the newly exposed territory. To keep up with Lewis’s expedition, please check out the Polar Defense Project.

Lewis also spoke at our last Green Design Event here in Boston. Check out the video of his presentation here.

AMC’s acclaimed TV series, “Madmen”, is an interesting comparison to today’s Ad agencies and Brand Consultants. If you’ve never seen the show, it’s set in 1960s New York and follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising. On the recent Episode 4, the execs of Sterling Cooper Advertising are preparing for a big pitch to American Airlines. I was struck by something that Don Draper, the lead creative exec, asked his team: “Did you design the menu yet? Did you pick out a china pattern?”. Really? I thought. Did Ad agencies get into those types of touchpoints? It seems that Sterling Cooper was selling more than just an ad campaign, and actually an immersive brand experience.

In the 1960’s, there were no “brand consultants”. As the market became more saturated in the 80’s & 90’s, more firms began to specialize in areas outside of advertising (identity, packaging, environments). This caused companies to divvy up their brand touchpoints and assign them to several different firms. Now we’re in a time where a holistic brand image is more valuable than ever. Perhaps Sterling Cooper’s integrated approach can teach us that blurring the lines between Advertising and Brand Experience is crucial to a Brand’s success.

On a recent flight to my homeland (New Jersey) I discovered that my Jetway experience was sponsored by HSBC. As my plane was taxiing to the gate, I noticed out my window that every Jetway had an HSBC logo on it. I thought this was great; maybe I would have a more immersive Jetway experience. I didn’t.

HSBC didn’t deliver on the promise of a branded Jetway. A few travel-inspired posters joined the bank vaguely to the jetway occupants — travelers — but the connection was pretty tenuous. Seeing the logo on the exterior of the Jetway while readying yourself to make the big push and then rushing past advertising on your way to your connection or meeting, you do not make the link.

I am vaguely familiar with HSBC. I know they are some type of bank. But, to most people they probably think they are Jetway manufacturers. It seems to me like HSBC and Continental both missed an opportunity.

Obviously with fuel prices at an all time high and air travel down, airlines are attempting to squeeze out a penny from every possible source. Airlines can generate a lot of revenue selling off naming and sponsorship. Although HSBC is not sponsoring Continental or my flight, the act of sticking a logo an integral part of the traveler’s experience is a step in that direction.

I can’t wait until my seat is brought to me by La-Z-Boy, my headphones by Sony, and the greasy stuff coming out of the hinge on my tray table by WD40. And that cheery smile as your flight attendant wishes you good day: thanks to Crest!

I keep waiting for the time when I can say the “Made in China“ stigma is over. I feel that day is getting closer, but it’s a lot like the wait for that up and coming part of town, that has been getting better for the past 10 years, to get better. We all recognize that US manufacturing has had to address the off-shore challenge. Even the venerable precision toolmaker and machinist brand, L.S. Starrett - made in America since 1880, has come to terms with this and it is making products in Asia.

At what point is “Made in China” going to be acceptable? According to Steve Jobs, it’s acceptable for products to be made in China as long as they are “Designed by Apple in California.” However, this just adds to the lower quality perceptions. Finally, a company like container manufacturer Zevro comes along, makes quality products, and challenges the origin story in an interesting way by spinning it to, “Made with love in China.” Will efforts like this counter the inferiority complex? I personally feel they will, and as more companies begin to get over it, so will the consumers.

A friend of mine sent me a link to Kevin Atkinson’s video work, and then, a few days later, I spotted the same “method artist” on a blog that I read regularly. He seems to be getting a lot of attention.

I don’t know too much about programming or coding (well, who am I kidding…I don’t know anything!), but I thought the real-time visual effects were pretty fascinating. With endless editing capabilities at our disposal, it’s refreshing to see some one programming for live applications (ie public art instillations, concerts, nightclubs).

From what I picked up on his blog, Kevin writes 2d equations that cause the video to simulate things like waves, fun-house mirrors, water, and pixel balls. That’s the best explanation I can give, so if you want more information, check out his blog.