Find metaphors in dogs and potato chips

Recently I supplied the Twin Trigger Exercise to help you use metaphors to trigger ideas. Now I share two examples. The invention of Pringles Potato Chips is a favourite story because I interviewed the inventor, Bill Gordon. Fido cell phones is another favourite because the brand itself is based in a metaphor.

Pringles Potato Chips: metaphor solves problem, inspires new product!

The story of Pringles shows the value of metaphors for idea generation. William Gordon was an inventor with over 200 patents and a psychologist, recognized as the creator of a problem solving approach called “Synectics“. I interviewed him in the summer of 2000, a few years before he passed away. His specialty was to use nature analogies to stimulate ideas. In the 1960s, he was asked by Proctor & Gamble to solve a problem with its potato chip manufacturing. Customers were disappointed to open a seemingly full bag of chips only to find a lot of air and a relatively small pile of broken chips at the bottom of the bag.

The aha moment: Gordon found a “conceptual twin” for potato chips in the leaves he was raking in his yard. On a dry sunny day, he noticed the leaves would crumble as he shoved them into the bag while, on a rainy day, the wet leaves would not break. In fact, each wet leaf conformed to the shape of its neighbour, making it easy to pack the bag. The idea of wetting and forming dried potato flour in a similar fashion gave Pringles its start in 1968.

Fido: metaphor becomes a brand

The Fido cell phone is based in an iconic and emotionally-charged metaphor: the trusted canine companion. It’s a clever brand strategy: the metaphor works on your subconscious to link the positive qualities of a loyal pet to the cell phone. Let’s list the attributes of a Fido phone per Step 2 of Twin Trigger Exercise:

1. With you day and night
2. Dependable
3. Needs minimal maintenance e.g. recharging
4. Many compatible plans to choose from
5. Connects you to other people
6. Stays with you for a long time

You immediately see how these attributes connect a cell phone in the electronics / communications paradigm to its conceptual twin – Fido, the loyal dog, in the animal / pet paradigm. Attributes #1 and #2 are obvious. In attribute #3, “recharging” translates to “feeding” while, in attribute #4, “plans” translates to “dog breeds/personalities” and highlights the individuality of the phones.

The last two attributes embed powerful emotional suggestions in the subconscious. Attribute #5 captures a dog’s ability to bond a family or spark conversation between people in a park or on the street. The last one, attribute #6, is critical for the brand. It suggests (on a subliminal level) that switching your Fido cell phone for another brand would be like switching your dog for another. You simply wouldn’t do it.

The dog metaphor also has the benefit of providing an endless supply of visuals and stories for advertising materials; there are a lot of breeds of dogs to choose from – see the Fido website. Besides, consumers never tire of dogs; the emotional connection always lifts people up!