“U.S. Census data projects that the last of the Baby Boomers will turn 65 in 2029, making up 16% of the total population. And now a suit — called AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System) — created by researchers at MIT’s AgeLab, can simulate old age. The suit can be worn by students, product developers and engineers for the sake of better design. Heavy helmets, neck braces and yellow-tinged glasses create the feeling of achey joints, limited mobility and blurred vision.”

The people who wear the AGNES suit get to feel what it’s like to have limited mobility in order to have a true understanding of the needs of our aged population.

Tesco is putting these kind of insights into effect by developing “Seniors Supermarkets”:

“The slow-tempo music fills the air as customers edge their way across the nonslip floor towards the extra-wide aisles. The shop’s overhead lighting is brighter, the shelves fitted with steps and there’s even the chance of a relaxing massage to ease away any trolley rage. This is the Seniors Supermarket – a European success story set to revolutionise the way silver shoppers buy their groceries.”

The Living Vicariously™ wave is about having an experience that doesn’t have drastic consequences. I’m sure after wearing these suits for a while, the students are very glad they can take them off …something I bet our senior citizens wish they could do.

They set up a facebook page that will pair you up with someone else that’s wants it, then once you purchase, they make it look like it came from them. It will arrive gift wrapped and it even comes with a personalized card.

Not only is this a humorous way to sell a product,  it also builds a community of people who are into the brand. It’s an example worthy of the Living Vicariously™ wave. This is where we find things that are a kind of a “back up plan”. It’s about relying on substitutes to make us feel better. In this case, Heineken are helping you feel better about your “self-gifting” in a fun way. Click here to learn more about “Beerfriending”.

Here is a website that has put this wave to work in an engaging way.

Most everyone I know, myself included, whines about making ends meet. We grumble about the cost of gas and whether to upgrade iphone now or wait for iphone 5 etc.

Perhaps we all need a reality check? Well here it is:

SPENT is a project that seeks to get people really thinking about the realities of poverty. 

“…now you can play a game that lets you feel what it’s like to be poor — for free! “Spent” is a free browser-based game that attempts to raise awareness about poverty circumstances in the USA. You can choose a job (server, warehouse worker or temp), and attempt to survive for 30 days of being super-poor. Will you have your pet put to sleep to save money, or pay the $400 in veterinary bills? Will you let your gas or your electricity get shut off this month? Will you enroll your child in a sports program, when it’s going to cost you several hundred dollars in lost hours at work, not to mention equipment costs?”

I have to admit… after playing I feel pretty “gutted”. It did exactly what it set out to do and not only am I terrified of unemployment more than ever, but I have more empathy for those that are struggling. Living Vicariously™ is about experiencing danger with out the fear of consequences. I have now experienced in a small, safe way… the pain and frustration that 14 millions unemployed Americans must be feeling.  This site accomplished it’s goals, in my humble opinion. Would you survive?  Are you up to the challenge?

The Hüttenpalast has been created by Silke Lorenzen and Sarah Vollmer.   They have renovated old campsite caravans and built cute little huts that resemble a cubby house, and offered them up as fun budget accommodation.

“Lorenzen and Vollmer are planning to offer more luxurious options as well over the coming months, and are currently in the process of building six en-suite rooms in an adjoining section of the factory. As they say, it’s “maybe not a hotel in the classical sense, but who needs that in Berlin anyway?”

The Human Truth™ of the Living Vicariously™ wave is “That was almost real!”  Many hotels are luring travelers with experiences that are out of the norm- but still safe and comfortable enough to be inviting.  I can’t really say the trailer park in my neighborhood can claim the same chic factor

It’s called “Become Someone Else. Pick your hero at Mint Vinetu” by Lithuania based Love Agency.  The print ads seek to encourage people to lose themselves in literature.  Apparently the bookstore is known for their classic novel specialty, so the characters that the models are “becoming” are quite iconic.

I’m not going to be a petty pants and point out that the concept is “borrowed” from a popular blog (sleeveface) that does the same thing with album covers.  (Whoops I just did!  Well, geeze, I have a “thing” about how much advertising is just re-appropriated net culture… It’s like, someone’s getting paid the big bucks and they’re not even coming up with original ideas!! Grrrr)

Anyway, moving on.

Suggesting people “become someone else” is a smart way to encourage reading because that’s precisely what happens when we get lost in a great book.  We get to experience things with out the fear of consequences.  That’s why this wave is the Safety tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy.  I know that when I need to recharge from technology-laden lifestyle I definitely love to dive into a book as a form of escapism.

If you do, you might want to go here next, because no doubt the maddening chorus will get stuck in your head.

