Gizmodo points to a new partnership between Apple and Nike to create the iPod Sport Kit. As might be imagined, the story is rapidly making its way through the blogosphere. On Google News, a whopping 516 news sites are now carrying this story about the iPod Sport Kit:

The iPod company and the shoe company are partnering together to make your workout easier and more fun. Nike’s new footwear, the Moire, tracks information during your run such as distance, time, speed, and calories burned. The iPod Sport Kit allows you to view the workout data from your shoe in real time, not after your workout is over.

There’s even a voice that speaks the data to you so you won’t have to look at your iPod. And after the workout, upload the information to your computer to keep track of your progress. We hate running as much as we love ice cream, but this would actually make us exercise.

There are a few takeaway lessons here. The most obvious lesson, of course, is that the Apple iPod has unleashed some very powerful “design mojo” on the world. (The credit for the term “design mojo” rightfully belongs to Lee Gomes of the Wall Street Journal, who wrote a great column about Microsoft and Apple yesterday: “Above All Else, Rivals of Apple Mostly Need Some Design Mojo”) Is it any coincidence that PC maker Dell has decided to open its first-ever retail store? That companies now emphasize “design” and “creativity” and “innovation” at every possible turn as they attempt to hitch their wagons to the iPod phenomenon? As the Wall Street Journal points out, “The Nike/Apple partnership brings together two companies that have become icons in their own worlds with a mix of design prowess and buzzy consumer marketing.” In other words, that’s some pretty unstoppable design mojo.

Tags: Nike Apple innovation design iPod

[images: Reuters + BBC News]

This breakdancing worm video on YouTube.com has already been viewed more than 51,000 times since it was uploaded on March 29. Which perhaps wouldn’t be so noteworthy if it weren’t for the fact that the video is actually an advertisement for VISA that was created by Patrick Smith, a New York-based animator and filmmaker. Steve Hall of Ad Rants explains:

“We all know VISA’s launched a huge, new campaign with the new tagline, which we like very much, “Life Takes VISA.” We all know there’s tons of TV spots supporting this campaign but one, which we saw a couple nights ago, just seemed to stand out from the crowd. It’s called “Worm/Recycling” and sort of makes you wonder what it is at first as it begins with line drawings of a worm breakdancing to electronica before it becomes obvious it’s a commercial for the VISA check card.”

For additional background on VISA’s advertising campaign, I had a chance to connect with Kevin Burke, Senior Vice President of Advertising & Brand Management at Visa USA, who explained why the company was launching a new brand innovation for the first time in almost 20 years:

“Visa used to be known as a credit card company, but over the past 30 years we’ve gone through a real evolution. Today, we’re not only offering credit cards, but debit, prepaid and commercial products. Visa is developing new payment technologies like contactless and payment by cell phone, that go beyond the traditional view of our cards. So “Life Takes Visa” is more in line with today’s Visa.

As a campaign platform it’s flexible enough to include all of our products and services and broad enough to extend across our marketing programs. The “Life Takes Recycling” spot is a great example. It communicates how you can make your life easier with your Visa card, but done so it reinforces our overarching message that Visa is more than about universal acceptance. The campaign brings to life the many ways Visa can actually empower consumers in expected and unexpected ways.”

As noted above, the creative talent behind the breakdancing worm is Patrick Smith, a New York-based artist who is also a professor and senior thesis advisor at the Pratt Institute. In 1999, Smith made his directorial debut in the Emmy nominated MTV animated series “Downtown”. He went on to direct several seasons of the popular series “Daria”. In 2001 he started his studio, Blend Films, which primarily produces his independent shorts, but also produces multiple commercial productions. He is also a curator and jurist for multiple film festivals. Below, Patrick answers a few questions about innovation and creativity.

Q: What was the inspiration for the “breakdancing worm” - and how did you work with VISA to integrate it into the “Life Takes Visa” campaign?

Patrick Smith: It was really a product of thinking about what type of random little doodle that any regular guy would draw on the pages of his checkbook, if he has the spare time. A worm breakdancing is exactly that type of random thing that would end up as a flipbook. And if you’re making your checkbook into a flipbook, you really aren’t planning on doing anything else with it. That is the whole premise behind the ad—if you have a Visa card, you can pay your bills with it and you don’t need a checkbook. I worked with Visa’s ad agency to help bring that idea to life.

Q: In addition to creating the “breakdancing worm” character for Visa, you also created the “Zoloft Blob” character for Pfizer. What insights can you share about working closely with corporations on their brand campaigns and developing these types of characters?

Patrick Smith: There’s something amazing about a character that comes to life and expresses emotion. I’ve always seen animation as a way to express emotion through an icon that lives within a space. A simple smiley face or frown face wouldn’t work as well as a little “blob” character, moving about, feeling things just like we do. A worm breakdancing won’t be entertaining unless we can relate with the dance moves, and begin to believe that this worm is actually performing them. When working with corporations, I find it’s helpful to identify the emotion that relates to the product.

Q: Two of the big buzzwords in business today are “innovation” and “creativity.” What do you think business leaders can learn from artists and other creative types?

Patrick Smith: Artists seem to appeal to what people already know and feel, and what people can relate to. For instance, if you feel really happy, there’s an image out there that describes it perfectly. The image didn’t create the happiness – it’s just a reminder of what it feels like. So in terms of business, I would say that artists are observers. Maybe that’s something business could use more of? It’s tough to be creative without being observant… At Pratt, I can’t say that I’m seeing much of a blend between the two worlds, which is too bad because artists can learn a lot from business. I suppose a lot of younger artists write business off as something they’re not interested in, but business and art will always be intertwined.

For more on Patrick Smith and the dancing worm, check out the Q&A on Patrick’s website, where it’s also possible to download exclusive IM and blog icons featuring his animations from the VISA commercial.

About a month ago, Philips unveiled its new Sense and Simplicity advertising campaign. The key idea behind the campaign is that design simplicity can lead to innovative product offerings, while at the same time, simplifying the overall user experience. At the Philips Simplicity event that recently took place at Pier 94 in New York City, the company showcased some of the more innovative product designs currently in development. In this two-minute YouTube.com video, Philips highlights a number of prototypes that define its “sense and simplicity” brand positioning, including its Air Sensor air quality device, the Chameleon ambient lighting system, and the Herbarium portable indoor greenhouse.

Anyway, there’s also a Sense + Simplicity Web page full of images and brief descriptions of these prototypes. For example, there’s a mirror that becomes a wall-mounted touch messenging center and something called the Look Look. If you have kids, you’ll appreciate this product innovation: “Philips believes that sharing experiences should be as simple as a child saying, “Look, Look” to a parent. Its ‘Look Look’ design concept is a device that allows people, particularly children, to capture and share images spontaneously…”

Tags: Philips design simplicity innovation