Brand Spanking New Banking

A trip to the bank is usually a pretty dull affair. But if my local branch of the Abbey looked like this, I'd defintely be making excuses to open every type of account they had. This is one of the new CheBanca! banks in Milan. CheBanca! means 'What a bank!' and the design reflects their whole concept of simplicity, transparency and innovation. I'm surprised more places haven't done something like this. Good design doesn't just look nice, but is essential in giving a good impression of a brand's values. By putting this much time and thought into the decor of their branches, you'd assume that they'd treat their customers with even more care and efficiency. With the rise of online banking, banks need to be pulling out all the stops to get customers into their branches. I say they get off their bottoms and take a leaf out of this banks book.

Quirky Korea part 5: Fabulous Findings

Here's some final little gems to round up my weird and wonderful discoveries in Korea:

You've seen padded bras, but padded pants are the way forward. They're the best way to get you an ass as hot as Jennifer Lopez.

Spam gift sets. The perfect gift for your loved ones.

Dolled up dogs. This little pooch is actually a boy- can't you tell from the blue outfit? I think it must be a little confused.

Amazing night life. The cities come alive after dark. With most shops staying open till midnight and 24 hour restaurants and clubs, there's no time for sleep. The neon signs, decorated shop fronts and big screen adverts are a feast for the eyes.


And after a hard night on the town, what better to make you feel better than a steaming bowl of hangover suop.

Quirky Korea part 3: Metro Advertising

Seoul is a commercial paradise- it's an advertisers dream! You can't escape from advertising wherever you go. In the metro stations alone, you're bombarded with different types of media.

There's TV screens on the tracks playing ads...


...while at the same time, there's different ads being shown on the platform screens. And they're not silent either, so you'll be listening to one while the other's playing a different jingle. Someone obviously didn't think that one through very well.

On the trains themselves, there's your typical posters, plus TV ads on loop...

...and walking through the stations there's adverts winking at you everywhere you look.

And when you think you can't face any more messages, you discover a tranquil framed painting to lift your spirits. How pleasant! Then you look up close and realise it's an advert for a holiday company. Ha!
Although I'm someone who's fascinated by advertising, overkill can defeat the point as all the communication becomes one big blur. It's not until you come across a fresh idea like the one above that your attention is really captured.

Quirky Korea part 1: Brilliant Bogs

I've just got back from a trip to Korea in which I discovered all sorts of innovative and crazy things. Koreans are very much into their high-tech design and I was constantly impressed by their forward thinking. Being half Korean, I though I'd dedicate my next few posts to my second home.

Everywhere I went, I was pleasantly surprised by something, often in a place I least expected. This leads me onto my first post, dedicated to the wonderful toilets I came across. Never has going to the loo been so exciting!

I discovered this little gem at a department store in Seoul. A special little loo has been built so that mother and child can pee at the same time. Now that's what I call bonding...


I came across this clever device when I made a trip to the ladies at Seoul City Hall. It's called an 'Etiquette Bell' and you use it when you want some err, discretion. At the press of a button it creates the sound of flushing so you can poop to your hearts content.


This digital pad is a toilets best friend and I found them everywhere. Even my Grandma has one. You can control the temperature of the seat so your cheeks are nice and toasty. If you press the wash button, a little nozzle pops out the basin and sprays water so you're sparkly clean down under. Naturally, you'd blow dry afterwards.




This is the hygiene king of toilets. The seat is covered in plastic wrapping and when you press a button , it revolves so it's all fresh and new. You won't catch anything from this bog. As you can see, I had fun playing with this one. I think I need to get out more...

After all this modern design, I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered this classical style loo at the Deoksugung Palace. It even came with male and female signs dressed in traditional attire. Brilliant!

Foot Pedalled Mini Coopers

OK, so the Olympics might be over, but I came across this great little piece of branding used in Beijing. As one of its sponsors, Mini Cooper transformed traditional Chinese rickshaws into

contemporary bike powered Minis. I love the golden dragon embellishment and dangling ornaments. These little touches have kept the vehicle in tune with the culture. The brand doesn't over dominate the tradition, but works with it in a light hearted tone.

Street Art

Each time I walk past the Tate Modern, I can't help but be blown away by it's outdoor exhibition of street art.  It's the first time they've used the facade of the building as a canvas for artists.  The sheer scale of it alone, is impressive.  My favourite piece is by JR, of the black man holding what on first impressions seems to be a gun, but when you look closer is a video camera.  It's not only technically brilliant with it's photographic quality, but it also challenges your negative assumptions.  

You can also take the Street Art walking tour, but I wouldn't recommend it.  I started it with my friends, feeling positive about the combination of culture and exercise the walk would bring.  But it was a big disappointment.  The first few pieces were nothing to write home about, and you could easily walk past them without a second thought.  The walk then took us through Borough, one of the most depressing, nondescript areas of London I've been to.  After that, we gave up and went in search for a cup of tea which was much more rewarding.

An Eggs-traordinary Toilet

If you want a toilet experience that's out of this world, you must visit Sketch.  It's a gallery, restaurant and bar located on Conduit Street in London's West End.  But the best part about it is the loo!  To get there, you walk through the restaurant, into a spaceship-like zone.  You then walk up the stairs- ladies go right, guided by the pink lights, gents go left, guided by the blue (obviously).  

Once you get to the top, you feel like you've arrived on another planet.  The cubicles are egg shaped pods to which you enter at your peril!  As you sit on the loo, you're greeted with strange noises, to enrich your err, sensory experience.  I've come across the tinkle of cattle, baa-ing sheep, coughing fits and hysterical laughter.  It's all very surreal and you emerge out of your egg, like a little chick.  

It's not to everyone's taste- I know some people who couldn't get out of their pods quick enough.  But as far as I'm concerned, anywhere that makes a trip to the toilet exciting is pretty impressive!

Chinatown Art

When I was in San Francisco, I was taking a stroll through Chinatown when I came across this fantastic building.  It's been covered in murals that depict the cross culture in the surrounding area.  On one side, are traditional Chinese characters and motifs and on the other are symbols of American life.  But it was the clothes hanging to dry on the balconies that I found the most charming.  It's nice to see people living, doing normal activities within this eye catching structure.  Sometimes it's the most ordinary, real things that make you smile.