SAW a good idea

VW's Theory of Fun

Volkswagen is, as usual, doing things differently and getting some some positive attention for it. 

This morning a composer friend of mine posted a video on Facebook of "piano key" stairs.  His post had nothing to do with VW advertising and less to do with marketing in general.  He just found the video interesting because of his relationship with music (I'm sure of this because he posted the Swedish version of the video and he definitely doens't speak their language).  After finishing watching the video, I clicked on the link, expecting to be directed to some sort of music school related experiment site, and was (momentarily) suprised to be directed to a lightly branded VW website proclaiming (once I ticked the UK flag for English):

"This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

This mini guerrilla campaign/behavioral experiment is doing exactly that:

The piano installation was created to encourage people to make the healthier choice to take the stairs instead of using an escalator.  The before and after shots of the staircase vs. the escalator prove the trick works.

The next video depicting "The World's Deepest [Trash] Bin," an outdoor public garbage can that makes a cartoonish sound of something falling very very far, had the effect of getting park-goers to not only throw away their own trash, but also to clean up the rest of the park just to hear the falling sound again. 

Next, they promise to come up with a fun way to recycle. 

I say, GO TEAM VOLKSWAGEN (BDB Stockholm)!  This bare bones project of theirs sure is a great example of a lot of good things advertising: marketing as service, combining online and offline, and making a good idea viral by keeping it open-ended and by not shoving a ton of branding down the throats of those who couldn't care less about cars (i.e. my buddy the composer).

WiiSpray: Virtual Painting

Just saw this cool video on gaming blog offworld.com of a graffitti game for Wii:

WiiSpray Teaser from Martin Lihs on Vimeo.

Designer Martin Lihs developed this open-ended game, in partnership with Montana Paint, in an effort to "give graffiti a new virtual level surpassing tactile boundaries of the tangible world."  I think the guerrilla aspect of graffitti is lost in this concept, but nevertheless, I dig it for two reasons:

1) Its simplicity.  No instructions are needed to interpret the console, so users are free to explore the possibilities on their own -- ie. get creative faster.  The simplicity of the program is what gives it fluidity, makes it easy to get from concept to creation.

2) Its cleanliness.  One can tag up their wall until there's no tomorrow without inhaling any xylene fumes or covering themselves in toxic paint.   This is more of a plus for someone who is an actual graffitti artist because they can practice and plan their pieces without mucking up so many walls and brain cells.  In that light, I guess it's a plus for moms as well.

Twhat If?

Enough has been written about Twitter in the past month for me to avoid explaining the phenomenom.  A great guide for marketers getting started on Twitter, written by Drew Neisser, is here.  I'm going to jump into the conversation with a bit on one Twitter app, and then quickly digress into one of my [brilliant] rants...

I heard on the radio this morning that plants can now Twit.  For $99, plant lovers can get their plants to talk back to them via Twitter.  Botanicalls is the name of the device that will tweet your plant's water needs to you (and said plant's followers), so you don't forget to take care of it.  It turns your plant into a living Tamagotchi! HOW COOL!

 

This made me think what if...  What if I/we/somebody created a climate change awareness campaign using Twitter to publicize the decay of our planet?!  I know scientists are using sensors to track climate change, so let's make the sensors tweet updates in layman's terms, buy up some digital and outdoor ad space (ad space that targets world leaders, influencers, and big business execs -- that is, those with the power to fund and enforce change), and go live! 

P.S. I tweet, and I'm easy to find.  Let's follow each other!

Lion Brand Gives It Away

Lion Brand Yarn has a great method for keeping their customers engaged: free pattern sharing. 

The Lion Brand website has over 2,000 free knitting, crocheting, and yarn craft patterns.  They also offer videocasts of how tos, a wealth of free information for anyone who knits, crochets, or wants to learn how. 

This is a great resource worth sharing!

Open Source, She Says

I've never been lured by a woman-only group before, but, since my friend (and former Renegade) Sonali Sridhar was speaking about her work as an Interactive Architect at an open source software company, I was happily reeled in to a new experience: an event hosted by SheSays, a group that "was founded in March 2007 in the UK with the aim to help women further their careers in digital advertising through informative debates and a bespoke mentoring scheme."   

