IDEA 23: Fine Horn

Inspired by living in Brooklyn and opposite a school.  Drivers in Brooklyn will honk their horns like they have some form of turrets syndrome, add that to the triple parking school drop off chaos in the morning and you have a horn orchestra.  It’s horrible and annoying.  The sound of inpatient, petulant people who have no thought for anyone apart from themselves.  

I’m starting to rant.  Calm down.  Let problems become the guid to innovation...

The Idea

Connect the horn to a credit card or apple/google/Samsung pay.  Every time someone hits their horn, $1 is automatically deducted from their account.  

The money is then transferred to a city “Roads and Highways” account where it will go towards fixing potholes and putting in more protected bike lanes. 

In the rare event of a New Yorker actually using the horn to warn other road users or to avoid an accident, the driver can claim the cash back by providing camera footage of said incident. 

Auto insurance will go down for those that use their horn less as an incentive.

IDEA 22: Name The Sun

I sometimes get asked to come up with a “ludicrous big stunt” idea (see ‘Mountains, Free Idea #21).  This is often a breath of fresh air in a world of endless meetings and brainstorms, small step by step deck building, tissues meetings, strategic positioning, more meetings, deck version 9 and all the other elements that go into selling ideas within my industry.

A headline grabbing stunt can be really fun to work on.  “Think big” I was told.  This got me thinking about space, then the planets.  I read about all the names and how they got there, what the names mean and how they translate in other languages.  I then thought about the sun and the moon. 

Now the sun?  That’s big.  I wondered why it doesn’t have a name like Pluto* or Uranus?

As usually, the simple word “why” leads to ideas. This one became:

“Become immortal: Brand X will give you the chance to name the Sun after yourself, a loved one or anything you desire!” 

How could this be done?  Officially, I would suppose conversations with various science bodies, NASA, the UN? Massive amounts of money changing hands, maybe it’s done temporarily or just within certain trade journals?  

Unofficially, it could just be done on a “because we say so” basis, in the hope it will get news and attention.  The unofficial name, if interesting enough and with enough buzz surrounding it, will become the nickname of the sun in any case.

I can see the headlines now, “Sun officially named Sunny McSunface in NASA’s schools Sun naming competition.”

What would I name it? Easy: Maya.

Email: ideas@floydhayes.com to discuss projects or workshops.

*Pluto was finally discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory, based on predictions by Lowell and other astronomers. Pluto got its name from 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England, who suggested to her grandfather that the new world get its name from the Roman god of the underworld.  Thanks WIKI.

IDEA 21: Make the Mountains Taller

I was once asked to come up with “an audacious PR stunt, the world could not ignore.  Something big!”

About once a year I get asked about projecting on the moon (stop!) but I knew they were after something ridiculous along those lines.

The idea:  

Make the top 5 mountains on earth taller.

Easy!  

I was hoping this would be a stunt to get rising ocean levels top of mind as well as create coverage and buzz around the supporting brand.

Either that, or it could be seen as the worst example of brandalism on earth.

How it Would Work:

5 teams would climb the 5 highest mountains roughly at the same time.  

Each team carries a 2ft tall stone with a logo or message sand blasted on to it.

This stone would be placed at the top of the mountain and viola!  The mountain is now 2ft higher!  

No wonder ADWEEK said I was “Pregnant with Marketing Genius” ;) Put it to work and email: ideas@floydhayes.com

IDEA 20: Toasted Clothing

The Inspiration

This freezing New York weather and my cold neck combined with warm memories of being a kid, getting out the bath and into PJs that had been on the radiator.

The Idea

Toasted Clothing.

Toasted Clothing is available in retail locations.  Scarves, hats and sweaters are presented on radiators.  Customers buy the toasty items and put them on while they are lovely and warm.

I’ve just ran to the shop with my toasted scarf and it was lovely.  Man, I’m getting old…

Why it Works

It’s simple and cheap to execute, encourages in-store visits and may have some earned media value.

Brands

Any clothing store, GAP, Uniqlo, Old Navy, Indies.

