In the latest in a series of posts about retail disruptions, our writer at large Mark Tungate reports on a new take on the corner shop.

Walking in my neighbourhood in Paris the other day, I passed a new corner shop whose awning read “Chez Jean” in colourful letters. Below were the words “cafetier and épicier” – café and grocer. Just inside the doorway I spotted a rack of newspapers. A place where you could grab an espresso, buy the press and stock up on a few groceries? It seemed ideal. Not only that, but it looked appealingly Parisian in a city that has recently seen an influx of international chains like Starbucks and Subway.

The news got better and better: Chez Jean is open until 11pm, seven days a week. In Paris, most stores are closed on Sundays, many of them roll down their shutters at 7pm during the week, and quite a few shut for an hour or two at lunchtime as well.

I was already convinced this was genius when I saw another Chez Jean, almost identical to the first, in a different part of Paris. Now Chez Jeans are popping up all over town. A quick Internet search revealed that the concept is a partnership between French supermarket Casino and publisher Lagerdère, which own the Relay chain of newsstands. So far, they seem to be relying on word of mouth to spread the news.

What makes Chez Jean so disruptive is its combination of offerings that were already available in Paris, but never at the same place. In the morning you can stop by to sip a coffee, read a daily and eat a croissant. At lunchtime you can take away a salad or eat at the café. And the retail section includes convenience store basics (650 items, to be exact), alongside a large selection of magazines and paperbacks. There’s even an ATM. In other words, the concept is a mixture of an English newsagent, an American deli and a French café.

I particularly liked the name of one of the snack formulas: SOS Empty Fridge. It includes a salad, a gratin and a dessert, all for €8.90. So useful, Parisians are wondering how they did without it.

If you have any comments please email Ulrich Proeschel.

In Hong Kong, a magazine was “dressed to sell” by Levi’s.

The recent “live unbuttoned” campaign for Levi’s is all about shunning convention and embracing new possibilities. So it was only natural that the brand should turn its back on conventional print advertising in this entertaining Hong Kong promotion.

As you can see, the agency “unbuttoned” the print ad by turning a magazine into a store mannequin. A special issue of the magazine EastTouch came dressed in mini Levi’s 501s. Readers literally had to “unbutton” the jeans to get to the magazine. Available at 7Eleven stores and newsstands, the 10,000 limited edition denim-clad copies sold out within three days. Plus, the new medium generated online buzz and mainstream media interest. It just goes to show that some agencies have disruptive ideas in their jeans!

If you have any comments please email Ulrich Proeschel.

W.O.R.K. is an artist collective based in Berlin, Germany. The English name WORK is actually an acronym of their philosophy in German: “Wert Ohne Ruf Kunst” (“Value Without Reputation Art”).

The original idea of forming the collective was to test if a work of art is able to succeed without a (famous) name standing behind it. The members of the collective believe the work should speak for itself and its merits should be proved anonymously. The venture first started out as a series of oil paintings, but has since continued also on paper sketches and prints.

The main topic of WORK’s first series of work (the “Value Series” and the “Brand Art Series”) is the undefined area between artistic and commercial and the fact that this grey field seems to grow bigger and bigger, mixing the two poles into an undistinguishable space, perfect for ideas to grow unencumbered by the name of its creator.

If you have any comments please email Vesna Koselj.

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We are permanently looking for great examples of Media Arts and Disruption; examples to share with our global audience. You are all invited to share a story you stumble over; simply send it (don’t forget to include a visual) to Ulrich. The five best stories will be published and awarded with a madoholic shirt (second edition, American Apparel size L).

The best ideas are always the simplest ones. Take this example from Dutch home improvements store Praxis. It wanted to demonstrate that its goods were such good value that even the most ambitious decorating projects were affordable. And so it accepted its agency’s advice and painted an entire Praxis store bright yellow. A poster outside the shop revealed the low price of a tin of yellow paint. “The price won’t stop you,” said the slogan. You see? Simple.

If you have any comments or suggestions please email Jeroen Konings (jeroen.konings@tbwa.nl).

This Smartphone application from ABSOLUT provides our audience with a valued tool where the brand lives — in nightlife. The application effectively serves as “your best friend in the bar” recommending drinks based on a set of contexts such as time of day, where you are, drink colour, shape of glass, etc. But it goes even further and uses information on the collective behaviour of those who use it to provide unique content like what drinks are being ordered around the world in “real time”.

Being able to share personal taste and preference reflects everday audience behaviour and allows everyone to be a drink tendforecaster. It also strengthens what ABSOLUT already has online absolutdrinks.com (the most visited online drinks site).

The project reflects ABSOLUT’s creative hertiage and commitment to innovation by being the first spirit brand to make an app using GPS and social media to offer real time results.

If you have any comments or suggestions please email Richard Breaux (richard.breaux@tbwa.de).

Here are two very nice examples of how ideas can really work and collaborate with the audience.

The idea mashups original footage of the audience:

The idea is co-created with the audience; check out Creativity Online.

If you have any comments or suggestions please email Michael Zorn (michael.zorn@tbwa.de).

Here’s one case study that won’t get left on the shelf.

Ikea is almost as talented at advertising as it is at making affordable furniture. This idea from the Netherlands proves that it also knows how to embrace the concept of Media Arts. The pitch is simple: during Queensday – the birthday of the Dutch queen and a national holiday in Holland – people traditionally clean out their attics and garages and sell their old stuff on the streets. One week before the giant street market, Ikea handed out special posters depicting a life-size shelf unit.

On the day of the sale, vendors were able to arrange their merchandise by placing it on the photograph of the Ikea shelves. The trompe l’oeil effect not only made their goods look more attractive, it also demonstrated the huge amount of storage space provided by Ikea’s shelf unit.

If you have any comments or suggestions please email Jeroen Konings (jeroen.konings@tbwa.nl).