Where the Ad Business is Going: Fahrenheit 212

In case you missed it, here is a great article in BusinessWeek on hot new idea shop Fahrenheit 212. In our new era of micro markets and faster and faster cycles of consumer flat-lining on product launches, brands need to do more than just say something - they need to do something.  When Diageo was wondering how to act on the sputtering sales of Smirnoff Ice they turned to the new shop.  Fahrenheit's answer?  Forget the Smirnoff Ice brand for now. Instead, Diageo should use its malt technology to create wildly different Smirnoff drinks.

Fahrenheit 212 specializes in a new approach to product development. With little to no inside knowledge of its clients, the company dives into their problems and within months cooks up a portfolio of products it thinks will solve them. One part management consultant, one part advertising agency, and one part design house, Fahrenheit 212 attempts to deliver ready-to-go answers, including everything from an analysis of each potential market down to the design and packaging of the product itself. Read more