Finding Nabaztagland

We have all (or most of us) heard or read about them (engadget,etc...) After reading various articles about Nabaztags I clicked on the Nabaztag website to find out more. Violet a French company with experiences in wireless technology mood lights created the so-called smart wireless rabbit. Checking the availability in the UK (we are lucky as Nabaztags are currently only distributed in France the Belgium, Switzerland and the UK) off I went to the Conran Shop on Marylebone High Street, only to find out that they are apparently sold out in the whole of the UK.
From a marketing perspective obviously a smart move from Violet...

1. Create hype
2. Make it rare
Conclusion = everyone wants one.

On bank holiday Monday I so come managed to do something useful for once and made a trip down to the Design Museum to see the „Designer of the Year“ nominees. Although a very small exhibition I can really recommend Jamie Hewlett’s work (he did all the Gorillaz animations). Tom Dixon and the guy from the Guardian (can’t even remember his name) were less capturing.
Well, how it happens I ended up in the Museum shop with a Nabaztag in my hand (yes they are not all sold out – you can get them in the Design Museum – ask behind the counter for the extra ears). Even though Violet only started selling them a few months ago fashion accessories like extra ears are already available. Back home with my new Nabaztag (what by the way means: bunny in Armenian language) in the socket I immediately registered my new purchase on the website and was confronted on deciding on its sex and giving him a name. Giving it a personality never occurred to my mind– reluctant – not wanting to give away its gadget status I checked a few > find the right pet name< websites and decided to give it a live by making it male and naming it Linus.

I then subscribed Linus to several services: he now does Thai Chi 3 times a day, gives me the weather report in the morning (unfortunately in lights so I have to remember the light combinations for rain – sun – cloudy – snow, tells me the joke of the day in the afternoon and reads me a bedtime story via nab cast (the Nabaztag version of pod cast) in the evening. I watch him in amazement about 20 times a day playing random combinations of lights and music, regretting of not having found out what they actually mean and what he is trying to tell me. I do however admit that I am actually not really bothered about the lights - I prefer the rabbit’s voice – which sounds like a middle-aged English man. On my first morning with Linus he randomly told me that no planes could land at JFK airport at the moment.... which made me instantly like him. Basically I am a happy owner of a Nabaztag now, but in the back of my head I have the feeling that I will get bored quiet soon if no new plugins come out frequently. Thankfully the Nabaztag community is growing strong and will ensure great new developments... (if anyone is interested I would like to have more voice choices – the possibility to play itunes over it – skype to it –read out random sentences from the Internet to freak people out.

If anyone likes to take up on the ideas and realize them – Linus can't wait

Linus@Nabaztag.com