IDEA 19: The Very Cold App

This is an on premise sampling idea for any beverage brand that uses “cold” as their main selling point.  How it works:

1.  Download the free Cold app at the bar

2.  The app depicts a frozen screen.  Players have to simply breath* on it to melt the screen and reveal a free drink and other on-the-spot surprises

3. Share the app with friends and see what they reveal

The app picks up the consistent sound of the breath and triggers the ice melting effect which should prove to be fun and surprising. 

I was going to pitch it, erm, cold to Coors but I don’t know anyone there and experience has taught me that sending unsolicited ideas to brand’s agencies very rarely pays off.

Other uses could include highlighting  heating charges, utility deals or good causes based on house heating issues.

IDEA 18: American Conker League (ACL)

The Idea: Bring the classic English game of Conkers to the United States

The American Conker League aims to: 

• Popularize the game through a series of national events, apps and PR

• Raise awareness about the majestic Horse Chestnut tree (During the first 40 years of the 20th century, blight destroyed 3.5 billion American chestnuts. no comparable devastation of a species exists in recorded history).

• Plant 1 million American Chestnut Trees a year.

The Background: The game of conkers is an English school kid game.  A seed from the horse chestnut tree (AKA a conker) is attached to string.  Each player takes turns to swing their conker at the other in an attempt to destroy it and win.

The first recorded game of Conkers using horse chestnuts was on the Isle of Wight in 1848. 

In 1965 the World Conker Championships were set up in Ashton, Northamptonshire, England, and still take place on the second Sunday of October every year. 

In 2004, an audience of 5,000 turned up to watch more than 500 competitors from all over the world. 

Campaign Elements:  

• Major PR, Online and Viral Marketing campaign to encourage people to become members of the ACL

• Conkers “Tournament in the Park” outreach across 10 key US cities National US Championship Fall 2018

• Join online or at events Lifetime Membership costs $10

• We will plant an American Chestnut tree on your behalf and name it after you or a loved one - a great gift

• Our illustrated guide to the ancient game of Conkers

• Entry to The American Conker League family fun park events and “early bird” tickets to the national championships

• Free iConkers game app

Potential Brand Partners:  The American Chestnut Foundation, NISSAN Leaf/electric car brand, Million Trees NYC, British Consulate General

IDEA 17: CitiBooks

The Inspiration

“Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.” - Napoleon.

This is an idea I put together years ago for an agency who had the ear of Citi Bank.  It went out into the ether and was never heard of again.  Pretty common in my line of work and mostly, I shrug, and get on with the next set of ideas.  However, I seem to come back to this one often.  I still like it a lot, maybe it will find a life here?

The Idea

CitiBook is the CitiBike for knowledge.

Citi partner with Amazon to bulk purchase and freely distribute physical and digital books through multiple channels.

Each title - both digital and physical - features the CitiBook logo including a simple call to action, "read and forward.”

The CitiBooks campaign works across multiple touch points to place Citi into relevant spaces and begin a useful, intimate dialogue with the audience:

- Physical & digital Distribution (coffee shops, bars, hair salons, airports, public transport etc)

- Events (author tours and talks, workshops etc)

- Giving Back (a drive to get a million books in a million hands)

Free, quality products for all courtesy of Citi and myriad ways for the public, the brand and creators to share and engage with one another.

IDEA 16: Healthy Shopping

The Inspiration

As often is the case, two seemingly random thoughts came together to create a new idea.  

I was in Walgreens pharmacy on the busy Myrtle Ave in Brooklyn recently.  As I was leaving, I noted the sign above the door, “Wishing you a happy and healthy day” It trilled. 

As I looked down from the sign to the counter, I saw row upon row of cigarettes for sale.  In a pharmacy!   Regardless of your thoughts on smoking, we can pretty much agree they are not healthy.

“How hypocritical and possibly incongruent to the brand values” I mused.

