A dollar and a dream

Bubbly moo
Sweet, fruity, fizzy milk in an aluminum bottle. Coca-Cola is testing Vio, a "vibrance drink," in NYC. Milk drinks have been big in Japan for a decade. Pepsi's introducing a yogurt-cola drink there now. (source: Iconoculture)

Low-carbon ice cream
Unilever, the world's biggest ice cream seller, has its scientists looking for a way to sell ice cream at room temperature and have consumers freeze it at home. Results TBD. (source: The Times of London, 8/24/09)

Greens swayed by greenbacks
Even consumers who consider themselves greens (of whatever shade), are most concerned with price when making purchases (59%). Only 8% are most concerned with the environment. 54% try to balance the environment with personal comfort. 10% always choose comfort. 26% say buying energy-efficient products is about the environment, while 77% says it's about lowering their energy bills. (source: Brandweek, 8/26/09)

Very long-term brand building
You thought IKEA was a place to buy stuff you assemble with Allen wrenches. Beijingers think it's a resort. It's always jampacked, but for the most part, people come to nap on the beds in air conditioned comfort, drink lots of free soda refills, take pictures, even bring carpenters to measure for cheaper knock-offs. Bring a date, bring the whole family, stay all day-the management won't kick you out. Though they've been open since 1999 and still aren't profitable, they're certain you'll become a customer eventually. (source: LA Times, 8/25/09)

Ad goggles
Research from the Kellogg School of Management shows that people are more receptive to advertising messages and more likely to purchase based on them if they see those messages when they're feeling a tad tired or run down. Not only is your immune system weaker when you're tired, but your immunity to marketing is as well. What they're calling "regulatory depletion" makes people feel more confident in their decisions and as though they've been thoughtful about making them. Down side: if they hate your ad, they'll also be more confident in not buying what you're selling. (source: Hispanicad.com, 8/20/09)

The New York State lotto jackpot is now 325 million dollars
(source: that huge digital billboard on I490 at Goodman St, this morning)

How sweet are you?
http://sugarstacks.com/ shows you cube by cube how much of the white stuff is in the foods and beverages you consume. 24.5 in a Coke Big Gulp. 17.5 in a 20 oz Sobe Melon Mango. Zowie. (source: Katie W)

Poof, you're hot
Need motivation to stick to your new work-out schedule? For $14.99 http://www.thinnerview.com/ will adjust your photo to show you at your goal weight. (source: Springwise, 8/26/09)

Monoculture
2/3 of all our calories come from just 4 sources: rice, soy, wheat and corn. Sounds hinky? Don't forget, pigs, cows, and chickens eat them, too. (source: NYTimes, 8/23/09)

Trade your '87 Dodge for a 335d
BMW and Cash for Clunkers. Odd couple. (source: Media Post, 8/26/09)
http://www.mediapost.com/media/?f=otlBMWcashclunk.jpg

I am where I shop
A new study shows that consumer loyalty is shifting from brands to retailers, especially ones that offer an experience, not just products. The researchers say the change is due to the vast number of brands vying for consumers' attention. (source: Fort Mill Times/Hartmann Group, 8/22/09)

Poke
36% of senior managers regularly monitor social networking sites to see what employees are saying. (source: Center for Media Research, 8/25/09)

Boxy but good
Saving lives for 50 years, the 3-point seatbelt, invented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin. 80% of Americans now buckle up vs 11% in 1981. (source: National Geographic, September 2009)

Turn on your heart light
The frog on this mango tree thought that Christmas light looked mighty tasty. After getting the shot, the photographer helped Hoppie hack it up.

Can I crash at your place?
Nobody likes sleeping on the floor. That's the premise behind Motel 6's new campaign to attract younger customers. Primary Wave music has selected 3 lucky up-and-coming bands who will enjoy 6 weeks of accommodations at the hotel chain. The bands are under no obligation to tweet or Facebook it, but Motel 6 figures they might just oblige. (source: USA Today, 8/26/09)

50 state project
50 photographers capturing the essence of 50 states in 5 images each. A work in progress. Use Firefox, it doesn't like Explorer. http://www.50statesproject.net/

Playing chicken with an F-150
Less than ½ of 1% of Americans bike to work. 40% say they would if they thought it was safe. 11% of bike accidents involve cars. The rest are cyclist who crash all on their own. One expert suggests that American cyclists who collide with cars tend to have much nastier accidents than their counterparts in other countries because we are natural risk takers. The logic being that if most Americans think it's too dangerous to ride, those of us who are out there are a touch kamikaze. I think the researcher drives. (source: US Census & Christian Science Monitor, 8/26/09) Build your own $399 fixed-gear here http://bikes.urbanoutfitters.com/ .