Briefly on the subject of interacting with only women involved in the Ad/Interactive/Marketing Biz: WOW!  I loved every minute of it.  I felt fully embraced by this group of intelligent, driven, and opinionated ideaters.  The experience was liberating and confidence-boosting.  Sorry boys, but the girls rock at talking  ideas - which brings me to the subject of open source.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term "open source," it refers to anything collaborative and open to those who wish to attribute and contribute.  In addition to Sonali's presentation about the history of and current trends in open source software, which introduced the groundwork and methodology for open source culture, we had two other presentations from two brilliant companies founded on this philosophy.

The first was from the founders of BurdaSyle, an open source sewing site where members create and share copyright-free sewing patterns, advise each other on sewing techiniques, develop project ideas, and show off their creations.  In the same spirit of wikipedia, Burdastyle's philosophy is the antithesis of  the fashion industry's elitism.  It is an open forum for social design.

The second presentation was about Design 21: Social Design Network, a company created in partnership with Fellissimo (a global design and merchandise company) and UNESCO, which seeks to unite designers in a globally-influential and collaborative way to positively impact the world. 

They state their mission much more clearly on their site, so I'll let them speak for themselves. 

All in all it was an inspiring evening that was well-peppered with discussion and debate.  There was one really great question brought up in our discussion last night that I want to ask before I sign off. 

How can competitive design be considered social design?

This question was raised because Design 21 encourages participation by hosting regular design competitions to solve global problems.  The disconnect between competition and social improvement is something to consider.  I want to know what you think.

 

Swiched On

Renegades love good design.  We also love tasty lunch places.  Calculating the impressive result when the two combine would earn you a Field's Medal.  So when Swich opened a few blocks from our headquarters, our marketing senses were tingling with interest. 

Swich brings excellent design, a strong marketing sense, and a bit of the unique to the crowded Manhattan sandwich scene.  Instead of back-lit menu boards highlighting incredibly poor representations of what your sandwich probably won't look like, Swich gives patrons a blackboard full of well thought out sandwich combinations.  A wall mounted television features SwichTV, and stickers holding the tin-foil over your sandwich promoting the unique vision of Swich are just some examples of the innovative research and their implementation that went into the place. 

For more on Swich, read fellow Renegade Michael Surtee's interview with Swich's owner John Gargiulo.

Diesel Fumes Over Global Warming

Parrots replacing the pigeons in St. Mark's Square?  A tropical rainforest sprouting from the fields in Parc du Champs de Mars?  Could this be a wonderful version of future life, or a timely juxtaposition exposing the subtle horrors of global warming?

Diesel, while reducing the contents of my wallet, has also decided to reduce global warming. They've taken iconic locations from around the world, added some of the long-term effects of an increasingly hot Earth, and put some good looking folks in denim in the photos. This accomplishes three things:

1. It cleverly illustrates the need for global warming regulations.
2. It sells their clothes.
3. It looks cool.

While it may not have the Bono-tastic marketing push of (Red), it takes chutzpah to have your company's website feature such a message. and so prominently.  It's a worthy effort from a brand trying to do more than just sell clothes.

REAL Tough!

A Panasonic CF-M34 Toughbook, is cited as saving a U.S. soldier's life recently in Iraq.  The notebook took a bullet for the soldier who had the habit of carrying it around as he completed his duties for the 82nd Airborne Division.

Via Josh Spear

Pan's Sketchbook

Why did my parents make me study Latin in High School?  That's about as useful as bringing an umbrella to a desert.  We aren't even Catholic.  And yet, as my friends converse with various international tourists, dignitaries and rockstars fluently, I'm hoping to have a chance encounter with a member of the  First Triumvirate.  My lack of knowledge in practical non-dead languages keeps me from fully enjoying movies like Amelie and Pan's Labyrinth.  (I didn't study reading subtitles either)

Pan's Labyrinth, which had its wide-release last Friday, is a Spanish language film and is earning exceptional reviews.  Yet, the American public doesn't exactly flock to foreign films.  To increase attendance, a marketing blitz is currently underway for the film.  Aside from heavy television promotion, the movie's website is a fantastic marketing tool.  Notably, the "Sketchbook Contest."

