Which one is new?

Two versions of packaging for Shoppers Drug Mart Life Brand hair gel

Brands change their packaging all of the time. These days the main reasons seem to be to refresh the logo, or to reduce the packaging size, while keeping the price the same.

In this case Shoppers Drug Mart changed the look of the packaging, but kept the size the same.

I realized that I had two different packages at home, but had no idea which was the new version.

It turns out that new version is the one of the left. The font and text size have changed but the biggest change is that the new Life Brand logo is bigger and round.

This latte is only $1.00, and that should be warning enough.

Sign announcing the new $1.00 latte at 7-Eleven, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

7-Eleven has had cheap coffees before. For a few weeks all sizes of poured coffees were $1.00. Now the $1.00 price point has been extended to lattes.

You do tend to get what you pay for. I will try this coffee, but I don't have high hopes.

Fresh ground and fresh milk are a start, but for a real latte I'd be looking for fresh roasted and well made, two elements that are not mentioned.

Perhaps I should not be so sceptical. This coffee might be quite acceptable. Perhaps, but I think rather unlikely. I'll report back at the end of the week.

Does anyone still collect bugs?

IKEA advertisement, "The Textile Kingdom", transit shelter, Vancouver, BC

IKEA advertisement, "The Textile Kingdom", transit shelter, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

These used to one of the mainstays in museums, large boards with insects pinned to to them.  We would see the dead butterfly in all of its colourful glory.

Despite the fact that this form of insect collection seems to have gone out of favour, there are probably enough baby boomers around that recognize the principle. Of course the key question is are there enough younger consumers around who will get the joke? Or will they see this as an invitation to animal cruelty?

Do you need to tell everyone what you have? It can't hurt

Sign outside the Canadian Tire store, Cambie and Seventh, Vancouver BC

Sign over the front door, Canadian Tire, Cambie and Seventh, Vancouver BC

For the past month of so Vancouver has been in the midst of a record breaking heatwave and dry spell. (Well, some would call it a drought.) The temperatures have been well above average and the rainfall spectacularly below average.

Give the heatwave it is not surprising that there has been a HUGE run on fans and air conditioners. Many stores stocked up only to sell a few weeks of stock in days or sometimes hours.

This location stocked up and has plenty of inventory on hand. In a city where the population is desperate to get cool, there is no downside in telling consumers that you can meet their needs.

It is not a very fancy sign, but sometimes the best communication is the simplest.

His bicycle donor should be upset

Bicycling Magazine, August 2015 issue, Page 60

Bicycling Magazine, August 2015 issue, Page 60 (Detail)

Matthew Portell is engaged in a noble endeavour, He delivers books to children. He founded a charity Ride for Reading that collects donated books and distributes them by bicycle. According to the article "Trek donated a Transport cargo bike a few years ago".

Great. Full marks to Trek for supporting reading. The problem is that the only brand name I see in the photo is Specialized on the rear bicycle tire. (And Trek and Specialized are fierce competitors.)

A missed opportunity all round.

High traffic and high use can equal high damage and should equal high maintenance

Soap dispenser, McDonald's, Main and Terminal, Vancouver, BC

Broken soap dispenser, McDonald's, Main and Terminal, Vancouver, BC

Honest, I'm not completely obsessed with the maintenance of bathrooms in the hospitality industry, but when I see stuff like this I have to comment.

The McDonald's at Main and Terminal in Vancouver is probably one of the busier locations in the Lower Mainland. It is also adjacent to one of the dodgier parts of town.

As a result the restaurant get lots of use from patrons with "issues". The fact that the bathrooms get lots of wear and tear is not a surprise, but the lack of repairs and maintenance is a bit disappointing.

Any link between editorial and advertising? A cynic might say so.

Bicycling Magazine, August 2015 issue
(Note the line at the top of the cover "The Fastest Road Bike Ever Made")

The latest issue of Bicycling Magazine features twelve pages of advertising and five pages of editorial coverage on a single bicycle, the Specialized S-Works Venge

The line on the cover, "The Fastest Road Bike Ever Made" is actually not the title of the article. The line on the cover is a statement, while the title of the article, "The Fastest Road Bike in the World?" is a question.

Bicycling Magazine, August 2015 Issue, Pages 114-115

The twelve pages of advertising are filled with beauty shots of elements that, according to Specialized, contribute to this bicycle being so fast. Frame, wheels and tires, helmet, clothing,  and shoes.

Bicycling Magazine, August 2015 issue, Pages 62-63

Bicycling Magazine, August 2015 issue, Pages 70-71

The article expands on the features that are listed in the twelve pages of advertising, and also includes the results of some testing.