This led to me thinking about how I would support the ‘Have a healthy day” message.  My mind went back to Las Vegas.  I’ve only been once and that was to body paint 52 strippers to resemble playing cards (don't ask).  I’d never gambled before so I had a go at the slots.  Some 4 hours later I’m still sat there feeling oddly alive and happy.  It wasn't just the free beers, it was the oxygen they pump into the room periodically to keep everyone perked-up and playing.

Mind you, a trip to the country side would have been a better way to remind myself that “clean oxygen makes you feel great!” Still, the ends justify the means… 

Now, back to Walgreens…

The Idea

Turn every Walgreens into an “oxygen bar.”  

Pump clean, pure oxygen into the stores particularly during morning and evening rush hour when the traffic outside is heavy.

Shoppers will feel good.  And the store will actually make people have a healthful day, just by simply being in the store!

Not only is this good for the customers and staff, it will create oodles of earned and social media as well as support it’s presumed brand values (dumping the smokes would help too).

Plus, physical retail spaces need a more compelling reason to get customers in beyond “selling stuff you can get on the internet cheaper and faster.”  Clean Air Shopping could be compelling enough to attract the people into the store.

IDEA 15: Suicide Panic Button

 The Background:

I was thinking about how useful the “help I've fallen and I can't get up” button is for senior citizens.  If you're unfamiliar, it's a physical button worn on a lanyard. Once pressed, it will notify family and medical people that the owner has fallen (and may not be able to get up or get to a phone).  Soon after pressing, help will be on its way. It could be a life saver.

I was also thinking about mental health, in particular suicide and suicidal thoughts.  There have been a number of high profile celebrity deaths recently. I've also had a couple of close friends take their own lives.  I think about the moments before they make that last decision, if the decision could be delayed, the moment may pass. 

In the wake of the widely reported suicides, I've seen numerous posts on FaceBook along the lines of, “No matter what time day or night, if you need to talk, I'm here for you, even if we haven't spoken in years.”

As well meaning as this is, I wonder, once the darkest of clouds descend in the middle of the night if one has the presence of mind to think “I'll call so and so”. I'd imagine that person may feel shame and self hatred.  Sometimes, communicating this kind of pain in words is difficult, if not impossible.  

The Idea

Suicide Panic Button (SPB)

So, I'd like to propose a Suicide Panic Button.  It would be discrete, perhaps housed within a ring or Amazon Dash type device.

Simply press the button to automatically send a series of pre-written messages assigned to specific numbers.  For example it may:

- Text friends and family “Hey, I'm having a bit of a moment, give me a quick call please."  I mentioned it may be difficult to pick up the phone and talk but perhaps the phone ringing will jolt the mind to a different space.  Plus it can be easier to answer a call than make it.

- Notify a therapist or other mental health professional (“I'm in trouble, please help”)

- It could even order from your favorite delivery service - it's a long shot, but perhaps if you know a delicious Pad Thai is on its way, you may give yourself a little more time, change your mind state for just long enough to allow the dark clouds to pass or the black dog to sniff at the next fire hydrant….

With the SPB, there is no need to get the phone and think about who to call and what to say, how to say it…there's no extra mental pressure .just press the button and try to stay around a bit longer. 

Brand Support

I don't see this as a commercial venture although production costs would have to be covered.  Perhaps the little buttons are sold via mental health charities and their supporters?  Some of the money from purchase can go to support the work these groups do.

IDEA 14: International Long Shot Day

What’s your Long Shot?  Ask out that out of your league hottie?  Go for the huge promotion?  Email that big shot for a gig? Launch your art career?

The Idea:  A simple website that collects people’s “Long Shot” dreams and notifies them to go for it on June 23rd, “International Long Shot Day.”

The site features a text field to enter the Long Shot idea and a field to enter email to receive the reminder message.

The Inspiration:  I had a colleague who used to randomly ring up high level business leaders who would normally be well beyond the reach of mere mortals. His cold calls were often rebuffed but on more than one occasion meetings and business was secured.  They were Long Shots but they cost nothing but time and were highly valuable.

