Why should aspirational products be the only ones that are well branded when actually these untouchable items say far more about our chosen lifestyle than any other?

It’s that time of year again. Time for the Christmas List. Or, lists plural, to be precise. As the battle of the brands hots up for Christmas 2012, we are inundated with lists of the best food choices, the best price deals, the top ten toys…

We are in the grip of a making movement. A new generation of makers fuelled by digital know-how and technological advances have given a boost to manufacturing and business with online start-ups launching hourly. The opportunities for co-creation and interaction between the branding community and its consumers has also changed forever due to the advent of shared social media devices. The BBC is forecasting that our next revolution will be ‘home-made’ and whilst hi-tech has undoubtedly been the facilitator of this creativity, many of the ideas and innovations themselves are low-tech. And as the growing momentum of a new-low tech movement will testify, truly creative and low-tech ideas and innovations can showcase a very different—but just as radical—form of progress.