Asian Consumer Intellegence

Nissan will add noise to its new electric car, the Leaf, to make it sound like cars in the cult movie Blade Runner. The sound makes the cars safer, so pedestrians can hear them coming, but will also act as a powerful marketing too, making the vehicles instantly recognizable, even if they are out of sight. i.e “That sounds like a socially responsible, trend-forward driver!”
[pinktext IDEA POTENTIAL:] Nissan has taken what was a dull safety problem and turned it into a fascinating opportunity to brand the leaf as a futuristic vehicle that will garner interest from anyone it passes. A true lesson in sensory marketing.
Nissan Leaf, due for release in Japan/US/Europe in 2010. http://www.nissan-zeroemission.com

A recent used camera fair was held in a Tokyo department store, bringing dozens of antique camera dealers together with thousands of camera fans over the course of a week.
More..»
In movies such as 2001 and Terminator, robots have been portrayed in Western media as heartless enemies of mankind. Not so in Japan, where comics and anime such as Doraemon have demonstrated that a boy’s best friend is his robot.
More..»