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JWT Spots Seventy Things to Watch in 2007

Posted on: Wednesday, 27 December 2006, 12:01 CST

NEW YORK, Dec. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- JWT, the largest advertising agency in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world, announced today 70 "in" products, services and trends that will help to define 2007.

"Trends are illustrated by the products and services that exemplify them," says leading trendspotter Marian Salzman, EVP, chief marketing officer of JWT Worldwide and co-author of the new book Next Now (Palgrave Macmillan), a travelogue into the near future. "By examining what resonates with consumers, we can identify the larger patterns that will shape our lives in the years to come."

"As globalization continues to make our world seem smaller, localization will come to a head in 2007," says Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at JWT. "We'll put great emphasis on sourcing everything from food to textiles. Decadent and excessive consumption will fall to the wayside as we stress quality, minimal environmental impact and support of local producers."

1. Skype/VoIP 2. Wii and the next-generation gaming systems 3. The business of social networking 4. Pop-up stores, restaurants and bars ... installation style 5. Shrinky Dink technology (TVs are flat and hidden, iPods are down to half an ounce, speakers are smaller and less visible, and so on) 6. The rise of nanotechnology 7. Sustainable construction/green buildings 8. Hydrogen fuel cell technology 9. Veggie-bus: school buses running on biodiesel fuel 10. Trans-fat fallout 11. Reality show talent searches 12. Ohio State's freshman basketball phenom, Greg Oden 13. Fear of agri-terrorism 14. Halal foods 15. Participatory advertising (user-generated advertising and music video competitions) 16. Premium-drink bars 17. Organic fabrics 18. Stem cell research 19. Iceland 20. Hybrid dogs 21. Locally sourced produce 22. Churchonomics: religion as big business 23. Reunions of donor insemination siblings 24. Hitting the off button: demanding downtime 25. Indian cross-over actress Aishwarya Rai 26. Home-schooling 27. Natural building materials such as stone and wood 28. Binge chilling 29. Personalized diets 30. Brand sluts 31. Modernized tradition 32. Chindia 33. Alpha moms 34. Internet TV 35. Citizen journalism 36. RSS feeds 37. Fresh Direct 38. Google domination (Google as acquirer, and Microsoft as Google follower) 39. Mobile video 40. Rachael Ray 41. Inconspicuous consumption 42. X-Factor's Leona Lewis 43. Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson 44. Environmental causes 45. Companies going green 46. Barack Obama 47. Soft, natural hair 48. Microgeneration (generating one's own energy) 49. Party planning for teens 50. Paying for user-generated content 51. Higher-waisted pants 52. iPhone 53. Co-branding (think Nike plus Apple) 54. Britain's Amy Winehouse 55. The rebirth of raves 56. Energy-saving lightbulbs 57. Sacha Baron Cohen 58. Mash-ups (music, Web sites, everything) 59. Japanese apparel chain Uniqlo 60. Promoting "Brand Me" 61. Ensemble TV casts (Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Criminal Minds) 62. Multilingual cinema 63. "Kidults" 64. Transformers (the movie) 65. Web-based microfinancing 66. Generosity 67. Al Gore, the environmentalist 68. Unstrategic alliances (Paris and Britney, Tom and Brooke, Bush Sr. and Clinton) 69. Europeans getting fatter 70. Age shuffling (40 is the new 20, for example) About Next Now: Trends for the Future

Marian Salzman and Ira Matathia slow the world's ever accelerating spin just long enough to explore how technology and globalization are shaping the near future and to connect the dots between international forces and our day-to-day lives. The book holds up a cultural mirror that allows readers to better understand their own attitudes, anxieties and aspirations.

About JWT

JWT's heritage of brand-building excellence extends back to 1864, making us the world's oldest advertising agency brand. In 1939, JWT pioneered the first national consumer research panel. In 1988, we created the first research study of consumer lifestyles, "Life Stages." We believe in being anthropologists first, advertising people second. JWT, which celebrates its 142nd anniversary this year, ranks as the largest advertising agency brand in the United States and as the fourth largest full-service network in the world. Its parent company is WPP .

Contact: Marian Salzman E: marian.salzman@jwt.com P: (212) 210-7585 M: (646) 361-1837

JWT

CONTACT: Marian Salzman, marian.salzman@jwt.com, +1-212-210-7585,mobile: +1-646-361-1837

Web site: http://www.jwt.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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