I liked the idea that everyone should be encouraged to go for their Long Shot.  A focused “Long Shot Day” may inspire people and prompt action.

Brand Involvement and Monetization

The ideas doesn’t necessarily need either of these things, but as the Material Girl once said, “We are living in a material world” so…

Page sponsorship form any brand playing in the realm of “empowering people”, from sports brands to banks.  Perhaps a liquor brand would work too with a possible link to “Dutch Courage” and the word play around “shots”.  I’d rather keep it family friendly though.

Possibly extend the idea into an ad campaign.  

Maybe someone will love this idea and donate a load of cash?  It’s a long shot but it might just work :)

IDEA 13: Carrier Pigeon 2.0

Back in my days as the Creative Director at Cunning New York we were asked by the lovely people at PSFK to come up with an idea for UNICEF's 10 Challenges and PSFK's Future of Health Report.

I'd forgotten all about it until I was searching about the Internet for cool pigeon stories ( I like pigeons).

It struck me, the idea is still a good one and it deserves a second airing. Here it is:

Carrier Pigeon Network

Communication issues constitute 50% of UNICEF’s 10 Challenges. Improve communication and the other challenges will be easier to overcome.

Therefore, we develop a network of carrier pigeons to carry information, data and medicine across developing nations.

Pigeons are a fast, cheap, and sustainable way of transmitting information and small payloads over long distances.

In 2009, a race was held in Durban, South Africa, between a carrier pigeon and an ADSL line to see which would transmit 4GB of data faster. The pigeon won.

A pleasant side effect of using pigeons for information relay is that pigeon waste makes excellent fertilizer. It rates higher than other fowl at 4.2% nitrogen, 3% phosphorous, and 1.4% potassium.

Proof of Concept:
Carrier pigeons were used in the eastern Indian state of Orissa until recently to transmit daily communications between police stations. Orissa has about 400 police stations covering thousands of kilometers of remote territory.

Carrier pigeons were also used en masse by the Roman Empire, soldiers in the American Civil war, and by the French in World War I, who used 30,000 of them.

Sources:
In South Africa, carrier pigeon faster than broadband. ZDNET. September 10, 2009. http://bit.ly/fastpigeons

The hallowed history of the carrier pigeon. NYTimes. January 30, 2004.http://nyti.ms/pigeonhistory

Indian Pigeons Lose Out To Email. BBC. March 26, 2002.http://bit.ly/pigeonsindia

Original PSFK post here.

IDEA 12: Way of the Toddler™

Way of the Toddler™

The Idea:  A new wellness system based on the behavior of toddlers.

The Inspiration:  Hanging out with my wee girl when she was a toddler

Introduction

Toddlers, by and large, are a happy and healthy group.

As adults, we could learn a lot from them.

Way of the Toddler™ is a complete wellness system which, in my imagination, would become a global phenomenon a la Taibo or Zumba.

I'd then proceed to become incredibly rich and famous on the back of the videos, books, public appearances and associated merchandising.

The Way is a daily system that requires no specialist equipment (except my Officially Licensed Products of course) or space and is open to all age groups and health levels.

Way of the Toddler™ Components:

Short Burst Running™

I hate jogging or running on machines but I do need to get my cardio up.

Toddlers can never seem to just causally stroll from a-to-b they sprint.  Even if it's just from the living room to the bathroom.

Introduce this "Short Burst Running™" (SBR) into your everyday routine.

Popping to the store?  Try SBR there.

Going to the kitchen?  SBR.

Diet

Smaller portions throughout the day.  Feel free to eat what you want.

No red meat

No caffeine 

No Alcohol

Rest

Nap when you like 

Jump up and down on your bed for 15-30 minutes 

Read a nice story before bed

Go to bed early wake up at 6:30am and watch Scooby Doo on YouTube (trust me, the newest ones are fantastic)

Play

Turn everything into play.  Approach all situations with infinite curiosity.  Watch things like the TSA cease to bother you.

Tantrums

Angry?  Have a proper screaming tantrum, right there on the spot.  You'll feel great!  Equally, let the tantrum pass as quickly as it arrived.  Watch co-workers and waiting staff treat you with wariness and respect.

