August 3, 2006
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas. In this week’s issue: Peter Radford’s worst fears come true, South Park on Mel Gibson, the computer that hoops, business time and the quote of the week. The battle of Saxon Peter Radford’s worst fears have come true. Radford has stubbornly fought for 40 years to transform his rare Saxon sheep breed into a super-fine branded wool (see ‘The baron of Saxon’, Idealog #4). He’s done it despite the refusal of the Wool Board to endorse Saxon wool, and now European suppliers are taking advantage by selling low-quality ‘Saxon’ wool. Radford’s business is being sabotaged and his customers are astonished to learn New Zealand won’t protect his brand. Radford has been paying hefty dues to the Wool Board for years but the board and its successor—DISCO, the Wool Board Disestablishment Company—have refused to recognise Saxon wool as a unique product. Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton has spoken publicly about the need for primary industries to concentrate on high-value, branded goods, but he tells Idealog that there’s not much he can do. He says it’s a “commercial matter between private companies”. The government may not be able to insist that DISCO comes to its senses but we hope it’s applying serious pressure behind the scenes. Radford is inspired by products marketed with recognised, protected names, like champagne. If Anderton wants an environment where we can produce those high-value, branded goods, then he needs to do everything he can to support creative entrepreneurs like Peter Radford. Like any good business, Radford has a plan B—and it wouldn’t be good news for New Zealand. Read Sally Blundell’s online report on the threat to Radford’s business from international piracy.  C’mon Hollywood
South Park is nine years old but it’s not getting stale just yet. The show is in a no-quarters-given scrap with the Church of Scientology movement which has inspired a new take on the Mel Gibson affair. See the ad for the show that ran on the back page of Variety this week.
The computer that hoops Remember the Sony Style ad that a clever 18-year-old created in his own time? We’ve used it as an example of Generation C creativity. It’s so slick that when Sony executives saw it they reportedly thought their advertising agency was playing a joke on them. He either has a new client—adidas—or someone has created has felt inspired. Bravo.  It’s business time
Check out the “completely unofficial” website devoted to Flight of the Conchords, the Wellington ‘folk parody duo’ now discovered-in-America, complete with a great selection of video hits. Check out ‘Business Time’ and ‘Hiphopopotamus vs Rhymenoceros’. The Conchords themselves, being musos, are on MySpace.
Quote of the week “Most ideas are step-by-step children of other ideas.”
—A F Osborne, author, advertising exec and inventor of the creativity technique called ‘brainstorming’ More at Idealog online Read more on our website: Web exclusives, opinion, Idealog IP and the Idealog blogs. See you at idealog.co.nz. Matt Cooney
Editor
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