Guillermo del Toro, the film's director, is notorious for keeping sketches and ideas for future movies in a sketchbook.  Aside from giving the visitor a peek into del Toro's personal sketchbook, the site allows fans to build their own digital sketchbooks. Five exceptional sketchbooks will be selected personally by del Toro, and their creators will receive Pan's Labyrinth prizes as well as garner a mention on the movie's DVD.

The Uniqlo experience

I'm a bit late to write this, but brands hoping to launch a new product in an already over-saturated market should take a few pages from the Uniqlo book on how to do it right. It started with a pop-up store to test the waters. Then 5 shipping container stores strategically scattered around the city, brilliant in that they could be transported on the back of a truck and simply unloaded. Finally, a couple weeks ago Uniqlo opened the doors of its 36,000 square-foot mega-retail store on Broadway. I went to check it out last weekend and man it's huge!

Take a look at the attention to detail of every single molecule of the Uniqlo brand, from the red-threaded binding and paper-stock of its free 'zine, to the T-shirt design project, to the website, to the store design by Wonderwall's Masamichi Katayama, famous for designing all the Bape stores. Okay. I won't comment on Bape as a label, but admit it, the stores are pretty impressively designed. And it's an incredibly strategic move to align the brand with good design, especially since in the UK and Japan, Uniqlo has the equivalent reputation of Old Navy or Gap. Check out the store and pick up one of the Uniqlo "Papers." It has $15 discount coupons, and some pretty great interviews with Glenn O'brien(TV Party), Kim Gordon(Sonic Youth), Masaharu Morimoto(Iron Chef) and Masamichi, the architect. Good read.

Creative Plagiarism?

When recently browsing Ads of the World, I noticed two sets of print ads that were suspiciously similar to one another. One set, for Dentyne Ice, was developed by McCann Ericson, Puerto Rico. The other set, for Voltas AC, was developed by Euro RSCG, Delhi.

I wonder who thought of the concept first...

Aesthetic Electricity

It’s easy to see why the E-Rope Modular Power Strip, designed by Chul Min Kang and Sung Hun Lim, won a 2006 Idea Award; though only in the design concept phase, this idea stands to become very popular because it offers a convenient, attractive power source that is easy to customize to your own needs. The blue light strips glow when power is flowing, and when you rotate a socket section 90 degrees, the current is turned off. Other benefits include power-saving abilities (this technology is much more energy efficient than power save mode), and avoiding unplugging all your appliances every time you leave for vacation. You can also add as many sockets as you like (to perhaps make balloon animal-esque creations around your home). As soon as it comes out, I’ll probably go out and get a bunch of these clever things.

"Clean up yo dirty mouth"

Are you a potty mouth? Clean up your act and be like Snoop Dogg – chew Orbit gum. Orbit’s new interactive site, GoodCleanFeeling.com, embodies the fresh, fun brand identity. Vanessa, Orbit’s peppy, shiny spokeswoman can help you achieve that good, clean feeling, just as she helped Snoop. The website has a heaven (clean) and hell (dirty) theme and even has the option to have Snoop call you (the pre-recorded message gives you a password to access exclusive parts of the site).

One particularly intriguing feature: When you return to the site, Vanessa greets you like a friend: “Oh good! You decided to come back. Mr. Snoop has been waiting for you!”

Share the Air

Last Friday evening, we launched the new Panasonic Action Sports Site. The interactive site is a cool place for action sports enthusiasts to experience the Panasonic brand while expressing themselves creatively. The site features an Action Sports film contest, Dew Tour info, a gear section, and an Oxyride sweepstakes page.

Another highlight of the site, the photo blog, offers unique perspectives from action sports heroes Atiba Jefferson (photographer, editor of “The Skateboard Mag”), Sam Smyth (Team manager of Girl Skateboards), and Jimmie Mcguire (motocross athlete). The photos are, of course, taken with Panasonic digital cameras.

GAP bus tour – right down the street!

Allison, Marissa, Jason, Lindsey, and I just had the pleasure of experiencing Gap’s fun and funky Summer of Love / Rock Color bus, which just happens to be about a block south of here.

The spirited campaign is great; in our short visit to the bus, we noticed a good deal of people around the bus, cool FREE and for-sale gear (for a look, stop by my desk or Allison’s), and a friendly street team/staff making an emotional connection with potential customers (one gentleman personally tied my and Allison’s FREE “friendship bracelet”). Additional elements include a concert sweepstakes to see rockers such as John Legend, the Counting Crows, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Dave Matthews Band. The whole campaign is aimed at evoking “the fun and freedom of summer while enabling [the Gap] to connect with [its] customers on a personal level.”

