Creative Smashing
In developing new products for food and beverage clients, we often get inspired by bringing two or more seemingly disparate ideas together to create a something new and groundbreaking. We call this exercise “creative smashing” or “monster trucking”. This kind of idea generation is often really fun because we enter into it with the mindset of exploding myths and destroying sacred cows. One of my favorite real world examples of this is a hot dog stand in Vancouver, Canada called JapaDog. In short, a fusion of sushi flavors and hotdogs.
Situated at a busy downtown street corner, JapaDog is the inspiration of Noriki Tamura, a former Tokyo advertising salesman who emigrated to Canada 2 years ago with a change of career in mind. Competing with 100 other city hot dog carts, he realized he needed an edge. JapaDog was born.
The best sellers at JapaDog are the Oroshi - a feisty bratwurst, layered with daikon radish, green onion, wasabi and soy sauce and the Terimayo - a turkey dog with a shaved black nori and wasabi mayonnaise. Purists may turn up their noses, but local Vancouverites, known for their hunger for fusion food are lining up around the block.
It reminds me that innovation can be found in the most unlikely of combinations and that even something as glorious as the hotdog, can be spun in a completely new way. What other examples have you got?
August 1st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
How about the introduction of beverage coolers in cars. If I were to spend some time investigating I am sure Lincoln or someone did this nearly 50 years ago, but anyone can have it now.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:15 am
JapaDog Rules!
I was in Vancouver for 4 days after a trip to Alaska when I found JapaDog. My 4-year old son had to go to the bathroom when we we’re driving at we stopped at a corner and there was the hot dog stand. Peaked my interest so I ordered the Oroshi-great taste in a familiar delivery system. In the culinary arts, they refer to this as fusion cuisine.
Other examples?
> iPhone
> Crossover vehicles
> 311 or Faith No More (hip hop / thrash metal)
> In reference to the last post, how about moveable headlights? First available on the Thunderbird in the late 50s or 60s I believe and now Infiniti has reintroduced them
> Snowboarding! Hey, let’s bring our longboards up to the winter cabin, just in case.
> Coke Black? A new idea, just not a good one. ; )=
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 am
Examples abound!
Razzles - it’s candy and gum!
Labradoodle – designed pets! (not to mention the elusive Liger, it’s like my favorite animal)
Terra Chips – not too original, but they did commercialize ‘chips:not potato’ first
The skort (shots & skirt) – bad fashion craze that plagued the 80s
Frappicinno (sp.?) – is it coffee or is it a milk shake?
Chaco – Flip flop/hiking shoe
Tequizza/Ciclon - (beer + tequila or beer+ rum) bad idea
Voges – bacon flavored chocolate – I haven’t gotten to try this one yet but I am a already a big fan
The Cavemen from the Geico Ads TV Show – Already panned by critics, this is a frightening new idea in cross-pollinated media
Red – is it fashion or is it philanthropy?