Trend: Single Product Pop-Up Stores

McDonald’s builds hype with pop-up shops exclusively selling one of the fast-food chain’s most famous sandwiches
It seems like McDonalds is taking the viral food retailing trend pushed by Krispy Kreme and Burger King to another level. They’ve now opened two exclusive Quarter Pounder Shops in Shibuya and Omotesando that are completely devoid of any McDonalds [...]

Trend: Innovative iPhone Apps - Part 1

The launch of the iPhone App store this summer has offered a number of innovative applications to become available for people to enhance their mobile experience.
The iPhone took the mobile world by storm and within one year has resulted in the mobile ecosystem to be turned on it’s head. Apple’s iPhone App Store for [...]

Trend: Perkier Packaging

Consumer packaged goods makers enhance product designs with practical twists.
Always on the lookout for new ways to interest customers, packaging designers have found ways to enhance the pack’s contents, by using it to chill or make its contents more flavorful. No longer competing on aesthetics along, the new designs give customers a practical reason to [...]

Trend: Crowdsourced Fashion Models

Girls Walker has announced the beginning of the search for the next Miss Tokyo Girls Collection, the finale event for the now famous biannual real fashion festival. This is the ultimate opportunity for a would-be reader model, not only to grace the pages of one’s favorite magazine, but to actually join the stage with [...]

Trend: The Mobile Taste of the Beijing Games

Innovative ways of applying mobile devices give audience worldwide unique perspectives of the event.
Trend Description:
Not being able to launch 3G does not mean this year’s Olympics keeps  the hottest mobile media outside China. A bunch of companies are rolling out their mobile applications for the Games, which, if not becoming popular right away, carry [...]

News: Article in Japan Inc. Magazine on Digital Shopping

Now that the Japan Inc. magazine has gone monthly once again, CScout Japan’s contributions will be ramped up as well. Look out for us every month in the Trends in Japan column, but be sure to check out the entire magazine as well by getting a subscription.

Read the rest of the post at the CScout [...]

Trend: Nike PhotoID

Nike has launched a large-scale pan-European mobile marketing campaign in which it unveils a customization service called Nike PhotoID, which invites Nike fans to submit their randomly cellphone-taken pictures with brilliant colors to the company. The service will then analyze and withdraw from the pictures two dominant colors, make customized sneaker designs and send pictures [...]

Trend: Smart Vendor Car Vending Machine in Shibuya

We’ve seen plenty of interesting vending machines all over Japan, even for interesting marketing, though the recent Smart Vendor in Shibuya Station might just take the creativity award home.
Holding a full-size Smart Car, the faux vending machine has two choices (coupe and cabrio), and a convenient slot to insert the amount you need (about $20k). [...]

Trend: Japan’s Greying Mobile Market

Mobile manufacturers and SPs target silver cellphone users with simple handsets and vintage content.
Since mobile phone providers in Japan tend to have music downloading services, many phones double as portable music players. But don’t assume that everyone is listening to the latest pop songs. Mobile contents provider Radio Days has just announced that they will [...]

Trend: Games Gadgets

Retailers cash in on the upcoming 2008 Olympics with a range of sporty gizmos.
With the 2008 Games just round the corner, a range of Olympic gadgetry is already available for those keen to celebrate with tangible mementos.
Olympic speakers

These kitsch little speakers are made for use with MP3, iPods, or latops, with a design inspired [...]