In today already walks tomorrow,” once wrote Friedrich von Schiller. This became the idea behind the new Future Perfect Art Contest initiated by the Beautiful/Decay label, “a printed book series and apparel line with a focus on experimental, grotesque, and groundbreaking art,” and sponsored by Toyota Prius. The brands are encouraging creative minds to share their visions of tomorrow though graphics (entrants can use any medium for unveiling their concepts), with the best works to be featured in the upcoming Beautiful/Decay book .

Euromonitor International released the look at the top 10 consumer trends for 2011. The 2011 consumer is branching out: mobile and online, making time for self-care to stay ahead and well. Consumers are reaching out to higher-end products, greener consumption if the price is right and experience-based consumption while considering purchases more. Brands need to tap into the on and offline cultural zeitgeist to best connect with their existing and potential customers.

Product placement eliminates the border between today’s movies and commercials, making films look like extended adverts, packed with multiple (usually) brand products. The trend isn’t new, but over the recent years it has been really blooming, and that’s why it deserves to be thoroughly observed. Brandchannel, the webby-award winning website from Interbrand—the leading global brand consultancy, published its Brandcameo Product Placement Awards 2010, honoring the good, the bad, and the ugly (and the most) product placement in films released.

Converse goes on celebrating UK rock and dance music by popularizing it across the world. Recently, the brand presented two short documentaries covering the dance music tour, ‘Live from London,’ which was arranged by the shoe brand and the Fader across the US last fall. The videos showcase producer Jamie xx, the key figure of the project, as well as “one of the premier purveyors of dubstepFantastic Mr. Fox sharing their thoughts on music.

The new BMW sub-brand focused on developing sustainable mobility solutions has been launched. “BMW i represents a new movement in premium mobility. The products and services have been conceived around a revolutionary approach: purpose designed and purpose built for sustainable, premium mobility. It’s a new day in our industry; a new era for individual mobility. This is BMW i—Born Electric,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Sales and Marketing, in Munich on Monday.