This week, new audio research reveals Ireland is going GA GA for Radio; a lip balm brand is asking customers to relive their first kiss; a Japanese car maker crocs up with modular mobility, and lucid dreaming is about to get the tech treatment.
Ga Ga for Radio
New research from Radiocentre Ireland has revealed that the Irish public are still GA GA for radio.
The study asked what are the key drivers of growth in audio listenership across the country, and looked into listener needs and influences regarding media choices. Their research revealed the following seven key user needs: keep me company, keep me in the loop, lift my mood, block out the world, spark conversations, broaden my horizons, provide a social soundtrack.
Radiocentre’s research suggests that for each of these key indicators, radio delivers the highest reach. And maybe that’s true. We’re definitely tuned in to this fascinating insight into media consumption in Ireland, and there’s little doubt that for brands and marketeers, radio is still golden.
First kiss, take two
We all know that a first kiss is the most awkward experience of your youth! But would you want a second shot at it? Beauty brand eos think you should have another go, with their new campaign, second first kiss.
As part of the lip-locking ad, eos reunited three pairs of first kissers inviting them to try again but this time with the added benefit of the brand’s lip balm.
The stories of virgin smoochers include a guy who over-puckered his lips, an awkward game of spin-the-bottle and a couple whose first kiss was both a little sweaty and in front of a bus driver. (Hopefully not the 69).
We love this ad. It uses humour and a huge dose of relatability to put their product ‘smack’ in the middle of the conversation.
PUCKER UP!
Car style, cubed
It may be just a concept car, but Daihatsu’s Mi:MO electric vehicle is too kawaii to ignore. Revealed at the Japan Mobility Show, the little passenger Battery Electric Vehicle is as rounded-off-boxy as a bento-on-wheels, and as unique as a Japanese lunch.
In fact, it reminds us of the only thing that might be even more rounded-off and boxy – a pair of crocs. Perhaps taking its cue from the add-on-friendly shoe-trocity, the Mi:MO is designed to be customised with the users’ own 3D-printed car parts, adding a personal touch to everything from headrests, to headlights, to wheels.
It’s cute. It’s practical. It’s fun. And we’d love to see a production version of this hit the roads. So too, I imagine, would the poor woman I saw at the Blanch Shopping Centre, searching for her car among the endless sea of grey vehicles and nearly crying “I’m never buying a f*****g silver car again”. Maybe Daihatsu was listening. Check out the car here.
Dream A Little (Lucid) Dream
If you’ve ever experienced lucid dreaming, congrats, you’re part of just under 50% of adults who have. Lucid dreaming is a weird and wonderful experience, speaking here as one of the half, where you wake up within your dream and can consciously control the dream experience.
Pretty trippy right? If you’re in the other 50% who are yet to experience a lucid dream, help is on the way! Tech start-up Prophetic aims to bring the lucid experience to a dream near you, soon. The ‘Halo’ was designed using technology from ultrasounds and machine learning to detect when dreamers are reaching their REM cycle to induce lucid dreaming.
According to co-founder Wesley Louis Berry III, who has experienced lucid dreaming since the age of 12, it is the ultimate VR experience and can even help with PTSD, reducing anxiety, and improving mood, confidence, motor skills and creativity. The device is due for release in 2025, but it’s unclear just yet how much it will cost. We assume it’ll be in and around the 40-winks mark.