I talked previously about the growing cultural synergy between art and design  — with the place of the artist starting to be taken by designers whose purpose driven approach seemingly makes them more relevant and directional in our world today. Fashion Design has, of course, always been a cultural compass to steer brand and package design developments in certain sectors such as beauty. But, now, we are witnessing — not just many more fashion design and brand collaborations but — the tables starting to turn with brand and packaging design per se potentially steering new and different directions for fashion.

The start of the really warm weather has inevitably caused a flurry of consumer spending as we all rush to the suncare aisles, the garden centre or the hardware store… Suncare, gardening, DIY are all huge market sectors in their own right but when I (probably with hundreds of others) browsed these aisles at the weekend, I realised that — with a few exceptions — they are largely static ones. And all three have the potential to be so much more by reinventing and developing a new retail positioning and experiential — ‘X’ — factor.

PepsiCo International and Microsoft Advertising announced the launch of an integrated digital advertising campaign to celebrate this year’s summer of football. Running in 14 markets worldwide, including Europe, the Middle East and South America, the campaign will drive brand engagement for PepsiCo International and brand entertainment experience online through the MSN portal.

Even best cars have a dark side. To prove it the premium compact hybrid car, which also proves to be sporty and luxury, is showing its «Dark Side Of Green«. The Lexus CT 200h model, which will be launched in early 2011, will appear in a new promotional short movie slated for release on May 13. The video features Tony «The Driver» portrayed by American actor Norman Reedus, who is on a very important mission.