Once upon a time a man called Lewis Carroll wrote a fantastical story about a girl called Alice… Now the launch of Disney/Tim Burton’s 3D film has catapulted the classic tale of Alice In Wonderland into the marketing stratosphere with brand owners jumping on the hype and linking everything from fashion to food to the Alice publicity machine…

A couple of weeks ago, I touched on the whole debate about the value we place on design with the trend for inviting consumers to help us design expressions of brands. But, as the trend for creative partnerships takes hold in all its forms, the one that is probably the hardest to get right is the trend for brand and brand/designer collaborations.

No job, no cash and no future. It sounds like a Sex Pistols lyric from the seventies, but sadly it was an all too recent headline from one of London’s daily papers. Tens of thousands of young people feel destined never to amount to anything, according to research by charity the Prince’s Trust.

Are you living a lifestyle – or your life? In general, and even in just the past 3-4 years, there has been a massive shift in our aspirations and, ergo, brands are now having to re-think their offer. Lifestyle branding is no longer prescribing (as previously) lifestyle on a mass scale but is rather moving to a new evolution of – and design of – what we are terming ‘living brands’ with a re-focus of aspiration around ‘real life’ lifestyles.

Whether or not you’re a sports fan, there is little chance of completely ignoring the two-week event that is the Winter Olympics. But the Olympics is not just about sport.

By Pete Hollingsworth, Managing Creative Director at FutureBrand

In these days of saturated markets, how can brands increase their market share and create greater brand loyalty? Appealing to multi senses and moving packaging from a 2 dimensional proposition to a 5D multi sensorial one will do just this.

We talk about inspirational and iconic packaging all the time in this business, but how often can we point to a brand and say, hand on heart, that it has introduced creativity to the masses?

With Valentine’s day looming, brands have a great excuse to jump on a new campaign brand-wagon. (albeit a short-lived one). Heineken Italy, for example, has timed the launch of its new ‘Beer Gloss’ lip gloss for women with this romantic occasion. Fine for a quick kiss maybe but what’s the secret to everlasting love?

The answer, surely, depends on the planner.

There are designers and creative directors out there who view them with suspicion; who fear being constrained by reams of research and who resent what they see as their meddling. By the same token there are those that appear too frightened to think about a brief unless it has been through the planning department. Neither extreme is healthy.

Brand owners are, of course, always thinking about the audience demographic. And whilst we recognise the increasing brand influence and economic power of the ‘silver surfer’, we also need to think about what we – the brand designers – are actively designing just for the silver consumer?

Express yourself. There is a definite call to action right now with brands holding competitions for consumers to create their own brand designs. Check out the Umbro Speciali Customisation Competition or the DEWmocracy Designs Contest.

Here we are, mid-Jan. Life is back to the normal and humdrum, the ordinary and everyday….But, let’s think about that for a moment. Let’s think about the objects and products that we buy and use as part of our day to day routine.

This is the time of year when loads of people join the gym with the sworn intention of getting into shape. New year, new start and all that. It set me thinking about how design agencies could shape up for the challenges 2010 will bring.