Amazing Church signs contest

NYC, Central Park West

Church sign in the US is something that always amazed me. These outdoor billboards look like fast food restaurants displaying recipe of the day...

Anyway, you will have fun with this site here where you can generate your own Church sign (multiple choice of church display including Church of Scientology or Baptist Church).

Let's have a contest and I'll publish the best "customized" Church signs ...!

The meat culture in Meatpaper

Sasha Wizansky, a graphic designer and Amy Standen, a reporter, are the talentuous creator of Meatpaper a print magazine about meat. Well, not the typical magazine about recipe or restaurants reviews but a review focused on ideas and art around the meat culture. As they write, they like metaphors more than marinating tips...  It speaks about the symbolism, the rituals and what the meat says and delivers about our culture through  its representation. 

Among the great creativity of the magazine you may find an Ode to Boudin a poem by Kevin Young or the impact of globalization on poultry industry by Malia Wollan . Other topic of interest, why do men eat beef or lamb testicles in order to enhance their "sexual power" meanwhile we've never seen anyone eating udder's cow in order to inflate breasts... 

Meatpaper is also interesting in the way it illustrates the topics with creative designer like Robert Bolesta who created this fantastic font called "value pack" made of fresh meat. For sure it would be a hit on any supermarket shelf !

How fresh is your fish... all over the world !

Since Brillat-Savarin (1755 - 1826) and his famous "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are" we know that food is intimately related to each culture. As an illustration of this precept,  let see how does fish is considered in different countries and especially how do people judge it's freshness :

In France, a fresh fish is judged on his eyes, crystal clear, shining and lively. That's the criteria (most) french consumer use to select their fish at the market.

In Turkey, the gills need to be showed with strong red color to clients in the street markets as a proof of freshness.

In Japan, it's important for the customer to be sure that no one ever touched the fish with its hands, so you can have a look inside the laboratories to check that.

In China, fresh means live. That's why you may choose and catch yourself your fish which will be prepared in front of yourself. (Video taken in A Carrefour Hypermarket in Beijing)

In Colombia, before the arrival of Carrefour (1998), it was difficult to find fresh fish in the supermarkets. You barely could only buy frozen fish. I remembered have seen entire family coming at the inaugural of Carrefour in Girardot to see for the first time fresh fish.

In Spain, Fish is the key factor for consumers to judge the quality of the store, in the same way as French give importance of bread quality or Argentinian to meat.

Disney key points to master the lines

Shopping in a total experience, from the entrance to the exit of the store. Disney since the early years understood this basic law and in his resort parks is extremely attached to details (retail is detail, no ?). Walt Disney was a fabulous utopian and he defined his resort as a small "perfect" society. With around 40 attractions and so many visitors, lines are compulsory. The magic of Disney is to have implemented a smart management of the lines to avoid most of the drawbacks and keep intact the fabulous souvenir for the customer.

Lines management in Disney include the following principles :

- Keep moving : the lines are always dynamic, you don't wait staying on the same spot but it's a continuous walk. No time to despair, just get the impression that it's useful, a perfect illusion of progress !

- The basic principle of first come, first served is strictly observed. The "fastrack" option allows you to cut some queues but always in a democratic way. Nobody can "keep you the place" which has disastrous consequences for the others (have you ever noticed the impact on others of someone with more than 10 products in the fast check out at the supermarket ?).

- You never see the final destination from the beginning. Usually, you don't see the people waiting at the entrance. The real queue begins after having walked some meters... unless it's the end of the day where Disney cast member let see the people wait at the entrance to discourage others to get here.

- There's always something to look at. The mazes are constructed like a snake in a sense that you regularly get contact with the same people. Visitors become part of the attraction. Also, some visual distraction are disseminated with great sense of details. You get some (very) short views about the coming attraction that makes the suspense growing !

- At the entrance of the attraction, you get information about the average waiting time. Have you ever noticed that this information is a bit overestimated ?  Other way to give a good impression (a bargain time !).

More interested in the anthropology of Disney Resort Parks ? Have a look at Vinyl leaves - Walt Disney World and America by Stephen M. Fjellman

Photo credit express monorail,  clydeorama and danregal all on Flickr

Keynes and the problem of queue in Supermarkets

photo credit - steve crane on Flickr

That's a universal problem for every customer : after having spend much time (too much time) in the store, looking for all the needed (and unneeded) products, it's now time to pay.