 

Samsung Blu-ray player finally on the market

For those of you keeping up with the newest technology (or interested in learning about it), Samsung has just launched its own much-anticipated Blu-ray disc player. Blu-ray discs are new, uber-cool, high-capacity storage devices for audio and video HDTV content. For all the information on this exciting innovation, visit the official Blu-ray disc site.

HD DVD, the competing format to Blu-ray, seems to be a little rattled by this new release and has instituted a price drop in hopes of boosting sales one last time before the popularity of Blu-ray really picks up (the format is supported by the majority of industry experts).

To get a peak at the Samsung Blu-ray packaging, go here.

Duck Tape's "Stuck at Prom" Contest

Duck brand duct tape has added a new spin on prom attire since they began hosting their “Stuck at Prom” college scholarship contest in 2001.  High school participants must craft two prom outfits per couple, using Duck Tape’s dazzling 19 colors.  The 2005 entries are posted on their website, including the winning designs, which received anywhere from $200 to $6000 worth of scholarship money.  As you may imagine, competition is pretty stiff, as last year’s winning design was modeled after a Picasso painting.  You can check out the 2006 entries now on their website and vote for the 2006 winners from Friday, June 16 to Sunday, June 25. 

Want to make your own fabulous Duck Tape accessories?  Check out the Duck-tivities page for step-by-step instructions on everything from flower pens to flip-flops.   

Rice to Riches

New Yorkers may be familiar with the kooky façade of Rice to Riches, a rice pudding shop styled after the Italian gelateria, but as a new-comer to the city, I was enchanted by its fun spirit and approach to marketing and style. The shop stands out against the backdrop of Mullberry Street, right on the edge of Little Italy.

The unconventional store lured me in with a humorous sign in the window that read, “These premises are occupied by compulsively obsessed dessert loving people with no self-control or discipline.” Sounds like my kind of place.

And it was. Besides good rice pudding, the store offers really creative design, marketing, and packaging (the spoons are so cool!!). These small details turned a basic concept into something exciting. It’s definitely worth a visit, if you haven’t been yet.

But if you can't make it out there, the website www.ricetoriches.com offers a small taste (haha) of the experience.

Bringin the fuzz to city streets

Saw this on coolhunting and had to repost. Here's some taggers who prefer to leave their mark minus the aerosol cans. Names? AKrylik and PolyCotN and leave their mark by attaching knitted fragments to poles, antennas, trees and anything else they can find. These two Houston area knitters have kids and jobs and a lot of chutzpah. They even have a page on My Space.

Design Taxi List: Best 2005 Websites

Design Taxi has listed their top websites of 2005. Their favorite? Mother London.

See the list here.

What a great idea!

This sensor-based Billboard Ad from Economist won the London International Awards last year (LIAA awards). Love it!

Ads of the World

Adsoftheworld.com is like the online version of Lurzer's Archive. Visual inspiration here.

Just some "regular" advertising...

JWT Sydney for Kellogg's All-Bran. The ads were placed at behind doors in toilet stalls.

Get to the point

[Adverblog] Scholz & Friends, Berlin for N24 Gesellschaft für Nachrichten und Zeitgeschehen, winner of Best Print Ad for media promotion at the 2005 London International Awards.

You dont' have to agree with the politics of the ad to agree that its a powerful piece of print media.

iBelieve Celebrates iPod Obsession

[Adrants] Apple really does win the prize for undying brand love. Either that, or the religious freaks over at iBelieve have been converted to religion iPod and intend to convert all iPod owners to their cause. Actually, it's just for fun and the site says it's "inspired by the world's obsession and devotion to the iPod, iBelieve is a replacement lanyard for your Shuffle. It is a social commentary on the fastest growing religion in the world." To further this obsession, iBelieve is offering a lanyard for the iPod Nano that looks like a cross and sells for $12.95.

Brand Democratization: SB Wear

Here's another example of brand democratization. A new label called SB-Wear produces and designs apparel inspired by a Nike limited edition release, and color coordinated so that your sneakers match your clothes! And like the shoes, the clothes are limited edition as well.

