Now it's becoming a habit for Parisian people to raise their eyes to the sky while in front of the Palais de Tokyo contemporary art museum to check which new art building has been put at the edge of the museum's roof.

After the Everland hotel, it's now the turn of the Nomiya Art Home Restaurant to been hanged on into the sky. Once again an ephemeral venue, once again an experience in itself, once again a piece of poetry! The result of cross skills: Palais de Tokyo, Electrolux and artist Laurent Grasso and Chef Gilles Stassart. Not only is the venue creative, but the cook is also. For the brand Electrolux, that has "recently" absorbed Arthur Martin on the French market, it's a very good way to reassure clients and show one of its core values is innovation in cooking. 

If you schedule a trip to Paris or are a lucky inhabitant, please go immediatly (not too immediatly though, I need to book a table too!) on the Art Home Restaurant website and try to book whether a table, a tour or a cooking lesson. End not known yet!

Who has once dared to say shopping was a useless activity?

A further contra argument is being brought by French haute-couture brand Lanvin. Should you be in Paris till July, 21st, stop at the Lanvin store on Faubourg Saint-Honoré Street and admire the store windows designed by artist Cyril Hatt. His work is about stereo photography, in other words, reproducing a 3D object, scale 1, thanks to a collage of different pictures of the real object. An astonishing result to see! 

For sure, such store windows are an interesting idea for the Lanvin brand in terms of aesthetics and differenciation, of positioning as an innovative brand inspired by its world. But still: knowing the symbolic of Cyril Hatt's work, "copying" the reality in an unfinished way, is to highlight the illusion of our world, I can't help wondering about the relevancy of such an idea when, beyond brand positioning, the main goal is to sell to the consumer?

Source: www.materialist.com

All images courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects, © Luke Hayes.

I'm a very great fan of Zaha Hadid's archisculptures.

Once again, she's answered with talent to the Manchester Music Festival request: creating a music chamber located in the Manchester Art Gallery dedicated to Bach-based performances. Not only has she found a poetic looping light structure that responds to Bach music rythm but she used innovative fabrics that enable the proper requested accoustic for such a quality event.

A beautiful and practical ephemeral structure. If you're a very lucky happy few being in Manchester till July 18th, buy immediatly your ticket to attend one of the concert and experience this wonderful structure. More technical information on http://www.dezeen.com/2009/07/07/js-bach-chamber-music-hall-by-zaha-hadid-architects/

Vitamin Waters hits again in Sydney that time with an event called "Vitamin Water hearts". This time, it's about an ephemeral gallery, middle of Sydney Central Business District, celebrating Australian phtographer Russell James. The brand associated to the launching of Russel James new retrospective book. Credo of this Coca-Cola brand is: "GLACÉAU vitaminwater hearts is a series of events (cum love fest) allowing the always-current brand to express openly its adoration of some of our country’s top talents and trends".

July 6th 2009 at night Kirstin Davis (one of the Sex & the City actress) officially launched the art space. During two days, the man in the street is invited to visit the gallery and know more about Russel James. At night, Vitamin Waters helds some private parties and takes the opportunity to set up an ephemeral bar based on Vitamin Waters products.

Vitamin Waters has been in Australian stores for over one year now. This kind of event enables the brand to strenghten its link with its audiences. A good strategy to be present at each contact point with its audiences. However, such a strategy needs consistency at each point which might not be the case of Vitamin Waters yet. As far as I can express recommendations to this Coca-Cola brand, I would recommend to have a look on its online communication: too many different websites and blogs even if the tone stays consistent and related to the brand personality, the consumer may be a bit lost and not understand the fundamentals of the brand...

Popup venues have hit again!

This time, it's Coca-cola's turn to have used this now common strategy. To launch its Vitamin Waters range in France, in a competitive environment, Coca-Cola has accompanied it with an ephemeral venue: the Pop Up Bar, in Paris.

A confidential address, a venue you could only enjoy from March, 5th to April, 30th, a private party each night and thprivileged to taste dedicated cocktails made with Vitamin Waters! The recipient is perfect, the buzz did its job, the product was launched!

T-Mobile, the British cell phone company, is now well-known for its flash mobs middle of London, part of its "Life's for sharing" campaign. (Reminder: Flash mob: a forecast blitz gathering of people, a happening).

The latest took place on April, 30th, 2009 in Trafalgar Square, middle of the day. Imagine 13500 people singing "Hey Jude"as a one voice. Which better song than this famous and emotional song by the Beatles for thinking to the brand with emotion and even affection? A pretty addictive action: congrats to Saatchi & Saatchi!

Krug keeps making "experience" its own word when proposing a privileged clientele the champagne brand has interest in a flying lunch!

Krug's proposal is about having lunch and of course tasting a selection of the Krug champagnes into a hot-air balloon that can welcome up to 8 guests for a fly over beautiful landscapes of Tuscany, Arizona, Tokyo or Hong-Kong. For a price of 50000 euros, this wealthy clientele can enjoy a privileged experience.

Krug wanted to homage visionary people as was the Krug's founder. ABove all, this concept seems to well echo the personality of the brand which is told to be "initatory" by its head Olivier Krug.
 

This event management company has imagined this extraordinary concept: experiencing dinner in the sky!!

Imagine something like 30 guests, seating around a table raised by a crane, at 50m from the ground, looking at the landscape under their feet! Such an incredible experience!

Which can be a good tool to reach its objectives! Take the example of the Belgian Institut Bodet, a hopital dedicated to cancer. In April 2009, to secure donations for cancer research in a "competitive market", the institute organized a IT-event: a dinner in the sky of Brussels, prepared by a renewed chef and only accessible to 22 guests, no more, for an entrance fee of 1000 euros. Even fundraising has understood the benefit of the current trend of "experiencing"! For the good!  

 











This work of art designed by Sabina Lang and David Baumann was launched in 2002. After Switzerland and Germany, this project has been staying for 2 years in Paris.

To me, this artistic concept highlights the concept of being a happy few: booking was allowed for a unique night within the 2 months to come, during a limited period of time in the same city. It was not about money finally but about being lucky enough to be successful in booking a night!

Unfortunately, early May 2009, the hotel was removed from the roof of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. No information has been given letting know if the Everland hotel would go to another city.

 

Too late! This beautiful bird cage restaurant has closed!

Designed by architects Peter Eising ans Lucy Gauntlett (Pacific Environments Architects), this restaurants has welcomed 2000 guests middle of the forest in the surroundings of Auckland. A beautiful and poetic experience noone can live anymore. What a pity!

Prada has unveiled late April its Prada Transformer pavillon, a very trendy architecural structure these days imagined by OMA/Rem Koolhaas architects.

The flexible structure can be transformed into 4 different shapes adapting the events. Now staging the Prada "Waist down" exhibition, it will soon welcome other exhibitions, movies and cultural events.

If you're around in Seoul, don't forget to go to the Gyeonggi palace to live this new archisculpture. only 6 months to discover it. More information on www.prada-transformer.com

      
   

In 2008, Chanel imagined the Mobile Art, "contemporary art container". 

Designed by the famous architect of futuristic shapes Zaha Hadid, it travelled around the world. Few major cities had the chance to welcome this innovative global work of art, and even fewer than forecast since it was discontinued after 3 cities. Chanel said the Chanel Mobile Art wouldn't have been so an IT-venue afterwards but a déjà-vu.

Almost 100000 happy fews can relate the story of this innovation. For the other ones, the website is still online and allow you to make a virtual visit of the Mobile Art: http://www.chanel-mobileart.com/