And the question is : which check out will be the fastest ?

Economists have tried to analyze the situation with the Random Walk theory, a mathematical formalisation of random elements. Complicated studies for a simple result : there is no answer !

Why ?

Well, if people had a way to find the fastest line, most of the customers would join it and it would not be the fastest line any longer... This is the same principle John Maynard Keynes refered to when he described how does the stock market works in his General Theory of Employment, interest and money . Keynes compared the stock market to a beauty contest where people were invited to choose the nicest girl (that kind of contest were very popular at that time). The winner is the one who choses the girl closest to the general opinion.

As Keynes writes : "it is not a case of choosing those which, to the best of one's judgement, are really the prettiest, nor even those which average opinion genuinely thinks the prettiest. We have reached the 3rd degree where we devote ou intelligences to anticipating what average opinion expects the average opinion to be. And there are some, I believe, who practice the 4th, 5th and higher degrees."

That's why when you've chosen the "seems to be" fastest line, it becomes to slow down...

From my own experience, when all lines are very busy, you may find a better way at the extremities, especially the closest line from the entrance, as people tend to finish their shopping circuit at the other side of the store. But that's a very empiric method.

Other tip from personal experience: pretty cashier girl usually get more cash at the end of the day (attracting more men clients ?). So choose the not so attractive ones for a fast check out !(Sorry, no photos for that point...).

Next post : how does Disney manage extremely well the queue problem...

Example of Beauty Contest for 1953 (Keynes wrote his theory in 1936)

so much wasted food !

Who never heard his or her grand mother telling him to finish his/her plate and eat the damaged fruits ? Well, it seems that habits of this kind have disappeared whereas food prices are rising fast. An interesting article found in The New York Times explains that aprox. 1/4 of the total food in the US is wasted (27% of all edible food). That represents 0,5 kg per day per US citizen and it happens in supermarkets, restaurants, personal kitchen,...

Recovering just 5% of this amount could feed 4 million people everyday calculated the Department of Agriculture. Will the rising prices of food will be a sufficient incentive to care more ?

Interested in the topic of wasted food ? Have a look at the blog wastedfood.com by Jonathan Bloom.

Football land art in Carrefour Argentina

During 2002 Football World Cup, I was in charge of Carrefour store (called Norte at that time) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As everybody knows, Football in Argentina is a second religion. If (only) less than 2% of the population is playing football, 9 over 10 people is supporting a local team. That's even one of the first question you're supposed to answer when a baby is born : which team will he (or she !) be supporter...

In 2002, just after the peso crisis, we had to give back confidence to customers and employees. I got this idea to organize a contest between stores to emulate them : your store as the best supporter of the National Team. Results were impressive where all employees came with the "albiceste" shirt (official shirt) and decorating the supermarkets as land art performance. Here are some pictures of the stores located through the Santa Fe avenue (Vidt, Palermo, Berruti).

A morning in Rungis

Rungis, south of Paris, is probably one of the biggest fresh market in the world. From 3 am, everyday, more than 1200 wholesalers (more than 12 000 people) propose their products to all professionals of the Paris area. It represents a total turnover of 7,6 MM€. I was part of the 6,6 millons of annual visitors and shot some pictures from the fruit and vegetable market and flower market.

Making love in Supermarkets

I was pretty sure to get your attention with such a post title directly inspired by the book of Daniel Miller, A Theory of Shopping. Daniel Miller is an anthropologist specialised in material culture and consumption. 

How shoppers develop and imagine social relationships of love and care through the act of selecting goods is one of his thesis. He observed shoppers in the North London and discovered that shoppers do not buy what the others members of the family asked for but rather try to influence relatives habits, buying healthier food, better clothes (supposed to be) than they would expect. 

Housewives (80% of households food buyers are women) see her role as selecting goods which are intended to be educative or judged as morally superior (bio, better taste, ...). As Miller writes, "shopping is primarily an act of love that in its daily conscientiousness becomes one of the primary means by which relationships of love and care are constituted by practice". 

Shopping do not reflect love says Miller but is a form in which love is manifested and reproduced. Miller asses that each shopper is looking for thrift (value, sales, promotion, good deal, ...) and treat (extra product as a reward for the time and effort spend).

