Consumers becoming Condemners.

I must say, the last couple of months the world seems darker every day. Myanmar, China, the financial crisis, Austrian incestuous grandfathers, you get my point.
(I'm not even talking about the internal Belgian political arena since it is too stupid for words, and most of all the rest of the world thinks 'Belgian' is something you just add to a chocolate brand anyway.)

Now, as much as I believe in the whole green & sustainable movement - hell, ELLE decoration did a feature about me as a 'big thinker helping to shape our eco-conscious future' - I realise the planet needs more then just being greener. (And thus the only way to survive, I know, I know).

But there is hatred out there, and you can't solve that with biodegradable utensils, wood pellets heating systems or solar panels.

Who bothers thinking about cradle to cradle when you have no cradle to put your child in?

Let alone know how to keep it alive with the food that you don't have?


Where are those Parisian May 68ers when you need them? I know, married, children left the house, just bought a Harley, and jealous of Sarkozy - not for being a president (Hey, Bush is a president too) but for having legally a naked Carla Bruni in your palace.

So maybe, maybe, we have a creative duty. I believe, as a creative community we have the moral duty to use our creative thinking not just for the brands we work for, or the pure commercial value of it. We also need to use that talent to reflect on our society and our surrounding, and create sustainable (in all means of that word) changes by doing so.
Organisations and governments, should not underestimate the power we can have.


1. Beijing 2008.

It has something noble, attracting the whole world, being the host to the biggest event on earth, to compete in an open and friendly environment. It has also a big marketing value for the hosting country, for current and future investments, and it has a true commercial value. They will make money of it, but that's because we teached them capitalism.
I won't go into the politics of it, but the Human rights issue in the country and the treatment of Tibet on the political front is clashing with the global Olympic thoughts. So. Bam. Enter the "ADanarchists" or the "CommunicationGuerilla" and hup. You're expensive logo is wasted and will never be the same. These were send to me via Facebook.




Or this one.



2. South Africa

Then my temporary adoptive country, South Africa. Remember my blog about being robbed in our house. I do remember it, every night, when checking the house, the electric fence, the inside and outside alarms. Back then, I wrote a piece about the fact that just that event send out a message that South Africa wasn't ready for the Football World Cup.

Here you have a country, that by brave men & women and a lot of courage (including the white minority who voted against apartheid...) has been changed radically, in 1994. The rainbow nation, as Mandela called it, was a fact.
And now, in the 'informal settlements' & townships (there are about 2 million people living in Alexandria alone) there is hatred. True hatred against people from another country. (Countries that helped the ANC, by the way). Beyond hatred, evil, or how else can you explain that human beings are setting other human beings on fire?

I believe the World Cup to be a blessing for South Africa. In view of perception, international credibility, investments... There was no other African country that has this kind of boost. The ANC, après-apartheid, received a lot of help and support also. But today, the country's leaders are ignoring the current threat. Even worse. The people responsible for the violence are ANC voters.



So in true ADanarchism style, I've changed the SA2010 logo. Notice how the football playing figure has changed into the poor burned victim of the recent xenophobic violence, a photo that went around the globe.

From a branding point (no pun intended) of view, South Africa and the 2010 event really need to work hard to correct an image that is getting more negative with every Facebook group, protest march, or negative blog. And it's not the messengers that need to be taken care of, it's the very origin of the violence.

If Beijing 2008 and South Africa 2010 both look at us as 'consumers & fans' they should be aware not to treat us as ignorant or naive consumers.
With the powers that we have, the blogs we write, we can be condemners.

Know about the Ad agency Ogilvy's Lovemarks theory? Sissies. Advertising has nothing to do with love and barbie and pink Romantics. It's a war out there.

Addictlab & Urban Forest in Design Indaba Magazine

Remade plastic trees


South Africa's second Open Lab was held recently at the Design Quarter in Johannesburg. Brainchild of the almost year-old local chapter of international creative think tank Addictlab, the event drew participation from local and international designers.

"South Africa should be more proud of its creative talent," says Jan van Mol, Belgian founder of Addictlab. The role call included Haldane Martin, Vlaemsch, Juventa, Michaelle Janse van Vuuren, Kensaku Oshiro, Clive Rundle, Kofifi, Amanda Laird Cherry, Tempest van Schalk, Darryl Gouwes, Emile Kotze, Melanie Brummer and Mtkidu.

Van Mol himself contributed the Urban Forest light installation. Consisting of objects shaped like irregular tree trunks and made from recycled plastic, the installation criticises the world's consumption attitude. The built-in LED lights can change colour depending on the atmosphere, soundscapes, seasons or any other emotions linked to the location of the forest or reason for gathering. The inside can also be used as drinks cooler, turning the light objects into a lounge accessory, guerrilla tool or design object.'


Go to Design Indaba

Addictlab:
#28 Research: eco-research

Go to Urban Forest Labfile

Look. I'm thinking of you.

Addictlab's most recent research (our #29th already!) is all about 'in.tangible.scape.s' (You might ask yourself : 'What's with the dots?' - or you might think we're actually really clever to have at least 4 meanings in one title...)

Most promising is the fact that Addictlab has been receiving support from some organisations that are not the least in their line of work...
Thanks to Giovanna Massoni's Lab Researcher activities resulting in collaborations with the MOMA, NY,
Design incubation Centre, Singapore,
Science Gallery, Dublin,
Philips, Netherlands
V2, Rotterdam,
Imec, Leuven
and Domus Academy, Milan we do are developing our labresearch more globally.


Now have a look at the following concept, send to us via the Design Incubation Centre from Singapore.


Roly Poly
Web 2.0 is changing the way people interact resulting in the emergence of a new social eco-system. This concept would like to address the unmet and undefined needs within this new social eco-system through the creation of robotic social tools. Roly Poly looks at the phenomenon of people living apart and examines gesture as a different mode of communication other than speech and text. Through gestures, one is able to transmit him/herself physically to the other party even when miles apart. Roly Poly connects two individuals in real time through a familiar gestural dimension. Roly Poly is a manifestation of how sophisticated robotic technology can be integrated into our daily lives as expressive and communicative social tools.

Ok, I do not think the playful 'Roly Poly' name is doing justice to the concept. But imagine how this concept allows for communication and interaction between people miles apart, in distance, or, why not, in time. It's romantic, or sad, depending how you look at it.
Of course, if you change the hardware you 're pretty close to having real virtual sex - but that is then the more tangible result of an in.tangible concept.



Labfile

Labmember from Indonesia: No cup please.

I know, I do feel privileged to be in contact with geniuses from all over the world. Here is a very fine idea, uploaded on Addictlab all the way from Indonesia. It's interesting because of its simple concept, but also its sustainable and ECO-potential, cutting away part of the consumers consumption process (and thus waste).


New labmember Chandy Widiastara has been doing research on instant coffee packaging. You won't need a cup, since the packaging changes function. Just add water, and hup. How instant can you get?


Thank you Roosydin Harris, to become our new Labambassador in Indonesia. If there are other people in other creative hubs out there, do not hesitate and join our labambassadors from Vancouver, Gent, Joburg, London or more. Have a look at Addictlab.
As a labambassador, you try to discover great local talent, and by linking them with Addictlab and have them register on our website, it is your energy that will make their work being published in one of our books, being exhibited wherever we can (or are invited), and being produced whenever we get a client/company looking for innovation.
Know anyone working at D'Ouwe Egberts or Starbucks or any other worthy Coffee , Soup or food brand? I'll be happy to make the bridge.
Jan


Labfile Cupchet