Everyone loves being trendy, but a particularly trendy organisation is The Future Laboratory. The organisation predicts new crazes, themes and products that are set to hit our lives soon.
Among the trends that the organisation is highlighting this month are:
- ‘Open Source Brewing’. The Cube Multiplex cinema in Bristol, England has apparently attemped to create its own cola because it is allegedly opposed to the environmental and ethical practices of Coca-Cola. Through trial and error, the bar managers at the Cube have created something which tastes ’similar’ to the real thing and they’re planning to send it via mail order to other small bars who are interested. A set of Danish students have also launched a beer which has a recipe available to anyone as long as the maker uses the established branding for the drink. Are these schemes the natural extension of consumer-generated content?
- ‘Energy harvesting’. Apparently a division of the US military has created ‘heel-strike’ technology for soldiers, which means that the motion of the foot creates enough power to run a small electrical item. The Facility, a London-based architectural firm is looking to use this technology and embed it in floors, so energy can be collected simply by people walking. Imagine how brands could utilise this to cut costs.
- ‘Machinima’. This is a type of film shot inside computer games, using the characters of the game as set and actors. One of the most popular examples of machinima is Red vs Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles. It now has its own festival – the Mackies – and is a further evolution of consumer-generated content.
