Needless to say, although I’ll do so anyway, please don’t try this at home, or if you do, don’t coming crying to us afterwards. Right, sensible statement out of the way, let’s take a look at the stunts.

Our first ad was created to promote Honda’s “In and Out” plan, which lets swap your old car for a new one. The agency, villarrosas of Barcelona uses the Parkour choreography to symbolise how ‘easy’ the changeover can be. Surprisingly the scene was filmed without any CGI or editing tricks – they really did jump into the Honda CR-V that quickly.

If you’re impressed with Honda’s new ad, then wait until you see some of the ads which provided the inspiration. They’re pretty clever, although I can’t imagine any of the brands sold more products as a result. But hey, this is advertising and advertising is the new entertainment.

Honda CR-V. Plan In & Out commercial

Honda Spain’s new TV spot called “Plan In & Out”, promotes a new scheme to help customers swap their old car for a new one.

Honda CR-V. Making Of Anuncio Plan In & Out

Watch and learn, then maybe you could try it out. Maybe not.

The inspiration

BMW. Jump for Joy. Part 2

Looking at a BMW, your heart starts jumping for Joy. But sometimes it’s not just the heart. Watch some amazing ways to take a seat in a BMW, but don’t try this at home.

NFL Fantasy Files: Laurence Maroney

Patriots RB Laurence Maroney can fit through any tight spot. You need him on your fantasy team.

Nike MVPuppets “Car Jump”

Nike presents the MVPs (Most Valuable Puppets). The roommate puppet versions of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant get competitive in this campaign for the NBA Playoffs.

Kobe Bryant jumps a speeding Aston Martin

The original viral ad for Nike, featuring Kobe Bryant leaping over an accelerating Aston Martin Vantage Roadster.

Firstly we need to start with a rudimentary definition of what it means to be a ‘cool brand’, since, as I will explain, ‘cool’ doesn’t necessarily mean successful.

Stephen Cheliotis, chairman of the CoolBrands Expert Council, says “Cool is subjective and personal. But being identified as a Cool Brand by the British public and a panel of influential opinion formers implies it is a brand that most Brits wish to own.”

A brand is essentially an identity which reflects the qualities and values of its owner, one that used to be defined by the brand itself, but in this era of digital and social media is largely a product of public perception. If a brand really is cool, then the evidence should be visible for all of us to see.

So, a working definition of ‘cool’ will most likely include;

• a brand which people aspire to own,
• which people then feel proud to openly display within their peer groups,
• are happy to associate themselves with the other brand owners,
• and which conveys upon them the same distinctive qualities that they associate with the brand they like.

Or to put it another way, a cool brand must inspire admiration, aspiration, a willingness to associate and a mutual sense of identity.

American clothing brand, Abercrombie & Fitch, used to be cool; many of us admired the quality and style of their items, felt comfortable being identified as an A & F customer but then once everybody was wearing them, we felt less happy being associated with the brand.

I was reading an article this morning by Colin Morrison about ‘Five reasons why Facebook may be doomed’, and one of the reasons he cited is that Facebook is losing its cool because it’s simply too popular – too common.

What began as a community of students sharing their pictures and news, has now become an essential tool for parents keeping track of their kids. What may have been cool (in a geeky sort of way) has now become a metaphor for weirdness. Would you want to be like Facebook? Probably not.

Just as it would be hard to deny how successful Facebook has become (it’s on target for more than $1bn profit in 2011), the same cannot be said for phone maker RIM (producer of Blackberry devices), whose shares have plummeted 50 per cent in the past few months with calls for its joint-CEOs to step down. Despite the financial turmoil and loss of demand for its smartphone and tablet devices, the CoolBrands survey found that while 47% of women voted Apple their favourite tech brand, some 44% voted for Blackberry.

This news is unlikely to appease RIM’s current shareholder revolt, but shows that being cool (or not) doesn’t necessarily translate into the bottom line.

So how did Aston Martin become a cool brand?

