Telling Tales - Stories from Semi Permanent Wellington

I'd heard great things about Semi Permanent Auckland so when a one-day Wellington conference was announced it was the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. Secretly I was a little concerned that I would stand out amongst all the proper creative types. Heading along with three super talented graphic designers I did feel like a bit of an impostor.

Upon arrival I half expected a left brain - right brain quiz at the door. Luckily there weren't any admittance tests and I wasn't outted as the only marketer in the room. Semi Permanent Wellington turned out to be well worth the hype and far more relevant to marketing than I'd expected. In fact, the only point I felt out of place was when Jon DRPNZ, Wellington based street artist, used crime scene tape to connect the negative space between a few confused volunteers. I don't think I was alone in this feeling though!

So here's some of the wisdom I gleaned from just a couple of the Semi Permanent speakers (and attendees) - hopefully it will encourage you to attend in 2013... 

Sephora & Pantone's Colour Collaboration

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit the Big Apple for a work trip. The iconic Times Square with its myriad of neon billboards was an advertising geek's dream and advertising inspiration seemed to be everywhere in NYC. This pop up concept store particularly caught my eye... 

Sephora & Pantone Universe: NYC Pop Up Store 

I happened to be in town the one week that this collaboration between Sephora and Pantone was alive in the meatpacking district of NYC. The pop-up celebrates the colour of the year for 2012 which is apparently "Tangerine Tango". This left me with all sorts of questions on how one chooses a colour of the year - cue mental images of pantone colour chips with sashes performing a Miss America pagent parade! But the idea is quite clever, Pantone is positioning themselves as the authority on all things colour. Most importantly this means they have the (self appointed) power to inform fashion trends and partnering with brands like Sephora is key to this influence. 

Enviable Elements

• Friendly experts: Sephora makeup artists were on hand to give free makeovers and offer advice - given that the new season colour is orange/tangerine it's a clever move to make consumers feel comfortable with the products and show the less confident how to work an orange lippy into their makeup collection 
• Cohesive partnership: a pet peeve of mine is illogical brand partnerships and celebrity endorsements, when two brands combine forces but fail to create more value as a whole than separately. The Sephora and Pantone collaboration makes sense and is not only superficial - everything from the pop-up store design (modeled as a giant Pantone colour book) to the product packaging reflects the partnership. 
• Integration of technology: There was plenty to see and do while waiting for a makeover at the pop store, on the ends of the store were giant touch screens that you could browse products on and behind each make up station was an iPad so you could share your new look or get friends to come along. 

Pop up stores seem to be in vogue at the moment - do you like the allure of a temporary store or prefer a more permanent shopping experience? 


Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below this post!

For more images click "read more" below!

29 Ways To Stay Creative

This lovely poster lists some simple ways of keeping your creativity mojo going. It seemed appropriate as I head back to work tomorrow. It was sourced from Jay Mug - a great design and advertising blog that is a real joy to follow. 

'Occupy George' Activists Stamp Inequality Graphics On Dollar Bills

Just 400 Americans control as much wealth as the bottom half of the entire country.

A pair of San Franciscans has given a pointed word picture to support the Occupy Wall Street protests in the form of Occupy George, five graphic stamps placed on $1 bills.

WORLD Made Me Do It! Number One Shoes launch

So exciting - tonight is the final of NZ's Next Top Model - live from the WORLD Fashion show. I'm not overly concerned who will win but I am looking forward to seeing the new collaboration between WORLD and Number One Shoes. From opposite ends of the fashion budget this is partnership will allow a far larger audience to access one of NZ's favourite designers. Benny Castles of WORLD sums it up nicely in the video below "fashion doesn't exist unless people are buying the product and wearing it and loving it" Shoes will be on sale in stores tomorrow, what a great way to launch! Read on to view Benny Castles and Francis Hooper video interview.

QVS releases "Design your own print competition"

Nestrest - The ultimate cocoon chair

Doesn't that look like the perfect place to curl up enjoy a good book?

Prada Men's Collection Runway Show - "The Field"

Created for Prada's Mens SS 2012 Collection by design firm OMA / AMO "The Field" organised the 600 visitors into a perfect grid of blue foam blocks.  The models flowed through the grid following multiple choreographed routes that allowed maximum visibility. The beauty is that more of the audience were able to experience the premium "front row" view.

The Apartment

One of my favourite watering holes in Wellington is The Apartment - modeled on a New York Loft the bar has everything you'd expect in an apartment - dining room, kitchen (bar), lounge, outdoor terrace and even a bedroom! It has all the key elements - exposed brick, steel girders, an open fireplace and a relaxed atmosphere. I'd happily transfer the whole set to my own apartment - minus the "convenience store" - a weird booth that sells gum and condoms! I struggle with the creepy experience of realising theres a bored looking person in a hole-in-the-wall on your way to the bathroom

Designworks & Methven - Awakening the Senses

designworks describes their positioning of New Zealand tapware brand Methven as "sensually evocative, ethereal and otherworldly". 


In creating the platform of Sensory Revolutionists designworks moved away from traditional, literal bathroom imagery. As you can see the result is a delight.

Endemic World

My latest envy - cushions by T Double L

Te Papa - Mirror Sculptures

Mimetic Brotherhood by Peter Trevelyan is part of an ongoing project by Wellington Sculpture Trust on four large plinths outside Te Papa Museum. Every 22 months the sculptures are replaced by new works - the winning artist is given NZ$25,000 to construct their piece and the work remains in their ownership and can be sold at the end of the period.

There's something about these "blobs" (apologies for not being able to find a more suitable descriptive) that makes you want to find the "hatch" and climb in inside! Looking like four UFOs that have crash landed in unison these have a engaging mystic - as I photographed the blobs I observed a types and ages of people stopping and interacting with the pieces. Touching and staring into the mirrored segments (despite the instructions not to touch - really don't they know that makes us want to touch more?).