28 2023 September
How Bottled Water Took Over the World
In case you’re wondering who to blame for the popularity of disposable water bottles and the environmental catastrophe they have fueled – you could start...
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14 2023 September
7-Eleven Japan Tests Palm Scanner to Check If You Are Eating Veggies
Radar speed scanners slow down drivers by showing them how fast they are going. The awareness creates the behavior change. Could the same idea shift how...
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22 2020 August
Branding Lessons From the Shady History of the Oreo Cookie
I love a good branding story and the history of the Oreo cookie has plenty of fascinating hooks. The story starts with two feuding brothers, Joseph and Jacob...
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12 2020 August
Problemshifting and the Myth of Food Shortages
Every few months, there are stories about an impending food crisis. From the death of the humble banana, to the loss of fertile farming land to doomsday stories...
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10 2020 August
Coca-Cola Imagines the Future of Refreshment with “Coca-Cola Coffee”
I spent four years in a place that acclimatizes you to believe there is nothing strange about having a Diet Coke for Breakfast. I’m speaking,...
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22 2020 July
Trader Joe’s and the Slow Death of Brand Personality
Update – Two weeks after this post was originally published, Trader Joe’s issued a new statement sharing that they do not consider these brand names...
Read Now19 2020 June
What Boxed Mac & Cheese Can Teach You About Disruption and How One Brand Quietly Embraces Its Racist Name | Non-Obvious Insights #222
This week’s stories include the reimagining of some racist logos from the past, the emerging field of digital nutrition, the dangers of Facebook Groups and...
Read Now26 2019 December
5 Non-Obvious Megatrends Changing Our World In 2020
For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business...
Read Now04 2019 February
4 Big Trends From The 2019 Super Bowl Ads That Explain Our Culture
The best part of the Super Bowl experience is always the advertising. That was particularly true this year thanks to another joyless victory by the...
Read Now24 2019 January
Selfie Dysmorphia, Celebrities Abandoning Social Media and the World’s Biggest Universal Income Experiment | Non-Obvious Insights 01.24.19
Why Every Ski Map Looks The Same This past weekend was a big one for skiing and so this article was interesting and timely –...
Read Now17 2019 January
Robot Layoffs, Disappearing Street Food & Asymmetrical Jeans | Non-Obvious Insights 01.17.19
Japanese Hotel Has First Round Of Robot Layoffs I first wrote about the Henna hotel, staffed entirely by robots, more than two years ago. It...
Read Now29 2018 June
How Hot Dog Water Became The Hottest New Health Drink In America
Hot Dog Water officially launched this week and you can have some for just $38 a bottle. Before you roll your eyes in disgust, would...
Read Now05 2018 March
AI Outperforms Lawyers, Seeking Love With DNA Matches And Google “Right To Be Forgotten”
This week you’ll find stories of DNA-based dating to automated agriculture, but there was one that captured my attention most. It relates to the latest...
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