Is this bike revolutionary? That remains to be seen. It is certainly different, and the combination of the frame and components probably makes it faster than previous models.

For me the central thorny issue is the possible perceived connection between Specialized's spending on advertising, twelve pages in a 152 page issue, and the five pages of editorial coverage that this bicycle received.

I'm not saying that it is a quid pro quo, but some cynics might come to that conclusion.

What the heck does this mean?

Sale sign in the window of Boboli, Granville Street, Vancouver, BC

Is this the "1% sale"?  Or perhaps the "I Love Sale".

The regular customers will know about the sale in advance, but the signs is in the windows are intended to attract the passing foot traffic. Confusing signs like this probably don't have the desired effect.

Signs that confuse the customer might as well not even be there.

Excess capacity, but not where it is needed

Toilet paper holder, public toilet on the main floor, Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

Toilet Paper holder, guest suite, Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

At the Hotel Vancouver the bathrooms in the guest suites have a holder for two rolls of toilet paper, while the public toilet on the main floor has a holder for one one roll. Given that the toilets in public spaces get a lot more use than those in the guest suites, this does not make a lot of sense.

Unless of course this is a way of ensuring that the public toilets get regular checkups. Or perhaps the single roll reflects a fear of toilet paper theft from the public toilets.

Either way, someone coming in to use the toilet on the main floor should not be faced with an absence of paper. Either put in more capacity per stall, or inspect and refill more often.

There is a simple way to prevent this problem

Garbage bin, food court, City Square, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Garbage bin, food court, City Square, Vancouver, BC

How hard should it be to prevent customers from throwing your trays in the garbage? This begs two questions.

1. Why would customers think that the plastic trays were single use items that should end up in the bin? 
2. Why do you have a bin opening that is big enough to fit a tray?

McDonald's solve this problem by using bigger trays and having a smaller opening at the top of the garbage bin. As a result there is no way that the consumer can throw away their tray.

Garbage bin, McDonald's, Vancouver, BC

Garbage bin, McDonald's, Vancouver, BC

A simple solution to a profit-reducing problem.

How long should this take?

Partially rebranded Future Shop/Best Buy store, Granville and Robson Street, Vancouver, BC

On May 28, 2015, all of the Future Shop locations in Canada were closed. The owner, Best Buy, announced that some of the locations would re-open under the Best Buy banner.

Why has this not happened? Apart from the staff uniforms, what else has changed? The sign outside this store still says Future Shop.

Future Shop sign above the Granville Street entrance, Granville and Robson Street, Vancouver, BC

Future Shop on the side of the building, Granville and Robson Street, Vancouver, BC

If Best Buy can't be bothered changing the branding of the stores, why did the firm both to trash the Future Shop name? Has the store changed, or was this merely a way for Best Buy to cut its advertising costs in half? How much longer will this changeover take?

I was the first customer in the new Dior store in Vancouver

Men's wear department, Dior retail store, Hotel Vancouver, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

Men's wear department, Dior retail store, Hotel Vancouver, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

Display window, Dior retail store, Hotel Vancouver, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

Display window, Dior retail store, Hotel Vancouver, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

Opening a new store is a complicated proposition. For a firm with high standards it can be especially challenging, and that is compounded by the fact that this store is located in a building that is almost 100 years old. (And you can imagine the problems that emerged as the renovations peeled back the layers on 80 years of well-used infrastructure. That is what delayed the opening by three weeks.) The cleaners were still working feverishly only minutes before the 10:00 am opening.

The store is beautiful. The artwork, furnishings, and fixtures are top class. The visual presentations are among the best I've ever seen in a retail store. The staff are well trained and attentive.

Regardless of whether you are a likely customer for the merchandise, the whole shopping experience in the Dior store is terrific. I highly recommend a visit.

Only three weeks late

Sign in the window of the Georgia Street entrance, Dior retail store, Hotel Vancouver, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

East entrance, Dior retail store, Hotel Vancouver, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

South entrance, Dior retail store, Hotel Vancouver, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

Dior has been promising Vancouver consumers a retail store since late winter of 2015. The sign in the top picture, on the Georgia Street entrance, said "Opening Spring 2015". The problem is that Spring finished on June 21st, and the store won't open until today, July 14th.

I wonder what kept the store from opening on time? The company appeared to have lots of time to meet the deadline. I'll have to ask the staff and see if I can get an answer.

Surprise! A genderless toy.

