I my own words, cool factor is the tangible look and a feel of a product that just makes you say, “now that is cool”. Apple Computer has been working cool factor into their product design for years. Chrysler is another example of a company that has been recently incorporating cool factor into most of the car designs. Of course, there are practically and endless amount of companies using or trying to use cool factor in their product design.
If you talk to a marketing executive from a company that actively incorporates cool factor into their product design, her or she will probably take credit for their products look and feel. In reality, marketing might request a product with cool factor in their marketing plans, but the actual cool factor you can see and touch comes from product industrial designers.
The product industrial designers at Vuzix have definitely designed a Video Eyewear product with cool factor. The picture below shows their latest iWear Wrap 920AV consumer Video Eyewear product that will ship in the next few months.
If you think the iWear Wrap 920AV has cool factor, wait until you see iWear Flex 1080AV, due to ship in the Spring of 2011. Sorry I can’t provide a picture of this product because it’s still a closely guarded secret, but I can spill a factoid that came from a group of three future marketing geniuses at California Lutheran University.
iWear Flex 1080AV will be the worlds first high definition Video Eyewear product and will utilize the latest proprietary technological advancements in nanotechnology processors and flexible electronics originally developed for military applications.
The new product packaging is two tone black/silver and “diet” is nowhere to be seen in the product name.
Any guesses for next years target market?
At the lumber yard a man secures a bird house in the back of his Ford F-150 with some tie down straps. When he is done he cautiously gets out of the bed of the truck with the help of the tailgate step and grab bar. He then proceeds to head to the cab of the truck until Howie says, "Hey buddy you left your little man step down." While the man embarrassingly flips down the grab bar, stows the step and closes the tailgate, the voiceover asks "Would you rather have a Ford F-150 with a man step or a Silverado that backs you for a 100,000 miles or 5 years?"
While parking along the side of the street a man in a Dodge Ram truck backs up into Howie's Silverado giving the truck a slight bump. When Howie walks up to the driver's side of the truck the owner roles down the window and is very apologetic. Howie tells him, "Don’t worry it happens." Looking in the cab he asks, "Is that a heated steering wheel?" To which the man reluctantly admits. Howie then notices the man also has a manicure. Finding this all very funny he returns to his truck as the voiceover asks, "Would you rather have a Dodge Ram with a heated steering wheel or a Silverado with an EPA estimated 21 highway?"
Howie notices a man in a vest and plaid shirt wiping some dirt off the hood of his truck and asks him if it is new. The man, trying to act manly and rugged responds in a forced deep voice, "Yep, a real trucker’s truck and real trucker’s stuff. You know truckers." When Howie asks, "How is it on gas?" the man’s voice becomes much higher as he responds "19 highway". Surprised Howie asks "V-8?" to which the man answers, "They said V-6." Howie smiles and tells the man, "Have fun being a real trucker." As Howie gets back into his truck the voicover states, "Tundra's V-6 offers an EPA estimated 19 highway Silverado's V-8 offers 21." 
Gatorade Fierce is now Bring It.
Gatorade X-Factor is now Be Tough.
Gatorade AM is now Shine On.
Gatorade Rain is now No Excuses.
It’s pretty safe to say PepsiCo marketing executives are exhibiting some XL huevos by rebranding Pepsi, Gatorade, and a couple other brands at the same time. As for ADEP Winter 09 BUS 375 and the timing of this major PepsiCo rebranding effort, priceless.
New logo on a can
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