What's old is new again... Ping Pong

Within the brief spin of a few hours, I ran across 3 separate articles that mentioned something about Ping Pong. I thought that was odd. For me, Ping Pong harkens back to the 1970's basement or Nixon's Ping Pong detente.

Evidently, table tennis is all the rage among the smart set in NYC. Susan Sarandon, who has been the subject of the gossip rags for the past few days, is an investor in in a Ping Pong club in NYC called Spin. From what I can gather, Spin is like a more affordable, less snobby SOHO house that focuses on the classic table game. Spin's website describes its offering as " strikingly original artistic, athletic and social movement."

The New Century: The One That Crept Up on Us

I just discovered the musings of David Kamp of Vanity Fair and his provocative article, "The Summer of Death." Kamp asks why we became so involved in the passings of so many iconic figures this past summer. From Ted Kennedy and Walter Cronkite to Michael and Farrah, these were deaths that resonated beyond the mere People magazine cover. Kamp believes they were culturally signficant living links to past glories. The glories of the 20th century. Their passings are a wake-up call for us that time has moved on, as these icons pass from collective memory to wikis to be searched decades later. One of my memorable moments of this past summer is the shock I saw on a client's face when he learned John Hughes death was a leading blog post. He hadn't heard Hughes had died, until I told the story as part of evidence of the trend toward nostalgia. (the client was out of the country when Hughes died).

Kamp raises a very good question: how did it get to be the end of the decade so fast?I'm startled when my favorite radio station has a Saturday morning flashback from 1995. Or seeing a picture of the New Years Eve party I threw in 1999. At first blink, that doesn't seem all that long ago...

Kamp goes on to say the days of big, "shared" cultural moments that united us as a culture are over. He goes on to write that the uncertainties of living in the year 2009 creates the feeling in us all that this new century is on shaky footing. Gore Vidal also riffed and raged about in this territory this past week as well. Vidal says this is the end of the American Century. And when the new Empire, China calls in their loans--that seals the deal. But Vidal thinks we'll be better country, a better people when that day transpires.

Gee. Conjures up wistful feelings and the lyrics of "Twentieth Century Boy." Or to come full circle, how 'bout "Going to the Chapel." The lady in the pix above singing into the mic was Ellie Greenwich, famous songwriter from the bygone Brill Building era of pop hits.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/10/summer-of-death-200910

"Nowism": trend of the times

Trendwatching.com has identified a new mega trend, "Nowism." The desire to have it "now," has always been a key need, but technology makes it possible to have it real-time. People are embracing the now as never before. The lust to collect experiences and share them immediately is one manifestation of the trend at work (hello Facebook. hello my blog)

Mega Trend Defined:
NOWISM “Consumers’ ingrained lust for instant gratification is being satisfied by a host of novel, important (offline and online) real-time products, services and experiences.

Urban Dictionary takes a slight different approach to the phenomenon:
"The present, what you are feeling at this exact moment. A life style as well as outlook on life You are reading this right now. This is Nowism. What you do after this is in the future. This is now."

And the CEO of Radar Networks, Nova Spivack (who also created one of the very first Internet portals), blogged about Nowism this past May.

"I think these are just the beginnings of this movement -- a movement towards a subtle but major shift in the orientation of our civilization's collective attention. This is a shift towards the now, in every dimension of our lives. Our personal lives, professional lives, in business, in government, in technology, and even in religion and spirituality.I have a hypothesis that this philosophy -- this worldview that the "now" is more important than the past or the future, may come to characterize this new century we are embarking on."

Some pretty profound thinking by folk of superior intellect. Gee, that was the motivation for me starting this blog one year ago. I was living the trend, and didn't even k=now it!


http://novaspivack.typepad.com/nova_spivacks_weblog/2009/05/nowism-a-theme-for-the-new-era.html

Moms are Cheeky--When It Come to Little Butt Cheeks

I've never quite "separated." That's a key psychological stage of mom & child development, and that's how you might describe me as it relates to the new mom target market. I loved working in the new mom market for so many years. So when I see a new campaigns targeting new moms--I get curious. Huggies new multi-platform campaign has caught my attention. It's a wonderful example of interactivity and energy. The cheeky tone of the campaign is a refreshing departure from much of new mom advertising.

It's always amazed me how new moms are such a positive, energized group. When they are in their Mom-centricity mindset, they have a real appreciation for telling it like it is, yet few marketers have taken a playful approach in their communications. When asked to describe life with toddler, one of the biggest refrains I've heard is, "Hilarious." Playfulness is a top 10 trend for 2009 (Mintel), yet June Cleaver, sappy stereotypes continue to abound.

Kudos to Huggies on taking this very cheeky, playful campaign to new moms. It's hilarious!

