Tokyo Tours from CScout on BBC Fast:Track

Written by: Michael Keferl on July 2, 2009 at 7:06 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS | 1 Comment

Earlier this month we had the pleasure of spending the day with Rajan Datar and the crew of the BBC World business/travel show fast:track during their visit to Tokyo with Richard Branson.

Since the show expressed an interest in our Tokyo Trend Tours, a service we’ve been doing here since 2002, we planned a full day of locations and meetings that give a well-rounded view of what we do. We do tours and market immersions for professionals and globe-trotters alike, this time with a focus on a few of our favorites: The KDDI Designing Studio, Beams CULTuART, HP France, and Toppan. The idea was to show the power of mobile culture, fashion, and where they converge in the retail space.

It was also nice to find out that our friend Danny Choo was going to be featured in the same segment, which I believe we had once before on Attack of the Show. Funny how these things work out.

Many thanks to the BBC for a successful day, though I think I’m going to change my last name to “Keferi” since it seems to be the default misspelling/mispronunciation every time I do television!

Check out the video here on Yahoo. If you’re interested in inspiring yourself or your team with some time in Tokyo, from street-level trends, to nightlife, to boardrooms, feel free to contact us anytime.

Tags: Mobile, Press coverage, Retail
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
Other categories: No categories

Marc Jacobs QR Code from SET Japan

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 30, 2009 at 9:15 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | No Comments

Creative QR code innovators SET Japan, fresh off of their buzzworthy Louis Vuitton / Murakami QR code promotion, have now released a new edition for Marc Jacobs.

You can only access the new Marc Jacobs mobile site from a Japanese phone after scanning the code, but the code itself is worth it on its own. Quite amazing how nicely they can be designed while still remaining incredibly functional.

Tags: Marketing, Mobile, QR Codes
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Toy Cameras Take Tokyo

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 30, 2009 at 4:54 pm | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION | No Comments

The last few years have been a huge boom for toy cameras in Japan, tapping into both retro trends and the embedded camera culture of the country. Two companies are leading the charge: Lomography (the original reviver of plastic camera goodness) and Superheadz (the Japanese equivalent with its own offerings).

Last week was the 25th anniversary of the LOMO LC-A, the Russian model that started it all, with a surprisingly fun party at the Tokyo Lomography “Embassy”.

I was planning to go, but missed out on the party and am wishing I’d made it. As an avid user of my favorite Holga, Horizon, and Blackbird Fly cameras, it’s been great seeing this culture catch on among 20-somethings in Japan. Digital camera makers, by the way, could learn a lot from what’s going on here, especially from a fashion/design perspective.

Tags: Cameras
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Louis Vuitton x Mobage Town Make Branded Mobile Game

Written by: Rebecca Milner on June 27, 2009 at 1:27 am | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS | No Comments

Louis Vuitton Japan has created an original game for mobile web SNS and game portal site Mobage Town by DeNA. The free game, called Precious Cargo, will have a limited run from June 25th to July 7th. The simple puzzle game features a backdrop of the brand’s iconic monogram. Players try to line up the boxes with matching designs to clear the boxes, score points, and reveal images of Louis Vuitton products. The debut of the game is timed to follow up the opening of the Louis Vuitton “/underground/” concept shop that opened last month in Ikebukuro’s Seibu department store.

Trend Potential
Young potential consumers are given an opportunity to literally play around with the brand’s classic monogram. For many, the Precious Cargo game may be their first interaction with the brand—and Louis Vuitton endeavors to make it a positive and fun one.

Tags: Brands, gaming, Louis Vuitton, Luxury, Marketing, Mobile
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Bara-Iro T-Shirt Pop-Up Shop from McDonalds in Shibuya

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 14, 2009 at 5:20 pm | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS | 1 Comment

McDonalds seems to have much more creative leeway in Japan than elsewhere, perhaps due to the comfort level consumers have with marketing campaigns. The Quarter Pounder Shop is a great example…what would be seen as a cynical marketing ploy by many in the U.S. gets great press as an innovative new concept in Japan.

The Quarter Pounder campaign has evolved into another pop-up shop concept for a very limited time. The Bara-Iro (rose color) T-Shirt shop is a pop-up shop within a McDonalds, lasting only from June 11-16.

The Shibuya Center-Gai McDonalds has completely remodeled its second-floor eating area into a super-pink, t-shirt-selling wonderland. Customers who order Quarter Pounders receive metal “bara-iro” pins, but those who are a bit more bold can venture into the Bara-Iro T-Shirt Shop to purchase one of fifty different designs, all printed on rose-colored shirts.

Each shirt costs about $10 and is quite limited, as can be seen below. When we visited yesterday nearly half of the shirts were all gone already, and with a surprisingly large number of customers inside.

As mentioned previously, this seems like the type of campaign that wouldn’t get nearly the same reception in a major U.S. city. The cool factor would only arise twenty years later when hipsters started wearing them ironically, and by then it’s a bit late.

UPDATE: Our pal Andrew Shuttleworth snagged some video from another McDonalds t-shirt campaign in April, this time giving out free “Love & Beer” shirts (?).

Tags: Limited Edition, mcdonalds, Pop-Up Shops, Retail
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS