Ten Stories From This Week

7th August 2021

A worn pair of nurse’s shoes. That coronavirus model Anthony Fauci used in public briefings. Oral histories, iconic photos and social media posts. All of us are curators now, and what we preserve — as well as what we don’t — will write the pandemic story. What will history say about Covid? Museums scurry to collect — and prepare to remember.

‘Before launching a new campaign, marketers, branding experts, and advertising practitioners often spend months trying to define what a brand should stand for. They are very fond of the concept of “brand meaning.” This is driven by the belief that consumers impute specific attributes to brands and exercise their buying prerogatives based on themeaning they assign to the brand, and how well that meaning aligns with their values. Or something like that….’ Adcontrarian on The Power of Familiarity.

This weekend, tens of millions will watch and interact with an Ariana Grande avatar for a concert in video game Fortnite – the latest in a growing, lucrative market. ‘Limits are non-existent in the metaverse’

Having just finished my first year studying for a Masters in Psychology (Mindfulness) at Bangor University, this rather tickled me – Tsundoku, theJapanese concept of buying books and never reading them.

From GQ. The brain-changing magic of new experiences. Thepsychological reasons why novelty—from visiting new places to socialising—makes us happier and healthier people. (the importance of paying attention, of course)

Brilliant (because I have a dog and a mini). MINI UK opens its doors to paws for a happier travel partnership with the Dogs Trust. (30″)

What makes the perfect vehicle? The reality of driving in cities is a far cry from what the advertising tells us. Nice spoof from @Specialized_UK (1′ 04″).

Find the farthest city on earth from where you are. Mine was Dunedin.

The 1001 Albums generator recommends a different album every day taken from the the book ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’.

Interview with a horse after the Olympics Equestrian Dressage.