'A knife, a fork, a bottle and a cork.

That's the way we spell New York.'

I've been to New York quite a number of times, since I once started up Addict Inc there.
I even took my then Addict employees to sign their contracts in the restaurant on top of the WTC building.
It was called 'View on the World' and I thought that was appropriate for what I wanted to do with Addict.
Right vision, maybe. Wrong timing, for sure.
And I still remember Heather's email on 911: I saw the first tower go down.

I did go back after 9 11 to do a much apreciated New York Mutation Project , in a local art gallery, with contributions of artists from all over the world on the event.
Addict Inc didn't quite kick off, and I needed to focus on the main office in Belgium, but my love for the city remains.

The reason now is quite interesting. I'll keep you informed.

Bokke Fan Fest.

So the heat is on in my new adoptive country.
And no, it's not about politics this time. It's about a game, and clearly not one for sissies.

Tomorrow, South Africa takes on England in the World Cup Rugby Final, and - how appropriate for 30 sweaty entangled bodies with carved out muscles and dito six packs - it's in the City of Love, Paris.
Ok, everyone is entitled to some caring & love. And it's allowed on prime time TV.

From a branding point of view it's quite interesting, to see an audience turn in to 'brand' ambassadors.
The concept started ages ago, with Coca Cola's tactics to 'Paint the town red'. And, just recently, The German World Cup football 2006 Fan Fest showed how to properly do it.

Obviously, the media plays an important role, leaving its original informative task and turning towards entertainment providers and experience creators.

Christmas, Halloween, any season is good to create a through the line brand experience. Why not a rugby game?
So today and Saturday up until 21, when the 'Boks' take on England in the World Cup Final, South Africa will be green and gold. A perfect example of the WE TM theory I've published in the Ad!dict book on branding.
We plug into a group, unplug , and plug in another. So it's dynamic. Yet when plugged in, we want to be branded as a group as much as possible. If that means we have to paint our faces or eat green bread, we'll do so.




Some examples from the bizcommunity site. I do believe that addictlab's concepts on coloured chocolates would have fit in perfectly... We'll have to get ready for South Africa 2010.




Steers has come up with a new initiative in support of the Springboks called ‘Bok your Burger'. The restaurant will be running this promotion until Sunday 28 October 2007. Customers are urged to show their support for the Boks by ordering burgers served on green buns at no extra cost. The green buns taste no different to the normal buns and are just as tasty as the usual fare, the group has assured customers!

“We are really proud of the Springboks' fantastic performance at the World Cup and it will be great to see South Africans getting behind their team by joining Steers in this fun initiative,” says André Piehl, Steers' marketing director.




Douglasdale Dairy, in turn, will be manufacturing limited edition ‘green & gold' 2 litre full cream milk bottles, which will be distributed across Gauteng for the duration of this week. Milk products now have a gold lid and the usual white bottle has been changed to a patriotic green. The Douglasdale Dairy slogan ‘Go for Gold' has been printed on a sticker and it includes the word ‘Bokke' – the colloquial term used for the Springbok rugby team – which is positioned on the gold lid of every bottle and reads ‘Bokke go for Gold'.


“We produced a limited edition ‘blue go bulle' milk bottle pledging our support of the Blue Bulls as they went into the Super 14 final in May this year, and we could not keep up with the demand for these bottles from Blue Bulls supporters. So, why not support the Boks in the same vein as they prepare for the biggest game in four years?” explains Douglasdale Dairy's marketing manager Marina Hanson.

(BIZCOMMUNITY.COM)