The Color of the Year: Mimosa Yellow

Pantone’s color for 2009 is mimosa yellow, which showed up in various shades throughout the Kitchen and Bath show held in Atlanta over the weekend ."The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance. Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation" according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Mimosa showed up in various shades throughout the show. Sunbeam calls it “yellow pepper,” while Fiesta Dinnerware has “marigold," and added lemongrass, inspired by Michelle Obama’s inauguration dress. Others in the home industry note a new source of inspiration for color: HDTV and its vivid colors.“ Pantone chose the color because of these sobering times, believing yellow helps generate feelings of hope and optimism.

No wonder I've been seeing "yellow" on the covers of home mags and Pottery Barn. I thought it was a daring choice to go yellow for my boudoir last year. Guess that makes me "pre-trend."

More from Pantone:

"Best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. Mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. Look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue."

America: The Great ReSet

If you haven't read the March issue of the Atlantic: How the Crash Will Reshape America--listen to the author. Richard Florida, writer and theorist, was interviewed recently on NPR about how the global economic crash will reshape America. Highlights:

As America continues to move to mega regions, geographic corridors of economic vitality, cities that anchor mega regions, are the future. We simply cannot afford the expansion of suburbs, not because of money but the cost of time. Strategy: connect declining cities to mega regions (i.e., Detroit can become connected to Chicago and Toronto with high-speed rail).

Solution to economic recovery? Make housing and transportation cheaper. To thrive in the new knowledge economy? Stay competitive with a global geographic structure? Become less costly in time and economic resources. A reset of our economy will come from a new way of living. Suburbanization is the old model, fueled by the old industrial society (we bought cars, houses, refrigerators, based on this model.

Demand for new consumption in mega regions will come from high density mega regions, built on a new American Dream. Right now people are spending 50% of income for housing and transportation, when the mix should be 31-38% of income. The single family home is a privilege and a dream of the past. Renting will be the new economic reality, with a workforce that is flexible to be able to move where the jobs are--untethered by mortgages.

The world is not flat(aka Thomas Friedman). It's Spikey. These spikey regions account for 20% of world pop but represent 40% of GDP... and 9 out of 10 innovations.

Chicago is a mega region that will thrive. In the new era, "ChiPit"—runs0geographically from Chicago-Detroit-Cleveland-to Pittsburgh. Pittsburg is considered by Florida as a model, where it took a generation of civic and corporate vision and investment to bring the old industrial economy back. What about Detroit? Fabulous universities, Wayne State and U of Michigan—it will take a generation to rebuild assets. Back in the 1940's, Detroit was a top 5 US City. Today, it can’t has to reposition, and its great U's will be instrumental. Detroit has to connect with it’s mega-region hubs, like Chicago and Toronto. It will become a suburb to the metropolis, just like Wash DC has become a suburb or NYC. News and media from NYC relocated because it was affordable and easily connected to NYC, reigniting DC.

The future is now. Talented people who are mobile are going to geographic centers like Chicago—regional centers of the new knowledge-driven economy. I'm so thankful I'm a Chicagoan and urbanista! Yet I know as an ad guy, I helped fuel the last twenty years of consumerism. So where does that leave us, the ad industry, in terms of the Great ReSet?

Calling Aunt Bee: We've Gone Fishing

It's official: our leisure time is shrinking. The Harris Poll, tracking leisure since 1973, reports that in 2008, leisure hours dropped by 20%--to an all-time low of 16 hours/week. (vs. 1973: 26 hours).

Last year, Americans increased the work week by one hour. As our economy crashed, more reported spending time "just checking in" online. Looking at the top leisure activities, computer activities are reported as equal to fishing. There's an interesting theory that computer time is a netherland--perceived neither as work nor leisure.

Top Leisure Activities in 2008
#1 Reading (30%)
#2 TV (24%)
#3 Time with family (17%)
#4 Exercise (8%)
#5 Computer activity (7%)
#6 Fishing (7%)
#7 Going to movies (6%)
#8 Golf (6%)
#9 Walking (5%)
#10 Gardening (5%)

Urban Gardening

Fast Company profiles the trends of a renowned trendist I had never heard of....Lidewij Eldelkoort of Trend Union. One major prediction for the future is Urban Agriculture, where urban landscapes will produce food--perhaps even better food--than rural areas. This is already at work in small scale among some cities of the world. After a trip to Germany, Mayor Daley was inspired during to build bee hives on City Hall in 2003. The Paris Opera also has hives on the roof and a fresh fish pond in the basement.

Today in Chi-town, we can buy "Rooftop Honey" at the Randolph Street Farmer's Market. Just think, honey from flaura in the loop and lake areas. Experts consider the honey to be some of the best in the world, light and delicate in flavor.

The next "new" flavors?

The Hartman group predicts that these exotic flavors popping up at restaurants are likely candidates for new food products at supermarket. Hartman talks about how snacks seem to be an ideal entry point for new flavor profiles.

Which reminds me of a recent Rick Bayless TV episode, where he used his own flavor-infused oil, lightly brushed over store-bought tortilla chips and then baked in the oven. What an easy, yet customized trade-up from chips straight from the bag. This wreaks of a new product opportunity...