Check the site here

Fresh iPod nano Japanese subway ads

Came across this on the Cult of Mac. It's an excellent way of getting nano's into people's hand. Check out the pics!

 

Came across this on the Cult of Mac. It's an excellent way of getting nano's into people's hand. Check out the pics!

Came across this on the Cult of Mac. It's an excellent way of getting nano's into people's hand. Check out the pics!

We are the superlative Conspiracy

As WESC begins its advance on NYC, take a look at WESC photographer Jens Andersson's porfolio. The "Twins" series is pretty genius.

Cut & Paste Design Competition

Cut & Paste is a live event that evokes the theme of the "battle," paying homage to the MC/DJ contests, dance-offs, and graffiti artists. Contestants will go head to head in a round-robin tournament where they will have 15 minutes to produce a design that best exemplifies a theme, with the materials and tools provided.

Contest is November 19th. Deadline: Oct. 31st. More info after the jump.

Flash Drives Made Fashionable

You should have seen it coming...USB flash drives and Japanese-inspired designer toys will be the fashion must haves this season. The perversely adorable Mimobot from Mimoco is, in the word of its creators, a "little friendly data fiend" that stands two inches high and comes in a variety of capacities (256 MB to 1 GB) and personalities. Isadore (shown) even includes a sound file containing an exclusive mix by cult drum-n-bass progenitor DJ DB.
 

CareerBuilder Says Don't Jump

[AdRants] Not much else to say about this CareerBuilder bus ad other than ingenious.

Ace Hotel

The brilliance posts a new interview w/ Alex Calderwood of the Ace Hotel. With a brand designed for cultural creatives, the hotel's finest and best selling room is the Kaws room! 

Product of Desire

Clever Collateral for a new Sony mobilephone
[via thehiddenpersuader]

There’s still time to visit Alaska

[Adfreak] You could argue that Alaska’s new “B4UDIE” billboards, now up in Seattle, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, are a bit strange for major U.S. cityscapes in an era of heightened security. Or you could not worry about it so much. People often cite visiting Alaska as one of the things they want to do before they die; why not play off that, the Alaska Travel Industry Association figures. Speaking of which, “things you should do before you die” is a huge topic online. Check out these lists from Cuba’s hero of independence, Jos Mart (“Eat a meal good enough to be your last,” “Make an enemy for life”); the Travel Channel (“Soak in the mud and waters of the Dead Sea,” “Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef”); and Maxim (“Drink an entire keg of Guinness by yourself (no time limit),” “Kick your dad’s ass”).

Selling Air v. Marketing Social Responsibility

A new bottled water, Neau, is being sold in the Netherlands.  But this isn't just any bottled water.  This is an EMPTY bottle of water.  Neau is positioning itself against the bottled mineral water trend. Sold as an empty bottle, it requires the buyer to fill up from his own tap. It is hoped that having people fill these empty bottles with water will make people better aware of the outstanding quality of our day-to-day drinking water and the total lack of drinkable water in third world countries. 

Ford billboards: look who's talking now

[Adverblog] Thanks to a hint from Philip I've found out that today Ogilvy introduced in Belgium an interactive outdoor campaign for Ford. The "Ford Miracles" ads consists of interactive posters that look at people and react to their actions. The voice and facial expressions of the guy in the poster are controlled by an actor hidden in a booth nearby. The interactive billboards can be found at the main train stations in Belgium and if you find them I believe it will be very funny to see how people behave in front of them. It's a sort of Candid Camera ;-)

There is also a website supporting the campaign, check for example www.fordfaitdesmiracles.be for the French version. On Philip's blog you also find a video showing senior German tourist interacting with the billboard.

The Yoga Sandwichman

Rethink Advertising for Flow Yoga (Canada).

Chewing gum target

Chris Gray proposes installing chewing gum "targets" in urban areas to encourage people to stick their unwanted gum into a designated area.
Link

Johnny Applesandal

The Johnny Applesandal is a sandal that contains seeds in its soles, which wear away slowly, evenly depositing seeds of phytoremdiating plants around your urban landscape. Link (via We Make Money Not Art)

Powerful Presentation

I'm thinking 3M security glass really works. Just a guess.

