This year’s CoolBrands launch event was held in Association with Bestival and brought the newest musical talent to the stage at the CoolLive event on 21st September 2006.

Held at one of London’s rare hidden gems - the ‘Gymnasium’ in King’s Cross, this stylish and unique event featured exclusive live performances from Barry Ashworth, Simian Mobile Disco, Roebeck and The Noisettes.

Mixing the UK’s coolest brands with the coolest bands provided the perfect platform for what was arguably the coolest event this year. Graced by the brands that epitomise all things cool, this unique gathering was supplemented by a select group of celebrities, style gurus and movers and shakers.

The event was produced by leading experiential events agency Ear to the Ground, whose exceptionally creative pitch saw them beat off four other agencies. Using a combination of projection, abstract & physical representation, each CoolBrand was represented as part of a bespoke installation which formed a focal point of the event and gave individuals the chance to experience the brands shaping the landscape of cool. The main point was to demonstrate that the art of selling is often not to be seen to sell. As consumers become more sophisticated the role of the marketing team is to leave messages in environments where the audience will ‘find’ them. This creates a sense of ownership value and loyalty and emotional attachment between consumer and brand. Within the context of a live event and live experience we liked the idea of using a live metaphor to bring CoolLive 06 to life in the truest sense.

Unbeknown to any of the brands or media prior to the event, ferrets were running around inside this installation, interacting with the brands. Animals have been a constant source of inspiration for creative teams throughout the history of advertising and brand building. The idea of using live animals and incorporating them into a live

event to represent the consumer seemed exciting and challenging. Ultimately people don’t need brands to exist; they only need food, just like animals. However, with the growth of consumer society our daily interaction with brands and product, adds value, meaning and individuality to our lives. The consumer can choose to interact with a brand or move onto a new environment. The installation and the ferrets aimed to reflect this. The decision to use ferrets to represent consumers is because they are independent and clever, but they have become ‘cool’, (seriously). Paris Hilton’s latest accessory is a pet ferret called ‘Baby Luv’ and recent media features have picked up on the fact that ferrets are the new ‘must have’ pet.