The weather is warming up here in Amsterdam... We've had a week of sun and temperatures in the mid-70s.

It's ice cream weather, which brings to mind creative problem solving and the invention of the ice cream cone.

In September 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair an ice cream vendor ran out of dishes for serving his ice cream. He was going to have to close for the day until he acquired more dishes. However, his neighboring vendor, Ernest Hamwi, was selling fresh waffles and saw an opportunity. Hamwi rolled his waffles and offered it as a way to contain the ice cream - and the ice cream cone was born.

How are you 'running out of dishes' and what are potential solutions?

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categorized as CREATIVITY > imagination

Are you as impressed as I am about the attention the Simpsons movie is getting? They've done a great job promoting it.

The best tactic was the transformation of 7-Eleven locations into Kwik-E-Marts. These are the convenience stores in the cartoon town of Springfield. I give 7-Eleven credit for having the moxie to let someone take over their stores in that way.

Burger King has a site called SimpsonizeMe where you can upload a photo of yourself and the Simpsonizer re-draws you in the style of a Simpson character. (Sounds a little like 'Super Size Me', doesn't it?)

In the animated demonstration for the Simpsonizer, the Burger King himself is transformed using "Have It Your Way" technology.

Here is the photo I uploaded of myself, and the result. (after I tweaked it some)

I tried to Simsonize Ronald McDonald on Burger King's machine...

Here is what the machine came up with, unaided...

I also tried Wendy... From Wendy's Restaurant.

Also check out...

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categorized as CREATIVITY > imagination

As problem solvers, we marketers should constantly scan for creative inspiration.

Here is a Flash-based animation I bumped into today... It's a cartoon by artist Pascal Campion called "Door." It features a character trying, without luck, to enter a doorway. Pascal has created over 20 ways for the door to defeat the poor guy...

Seems a challenge to come up with 20 gags for a door... Makes the idea of coming up with ways to excite customers or front-line employees seem a bit easier!

Hmmm... looking at this from another perspective... Perhaps the guy represents annoying solicitors or advertisers. And the Door... annoyed customers.

Either way you look at it, enjoy.

If you have time, browse Pascal's website and watch some of his other animations - he's a talented and creative artist.

This animation has no sound. It could be rated PG (for violence), but is work appropriate. If you get 'busted' watching it, explain to your boss or co-worker why it is posted here... as inspiration for coming up with clever ideas!

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categorized as CREATIVITY > imagination

At Idea Sandbox we talk a lot about being childlike and using your imagination... how solving problems is about creativity and how creativity is driven by your ability to imagine new ideas...

I found this interesting bit about being more like a child in Rob Eastaway's book, "Out of the Box: 101 Ideas for Thinking Creatively"

Adults are often overly concerned about thinking and saying what they're expected to think rather than what they really think. Young children have a refreshing honesty about them, and divert their energy to new things that excite them.

From 0 to 4 years old is the "Why not?" stage.
From 5 to 11 years old is the "Why?" stage.
From 12 onward is the "Because" stage.

This because stage is where we start to conform to adulthood and lose the "curiosity and wonder about the world that leads us to ask those crucial questions, "Why?" and "Why Not?"

To be more creative, you need to recapture some of the behavior of your childhood.

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categorized as CREATIVITY > imagination

While browsing YouTube content on creativity and imagination, I stumbled upon this classic animated short from Sesame Street. I remember sitting on the floor with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and carrot sticks watching this...

Perhaps I can trace my Idea Sandbox roots to this animated short...

Perhaps I can trace my Idea Sandbox roots to this very clip... I'm certain that Sesame Street, Electric Company and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood helped me to be smarter... (I loved Mr. Roger's "Picture Picture" video player that would show kids how stuff was made. I found this link on the PBS site that has Picture Picture Factory Tours!).

(How cool is the Internet to be able to bring content like this another life!?)

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categorized as CREATIVITY > imagination