Minions toys distributed with McDonald's Happy Meals, Vancouver, BC

McDonald's has been dividing up its young customers by gender for years. The Happy Meal includes a toy, with different toys for boys and girls. The boys got one toy, with the girls getting another. The boys' toy was usually a vehicle or weapon, while the girls' toy was pink or purple and was more likely to be an animal.

The Minions movie has appeal with children that knows no gender boundaries, and hence there is a single choice of toy to accompany the Happy Meal.

Good move, and I hope to see more of these non-gender targeted toys. Perfect for a little girl who plays with Barbie, Bratz, LEGO, Meccano, and Minecraft.

The plastic in the pen is recycled, but is the pen recyclable?

Pilot B2P pen display, Vancouver, BC

Lots of firms have jumped on the recycling bandwagon. From clothing to office supplies, firms are finding ways to build their green credibility.

Some products; glass, metal, and paper, are easy to recycle. Other materials, most commonly plastics, are often much more difficult. Part of the problem is mixed materials in the plastic items, the other is a lack of labelling. Larger plastic items are usually labelled with the relevant recycling number, while smaller items lack the necessary recycling symbol.

Plastic Recycling Symbols
(Source: http://joyfusions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Joyfusions_ManukaHoney_Recycle.jpg)

Which brings us to these new pens from Pilot. While the pens may be made from plastic bottles, there is not really any mechanism to recycle the pens themselves. But if Pilot was really serious about recycling and the environmental toll of all of these pens then perhaps a different type of product might be better. Instead of a single-use pen that is made from recycled water bottles, how about a pen that uses a replaceable refill? That should lower the cost for consumers and keep thousands of pens out of the waste stream.

It is not enough to use recycled materials, redesigning products to reduce the environmental impact is a better approach. I wonder when firm's like Pilot will start to look at the complete environmental impact of their products.

What colour should a fire hydrant be?

Fire hydrant, Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC

The District of West Vancouver is repainting its fire hydrants. These hydrants have been around for decades. At one time they were all red. (You can see some spots of red paint where the white has flaked off.) Then the bodies were painted white while the caps remained red. Now the colour is returning to all red.

Red has long been the colour associated with fire departments, despite the fact that in low light red can sometimes be hard to see. In many jurisdictions new fire trucks are yellow rather than red. (This is evidently due yellow vehicle's higher visibility which leads to fewer vehicles being involved in accidents.)

I think that the red and white combination is actually easier to see than all red. But it seems that the District has spoken and red it is. I'm sure the traditionalists will be happy.

Who is organizing this and when is it happening?

Save Our Sound poster, Bowen Island, BC

Howe Sound is at the risk of being re-industrialized. Mines and an LNG terminal are evidently in the future for Canada's southernmost fjord.

So, some group has decided that a big flotilla of boats should make a scene in the sound and generate some noise and publicity.

The problem is while this poster tells me what to do, it does not tell me when this event is happening, who is organizing it, or when to go for more information.

A lost opportunity.

Who would place this advertisement today?

Papa Enterprises advertisement on Facebook
(Source: http://www.facebook.com)

I saw this advertisement on my Facebook page this morning. My first reaction was, "that has to be one of the most boring ads I've ever seen". My second reaction was, "is this firm insane?" This is today's weather forecast.

Vancouver weather forecast for July 7, 2015
(Source: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/canada/british-columbia/vancouver)

The daily high temperature in Vancouver has been in the high 20s/low 30s for over a week. Due to forest fires on the Sunshine Coast and north of Whistler visibility in the Lower Mainland is almost non-existent and the air quality is dreadful.

But as most heating firms also offer cooling and air conditioning equipment, I thought that perhaps the ad link would take me to a page full of heat pumps and air conditioners.

Papa Enterprises website
(Source: http://www.papaenterprises.com/heating/)

But no, the page is all about heating. That makes no sense at all. And given that we are at the beginning of July, and this is the forecast for the next seven days, I can't see anyone having the remotest interest in heat for at least a couple of months.

Seven day weather forecast for Vancouver, BC
(Source: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/canada/british-columbia/vancouver)

Would it be possible to make the gender stereotyping a little bit more obvious?

Spin Master's Kinetic Sand sets, Michael's, Vancouver, BC

My daughter plays with dolls, she also plays with LEGO. She has a pink bike and a blue bike. (The pink bike is now too small and we will be passing it along to a friend.) Some days she wears pink, other days she wears blue. She does not adhere to the stereotypes that the market seems keen to impose on her.

At school she has played with Kinetic Sand and recognized the name on these packages. She would be happy with either of them.