Now anyone who has turned the radio on in the last ummmm, whenever they started making radios, knows that there are some songs that are just bad.  However, as a music fan and someone who has worked in film production… something was striking me as a little “off”.  The production was too low budget for a real music label and too good for being self-produced.

Then it hit me! This is some rich girl Bat Mitzvah or Sweet Sixteen present!

A little investigation proved me right, and I have to admit, it’s a fairly genius business idea. LA’s Ark Music Factory makes cashed up young girls dreams of pop stardom come true.

This is a perfect fit for the Living Vicariously™ wave, where the Human Truth™ is “Wow, that was almost real!”  In years past we have even seen services that allow you to be stalked by the paparazzi for a day to feel like a Hollywood star.

However, the essence of this wave is “SAFE THRILLS”, and to be honest now that this poor girls video has gone viral, she has been mercilessly mocked by the snarky internet hoard.  I’m sure the intention of posting on YouTube was to be “discovered” but as we’ve seen with so many unwitting teens its had disastorous consequences.

WHERE ARE THE PARENTS???  … hmmm I think I’ll leave that rant for a Shielding™ blog.

While I won’t get into the back-story on tracking archetypes, I’ll breadcrumb my way to where I am now. It always starts with one thing. A single announcement about a horror archetype can generally start a whisper train that in a few years becomes another major phenomenon.

This time around, it started with the announcement that a mini-series is being scripted around Wicked. Already having a massive following, if done appropriately this could become a complete revamp of the classic witch. We also have to look at another angle, a possible new version of Charlie’s Angels is being shopped around that could potentially put the angels as villains. Which, as strange as it sounds could easily open the gateway for the revival of the “bad girl” in pop culture.

That makes it even easier to love the witch, because it’s the same formula (and one of the things) that made Twilight so popular. You just have to give the audience a reason to love the horror character and they’ll get on board. Add in the recent re-release of Wizard of Oz in high definition, as well as the vintage Halloween revival and the fringe is starting to look interesting.

Of course this is a year or so down the road. Twilight’s fourth film is getting ready to release; and with that comes an end to the vampire and werewolf major screen release. And much like Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter, it means that a new archetype will emerge out of the cycle again.

However, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 may change this up a bit. However, as the rule of thumb between Pirates, Ninjas and Vikings goes, it’s not going to make a full-blown trend recovery, because we haven’t seen a full return of either of them.

But like all archetypes, only time will tell what will make a return in the embracing arms of pop culture.

Can you remember Australia’s version of this kind of thrill? Yep, there’s a wildlife park in Darwin that lets you dive into a tank and look into directly into the eyes of the dreaded crocodile.

These are perfect examples of the Living Vicariously™ wave. It’s all about safe thrills. I’m sure as you put your hand on the glass to reassure yourself, you are glad that the Human Truth™ is “That was almost real!”

The game is called Amnesia The Dark Descent; it’s a horror survival game. Except that’s where it takes an interesting turn. You don’t fight; or level up. You run. You run and hide, and try to solve puzzles to move forward. Monsters are attracted to light, but when everything around you is a dark room that’s not very helpful. All in all, it’s a total emotional rollercoaster.

What truly fascinated me was the simplicity of the game itself; how easy everything flows together and how well the mechanics work. The term atmospheric is thrown around a lot in gaming, but that’s what this game is all about; you using your eyes and ears to experience the world around you.

I love this concept; I think it’s a fascinating direction forward for how we look at Living Vicariously. For the longest time we were running back to the movie theater for a scare; but now instead of letting the director scare you you’re simply left to scare yourself. And that is a very powerful technique in itself.

Think of the countless movie references to people who speak Klingon, one of several languages in the Star Trek universe; now actually think about all the people that are truly fluent in it and pride themselves for being so. The same goes for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy; there are those that have learned the languages of Middle Earth as well.

And now, we have a new contender in the ring of fantasy language, Na’vi. If you’re not familiar, Na’vi is the language of Pandora, from the film Avatar. We spoke initially after release of the film about how people had addictive symptoms with the theory of Pandora and seemingly became depressed when they realized how hollow they perceive our world is.

Now, people are yet another step closer to achieving their likeliness of being Na’vi. And with Halloween coming up and costumes in full assault at your local costume shop, the ability to blend into the created world is easier than ever.

What’s more interesting is looking at studies of how people choose their alternate identities when gaming, watching films and reading books. Character types can tell a lot about who you are as a person; I’ve learned this myself from years of playing MMORPG’s. It exists almost to a point of stereotyping, but what’s really interesting is the idea behind the love of the Na’vi.

They represent a primal peace, and it’s something a lot of the people who aspire to live their lives like them yearn for in the world. After all, in a society of 24/7 everything and massive unemployment a nature based society that believes in the purity of the soul must be inspiring.