Redbox DVD

KIOSK: In late May McDonald’s unveiled plans to bring a taste of Hollywood to Denver by offering new release DVD movie rentals for just one dollar per night, plus tax. McDonald’s, long recognized for successfully bringing together the elements of food, lifestyle, and entertainment, is installing fully automated Redbox DVD rental machines in over 100 restaurants throughout Denver, giving customers […]

Sapphire Inspired

Trendwatching: So let’s start with a slew of what can now be considered ‘traditional’ pop-up BRAND SPACES, many of them of the fast-fashion type, eager to surprise either random passers-by or those select few who were in the know. Here’s a long list of spottings over the last 6 months or so (ammunition!), just copy and paste into your brand […]

Mobile Pet Grooming

Iconoculture: Pet hair out of control when owners don’t want to be? That’s the calling card for Aussie Pet Mobile, a franchise that home-delivers pet grooming services in a specially equipped van. With a grooming station at their door, owners can watch as their beloved furballs receive an in-van shampoo, conditioning, blow-dry and brush-out. Or Aussie Pet can solve pets’ […]

Sales Ranking

Springwise: We don’t mind spelling it out again: in an age of abundance, curators rule! Riding the CURATED CONSUMPTION trend in all its glory is Japanese Ranking Ranqueen, a Tokyo chain selling only the top 3, 5 or 10 items in a bewildering range of categories. Rankings are based on sales data from big Tokyo department stores and independent research. […]

Hidden Clues

MSNBC: Psstt. KFC wants to share a secret. No, not that secret. Colonel Sanders’ herbs-and-spices recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken is still safely locked away, but the chain unveiled a new TV ad Thursday that allows viewers to crack a hidden message if they play the spot back slowly on a digital video recorder or VCR. The gimmick is aimed […]

ChitterChatter Cellphone

Iconoculture: Hop-on’s ChitterChatter cellphone helps parents keep kids on a long leash – and within their virtual jurisdiction. The affordable, age-appropriate tot-tracker uses GPS tech, text messaging and graphical, one-touch buttons to pinpoint little ones’ locations within 300 feet in under a minute. Parents pre-program the speed-dial phonebook with emergency and family contacts and can choose to block numbers not […]

Night Delivery

Springwise: Kozmo! Urbanfetch! Food.com! Ordering a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and a video from your East Village studio in your underwear. Ah, those were the days! But as predicted, beautiful flowers now grow on the graves of many a failed dotcom. In Istanbul, After 9 started delivering stuff to demanding Istanbulites in need of urban necessities like condoms, beverages, […]

Net Videos TV

CNet: Dirty secret or not, the Web has long been a platform for downloading and watching pirated clips of television shows like “Lost” and “The Simpsons,” much to the chagrin of the television networks. But now TV producers are turning the tables, creating new shows around video clips culled from the Web. Bravo TV is among the pioneers of the […]

Retro Refrigerators

Gizmodo: If your crib is getting to be a little bit too modern-looking, now it’s time to funk it up a bit with some retro-refrigeration. Oddly-named Brit company Smeg is offering these old-fashioned refrigerators with a large selection of colors including those seen above. So if you’re looking to sing the praises of the Union Jack or want a refrigerator […]

Coolertising

PRNewswire: AquaCell Media, Inc., a subsidiary of AquaCell Technologies, has tapped into the fast-growing out-of-home advertising segment with their patented self-filling water coolers used as in-store “billboards”. AquaCell installs their unlimited-use water coolers free of charge for retailers so that they can offer their customers a refreshing shopping experience while simultaneously giving advertisers a unique way to reach their targeted […]