Emotional benefits of flowers

It’s people that give companies the edge which is why companies should create positive and happy cultures. This obviously cannot be achieved overnight; it takes persistent effort and investment in strategic and tactical marketing to shape culture.

But one little trick that I have recently discovered that can help kick start this process is flowers.

The emotional benefits of flowers are illuminating. I never really gave it much thought until Valentine’s Day when I received a bouquet of flowers to my work. They sat on my desk all week projecting their vibrant colours and summer fragrances. They radiated joy and positivity and somehow those qualities transferred not just onto me but everyone else, I’m certain that I felt more optimistic and happy.

This prompted me to look into whether there is any research that suggests flowers have emotional benefits and voila, there is. Research shows that flowers have a positive impact on emotional health, which helps relieve stress, illness, and depression. They have an immediate impact on happiness and long-term positive effects on mood.

Since discovering this little fact I have ensured that flowers become a permanent feature in my office, they don’t cost much and the benefits are conclusive.

So if you need a little pick me up in your office invest in some daffodils in spring, they will make a difference.

Passionate and competent - not incompatible

An interesting blog at Harvard Business Review.  Scott Anthony talking about the need to avoid confusing passion with competence. In the context of innovation and entrepreneurs he wrote:

"I look for "innovation bipolarity"...the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. Entrepreneurs should be able to argue passionately that their idea will change the world, and then, without skipping a beat, honestly assess the risks standing in the way of its success and describe what they are doing to mitigate them." 

Made me think that's not a bad maxim to apply to the creative process and idea generation.  Yes, a client wants us to argue passionately the rationale for our ideas, but we, account men and creatives alike, need to be able to look at what we're proposing and pre-empt the risks and the negatives and be ready to counter them.  And that means some pretty ferocious argument and debate with and amongst ourselves before our ideas even get out of the agency so we can be both passionate AND competent.

http://blogs.hbr.org/anthony/2012/02/dont_confuse_passion_with_comp.html

What are you?

Take a look at this word-search. The first four words that you see are supposed to best describe your personality. I saw passionate, lovely, outspoken and happy. Not sure I'm always that lovely, but happy and outspoken are probably quite accurate. Passionate too I think. Interesting psychology. How are our minds decoding this? Is it what you think you are or what you think other people think you are or really what you are?

What were yours?

Google with love....

sqrt(cos(x))*cos(300x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(6-x^2), -sqrt(6-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5
Type this into Google search last Tuesday and you'd be in for a little Valentine's day surprise.
It's hardly a formula I'd have stumbled across by accident, so thanks to mashable.com for bringing it to my attention and reminding me of some other classics at the same time. Like 'Let it snow' which ended up immersing my entire screen in snow and ice. 
Or try typing 'askew' and see what happens.
Or search for Chuck Norris and hit I'm feeling lucky.
That last one puts me in mind of Siri, the jolly polite manservant who lives inside my phone.  If you've a G4S try asking him a knock knock joke and see where it gets you.
Which brings me to the point of all this - which is what is the point?  Whilst a lot of the time these little 'Easter eggs' or tricks are put there to engage Google's audience, very often these are snuck in by individual coders with no obvious end benefit for anyone other than to give us all a little chuckle and a sense of being 'in the know'.  
I love it that people beaver away, spending time doing this just because they can. You know, that's absolutely alright by me.

T-Mobile does it again................

I'm not sure how many people may have seen the new TV spot from T-Mobile yet but if you get a moment please click on the link at the end of my blog so you can decide for yourself.

I first saw this a couple of weeks ago and it sums up "What Britain Loves". It's fun, clever, has a feel good song - thanks Dizzy Rascal (still love this song even a few years on!!!), a cheeky voiceover from the lovely Harry Hill and, from a previous blog of mine, "FENTON" the naughty deer chasing dog (which still brings a smile to my face when I think of the video).

The full version is on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-EvvfMXEwU There is a watershed version as well, for TV, but I prefer this one.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It's up there along with "Your airline's either got it or it hasn't" another previous blog of mine.

Which are your favourites?

The Mad Men graffiti keeps on coming and the debate about 9/11 runs and runs.... what's your view? On the one hand we've got graffiti artists cleverly taking the image and adding whales, stunt bikers and Superman. Even the Occupy movement has got in on the act.
While on the other, we've an online spat amongst the blogging community as to whether the campaign is offensive and a desecration of the memory of 9/11 and the 'falling man' or jumpers from the Twin Towers.
Is the similarity intentional?  Anyone got any more examples to post? What would Banksy do with it I wonder? 

With added whale

Posters all over Manhattan

But when reflected in a phone box it does look very suggestive

Certainly getting a reaction

Inspiration beyond the call of duty

In these precarious days of uncertainty, with a world that is ever changing, I feel so proud to be British when I learned that our great Queen is celebrating 60 years of rule today.

In our vulnerable society which is constantly being threatened, isn't it wonderful and inspiring that our Queen is still there, still doing superbly what she's done from the start, ruling our country?

There is nothing she hasn't seen or done, yet she is so calming, radiant and seems so sturdy, a figure head who we would really miss if she wasn't there.

I, for one, will definetely be joining in the celebrations this summer!

When a great idea becomes a bad one

I was being driven to Hastings last weekend when I spotted this remarkable sign outside an inconspicuous greasy spoon diner.

Since the establishment was indeed in 1066 country, and it was on one of England's major trunk roads (the A21), I actually found the name of the cafe really creative and pertinent.

However, because the design treatment and execution were so basic, that there was no attention to detail, that there was no use of imaginative colours etc etc., the big idea seemingly was lost.

I felt so affected by this tragedy that we stopped and turned in, where-upon I thought I'd see whether the interior might live up to my expectations. Upon reaching the entrance door (at approx 12.30pm), I found the door locked and upon closer inspection found a tatty sign informing me that it was open from 7.00am to 12.00pm!

I wonder if the Route 66 restaurants in the USA close up at midday?

Mad Men fall foul of the thought police

Don't you just love New Yorkers?
With the new series of Mad Men just around the corner (well March to be precise) it seems the latest poster campaign has got NYC all hot and bothered.  No it's not Joanie's pneumatically upholstered body which is causing the problem but the image of the falling man.
On the one hand we've got graffiti artists cleverly taking the image and adding a whale to create, lo and behold, a whimsical illustration reminiscent of a children's storybook.
While on the other, we've an online spat amongst the blogging community as to whether the campaign is offensive and a desecration of the memory of 9/11 and the 'falling man' or jumpers from the Twin Towers.
Is the similarity intentional?  Who's exploiting who - the admen cynically using the imagery knowing full well it will create a furore? Or the bloggers creating a something out of nothing spat to up their page views - after all the imagery is only that which has been used on the opening credits since the series began.
Take a look at 'I live in New York' and you decide - I think I know what Don Draper would have done. Oh and sorry about the language - but you know what these New Yorkers are like.  

Posters all over Manhattan

But when reflected in a phone box it does look very suggestive

Certainly getting a reaction

With added whale

Ladybirds

I had to write a quick blog about this inspirational artist I have just discovered. Gabor Fulop is taking the artworld by storm with his incredible sculptures.

From a distance this scuplture looks like a simple female form however get up close and you can see it has been made from 20,000 hand painted ladybirds.

What patience and dedication to be able to put this together!

Have a look at www.gaborfulop.com for more of his work.