Why do toy brand feel the overwhelming need to "pink" the toys that they aim at girls? And it is not just the toy companies, in many other areas brands that target women just "pink it and shrink it". For many years the bicycle business was notorious for this.

How very condescending. Next time I hope that Spin Master, the manufacturer, produces a set of purple Kinetic Sand with pirates, princes, and princesses.

When did orange become the new sale colour?

Sale sign, Banana Republic, Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC

Sale sign, Banana Republic, Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC

Sale sign, RW and Co., Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC

I was in Pacific Centre last week and saw two store with orange sale signs in their front windows. Red used to be the colour that most retailer used to indicate that items were on sale. But in the past year or so orange has become a much more popular colour among retail brands.

In banking orange is the colour of Tangerine, formerly ING, and also the colour of Joe Fresh.

But among the traditionalists, both retailers and consumers, I think that we will continue to see red as the colour associated with sales.

The show that killed Livent?

Advertisement for The Lion King, Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

It is the late 1990s in New York city. On Broadway two entertainment giants are going head to head in a battle from which only one will emerge alive. (Yes a cliche, but true, at least for Livent.)

Livent had enjoyed some a great deal of success with a revival Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Donny Osmond, and a somewhat controversial revival of Showboat.

The new show was Ragtime, based on the book by E.L. Doctorow. After a successful tryout in Toronto, and a year of tweaking in Los Angeles, the show was going to tackle Broadway opening January 1998. Set in and around New York, and with a cast filled with historical characters such as Henry Ford, Evelyn Nesbitt, and Harry Houdini, the show was a massive undertaking.

Running across the street was a strange show with puppets and actors. The show's director, Julie Taymor, was better known for her opera productions. But backing Julie Taymor was one of the most powerful forces in entertainment, Disney.

Ragtime received 13 Tony nomination and The Lion King got 11. But the ones that really matters are best leading actor, best leading actress, and most important of all, Best Musical. Both shows had nominations in all three categories. Ragtime won for Best Book, Best Original Score, Best Orchestrations, and Best Featured Actress (Audra McDonald).

In the end The Lion King won the Tony for Best Musical. Ragtime ran for two years on Broadway, however the box office for couldn't keep up with the costs of running a show with such a large investment in the production and huge cast. In November 1998, Livent went bankrupt and the show closed in January 2000.

Ragtime turns up every few years as a lower-cost concert-style production, while The Lion King is still running on Broadway and has earned over $1 billion USD there, and a total of $6 billion USD in all of the worldwide productions.

Will Monster High have a monster crash?

Monster High doll, The Real Canadian Superstore, Vancouver, BC

Toys come and toys go. The Elmo that some fool stood in line for at Christmas is at the thrift store before summer is over. And so it is not surprising that the Monster High dolls are marked down and headed out the door.

Fads like these dolls are notoriously hard to predict. Timing the demise of the fad is nigh on impossible. Exit too early and you can leave thousands or even millions of dollars on the table. Hang on too long and you'll find yourself stuck with unsellable inventory that is losing value by the second.

Will 30% off be enough to shift the remaining stock? Probably not. Look for deeper discounts and then dolls in the dumpster.

Stuck like this for hours. Who knows and who cares?

yp app advertisement, Renfrew SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC

yp app advertisement, Renfrew SkyTrain station, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

If you are going to rely on technology to power your advertising, then you probably hope that the technology is reliable.

Of course, that is a  bit of oxymoron. What technology is really reliable? We have all seen the "blue screen of death" enough times to know that Windows is never 100% reliable.

But regardless of the technology in use, this sort of problem makes everyone look bad. And given that the screen was stuck for hours, I wonder who is taking responsibility for ensuring that the advertisements actually run when and where they are supposed to.

Do you know who this athlete is? This firm hopes you do.

Enduracool display at Canadian Tire, Cambie Street, Vancouver

Enduracool display at Canadian Tire, Cambie Street, Vancouver (Detail)

Christine Sinclair is probably the best known player on the Canadian women's football (soccer) team. The current captain, she has played for Canada over 200 times and has scored over 150 international goals.

Despite Canada's exit from the Women's World Cup at the hands of England, Sinclair was one of the stars of the match, scoring Canada's only goal in a 2-1 loss.

So it is not surprising that the makers of the Enduracool towel would sign up a player such as Sinclair. But this deal cuts both ways. The athletes that promote Enduracool also become part-owners of the firm.

So, if this product succeeds then everyone wins. The consumer gets cool, Enduracool makes a sale, and Christine Sinclair builds up a little something for her retirement.