Cheliotis commented; “Smooth, sexy and sophisticated; British built, high quality and hand finished, let’s be honest, young or old, male or female, opinion former or British public, who wouldn’t aspire to own what is truly the coolest car on the road. Number one in five of the last six years, this British icon is truly the coolest of the cool.”

From Aston’s continued association with the 007 Bond films, their passion and success in motorsport and the bold innovativeness of the One-77 supercar, Aston Martin as a brand, represents the kind of person we’d all like to be – confident, successful, well-liked and courageous, yet subtle and classy.

The brand as a tool for self-identity is strong in this most British of car makers – Aston Martin is like the guy at school which all the girls want to be with, whilst all the other guys just want to copy.

So how have the other brands being doing?

How other brands can get in on the action?

The one question we haven’t answered so far is, “what difference does it make if a brand is perceived to be cool?” As an accolade, this latest award bestowed on Aston Martin is generating thousands of news articles and millions of views – it’s called ‘earned media’ and you just can’t buy this kind of positive messaging for your brand.

People who read about a ‘cool brand’ will reflect on what it could mean for their own image and perception by in their peer group, so whilst being perceived as cool won’t automatically translate into a bottom-line revenue improvement, it’s certainly a very valuable asset – one that saves a huge amount of marketing spend and which should lead to increased profitability, providing, as was unfortunately lacking with RIM, that you continue to provide products which people want to buy.

So the takeaway message from Aston Martin’s success is two-fold; build a brand identity and personality that customers would like to adopt as their own, but make sure you then build the products that such an affiliation would normally lead them to buy. A cool brand without neat products is something of a hollow achievement.

But Aston Martin is not the only cool brand, and whilst this latest CoolBrands survey is notable for the iconic brands surveyed, it’s not entirely comprehensive or indeed conclusive. Nor is coolness the preserve of luxury brands.

Lexus is the top-selling hybrid car maker in 2011 and for many buyers the epitome of cool, when choosing to express their environmentally conscious values. MINI continues to be a cool brand for many, despite their ubiquity, whilst Citroen has made great progress in rebuilding ‘affordable chic’ back into its brand with cars such as the DS3 and now DS4.

Even Volvo shows signs of venturing cool-wards with its latest S60/V60 and XC60 models. The one thing they all have in common is a distinctive personality and attributes which make them stand out on our crowded roads.

Of the Top 20 CoolBrands, only Ferrari (8th) and Maserati (20th) were in the fight with Aston. Morgan were also in the Top 66 brands in the survey. The remaining automotive brands on the list were unclassified and included – Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Porsche, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce.

So Aston Martin is yet again the coolest of the cool, but rather than dismiss it as a meaningless trinklet, it might be worth taking a closer look at how Aston have achieved this position.

Alex Vaidya, Head of Digital at Porsche Cars GB tweeted this morning, “Being voted the coolest instantly makes you uncool!” – well in that case I’m sure Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin’s CEO, must be cursing the brand’s latest trophy and wishing he’d kept a lower profile.

Perhaps not.

Each DBS will undergo Aston Martin’s unique paint process receiving seven layers of paint together with a 25 hour hand flat-and-polish finish resulting in one of the finest glass veneer finishes in the business. A first for Aston Martin is the option to specify a satin lacquer paint finish, creating a silk-like texture.

The DBS Carbon Edition features 10-spoke gloss black diamond turned wheels with a reversed diamond turned or full gloss black finish as an option. Complementing the wheels, black brake callipers will be delivered as standard with yellow, orange, red or grey as an option. Harmonising with the exterior finish is a warm black grille, carbon fibre mirror heads, carbon rear lamp in-fills and smoked rear lights creating a DBS specification like never before.

The cosseting and inviting interior of the coupe plays host to the familiar swathes of obsidian black or maranello orange semi-aniline leather. This type of leather is more natural looking and softer to touch. The interior of a DBS Carbon Edition will take in excess of 70 man hours to hand stitch and finish.

