FFF...Form Follows Function

"Form Follows Function," created by interactive designer Jongmin Kim "provides an addictively interactive demostration of what beauty and interactivity HTML5 is capable of helping to create." (Co.CREATE)

Each one is fascinating and fun. I can easily spend hours playing around on this site...and I hope you will too. Check out Universe Panorama...it's not as fun here...but go to the site and interact with it. 

"The Stupid Orchestra" (video)

We spend so much time on the visual appeal of design and the importance of color. What about sound? We often forget how important sound is and that everyday sounds create our day to day orchestra...if you will. So stop and listen, hear what is around you and feel the noise in your life. Michael Petermann did and turned it into a musincal orchestra. 

”The Stupid Orchestra,” an art installation-slash-35-minute noise symphony created out of over 200 small vintage household appliances by German conductor, harpsichordist and composer Michael Petermann. After “auditioning” hundreds of mini machines, Petermann designed his own system to compose the symphony, which he calls the “MIDI-to-Household-Appliance-Interface.”

(via Flavorwire)

Autostadt CarTower: A VW Vending Machine, Pretty Much

If you think vending machines are awesome...Wolfsburg, Germany, home to Volkswagen might be one of the coolest places on Earth...for mechanical and auto lovers. There are 2 glass high-rise garages which hold 400 new cars each before they are delivered to the showroom or customer.

The inside works like a vending machine. 2 fully automated mobile units move up and down a central lift picking up the cars that needs to be delivered or delivering new ones that need to be stored. The cool thing is, if you visit, you can actually ride in a panaoramic glass lift that takes you around the internal tower of cars.  You pretty much get a first hand experience and view of how the cars are being stowed and removed. 

There are tons of videos on Youtube of the inner workings of this genius parking and storage station. Here's a nice short clip...some of the others are quite long. 

I believe the Autostadt was built for the Expo 2000. Because of the unique architecture and gallery of Volkswagen, Bentley, Škoda, Audi and SEAT, they still get over 2 million visitors a year. However, I think the TurmFahrt, the CarTower Discovery, is one of the biggest draws. The Autostadt is definitely going on the places to visit list next time I venture to Germany.

Take a virtual tour of Autostadt here: Autostadt

I Smell...True Multi-Sensorial Advertising

You go to the bus stop and what?!?! There's a giant potato jumping out at you. Then, ahh, the smell of a fresh oven-baked jacket potato. Talk about a truly multi-sensorial bus shelter ad that can wow you and make you hungry! The technology behind the scent releasing technology is pretty amazing....when a button is pressed, the fiberglass 3-D potato is heated to release the aroma. On top of that, it also dispenses a coupon for the McCain 5-minute ready potatoes. Oh you lucky straphangers in York, Manchester, London, Nottingham and Glasgow! 

Creative work is by ad agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay, with media booked by PHD and Hyperspace--the innovation division at Aegis Media's Posterscope. For more, please visit AdAge.

Luxury Cars - more than just a driving experience

Recently I have noticed that luxury cars are entering new markets...like fragrance. We all know that Porsche Design has been doing this for several years with The Essence, The Essence Intense and Summer Ice. But Porsche has always had a design department that created lifestyle products for the Porsche man...or woman. I'm not sure how successful they are in the fragrance ranking, but I can assume it's probably more popular in Asia, the Middle East than in the US and it probably sells well at Duty Free Shops. 

But now I hear Mercedes-Benz is launching an exclusive scent for men which includes an eau de toilette, after shave, deodorant and shower and body gel. It is slated to be released in the beginning of 2012 and is obviously named, Mercedes-Benz.

This is not a first in the fragrance category for Mercedes. Mercedes-Benz, the parent company already offers exclusively developed perfumes for the atomisers in its Maybach models and in the Mercedes-Benz S 600 Pullman. However this is a first to be used on the driver, or aspirational driver as well. 

And as of today, I hear that BMW is following suite...not exactly as luxe as Mercedes, but with a pretty smart product that is part of their BMW i Future-Forward Intiative. One of the first products in the line up is a Purif-i hand sanitizer. It's pretty genius....how many times have you gotten in or out of the car and feel like you need a little refresher for your hands? You may have been gripping the wheel of your BMW going 100mph down the highway or just picking at some fries you had to stop and get...for the kids of course. Did I mention, this is made purely of herbal extracts and costs less than $20?

It will be interesting to see who else follows in this direction. The car is no longer about the driving experience, it's a whole lifestyle. If you buy into the brand, you want to live the brand - in and out of the car.