Automotive design is about evoking emotion and where there's emotion, there is discussion. And few designs managed to spark discussion in polarising ways like the HMMWV. Love it or hate it, the fact the Hummer was discontinued this week will ignite many more passionate discussions. Formally, it ended because Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines couldn't get all the legislation organised in time for GM's deadline, but I can imagine the Chinese government wasn't to keen to see it represent the country's way forward.

Obituaries will appear everywhere this week, celebrating the end of an era. Last of the gas-guzzlers, last symbol of old skool US car design, eternal proof that emotional drivers outweigh rational ones. It'll be interesting to see what the type of people who used to buy Hummers will turn to next. Simply because you can't pimp a Toyota Prius, nor will the Honda Insight ever ooze 'F*U' from every pore.

Dan Heath, co-author of the great 'Made to Stick', explains beautifully the power of metaphor when trying to explain the essence of something new (aka the elevator pitch). So many great breakthrough innovations fail simply because no one really thought about how to explain their audience what/who/why they were.

[Via FastCompany]

I was deeply touched today by a connection made by BoingBoing.net. This week the genius inventor Ronald Howes, creator of the Easy-Bake™, died at the age of 83. The connection: it's in the year Europe discontinues the 100W light bulb, the energy source powering his great invention. Best creative abuse of a light bulb ever. We had one of these when I lived in the US as a small boy. *sigh*

There are 2,500 logos hidden in this little gem, nominated for the Best Animated Short at the Oscars. Created by the French studio H5, view more about the film here. If anyone finds a link to the full movie, do let me know!

Extending a very warm welcome to Ben Chatfield and Owen McCabe who joined Happen this week. Both Owen and Ben have a long history of working with us on areas as varied as music, gravy and stain removal. They both bring a wealth of knowledge and an unparalleled level of marketing experience on the client and agency side with specific skills in planning, strategic marketing, youth marketing and new ventures/business plans.

Another snippet of exciting news - Danone's global team for Baby Nutrition has chosen to work with us. As a strong leader in their category, the challenge is all ours to push them even further ahead of competition.

Anyone with a career longer than six months in innovation has at some point been harassed by a colleague claiming personas are the next big thing to describe consumers in your category. In case you forgot to ask them to describe themselves using one of their MR-supplier-trademarked characters (which of course no one can), then use Oatmeal's brilliant facebook personas to make the point.

Some brands' heritage is so strong they've slowly but surely become synonyms for their category. Think Coke, Google, Hoover... Peijnenburg! Happen is proud to be working with this legendary Dutch brand, makers of the classic 'ontbijtkoek' which is so deeply engrained in Dutch culture that even Google translator doesn't really know what to call it. The company slogan, "Happen naar Peijnenburg" is a reminder this cooperation was long overdue :-)