1. Survival essential
Making a shelter, finding food and attempting to escape are going to be high on your agenda -- so which brand will you find most useful in your attempt to tame the great outdoors?
My initial response would be the Swiss Army Knife. All the tools I would need from one brand that is totally reliable.
2. Last taste of civilisation
The island has a plentiful supply of nuts and fruit, not to mention a healthy population of fish, so you will have plenty to eat. But which one food brand are you really going to miss from your old life?
My indulgence would have to be chocolate. Not just any brand. It has to be Green & Black's organic dark chocolate. A brand that delivers pure indulgence with a clear conscience.
3. Best reminder of home
Successful survivalists always claim that it is mental attitude which sees them through. Belief that you will get back home is going to be vital -- so which brand will sum up home best?
So many brands evoke home when we are abroad- Chelsea FC, and Le Caprice to name but two. However, I think like all true Brits I would be desperate for a good cup of tea and would say Twining's is a brand I will always connect with home.
4. Most welcome online brand
Eventually you manage to rig up your own connection to the internet using bits and pieces found on the beach but you have only one chance to log on to a website before it goes down -- which online brand will you choose?
The one brand that I would immediately think of is one I am always loyal to -- British Airways -- to book a flight home! However, the site I would want to linger on is one that provides everything from news to nostalgia -- the BBC. Imagine life without it. I don't think I can.
5. Ultimate luxury
Self indulgence is hard to come by on a desert island, so what brand would you be most excited to find washed up on the beach?
As I am on a desert island I imagine it would be appropriate and the best chance I have of some fun to find a case of Captain Morgan Rum washed up on the shore, (a slightly biased choice as my company has just redesigned this Global Icon ) a tot of rum, a palm fringed beach, and my own island... what more does a guy need!
6. Transferable skills
You already work in the jungle of marketing so there are probably skills which you have acquired through your job which will come in handy -- or you may have other hidden talents. Which of your personal skills will help you to get to grips with life on a desert island?
As a designer, my business skills would be put to the test creating everything from a shelter through to all the contents of my new home and even an identity for my new kingdom. Working out good design solutions is at the heart of what I do every day, so in effect the only big change is -- there will be fewer meetings
Designer and desert island survival specialist Adrian Whitefoord comments:
Swiss Army knives are a popular choice with island castaways and without a doubt a handy tool for hunting small game. When it comes to large quarry however the local tribe make a formidable flint headed axe which is capable of felling small trees and large beasts, so its well worth becoming pals with the chief maybe over a nice cuppa? If the new island corporate identity were to feature a profile of the noble leader he might even throw in a couple of shrunken heads to adorn Michael's designer shelter.
A good cup of tea is hard to beat when you are far from home. It seems to conjure up all that is quintessentially British -- as in another way does Captain Morgan Rum. Both offer a feeling of comfort although the rum is far more likely to dull the senses which is not desirable if you should find yourself under siege from a troop of aggressive gibbons.
The BBC website is great. Like Michael I would really miss it particularly BBC Radio 4 comedy and quiz shows 'Hancock's Half Hour' and 'Just a Minute' -- brilliant.
Several of the island's guests have chosen chocolate brands as their indulgent food option but I have invariably cautioned against this. The tropical temperatures tend to almost instantly transform it into molten sludge, rapidly attracting biting insects of all shapes and sizes. One which is particularly fond of chocolate is the raptor beetle which is able to jump up to 15 feet and deliver a fearsome nip with its mandibles be warned.
Identica is one of the world's leading brand consultancies specialising in branding (name generation, corporate identity, brand managment), packaging, literature, retail/environmental design, new product and service development, marketing and digital media. Clients include BASF, Boots, Johnnie Walker, National Power, NatWest, Universal Studios and Vodafone.
Q&A supplied by design consultancy Pemberton & Whitefoord.
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