A Dutchman and an Irishman once… told me

I would like to share with you two stories/conversations that took place during the last month.

First Story: It was a few days before Fat Thursday (ελληνικά: Τσικνοπέμπτη) and I was walking alone, when I ran into this familiar Dutch guy.

– Are you in for barbecue and some beers? He asked me

– That sounds great! I replied

– OΚ, let’s meet on Thursday, I ‘ll get the beers.

Second Story: It was a rainy afternoon in the first week of March in Athens (I always wanted to start a narration with such a cliche) when I encountered an old Irish friend.

– What are you doing on St. Patrick’s day? He asked me with his distinct Irish accent

– I don’t know, I’m staying home I guess. No matter how much I miss Ireland, Irish pubs are quite congested on the 17th of March. I got back to him

– I’ll make sure I will pass by. For ould times sake… he said

– I’ll be waiting for you. I told him and with my mind in Galway, I walked away


You must be wondering who are these guys, right? Well they are not real people but simply… brands! Continue reading “A Dutchman and an Irishman once… told me”

A Dutchman and an Irishman once… told me

Less is more

The majority of people prefer simple to complex ideas.

Simple is hard to get, simple is beautiful, simple is ingenious. 

While out in the market, I noticed a hole in the carton tray of a Monster Energy drink case. This was the first time I saw such an opening on a product’s carton tray and it caught my attention. Quickly I realized the brilliant reason behind: this was for letting the best before date, printed on the bottom of the can, visible to consumers and this without having to take the can out of the carton tray!

MonsterHoleThe above hole on the tray is intentionally cut out, to leave the best before date visible

Clever solution for 3 reasons: Continue reading “Less is more”

Less is more

Cobranding – one story from three angles

Cafeterias and quick service restaurants are quite popular around hospitals for the quick refueling of doctors, nurses, patients and visitors. Likewise, I visited the ‘Red Fox’  cafeteria near Metropolitan hospital in Faliro to have a coffee. Together with my cappuccino, I was offered a 500ml bottle of water to accompany my beverage. The label immediately attracted my attention as the branding of the Red Fox cafeteria was prominent, with the logo of Nera Kritis (the producer) clearly playing a secondary role. Before jumping into conclusions, let’s examine this practice taking a separate look from 3 different angles:

NeraKritis

Continue reading “Cobranding – one story from three angles”

Cobranding – one story from three angles

Humbleness and knowledge

Citra IPA Septem

Few weeks ago I got Citra India Pale Ale from Septem microbrewery as a treat from a special friend, Amalia. I have to admit, it immediately but subtly grabbed my attention because of its warm, earthy colors and its retro design codes. Beer communication on pack mainly plays with heritage, with medals of distinctions, with bold recognizable names and fancy tag lines such as “probably the best beer in the world”. Howeve,r this beer was not as loud as its relatives and had something humble. Continue reading “Humbleness and knowledge”

Humbleness and knowledge