On the DBS Carbon Edition coupe, the headlining is quilted in leather providing a luxurious envelope to the cabin. Immediately distinguishing the Carbon Edition from a standard DBS is the carbon fibre facia with a carbon weave that has been positioned exactly to follow the form of the dashboard. Only by hand can the fibres be laid to create a perfectly aligned weave.

The magnesium alloy paddles that control the Touchtronic II automatic gearbox are tipped with carbon fibre bringing the Carbon Edition direct to the fingertips. A unique carbon fibre special edition sill plaque with laser etched metal inlay completes the specification.

The standard DBS has recently been updated to feature the new Aston Martin Garmin satellite navigation system possessing improved graphics and intuition to provide a sleeker user experience. Beam blade windscreen wipers are also a new feature providing reduced wind noise and a cleaner wipe, even at high speeds.

DBS Carbon Edition prices start at £186,582 (€257,912/$287,576) for the coupe and £196,581 (€272,913/$302,576) for the Volante with customer deliveries expected to begin from the first quarter of 2012.

Gallery

Following un-paralleled access to Aston Martin, the hour-long programme charts the intense One-77 development programme throughout the three years it has taken from the car’s conception in October 2007 to the build of the first production One-77 in October 2010.

Filmed in high-definition the show illustrates how Aston Martin remains at the forefront of contemporary manufacturing, using materials and processes that exceed many of the largest automotive car makers.

Aston Martin is the British brand synonymous with wealth, style and, of course, James Bond and current holder of the “Britain’s Coolest Brand” award, but you might not be aware just how world class its production plant in Gaydon is.

Megafactories details the highly skilled manufacturing process fusing modern technology with traditional hand-craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail culminating in over 2,700 man-hours to complete the ultimate Aston Martin by a dedicated team of 27 technicians.

The One-77 facility is located in its own specially created standalone building within the company’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Inside the facility the distinctive production space is laboratory-like in its design and detail, an open plan 1,000 sq m serene space with its white walls, floor and ceiling containing four build positions and a host of specialist equipment and tools.

The facility is a marked departure from a conventional automotive production space, with each car remaining static throughout the build, rather than progressing from station to station.

Sounds like it will be a fascinating way to spend an hour of your Sunday evening, so make sure you tune in and let us know what you think.

Gallery

The Vantage GT3 features a modified version of Aston Martin’s production 6.0 litre V12 engine found in the marque’s highly acclaimed sports cars. The dry-sumped engine is expected to produce 600 bhp with 700 Nm of torque and its position has been optimised further to improve weight balance. A carbon fibre propshaft mates the engine to a Xtrac 6 speed sequential transmission with semi-automatic paddle shift gear change.

The Vantage GT3 benefits from Aston Martin’s V/H architecture philosophy, the modular chassis uses aerospace bonding techniques to create a light and immensely stiff aluminium and composite structure which not only aids handling on Aston Martin’s road cars but is also an ideal base for competitive race cars.

Aston Martin’s venerable DBRS9

Most dramatic of all, are the new aerodynamics, contributing to a muscular and purposeful stance while maintaining the overall beauty of the V12 Vantage. The shorter wheel base and lower engine position over its predecessor will contribute to enhanced handling and performance. The new car will also provide enhanced driveability with the latest race-developed ABS and Traction Control systems which are fitted to the V12 Vantage GT3 as standard.

The Vantage GT3 will be eligible for numerous race series around the world including the FIA GT3 Championship, ADAC Masters, Nürburgring VLN, Blancpain Endurance Series, British GT, Belcar and Open GT among others.

Aston Martin remains the only manufacturer to offer a race car for every GT class, firmly cementing it as a global forerunner in race car production. The new Vantage GT3 is being developed to replicate and indeed surpass the superb track record of the DBRS9 which accumulated many race podiums and victories over the last six years. Surprisingly, given how much we’ve watched the DBRS9 compete in GT championships around the world, Aston have sold only 24 cars to customer teams.

Testing of the new Vantage GT3 will commence in October, where it will undergo a comprehensive sign-off durability programme over 10,000 km. Deliveries of the first cars will commence in early 2012, just in time for the start of the race season in the Spring.