The Future of Way of the Toddler™

I've been meaning to introduce the system into my life and do one of those "before and after" style pictures.  I'm fatter than I've ever been, so now would be the time.  Problem is, I like caffeine and alcohol too much.  The latter being responsible for the girth I suspect...

Still, this is one of my favorite ideas and I hesitated to post this one.  It's clearly a bit silly but I think it could genuinely garner results.

So, it's over to you Internet - and don't forget, if you make millions, a decent check would always be appreciated!.  

Alternatively, if you are an appropriate brand, I would consider a six-figure sponsorshiop deal to do this for a year: Ideas@FloydHayes.com

IDEA 11: Pet Cow

The Idea

For a limited time, anyone buying a tub of yogurt or ice cream will win a real cow!

How it Works

Everyone gets a real cow.  They can't take it home but they can - in theory - visit him or her.

The real fun begins with how someone interacts with their cow. By entering a code on the packaging, the cow fan will receive a free Cow Interaction App which features games and interactions with the cow.  The idea is to maintain dialogue and play, much like a real life tamagotchi:

• A picture of your unique cow

• A field to a name your cow whatever you like (keep it clean!)

• A chat field to talk with your cow (responses can be AI/scripted or manned like the chat help features on tech support web sites)

• Play games with your cow - or play against other cows (CowVille?) win goodies and treats

• Feed and water your cow, keep the cow happy and win a trip to see your cow

• Link your cowto your calendar for fun reminders from your cow (e.g. "dentists at 2:30pm, how udderly exciting!")

• Moo-sic app - a small but fun sequencer where you play different moo tones and of course, cow bells. Share on soundcloud.

• Cow twitter feed - see what your cow is up to today - funny scripts and product info

By "gamifying" the interaction between the brand and the customer in this way, we will have "permission" to carry on a fun and valuable dialogue over an indefinite period of time.  

Product offerings and other brand information can be naturally included without being too "in your face" and salesy.  

IDEA 10: First Silver Service Restaurant for Dogs

Dogs are seldom welcome in restaurants

We turn this on it's head and create the World's first silver service restaurant for dogs

The pop up restaurant will be open to "V.I.Ds*" the night before the park opens

- The mayor and other dignitaries can attend with their dogs

- "Celebrity" chef involvement

- Possible celebrity dog owner involvement

- Potentially auction tickets to raise money for a good doggie cause

IDEA 9: Red Carpet Insoles

Short, simple and slightly silly ideas often appeal to me.  This is one I've been meaning to do for a while but just don't have the time, so have at it:

Purchase used red carpets from the Oscars, State Visits and other Great and Good spectacles then "upcycle" the material to create insoles for shoes.

The red carpet treatment for the everyday guy or gal.

IDEA 8: Typos For Charity

The Inspiration

If you've ever received an email or text from me, you've probably received a few typos along with it.  It's professionally sloppy and being a 99% mobile business (ipad or phone) is no excuse.

I was thinking of some method to punish myself and the idea of "Typos For Charity" came to mind.

One of my Creative Advisors* the Honorable Princes Jade told me it was possibly the worst idea I've had. So have at it:

The Idea

Some kind of email / messenger plug in or script  (if that's the right tech terms) that will note every typo and automatically deducts a $1 from PayPal to give to a pre-defined charity.  

At the end of each week the typo analytics are given to see how many typos have occurred (boo) and how much cash has been raised (yay).

I feel this idea would be fairly easy to make and would be pretty PR-able.  If you're in a position to help make this, get in touch: ideas@floydhayes.com 

As always, feel free to 'like' this idea or donate a little sumpin' sumpin

IDEA 7: Urban Hiking Platform

The Idea

Create a brand platform around "Urban Hiking".

Urban Hiking is the everyday walk: a light stroll to an all day wander.

