What if creative thinking created success?

If we’ve learned one thing about business in this past decade it is that nothing is sacred: famed firms can shutter whilst unheard of start-ups become overnight successes. Innovating, taking risks, and being creative is vital to a brand’s health and success. It was in this spirit that my colleague, Ulrich Proeschel, VP of Business Development at TBWA\Europe launched the Create Business blog, which aims to celebrate creative thinking that makes brands successful. According to Ulrich “We are living through a period when it has become unfashionable to celebrate success, but Create Business will unashamedly place creativity in the starring role in the development of great businesses” by sharing case studies, ideas, and recent trends. I find the blog very inspiring and I would like to share three favorite case studies here.

Boysen Paint: Cleaning the air and soothing the eye

Boysen’s KNOxOUT paint is a true environmental innovation. It is the only industrial paint designed to break down nitrogen oxide. To prove how effective the paint was in clearing the air, the company partnered with 8 well-known international artists and invited them to paint murals along the walls of the Manila’s busiest and most polluted highway corridor. 24 kilometers were painted in all. The results were astounding-- in addition to attracting media attention from around the world the pollution generated by passing traffic was reduced by 20%. This goes to show that when innovation is at the heart of a product, the communication should be just as bold and creative. Read the full case, here.

DUDES FACTORY: Rethinking retail space

DUDES FACTORY is fashion label-cum gallery based in Berlin and created by two dudes, Arno and Heri. Although currently in its nascent phase, DUDES FACTORY has generated a lot of buzz namely due to its unorthodox means of production: through collaborations with artists and designers. By rethinking the way that people buy clothing, DUDES FACTORY allows consumers to get in on the design process through customization and limited-edition products. With a collection of unique sportswear, art pieces, and curios, DUDES FACTORY provides excellent food for thought for how you can change retail, shopping, and experiencing art. Read the full case here.

42 Maslak: Artful living from the ground up

42 Maslak, a luxury residential and commercial development in Istanbul, was able to embody its claim of representing “artful living” from the very start. Unlike other luxury developments, 42 Maslak didn’t rely on conventional brochures and catalogues to communicate – it turned its construction site into a work of art. The developers hired a team of graphic designers to re-look the earthmovers, cement mixers, and the trucks giving it a pop-art feel. Instead of waiting for a grand opening to promote the development, 42 Maslak released a video about the project that was projected in cinemas in Istanbul. Promoting a property development like it was a work of art not only attracted positive buzz in high-end publications, but it also helped 42 Maslak sell a remarkably high amount of residential and commercial space in a depressed real estate market. Read the full case here.

For those out there who still see creative work as “bells and whistles”, I recommend they look at Create Business to be reminded just how essential creativity is to the success of today’s businesses.