This via Boing Boing

New research suggests that the type of music one listens to while drinking wine can dramatically affect the taste… taste changed by up to 60 percent depending on the vibe of the tune…

From the BBC News: 

(In the latest study,) four types of music were played - Carmina Burana by Orff (”powerful and heavy”), Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky (”subtle and refined”), Just Can’t Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague (”zingy and refreshing”) and Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook (”mellow and soft”) 

The white wine was rated 40% more zingy and refreshing when that music was played, but only 26% more mellow and soft when music in that category was heard. 

The red was altered 25% by mellow and fresh music, yet 60% by powerful and heavy music. 

The results were put down to “cognitive priming theory”, where the music sets up the brain to respond to the wine in a certain way.

Read the whole BBC News articles and recommended music to drink to here.

AEG-Electrolux has installed billboards outfitted with sensors to measure noise levels. So far, they’ve deployed them in London, Berlin, Madrid, Brussels, and Milan. The billboards are part of a “noise awareness” campaign that’s actually a marketing effort for a new “silent” washing machine. The data is also viewable online. Link to AEG Noise Awareness Blog, Link to AEG Noise Awareness site, Link to more info and video at Laughing Squid

via Boing Boing

I really like this because it works on the show them, don’t tell them principle,

It’s really powerful because it uses everyday experiences, and actually empathises with the consumer, customer, PEOPLE.

It’s worth clicking on the above links too, nice follow through and on-line integration.

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.
—Charles Mingus

Better Git It In Your Soul

“An artist featured in a new campaign pushed by the Australian music industry to discourage illegal file sharing… says he was duped into joining an anti-piracy “witch hunt”.”

Read the article here.

I won’t wade into the right or wrong arguments about file sharing but it’s worth checking out the comments on theage.com.au to get a feel for where the customer is at.

I will say that the video patronises it’s intended audience - high school students- who do understand the industry. They understand it so well that they don’t need it. Just look at Last.fm, Mog and imeem.

Lindsay gets “The Kids”.

“I’m from a punk rock band, it’s all about getting your music out any way you can - you don’t make money from the record, the record companies make the money from the record. If they can’t make money these days because they haven’t come onside with the way the world is going, it’s their own problem.”

And why didn’t the makers link to YouTube from their site so that the video is easy to share.

Don’t they get “The Kids” ?