Waterfall Posters

Bitfall is a waterfall that displays images by changing the sizes of the water drops it drops. Perfect for receptions, events, you name it.

STEAL THIS BILLBOARD

[Max Lenderman] How can traditional media be transformed by experiential marketing tactics? Take a peep at this billboard. Created by the dynamic duo at TBWA/Vancouver -- copy writer Michael Milardo and art director Bart Batchelor -- this billboard is as experiential as it gets.

 

Forget that giant MTV billboard in Times Square or even that Adidas board in Japan where two guys played soccer suspended by bungee chords. This billboard gets interactive with consumers in a very unique way -- it makes them steal. That's right: larceny. Created for client Black Tower Home Security, the billboard was debuted covered with a bunch of stuff -- mirrors, slippers, pillows and picture frames -- that were easily removed by passersby (the billboard was uniquely low to the street).

After less than 48 hours, enough people stole the stuff to reveal the message hidden underneath: "People steal." With an execution this good, it's a matter of time before media creatives will be stealing this idea instead.

BMX: ride everywhere

Saatchi & Saatchi London for BMX Rider Magazine. I think this is a print ad, but it would have been cool also if adapted to outdoor.

Contacts to replace sunglasses

Nike and Bausch & Lomb teamed up to create MAXSIGHT: "MAXSIGHT is a revolutionary tinted soft contact lens that provides excellent visual performance benefits for athletes and recreational wearers that helps eliminate image distortion and improves field of vision. Nike MAXSIGHT is available in two different sport-specific tints that come in both corrective and non-corrective versions." After the FDA approved of the new contact lenses, professional baseball players (such as Brian Roberts of the Orioles) began testing them during their spring season. Starting at the end of the summer, MASIGHT will be available to the general public in the US.

Eastpak Makes More Friends

Eastpak have been collaborating with one of the hottest names in the British art scene - Mysterious Al. 

"Over the last six years, Mysterious Al has produced flyers, posters, paintings, Flash animations, T-shirts, Jackets, skateboards, window vinyls and neon-light sculptures. There’s no challenge too weird or wacky for this artist to respond to."

The result offers a fresh flavour to those who prefer their bags to have an urban edge with wicked style graphics.   

Check out the Eastpak vs Mysterious Al limited edition line here.

The Barcode Clock

{From CoolHunting.com]
Although we don't ordinarily recommend incorporating soulless symbols of mass consumption into your home design, this new clock design is just plain fun. "The Barcode" transforms the classic postindustrial UPC pattern into a functional timepiece that's deserving of a place on any end table, mantle or wall. The red lights along its bottom tell the hour, while the minutes appear in bright green on the digital display. This plastic clock measures in at 15" x 9" x 1" and runs on three AA batteries (not included). It's available online from Signals for $35.

Flexible Color Paper Computer Screen

Fujitsu have announced the development of the world’s first flexible color paper computer screen. The new electronic paper features vivid color images that are unaffected even when the screen is bent, and features an image memory function that enables continuous display of the same image without the need for electricity. The thin and flexible electronic paper uses very low power to change screen images.

TV makers try for an emotional connection

Ever thought wacthing the US Open on a golf ball shaped TV would enhance your experience? Think a TV that is the shape and texture of a pineapple would improve your living room? Now you can get the pefect TV! Starting this month, Hannspree will offer custom-shaped televisions to Americans through their website and two US retailers. There are three main categories: Sports (the NFL, NBA and MLB partnered with Hannspree for this section), Fantasy (animals and such with Disney's help) and Style (fashion and home-life concepts). Take a look at the Collection!

Zoo Brands Bus Shelters with Bugs

BBDO West is using real bug displays in bus shelters to promote the San Francisco Zoo, Adweek reports. Part of the Zoo's "Join Zoomanity" campaign, the displays replicate traditional mounted-insect displays found in museums. Thirty or so insects are represented in the display. Another shelter houses a larger-than-life-size replica of a child's ant farm.

Mini Launches 'Word-of-the-Day' at Pumps

Mini Cooper launches another innovative advertising campaign with "word-of-the-day" trivia at gas pumps, Adrants reports. The made-up words are meant to entertain people as they pump gas. Example: "Spumped" defines the phenomenon of arriving at a gas station and being unable to recall what side of the car your tank is on.