Play

We're a playful bunch, humans, whether or not we choose to indulge this side of our nature.

We love the anticipation of the game. No matter how unlikely the odds, we dare to hope for a favourable outcome. I learned recently that a high proportion of UK lottery winners continue to play. The excitement, it would appear, is in the chase.

Games don't need to be elaborate to capture our attention. According to mobile specialists the Hyperfactory, some of the most popular mechanics in mobile games replicate the whimsical interactions of old fairground attractions, such as the wheel of fortune.

And despite the awesome graphics of today's console games, old favourites like Tetris and Space Invaders are still winners. A McDonald's mobile campaign in China enthralled players with hamburgers built from Tetris blocks.

Old favourites like Monopoly and LEGO continue to delight children and adults alike. LEGO may be available as Mindstorms , which now incorporates NXT robot intelligence, but the basic blocks are just as much fun. Just today, a mystery giant LEGO man was found washed up on Brighton beach in the UK, gizmodo reports. Colluding in the prank, bemused LEGO spokespeople said that LEGO man was giving Baywatch stars a run for their money.

For all that consumers are said to be sophisticated and savvy, they're still easily pleased, provided brands can tap into people's childish sense of wonder and fun.

The thrifty will inherit what's left of the earth

The global economic crisis has prompted some serious rethinking on concepts like 'greed' and 'thrift'. Greed is no longer good and the thrifty will inherit the earth, provided, that is, that the greedy haven't destroyed it by then.

Thrift has had a bad rap in the past. Just look at some of the word associations - 'skinflint', 'frugal', 'mean', 'Scrooge'. A new report from US think tank The Institute for American Values, entitled For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture, attempts to foster a culture that's more amenable to thriftier lifestyles.


Business Week points to a growing number of 'Freegans', who see acquiring things for free (sometimes literally out of a dumpster) as a virtue.


Thrift immediately suggests saving money, but the concept is broader. People can be frugal in their consumption of resources generally, be it personal funds or the world's resources.


A culture of thrift is thus poised to take advantage not only of economic trends but environmental ones. The Australian government is set to ban the sales of incandescent light bulbs from October 2009, forcing a switch to energy saver, or halogen, bulbs.


Being thrifty can be seen as the 'smart' choice. This is the reward of thrifty consumers. They may save in one area of their lives, to splurge in other areas that mean more to them, for example, saving on basic foods to splash out on imported cheeses, which will look impressive at their dinner party. Or, people simply feel the reward of 'doing their bit' if their frugality benefits the planet in some small way.


Various brands have adopted positionings based on thrift, car rental company Thrifty, for instance. But, with frugality increasingly in vogue, others are following.


Australian consumers know that the wolf is at the door. They're beginning to cut back, but, the Mackay Report suggests, behavioural change doesn't automatically follow the realisation that the times are a-changin'. It takes a while for people to wean themselves off spending habits. Most would rather protect their lifestyles and the luxuries they now consider their dues.


Brands, which can help them protect their lifestyles, stand to gain.

On freedom

I used to think freedom was travelling the world without a care, elusive as a will-o'-the-wisp. But there's the rub. We're seldom truly carefree, being limited by time, money or energy.

The traveller is haunted by the knowledge that her adventures draw inexorably to a close, as days and funds dwindle. Monday always follows Sunday. For every dusk, there's a dawn, swallowing up the last of the revellers.

I value freedom above all else. I have constantly searched for it. I've even found it in the most unexpected of places. Lately, I've found intellectual freedom at work. Bizarrely, greater authority and even responsibility can set you free.

My Archetype, or mythical character that's common to stories the world over, is the Wild person, the free spirit. I may not be roaming the universe in body, but I am in spirit.