Branding by bananas

If someone passed Manchester (UK)'s Deansgate area on Wednesday 13 July (it was an exceptionally bright sunny day given the British climatic conditions) then you may have noticed that on the corner of Bar36 - alongside what is claimed to be the world's oldest 'proper' railway station - young lasses and lads were distributing a banana and a little square leaflet.

It was lunch time when I was around that part of town and, needless to say, a number of pedestrians found the banana idea helpful - though there was a little heap of leaflets on the side. The connection? - the lasses and the lads were promoting 'Powergen - the power of positive energy'. Of course bananas with their high calorie content fitted the bill (not sure if literally though). Unsure if banana-eaters or banana-haters (like myself) found that link helpful or persuasive - adequately persuasive to shift their power/electricity supplier...

Either way Powergen made a point to a small populace - though they have been making a point via commercials aired around weather bulletins and newspaper adverts and large rather backs of bus. (Note: these bus-backs present a design problem - the little qualifying line is too far up and some of the message runs across the windows).

As brands struggle to retain mindshare cunning, or not-so-cunning, guerilla marketing is the new buzz word. Subtly slipping the brand message may bring a little smile to the mind - but do grins translate into supplier shifts? The concern is not to let the brand sink away from popular memory but keep the word circulating in the marketplace. Eitherway the banana campaign has garnered some column space from people like me...

Setting the scene

I have finally taken the plunge. Been planning it for ages and wonder why havent got down to blogging earlier. Is it the fact that we are time poor? Back with more soon. For the moment the bright, sunny weather, the sight of the softly rolling hills far away from the windows of our Old Trafford, manchester office beckon and its time for put the keyboard to rest and catch the rare british sunshine before its too late.

Time is passing like fine white sands...