Gallery

Priced at £330,000 (excluding local taxes) the V12 Zagato will go into strictly limited production of up to 150 cars in summer 2012.

Hand assembled at the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, the V12 Zagato is based on the highly acclaimed V12 Vantage and features a ’handcrafted‘ aluminium and carbon fibre body. Combining traditional craftsmanship and high technology, the V12 Zagato also boasts Aston Martin’s most dynamic bonded aluminium platform and the power of the company’s 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque.

The first of the two V12 Zagatos being shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, finished in its distinctive green livery is the full endurance race car concept specification as campaigned at the Nürburgring. The car, nicknamed ‘Zig’ by the factory team features a full aerodynamic package including front splitter, dive planes, large rear diffuser and spoiler designed to make the most of the Nürburgring’s multitude of corners and lengthy straights.

The second of the cars, nicknamed ‘Zag’, was originally shown at the Villa D’Este last May before being converted into the same full racing specification as its sister car, ‘Zig’. Since the 24 hour race, Zag, has been returned to its original show specification which, although showing a racing car interior, has an exterior more representative of the exclusive road car currently offered for order.

The images show in this article, are conceptual illustrations released by Aston Martin of the road car variant that will go into production from mid 2012.

Gallery

So when Porsche released details of its new 911 earlier this week, you can imagine the attention it must have received in the boardrooms of Maranello, Gaydon, Munich and Stuttgart.

The salient points which will have gained most attention from their rivals include:

Porsche have also developed new active control systems such as the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active roll stabilisation system, which is available for the first time on the 911 Carrera S.

Despite these improvements Porsche have chosen to price the new 911 at a 3-4 % increase over the outgoing 997, although they have not as yet confirmed the new car’s standard level of specification. In Germany this translates to 88,038 euro for the 911 Carrera and 102,436 euro for the 911 Carrera S (incl. VAT), which is bound to give Aston Martin plenty to worry about.

So is the new 911 the best car in the world? Well I can’t think of another car which balances the seemingly contradictory elements of performance, emissions, dynamics and usability within such a well honed package. It’s certainly not cheap, but this might just be all the car you’ll ever need.

Gallery

We first became aware of the 33 year old rapper when he starred in Aston Martin’s web-only film, True Power Should Be Shared, earlier this year.

With a fan base of 600,000+ twitter followers and an enviable circle of friends, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé and his wife Alicia Keys, Lotus would seem to be on to a good thing – if celebrity endorsement is their goal.

Lotus explain the rationale behind the decision with 3 simple statements;

1. Like Group Lotus , he means business: He’s a risk taker with considerable credentials including music producer, rapper, designer AND painter.
2. Like our cars, he’s multi award winning: This year he shared a Grammy Award with Jay-Z.
3. Like Group Lotus he keeps good company: This man regularly works with the likes of Bono, Kanye West, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys.

If you’re struggling to find any mention of “..because he can help us make our cars the best in the world”, then maybe that’s because Lotus CEO Dany Bahar is “..not a car guy”.

To quote one of the fans on Lotus Cars’ facebook page, “..How Vulgar. Some sort of Rap Artiste! Colin would be spinning at 2,500 rpm in his grave.”

In response and to quickly underline the value of their new creative partnership, Lotus posted a link to Swizz’ new single ‘International Party’ which is also part of the new Reebok campaign, featuring Alicia Keys and the Lotus Evora “Concept Bespoke”. It’s certainly a New Era for the Norfolk marquee.

Gallery

Shown for the first time on the shores of Lake Como, Italy at this year’s Villa D’Este Concours the V12 Zagato was designed as a celebration of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Following the encouraging customer reaction after both outings Aston’s Chief Executive Dr. Ulrich Bez was sufficiently confident in demand for a limited production run, “Such style, exclusivity and fastidious craftsmanship ensures it will be one of the most highly coveted models in Aston Martin’s 98-year history. A fabulous celebration of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the V12 Zagato is the perfect inspiration for the next 50 years of Aston Martin.”

