Straight, no chaser.

The verdict is still out on Dixon's new ad campaign created by M&C Saatchi in London. I think it works because it touches on a real valuable consumer insight - people love the physical shopping experience, but yet know that the best deals will be had online.

However this doesn't necessarily mean that most people will browse in high-street shops and then go home and order their desired items on the lowest bidding site. The reasons for this may vary, sometimes the relationship and trust factor weigh heavier than price, sometimes not.

I know that I much prefer the experience of renting a movie in a small, local independent video shop, even if it is more expensive, than on Tesco.com or Lovefilm.com. I enjoy the conversation with the movie buff at the register and discovering titles I may have never heard of otherwise. I like holding the DVD case, seeing the images, reading the synopsis and talking to other people in the store. I enjoy strolling down aisles and perusing movie titles that are ordered in interesting ways (and not to mention easy to find - if you're looking for a film at Tesco.com, new releases will also include old movies that have just been released on DVD or Bluray, which clutters the space and drives me mad) - from staff picks to foreign new releases, to movies segmented by directors and actors. The online experience pales in comparison. So in this instance, cost isn't the main factor in my decision-making process.

That said, I think the Dixon's campaign is brave and honest. It taps into human purchasing behavior on one level, but in order to really increase sales or drive traffic to the Dixon's website, Dixon's must deliver on their promise of price, as it recognizes that its in-store experience isn't what it should be (otherwise why would people prefer to window-shop in Selfridge's or John Lewis?).

One thing the campaign doesn't account for is irrationality. Some people may rather pay more for perceived (whether actual or real) value. Is shopping at Dixons.com much better than their in-store experience? Or does it not matter since it's cheaper? Do people trust the Dixon's brand? Would they be willing to pay more for the relationship and shopping experience? Or does it all come down to price in a quasi-post recession?

I'm not sure what the answers are, I suppose we'll have to wait and see if there is any correlation between honest messaging and increased traffic/profit margins. Whatever the outcome may be, I appreciate the copy and candor of the campaign. More on the Dixon debate here and here.

What do you think?

Viral Remix

100 Greatest YouTube Hits in 4 Minutes



Via Huffington Post.

Masters of the Universe (live & in Shoreditch)

It's hard to avoid the topic of fashion (not that I necessarily want to avoid the big shouldered, studded and chained biker jacket, corset inspired spreads, but it ultimately gives my wallet an anorexia type complex), so in the spirit of London's Fashion Week, I give you Adrian Riemann's fabulous Masters of the Universe make-overs:

Digital Tent

I got a chance to soak up the last days of London Digital Week at the Tent London over the weekend. It reminded me a bit of the Biennale - perhaps it was the mix of design and digital housed in this space. There was a lot going on, but three exhibits in particular stood out. I suppose the intersection of digital and physical spaces is nothing new, but the way in which the two collide and intertwine make me think that soon enough that separation will be mere semantics. It's not just the way technology will be embedded in our physical spaces, but how we interact with it, the way it may overlay and mesh with everyday functions. My mind went off on a few Space Odyssey tangents, as this small show had some mind expanding catalysts.

Lights and Shadows by WOW: a wide screen nine meters in length captured the spirit of Tokyo city.









Go Scan Yourself: Apparently it wasn't intentional and was rather due to budgetary constraints, but I loved the way you could scan yourself and then see the image displayed shortly thereafter on an old funky 1980s TV set.




Troy Abbott's Nano Cages: All Digital Beauty. No Mess or Mortality, presented the only types of budgies I'd ever like to see in cages: the digital kind. Strange and surreal videos of birds moving in colorful cages got my attention at the Tent.

Moby Dicks

the great white frontier
like a vast eternal sea
my pen the mahogany wood speck
in the middle of sameness
the crisp page
like a smooth Pringle chip
I, like a drunk driver, waiver here and there
creating ripples,
leaving crumbs that resemble dust clouds
we are always journeying
albeit at different speeds
if you listen real close
you can hear the engine purr
depends where you're headed
I can see it now
360s in parking lots
the majority of us
circling
like great whites
forever moving in a frantic prosaic style
just to stay alive
motivated by fear and safe boredom
the tension between the two mount
like music in a horror movie
before the kill
and if i listen closely
i can hear the hum