NORTHERN PLANNER

South Africans are thinking twice about buying a pirated copy of the next Pirates of the Carribean film. TBWA Hunt Lascaris has hired street corner hustlers to sell fake pirated DVDs, according to this story. You get a few seconds of Robin Williams, then all you get is: "Thank you for buying this DVD. Your R40 has been donated to the Anti Piracy Foundation. Piracy is a crime." To get over the resentment of being had, local cinemas will actually accept the fake DVD’s in exchange for a cinema ticket to see the real thing.

Really smart strategy. Goes straight to the moment of truth, that point when you wait for your film to load up on the player, and encourages you to experience the alternative without losing any more hard earned cash.

I’ve been uploading some shots and found this. Nothing stops surfers doing what they love, even when it’s this cold. When the tourists disappear in winter it means more space to surf.
You see people wrapped up in winter woollies, yet surfers are still running all the way down the hill, and across the beach, as if they can’t stand to miss a single wave they don’t have to.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to find one thing you love doing tha t much

I love Edward Monkton, and not just because he creates charming books that are witty, funny and endlessly entertaining. He’s also got a great understanding about the way people think and behave. A lot of what agencies do is about saying a lot simply; this snapshot demonstrates the difference between men and women better than a thousand words ever could.

We won a pitch for these guys recently. I really enjoyed it for two reasons. Firstly, there was loads of research that had just been sitting there. All it needed was someone to make the connections

It really showed what planning’s for. You can have as much research data as you like but it’s pretty useless if no one turns it into something interesting. It was great to see the creatives grab hold of the brief and turn it into some fantastic work.

The second thing was that I have no idea about DIY, but I can’t stop wanting to play with all the tools.

On the subject of setting the agenda,  here’s some scary stuff about trans fats. They are artificial, they last longer than normal oil, but the body can’t process it. How would consumers react if they knew how much they were imbibing, and what it does?  How much would they appreciate a food related brand standing up for them? It’s not a big issue in the UK, but there’s some territory to be gained for the brand that makes it one.

Sales of Fairtrade products rose by 40% this year. No wonder supermarkets are replacing price with ecology as the new selling point for winning loyalty ( In yesterday’s Guardian). A good example of how consumers can make even the biggest companies change if they tell them forcefully enough. Imagine the possibilties for a supermarket that had set the agenda instead of echoing the trend when it became too big too ignore.Full article here

The big chains all want to be green grocers – but it’s nothing to do with that inquiry

Ecology replaces price as the selling point that aims to win shopper’s loyalty

Julia Finch, city editor
Thursday May 18, 2006
The Guardian

One day last week the motorways were impassable, so I took the train. It went through loads of places I’ve never been to and probably never will, just like most marketing teams and boardmembers. It reminded me that a planner’s job isn’t just to make brands relevant to people, it’s also about bringing the opinions and lives of real people into boardrooms.

I got talking to one of our creatives about this. He told me about a new homes client that was convinced people loved his houses. They got him to watch consumers rip his enthusiasm to pieces in a focus group and he transformed his business.

On the other hand sometimes it’s simple. My gym is next to a nightclub called ‘Evolution’ (three for two for Turboshandies on a Wendesday – you get the picture). I saw this poster outside. Why complicate things further?