In honour of the performance and racing heritage of previous collaborations, the first two V12 Zagatos were developed as endurance race cars from the start and went into their track debut just a week after being shown to the public for the first time on the shores of Lake Como, Italy at the Villa D’Este Concours.

Entering the new V12 Zagatos in this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hour on 25th/26th June extended the company’s racing philosophy at the famous circuit. For five years Aston Martin has signed-off its new products by entering a car which is as close to the road car as possible and subjecting it to the toughest 24 hour test on what best simulates the extremities of public roads. This year went a step further by testing two cars at their prototype stage; combining forces to successfully cover more than 230 laps and over 3,700 miles in the 24 hour race at what Sir Jackie Stewart famously called ‘The Green Hell’.

Since opening in 2003, 13 new major production car Aston Martins have been developed and successfully brought to production at Gaydon, demonstrating the company’s ability to engineer and bring to reality cars in a shortened period of time. Design work on the V12 Zagato began in mid-2010 with initial engineering following in January 2011.

True to both Aston Martin and Zagato, the V12 Zagato is the pinnacle of a special and exclusive offering which matches its long-standing heritage with the technology and craftsmanship of today.

Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Director of Design said: “The V12 Zagato is an elegant yet brutal design which reflects the great balance between race performance and pure Aston Martin style.

“The original DB4GT Zagato was a true icon, powerful and graceful; the new design is a true representation of the spirit of DB4GT Zagato. The muscular organic forms define the thoroughbred nature of the car’s racing credentials.”

Featuring a handcrafted aluminium and carbon fibre body, the V12 Zagato delivers a beautiful and muscular design not possible using pre-formed panel techniques. Using the influences and skill of nearly 100 years of heritage in the craft, every aluminium panel was formed using an English wheel and traditionally crafted body bucks. Iconic Zagato design cues include the double bubble roof created in this case from five separate pieces illustrating further the intensity of craftsmanship involved in the construction of the V12 Zagato.

Designed for the focused driver, the V12 Zagato has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. The V12 Zagato combines Aston Martin’s most dynamic bonded aluminium platform with the power of the 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque. Performance is quick without being supercar quick, with 0-62 mph acceleration of 4.2 seconds and a maximum speed of 190 mph (305 km/h).

The strictly limited Aston Martin V12 Zagato is on sale now, priced at £330,000 GBP (exc. local taxes) with first deliveries expected from the second half of 2012.

Gallery

If it wasn’t for Aston’s participation in this weekend’s Nurburgring 24 hours with its stunning V12 Zagato, we’d be worried that this once Great British Bulldog of a brand had gone a bit, erm… girly.

The one good bit of news is that production will be strictly limited to 14 examples, that’s assuming there are actually 14 customers who’ve thought to themselves, “..do you know what’s missing from the Aston Martin Cygnet? Scatter cushions and a dash of colour!”. Hmmm.

The Aston Martin design team worked closely with their counterparts at colette to create the limited edition which features Lightning Silver paint with exclusive colette blue styling details including a race collection inspired (???) front bumper and bonnet livery, mirror caps and diamond turned road wheels. The Bitter Chocolate themed interior takes inspiration from colette’s mascot Oscar, the chocolate-brown Labrador.

Key signature elements of the transformation include; Stainless steel hand formed and engraved door handle badges, ‘Cygnet & colette’ branded hand enamelled boot badging manufactured by Thomas Fattorini, Quilted Alcantara sun visors to complement the quilted leather door and seat inserts, Hand trimmed, quilted colette blue leather occasional cushions for the rear seats, ‘Cygnet & colette’ branding on satellite navigation start up and a unique ‘Cygnet & colette’ key ring machined from solid aluminium with blue enamelling.

Orders for the 14 ‘Cygnet & colette’ pieces can be placed through the colette store in Paris for delivery by the end of the year. Prices start from €48,995 which is equivalent to around £43,700 of our good English pounds at today’s exchange rate.

Gallery