With 34.5 million traditional hikers and countless "everyday walkers" this is a huge opportunity to engage with a large, active group of people

The Inspiration

Since leaving the everyday office life, I've found walking to be a fantastic method of solving problems, getting inspired and remaining switched on to the real world around us. You won't see me in a gym but you will see me taking pics of street art, talking to strangers and collecting Pieces of Brooklyn.

How It Works

Brand X becomes an advocate of the Urban Hiker, providing the following tools and content:

• A central hub to gather the community to one place to share and discuss, be entertained and learn all the good stuff about Urban Hiking

• An app or site featuring the best hike in each town and city

• Collection of Urban Hiker's stories and and recommendations to be shared with the community

• Video reviews and photo essays of some of the best walks

• Instagram and other social content pieces

Who Could Use This

Pretty broad:  Shoe and outdoor apparel companies, city tourist boards, fitness trackers, snack and drink producers, music/MP3/Smartphone companies, Camera companies and more.

Please click "Like" if you like this - it helps me determine of Free Ideas Project is worth the candle. And of course, feel free to donate something as it helps cover site costs pay for my walking shoes :)

IDEA 6: TOM Pop-Up Restaurant

The Idea

TOM is a pop-up restaurant that serves one thing: dishes and drinks made from tomatoes.

The Inspiration

I'm a HUGE fan of tomatoes.  My granddad used to grown them in his allotment greenhouse in Newcastle, England.  I only have to smell a good Tom to be taken back to the Halcyon days of childhood.  Ever since I arrived in NY back in 2004, I've grown a plant on my stoop as a ritual and to honor home and good times.

How It Works

A two day program of events will be designed to celebrate Brand X's passion and devotion to the humble and healthy tomato:

• Cooking classes with Brand X's expert chef (online vids can easily be produced from this live event)
• Gardening classes and talks from experts
• A journalist launch dinner evening with local print and online media in attendance
• Public Dinner Party.  Consider raising funds for a local good cause with a donation-for-dinner honor system

New, oddly-themed restaurants have a habit of generating news coverage, I can's see why this wouldn't be any different in the hands of a half-way competent PR.

Potential Brands: Any producer of tomatoes or tomato-based products (there are dozens judging by my local market's shelves), any brand with a gardening or nature theme.  Book publishers, any online media provider with a cooking or restaurant theme.

Please click 'Like' if you erm, 'Like' this idea.  If you really like it. please consider a small donation to keep this idea going.

If you really, really like it, get in touch and let's make it happen - I have the best production people under the sun who can help "ripen" this concept to its delicious conclusion.

IDEA 5: Curly App

Curly-haired girls are sometimes bullied at school for having curly locks.  As a Dad of a Curly, I think this not at all cool.

This idea aims to create a fun experience that will give curly teenage girls and their friends something to smile about and hopefully help them feel happy and confident about their hair.

This app idea would be suitable for a haircare brand looking to do some social good. It also provides an engaging platform to communicate with their audience, offer digital coupons for product sampling, provide curly haircare tips and share resources on how to deal with bullying. 

How it Works

• A friend opens the app and enters a curly friend's name into the field

• She then chooses a "cute model" she thinks her friend will like, enters friend's email and sends

• The curly friend receives a link to a video where she is greeted by a video featuring the model.

• The cool part is the model greets the viewer using her real name, which will be surprising and cool. The model then delivers a message of support for her and her curls.

• She can then download a coupon for a sample of a brand partner's product, explore anti-bullying resources and send her own curly support video to other curlies.

The tech behind It works by pre-filming each model saying the top female names in America.

Text-to-speech tech can also be explored.

IDEA 4: The Music Farm

The Music Farm is a library for musical instruments.

I'd love to sell this to CitiBank or Spotify and would be happy to help build this out should the be interested.

The inspiration came from looking at the high financial barrier to exploring and becoming confident with instruments.  We remove this barrier by creating a zip car / citibike "library" system.

The local instrument library or "music farm" becomes a hub and access point for instrument loans but also for knowledge, workshops and a place to pair mentors with students. 

Create "content pieces" telling the story of where the instruments go and who uses them.