Well, that said, what are the implications for the retailer ?

Give value to the housewife shopper buying your product. She cares so you need to give her reassurance with product information,... explaining the benefits of your product. Never forget that each customer is looking for a personal treat, a direct reward to the shopper for carrying out the act of shopping. Is your assortment considering thrift and treat ?

This book is a recommendation from Luc Wise of V agency

 

Perception vs. reality

Ads are made to sell, ok we all agree on that. But where are the limits in doing so ? A representation too far from reality would not have the risk to disappoint the client and break the dream patiently constructed ?

Ads vs. reality website compares burgers ads vs. real product shot just after having bought the "meal".

Like the traditional ads "before" and "after" for plastic surgery, Pundo 3000 is a very funny and recommended site which purpose is to show the ad, the pack then the real product "ready to eat". They also have published a book of the project that can be found here. 

On top a nice example of perception vs. reality with the icon of Fast food : the Big Mac.

super size me !

I shot this photo in a mall in Las Vegas last year. Just impressed by the parachute size ! 

The effect of obesity is impressive in the US and Central America. In the 60's, the average man weighed 75 kg and the woman 63 kg. Women have actually reached 74 kg and men are now 87 kg in average.  In textile, most of the Caribbean and South American countries retailer supply their need in mega warehouses located in Colon a duty free city lost in the middle of nowhere. I met last year in Colon, Panama a textile supplier who told me that he recently had to triple the size of his showroom dedicated in XXL sizes due to the raising need. 

On the other way, you may find in Colombia the best sellers strings locally called "hilo dental" (aka "dental floss") vs. "mata passion" (or passion killer) represented with the bigger sizes. 

PS : the other photo was shot in Medellin at a Carrefour fashion show in Colombiamoda.

Beer temple

Amazing photos sent by Jean-Claude (alias Dadi), of a Gothic Beer cathedral.

Anyone knows where and who shot this ?

Great coincidence ... explained by probability !

Fifty People, One Question: New York from Crush & Lovely on Vimeo.

This morning, like every morning I dig into the dozens of newsletter received every day. I click on some hyperlinks just to get a short idea of what's going on. Intrigued by the site 50 people 1 question I was watching the video (relaxed by the great music of Louis Armstrong) when I nearly fall down from my chair.  Just one hour ago I was thinking, I should send a mail to Janet Borden. I met Janet just some weeks ago during the Paris Photo fair and we had great conversation.

Just there, on this video interviewing 50 anonymous people in the streets of NYC, I could watch Janet from Janet Borden Gallery. 

I love these coincidences, these striking events where randomness brings spice to life. Question is how possible it is ? Is it really luck, hazard ? How rare are these kind of events ?

Part of the answers of these questions may be found in the book of Amir D. Aczel, Chance, a guide to Gambling, Love, the Stock Market & just about everything else (what a great title, no ?). When you don't expect any kind of coincidence (I did not expect to see Janet), the aggregation of causes happens in so many possible ways that a coincidence becomes unavoidable. Aczel calculated the probability to have something in common with the stranger sitting next to you on an airplane is 1,5% (a coincidence is defined as two strangers knowing one person in common). 

I'm flying tomorrow to Madrid and will surely test the probability !

Microtrends that reshapes the world

Microtrends by Mark Penn and Kinney Zalesne is a must read for all of us interested in how the world is changing, counterintuitive facts and consumer behavior. Penn and Zalesne have detected 75 "microtrends" through statistics analysis. A Microtrend is defined as "an identity group, that is growing, which has needs and wants unmet by the current companies, marketers, policymakers". 

These trends underline the fact that individuality is becoming the frame and model of how we're shaping our lives. As they write, we're moving from a Ford model (standard for everybody) to a Starbucks model where anyone can chose from an infinite combination of choices.

With 1% of the US population, a group can be named as a trend. What's interesting is the fast growth of these radical change in the society. We still have to determine the famous Tipping point as noted by Malcolm Gladwell when an idea, trend or social behavior gets a point of non return and spread of like wildfire.

Some of the relevant trends described in the book are (figures are to be considered for the US):

- Sex ratio singles or for the first time there are more single women than ever who do not look for marriage : 50 million when in the same time the Cougars (women dating younger men) are rising : 3 million couples where man is 6 years younger

- Commuter couples : 3,5 million couples living apart for reasons other than separation meanwhile you have the Extreme commuters who are traveling at least 90 minutes each way to go to work  (3,4M). In the same time you find 4,2M of people working at home !

