Daily nuggets of inspiration from the good folk
at Elmwood.
Want these delivered to your inbox?
Poke us back.
What comes to mind when you think of Absolut? Dark bars? House parties? Ads with clever wordplay? Chances are, the brand’s Swedish heritage isn’t top of the list.
But to get back to its artistically-inclined, sustainably-minded roots, Absolut has introduced a new premier vodka made with traditional Swedish techniques: Absolut Elyx.
Painstakingly handcrafted in tiny volumes, the concoction is distilled in a vintage rectification still, with copper columns, pumps and hand-forged pipes, and extra copper packets for even further purification. It’s made from only the finest Råbelöf-sourced wheat and blended with water from Absolut’s own natural underground springs.
The result? According to Absolut, all this hard work and meticulous attention to detail leads to an ‘outstanding vodka’ with ‘silky textures’ and a ‘clean, slightly fruity taste’. Perhaps best not to mix it with Coke.
ArtisanFood & drinkSpiritsSweden
+ Add comment – add yours
The direct-mail desk calendar. A tired old cliché if there ever was one, and certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Until now, and Hälssen & Lyon’s beautifully-crafted tea calendar, which they sent out to a few lucky business partners. Each removable day is a wafer thin slice of premium pressed tea leaves, which can be popped into your cup with hot water for the perfect daily brew.
Put the kettle on and watch the movie here:
Via. http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2013/the-halssen-lyon-tea-calendar/
+ Add comment – add yours
In London, we swipe in and out of the underground with an Oyster. In Hong Kong, they prefer to use an Octopus. So what do Rio Carnival revellers use? Beer cans, of course, thanks to official carnival sponsor Antarctica Beer. It’s an effective way to discourage drink driving during the famous Fat Tuesday celebrations.
Targeting subway stations in the hottest parts of the partying town, Antarctica set up turnstiles that would scan and accept your empty tinny instead of a ticket. They then donated the empties to a recycling organization. One thousand sozzled samba dancers an hour cashed in their cans for free travel, bringing down the number of drunk drivers caught by 43%.
Watch the ad for the Beer Turnstile below.
Via. http://www.psfk.com/2013/05/beer-turnstile-free-subway.html
+ Add comment – add yours
Starbucks continues to embrace the trend for individual retail spaces that reflect their environment, rather than homogenously branded venues that are the same in any city. Ever since their chief creative officer, Arthur Rubinfeld, was tasked to reimagine Starbucks stores, new and interesting outlets have been popping up all over the world.
These distinctive stores are most prevalent in Seattle, where Rubinfeld has championed repurposing with walls constructed of bike tyres and school chalkboards. But in future he plans to take up-cycling to the next level, as the company rolls out structures made from old shipping containers. It’s part of a greater push into drive-throughs, which CEO Howard Schultz is focusing on as a key growth opportunity. In fact, around 60% of all new U.S. Starbucks opening in the next five years will be drive-throughs.
Via. http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/06/news/companies/starbucks-container-stores.pr.fortune/index.html
CoffeeFood & drinkMobileRetailSustainability
+ Add comment – add yours
Mayonnaise isn’t just for sandwiches. At a supermarket in São Paulo, Hellmann’s used NFC technology to suggest new recipes to shoppers as they perused the aisles. (Thanks, Tim.)
When people placed a jar of Hellmann’s in their trolley, a specially-fitted computer tracked their movement around the shop.
It then recommended recipes they could pick up nearby – a summer salad with mayo in the fruit and veg aisle, and a fish bake near the fishmongers. If people liked the recipe, they could follow directions to each ingredient, or share it on social networks.
Around 45,000 shoppers took part in the Recipe Cart campaign, which – according to Hellmann’s – led to a 70 percent increase in sales.
Food & drinkPersonalisationRetail
