The Grove School takes root

Last week marked the launch of The Grove School, a “fresh new pre-school” grounded in the philosophy of healthy mind, healthy body, and healthy planet. This is a place where children will learn about the importance of sustainability and conservation, along with reading and math skills. While at play, they’ll spend part of the day practicing downward dogs or planting seeds in the garden. The Grove School is a place where children will learn and grow in creative ways and be prepared for the world they will inherit.

As a brand, what makes The Grove School unique is that the development of the concept has been rooted in an experience versus a product. Burt Rosen who oversees all things digital at The Grove School writes, the…” experience is driven from a top down strategy and everything aligns with the strategy. For example, The Grove School is about healthy body, healthy mind and healthy planet so everything follows those filters. The food is healthy, the curriculum is designed to spur creativity and curiosity, and materials and sensibilities are all focused on what’s good for the planet and instilling those values in our kids and our families”.

Another unique aspect of the brand is its community-based platform. The Grove School utilizes social media tools such as blogging, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr to connect families, school activities, and teachers together. Groveschool.com is a vital piece of how the school communicates through building a community organically in an environment that nurtures ideas and relationships to support the families and children.

The brand personality of The Grove School has been beautifully brought to life by Tether, the Seattle-based agency who worked with Knowledge Universe in developing the concept. The images, look and feel are very playful and engaging while reflecting the core values of community, wellness and authenticity.

If you happen to live in Cary, NC or in Plano TX and have pre-school children, this is where the first two locations are opening in January 2010.

Extending the Brand Experience: Prius Flower Power

Extending the brand experience outside of traditional retail spaces can be a great way for brands to build brand awareness and reinforce key messages. Toyota has done a great job of doing just that with its solar flower campaign supporting the 3rd generation Prius.

Toyota is planting a number of 18 foot tall Shasta Daisies in major U.S. urban centres that function as benches where up to ten people can sit, relax, recharge their laptop and get free WiFi.

Powered by the sun, the giant flowers sport solar panels behind the petals and inside the stem, generating electricity to outlets mounted in the attached plastic benches.

The flower-power theme builds off their beautifully animated feel-good tv spot that epitomizes their positioning of “Harmony between Man, Nature, and Machine" Linking the flower idea to a functional benefit on board the 3rd generation Prius, the solar panels operate a ventilation system that helps cool the car. The solar panel runs an electric fan that draws outside air in, once the car’s interior temperature reaches (and exceeds) 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

A great brand building campaign that has already generated lots of press in New York and Boston, you can visit the flowers at the following cities:

• Chicago – Navy Pier – August 8 - August 22, 2009
• Seattle – Westlake Park – August 29 - September 7, 2009
• San Francisco – Yerba Buena Gardens – September 12 - September 27, 2009
• Los Angeles – The Americana – October 3 - October 18, 2009

You can also visit Prius on Facebook. Well done Toyota!