Ok we’re being cheeky buggers… we mean their website.

The screen shot below is what was presented to us when we were undertaking some research for a client of ours wanting to stage a beauty/fashion pagent in Sanya, Hainan (China).  The irony was not lost on us…

The official event website for plastic surgery gals (and I guess guys although we couldn’t see any) was being refreshed…. given a facelift and most importantly the site was being ‘vigorously’ worked on to completely ‘renew’ itself. Wow. Step back! These Hungarians are very serious about their plastics business.

If your in anyway curious as to the results – the site is now back up and running and can be found here.

1 a : a mere show : pretense b : an ostentatious display
2 : show, exhibition; especially : an elaborate colorful exhibition or spectacle often with music that consists of a series of tableaux, of a loosely unified drama, or of a procession usually with floats

It sounds like a fabulous Gala Dinner Event in the making!

Source Note: The little picture at the top of this post was sourced from here and is the 2007 Miss International Beauty Pagent. You can now stop wondering on that one.

FACTOR168 Creative Event Company
Creative. Strategic. Tactical.
Sensational Events through Powerful Experiences.

Themed events have a universal appeal and a lightning quick pre-recognition with all stakeholders but most importantly, unlike the potentially huge costs and resources involved in designing and developing a propriety branded ‘signature’ experience, themed events with their universal properties and elements are completely scalable to budget.

Themed events are the great event ‘leveller’.
With their popular culture and folkloric references, interactive touchpoints, and the opportunity to weave a strong thematic thread throughout all elements of the event experience – every organization, with a strong professional business theatre partner in place, is well positioned to stage a memorable, motivational, entertainment experience for their guests.

The granddaddy of themes is the Academy Awards inspired events. Populated with red carpets, sky tracking spotlights on arrival, guests and greeting hosts in smart tuxedos and glamorous couture gowns, the prospect of movie stars and celebrities, movie inspired multimedia clips and soundtracks, and of course an appearance by golden Oscar inspired statues, film reels and movie-making paraphernalia.

There are an almost limitless number of themes that have enjoyed popularity. Themes that have been inspired by the Cirque du Soleil experience to more ‘traditional’ event themes such as ‘Jungle Jive’, ‘Under the Sea’, ‘Winter Wonderland’ or perhaps a ‘Beach Boys Summer’ or a ‘Cuban Buena Vista Club’ theme.
Musical and film inspired efforts are a safe bet with favorites such as ‘Cabaret’ or ‘Chicago’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, and ‘Cotton Club’, along with regional and period specific themes. ‘Aussie Outback’ for inbound incentive groups and the 1950’s Rock’n’Roll inspired ‘Happy Days meets Grease’ theme. And of course the endless incarnations drawing their inspiration from an ‘East-West Fusion’ approach.

Yeah. We love producing themed events. They are good fun and always well received, particularly for sales incentive events, channel partner gatherings, association social events eager for a event-wide ice-breaker. They can be extremely effective when applied to recognition and award galas.

The theme that without question runs a very close second to an ‘Oscars’ night in the popularity stakes would have to be Moulin Rouge. With its broad thematic strokes of song and dance and all things Parisian, Moulin Rouge is often considered ‘manna from heaven’ for the challenging not-for-profit sector working from tight operational budgets.

That is until the legal hounds of themeing hell were unleashed on a local Brisbane charity group last week.

The Courier Mail newspaper last week (5th August) published a strange little article buried on page 13 under the banner “Events fail French Test” that caught my attention. The reporter Steve Gray wrote in part:

A Queensland charity has been forced to rebadge planned fundraisers after legal threats from Paris’ famed Moulin Rouge cabaret.

…the charity had planned Brisbane and Gold Coast fundraisers themed on the Moulin Rouge experience, with wine, the can-can monsieurs and mademoiselles.

Posters and tickets were printed, publicity was creeping along – and then came a letter from lawyers representing the Paris cabaret telling Hear and Say to cease and desist.

What tha? Oh dear.

Lawyers like sending out letters. It costs them little effort and they charge like only lawyers can and do.

But surely this is a little too precious and silly even for the French.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

It is grim. It is 1984. The Gordon Geckos are on the loose. Everything is beige.

Britain’s miner strike, big teased hair, asteroid video game (loved this thing along with the sitdown Pacman), brick mobile phones, vinyl records, leopard prints, Maggie Thatcher lurks behind the scenes and the Cold War Cowboy is at work across the Atlantic. Travel is chorelike and sucks.

Cue the Frankie Goes to Hollywood inspired soundtrack and out stride forth the Virgin Atlantic glamourzillians in their fitted bright red uniforms and sexy stilettos – cutting a swath through a sea of tired beige. Ruby Cool. Very Ruby Cool.

Yup. Based off this ad alone, I’d want to change airlines too. The promise of an attractive branded experience over a simple transactional service can be very powerful. Well done Virgin Atlantic.

FACTOR168 | Event Management Company

In an office poll – his recent marathon effort “Australia” with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman was declared to have sucked the big one for being too self indulgent and long. And yet – everyone loves and admits to owning a copy of the iconic “Strictly Ballroom” starring a very young Paul Mercurio.

His other two efforts are also either adored or loathed -  “Moulin Rouge” again with Nicole and a strangely cast Ewan McGregor, and “Romeo+Juliet” with a pre-Titanic Leo DiCaprio and the Gwyneth Paltrow double, Claire Danes.

For myself personally, I can’t help but feel that Baz isn’t so much a great storyteller or a fabulous film director but rather his is a uniquely visioned cinematic stylist. His films are all stamped equally with the rich visual dimensions of his visual signature. Interestingly his partner in crime and wife Catherine Martin, is a three time Oscar nominee and a winner on two occasions for…. you guess it – costume design and art direction. Hmmm.

In any case – Baz (and or his muse Catherine) illustrate well practised artistic skills in re-visioning and re-packaging. Skills that are central to good business theatre practices. To take the familiar and the pre-existing in terms of set performances and audience expectations, and to revision (or as our Disney friends are want to say – reimagnieering) these elements into a newer, fresher and more impactful experience.

“Moulin Rouge” and “Romeo+Juliet” are both very good cases in point.

The well known Shakespeare story of forbidden love is expertly placed into more contemporary settings while “Moulin Rouge” draws heavily on the Toulouse Lautrec inspired historical Parisian setting threading musical sequences laced with distinctive and iconic pop music lyrics. I can assure you it was not just Ewan McGregor who appeared a little perplexed at this… but it worked. Which is a forced segway to today’s show and tell moment.

This music clip was employed at the time of the “Moulin Rouge” film as a great cross-platform promotional effort and what a great effort it was. Taking on a classic 1970’s dance floor hit “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle – this refreshed version starred the four biggest popstars at the time – Christina Aguilera, Lil’Kim, Mya, and the FACTOR168 fav’ Pink.

The results: a great musical cover version, a great cross-promotional experience, strong Baz inspired visuals, and a collection of distinctive thumbnail personalities presented by the girls. Not surprisingly – we’ve designed similar “Lady Marmalade” experiences and delivered them within the event context. Taking affectionately memorable moments and artfully redesigning them into even more powerful updated experiences. Good fun for all.

Enjoy the clip and the sisters in action!

FACTOR168 | Event Management Company