In a cluttered advertising environment it’s time for brands to start putting their words into action. Sydney’s Strategy Director, Angus Frazer, shares his latest obsession – Brand Behaviour Enhancement.

In the clip above Angus invites us to start taking a new perspective when thinking about building real relationships with consumers today. Would you agree? Maybe you have experienced it yourself. Contribute below and let us know what you think.

And for more examples of Brand Behaviour Enhancement in the flesh, you need look no further than these examples from Motorola and Red Bull

Thanks to: Angus Frazer, Virgin Atlantic, Motorola and Red Bull

Banksy, a British street artist, has opened a show in New York depicting the skewed relationship humans have with pet stores, processed meat and brand consumption. Is it art? Or is this an example of creative retailing?

At first, ‘The Village Pet Shop and Charcoal Grill’ looks like an ordinary pet shop, until you get inside. The experience is one for the senses – visitors walk among a monkey watching TV, mechanical chicken nuggets and a number of other unusual sights. Banksy is critiquing over-consumption.

The interesting aspect of this show (Apart from the obvious show itself) is that, eventually the displays will go on sale like any other art show. If we consider Banksy as a brand, it’s a brand re-inventing what it is to present and sell. Imagine if you could re-invent your brand to do the same?

Thanks to: Banksy, Creativity Online

There is no debating people choose brands that make them feel special. At While You Weren’t Watching we think there is no greater time than the present (Given the current economic state of affairs) for brands to embrace this kind of behaviour.

Trendwatching.com has many examples of brands giving back; here are just a few we wouldn’t mind having ourselves…

1. Free love from Ben and Jerry
Annual free cone day is just to say thank you. They give away ice-cream one day a year, to say thanks.

2. Convenience bought to you by VISA
VISA delivered convenience recently to card customers at the 2008 Outside Lands Festival with access to VIP restrooms – no queues, no nasty portaloos, the visitors even received a complimentary blanket, always handy to have at a festival.

3. Pre-release advantages with Orange mobile
Subscribers gain access to concert tickets 48 hours before the general public and they can sign up for a news service that tells them when their favourite bands have a gig coming up.

Giving back to consumers does add value to your brand – it demonstrates your brand has empathy to your customers’ lives and opens the door to brand loyalty.

Thanks to: VISA International, Ben & Jerry’s, Orange and Trendwatching.com

You should drink Red Bull in times of increased mental and physical strain. It makes sense then that the brand aligns itself with events that showcase the most extreme variants of skiing, mountain biking, sailing, flying, skateboarding and snowboarding.

What Red Bull does best is not just associate itself with these sports, it showcases them, taking them into the mainstream, creating competitive environments for the best athletes to demonstrate their respective sports.

This has led to professionally produced (globally screened) events being created in areas of the world which aren’t usually chosen to host this level of event. It entertains the locals, brings tourism to the area and raises the profile of the sport and the athletes that take part. So follow the Red Bull calendar of events to see parts of the world you’ve never heard of and sports you didn’t even know existed.

Thanks to: Red Bull

Motorola showcased the features and functions of its new RAZR by encouraging travellers to say goodbye to their loved ones on the large digital screens within Hong Kong airport, with a little help from David Beckham and pop star Jay Chow.

Consumers interacted with the digital display by sending their message via SMS, MMS, Mobile Video & Bluetooth. You could either take a picture / video and send it to the digital screen or download a personalised message via Bluetooth from Beckham or Chow to send to a loved one.

Did it feel like advertising? Doubt it. Surely the most important outcome for the people involved was the ability to say goodbye to loved ones, but our bet is they feel a whole lot better about Motorola than they did yesterday.

Thanks to: Motorola

By dramatising the role their brand plays in a consumer’s life, Elastoplast was able to create a more meaningful, enduring connection with both mums and kids.

Elastoplast is the UK’s leading manufacturer of plasters, predominantly used for kids’ cuts & scrapes. The brand recognized that people needed plasters but weren’t necessarily engaging with the emotional role it played in people’s lives. Elastoplast recognized how kids explain (blow out of proportion) how they got injured, and provided an online experience to bring these ‘tall tales’ to life.

elastoplaststories.co.uk allows you to create your own ‘tall tale’ via a virtual storyboard. You can paste animals made out of Elastoplasts, insert scenes, write and draw comments. Or you can check out, rate or pass on to a friend other people’s tall tales. This is a great example of a brand providing consumers with tools to create their own brand experience while creatively reinforcing the role Elastoplast plays in their life.

Thanks to: Elastoplast UK