Creativity is never so important as it is during times of economic turmoil. Though we are currently emerging from a serious recession, we should not take the so-called recovery for granted; our stock markets are still teetering on the brink of devastation, and affordability is still a major issue. If we want to resuscitate people’s desire to spend, we must replace current forms of relief and entertainment with something more exciting. To achieve any novelty, though, those substitutes need to be as ridiculous as possible. Ultimately, recession is the mother necessity for invention.
While browsing a recent issue of Conde Nast Traveler, as I normally do in medical clinic waiting rooms, I came across a picture of an Airbus Jet grounded on a tarmac in Stockholm. The picture was ordinary enough, but it seemed incongruous with the subject of the article (revolutionary new hotels) until I realized that the inside of the fuselage was outfitted with all the amenities of a Hilton resort. That is but one positive sign of the capability we have to exploit our imaginations for ideas that to compel consumers to flock to commercial sites and spend their money.
3-D movies have become more popular since the recession made movies with the normal number of dimensions seem too exorbitant. Even though 3-D movies are about the same price as normal movies, the bang for the buck is so great that it does not matter. That is the underlying theme of the current phase in our economic cycle — making sure the price suits the service.
As the economy recovers, the working public will start to make money again and build up disposable income. Then the higher-price amenities and products, which would have been imprudent to buy before, will seem more within reach. College students practically scrape the dumpsters for cash, so the physical energy expended to earn must correspond to the enjoyment of the reward, which is boosted further by wackier, more innovative, and more outlandish products.
Frankly, advertising creative replacements for our existing goods should be the ultimate concern. The more visible an idea is in the public spectrum, the more it becomes a status-symbol and the more popular the concept seems to younger generations (the gluttons of media content). Therefore, the real problem is not creating something like a lightsaber bug-zapper but rather broadcasting it tactfully and as vividly as the Japanese do with their most popular items.
The thrifty may wonder why hotel-builders waste money on crazy schemes and why they have to pay for the flashy ambiance. As cliché as it may sound, these clever hotels can serve as inspiration for our children. Having a few more pirate ship hotels docked at port and some jungle treehouses with rooms for let could lead our children to branch out and dream up even more innovations.
The recession is going to force our market players to abandon the status quo in order to satisfy their earning quotas. The class and exclusivity of what we consider luxury goods will be compromised. While we are waiting for our workers to earn money, we need to find innovative appeal for all products, because that is the best way to pour funds back into the economy. The advertising, modification, and outright creation of new tangibles is vital to the economy’s return to stable prosperity. Be they crazy hotels or vision-defying films, such products must bring Americans to realize that they are buying something that is worth the price. That will be the savior of our economic problems.