- Interesting also the rise of Do It Yourself Doctor, people who research, diagnose and (try to) cure themselves with the use of internet. Perhaps the effect of the huge number of persons killed by Hospital errors (between 44 000 and 98 000 estimated it's more than car accidents or breasts cancer !) see Institute of Medecine. Alarming the fact that 30M of Americans are suffering from hearing loss (too much Ipod ?)

- Pets parents are 63% of US citizens, much more than children parents !

-  Over 7 M of people (1 on 31 adults) in in prison, jailed or under criminal court jurisdiction. It's 650 000 people released from jail every year (and 2/3 will be arrested again and half will be back in jail...). It makes 2M of children with a parent in prison.

- Anyone could have guessed that 1 adult on 4 have a tatoo (30M) and 1 over 3 aged 25-29 ?

- Most popular leisure in the US ? 

Basketball ? Football ? Golf ? 

Nope, just Internet pornography, watched by 40M people, more than 10 times the people watching baseball on TV.

Much more than stats, the authors are analysing the trends and the consequences on daily life. Written in a lively style, the book is much recommended to better understand what's going on !

Que se passe t il sur le pouvoir d'achat ?

La Cité du commerce et de la Consommation a tenu ses débats la semaine dernière dans les locaux de l'ESCP EAP sur le theme Pouvoir d'achat et démocratie. Existe t il des risques liés à la sur-inflation ? Comment évolue la consommation dans un contexte de crise de pouvoir d'achat ? 

Voilà quelques questions auxquelles nous avons tenté de répondre lors d'un débat qui réunissait Jérôme Bédier (FCD), Jean-Paul Betbeze (Crédit Agricole), Olivier Desforges et votre serviteur. La video vient du blog d'Henri Kaufman qui n'a pas manqué une miette des débats (voir sur son blog les interventions de Pascal Bruckner ou encore celle du psychanalyste Serge Tisseron qui analysent dans leur domaine ce que consommer veut dire : consommer c'est exister ?).

Vacuum cleaners in Arts

Since Jeff Koons and his Hoover Vacuum cleaners series (which can be seen at the Tate Modern in London or at the Whitney Museum in NYC), vacuum cleaners may have an artistic role. With the use of daily objects, Koons is questioning the aesthetic of mass consumption and the power of consumer industries. The most banal object is presented in his vitrine like a jewel case. 

Koons is obsessed with perfection and the vacuum are presented brand new, immaculate under neon lights like a star or holy relics. Isolated from the dirty world they are totally losing their first and main function. 

Visiting Venice last year, I was attracted by this strange shop, presenting old fashion vacuum cleaners also like pieces of art on their pedestals. Strange and unreal atmosphere. 

Quote of the day from Joseph Heller

"he was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody"

Joseph Heller

DMC shots

DMC, world leader of embroidery is a 262 years old company (yes, founded in 1746 !). The company is facing big challenges these days with the withdrawal of its main shareholder, GPG fund. DMC is well known for it's fascinating broad range of colours and the quality of his thread. Everyday, it sells 1 million threads in more than 40 000 points of sale.

Photos shot in Lyon last spring.  I was appealed by the accumulation of products, like a photo of Chris Jordan ...?

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (Modern) variations

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (1863) by E. Manet is one of the most fascinating work of modern painting. It was a real shock (at that time...) to see the nude women casually having picnic with the two dandies.  

As Picasso said about : "When I see Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, I'm saying to myself pain for the future". The realism of the subject is striking. For the first time in history, you can't find any justification for the nude, any pretext from mythology. The men are simply ignoring the woman, engaged in their conversation. The light of the paint is like a photographic light in studio, you do not see any shadow and the atmosphere is unnatural. Strange also are the dress of the men, with indoor looks, rather than dressed for a summer lunch.

I shot these 2 versions in Paris Photo in 2007 and 2008.

Fake Carrefour (2) : Carnefour !

"Que diferencia", or what a difference says ironically the billboard in front of this typical butcher's shop in the Suba area of Bogota, Colombia !

For the anecdote, I shot this picture just days before the opening of the Carrefour store, close from it. 

Who copies who ?