MINIInternational Magazine Kyoto Mash-Up party

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 9, 2008 at 12:28 pm | In Marketing & Ad Trends | 2 Comments

Last weekend CScout Japan teamed up with MINI Japan, Kreative Konzeption, and Metropolis to help put on the Kyoto Mash-Up party at hip event space Sfera, celebrating the latest edition of MINIInternational Magazine.

The stars of the party, of course, were the stars of the magazine, which focused on Kyoto’s booming art/design/music scene. Music was provided by acclaimed Kyoto-based DJ Halfby and DJ Nic Jagger who flew in from Germany for the event.

You’ll have to pick up your own copy to get the full experience, but MINIInternational magazine features a broad cross-section of modern Kyoto from traditional architect Katsumi Yasuda to director Kazushige Togo, and SOUSOU footwear designer Takeshi Wakabayashi. This isn’t the typical “outsider looking in” view of Kyoto, but was written by experts who were either born in Kyoto, or have adopted it as a second home.

Thus far there’s been great coverage of the party/magazine, from press, featured artists, and attendees (See 1, 2, 3, 4) to MINI dealers here.

Stunning papercraft was on display from Eriko Horiki, a featured MINI
International artist.

Kudos to MINI Japan for their support, and Kreative Konzeption and Metropolis for putting together an amazing event with a top-notch guest list. Special thanks to Roland Hagenberg, Yoshihito Sasaguchi, and Yasuyuki Sodeoka for putting together an amazing magazine with their deep expertise on Kyoto.

Of course, many thanks to the artists and guests that came to celebrate together, as well as all of the caterers, Sfera staff and management, and all others involved in making this project a success.

It’s amazing how many people go into making a single party, but we had a great time, and hope everyone else did as well.

To sum up, here’s some more DJ Halfby for your listening pleasure.

Tags: Architecture, Art, Automotive, design, Mini, music, Parties, Press
Category: Marketing & Ad Trends
Other categories: Technology & Gadget Trends, Fashion & Lifestyle Trends, Press coverage

Tokyo Smart Driver encourages safe and relaxing road life

Written by: Michael Keferl on April 28, 2008 at 5:35 pm | In Fashion & Lifestyle Trends, Marketing & Ad Trends | 1 Comment

A new campaign from highway company Shutoko has debuted to promote safer driving and lowered co2 emissions in the Tokyo area. Having kicked off for Spring on April 26th, Tokyo Smart Driver (TSD) is working with multiple partners and using its logo to brand products and services that are geared towards a safer driving lifestyle.

@Aroma may be an aroma company geared towards home lifestyle, but their new TSD Aroma is supposed to help you relax in your car life as well. The tiny car accessory plugs into your cigarette lighter and allows drivers to put in essential oils to create a safer atmosphere on the road.

While not exactly the most eco-friendly car on the market (or even close for that matter), Nissan’s GT-R is also being used because of its focus on driver safety features. The 2007 Design Tide event in Tokyo added its own automotive touch as well, though in a slightly more compact manner.

Much like the Good Design Award that is given out to unique products that fit the bill, the Tokyo Smart Driver logo has the potential to become an industry standard for safe driving products and services.

Japanese consumers like to know that something is “approved for use”, whether by official decree or by consumer rankings, and a distinct qualifying logo can play a large role in promoting a product that might now otherwise get much much attention. TSD has even been promoted in artistic “design” forums as well, and came out with a CD last December with relaxing music for driving, including a “Smart Driver Theme” from Ken Ishii and Sony Records.

Other partners in the TSD project are the
Ikyu hotel room rental site, J-Wave radio, and the UOMO magazine (for men in their 30’s-40’s).

More information on the TSD project is available in Shutoko’s Smart Shinbun website.
Related Post: Inside the Tokyo Traffic Control Center.

Tags: Automotive
Category: Fashion & Lifestyle Trends, Marketing & Ad Trends
Other categories: Technology & Gadget Trends, Press coverage