Imagine eye drops that improve eyesight.
It's the decision most people confront late into their 30s or early 40s
Probably the first sign is when distant objects look clear and one has to hold books a little further away to focus.
Then comes the hard part. Mentally admitting that one needs reading glasses.
The first time is self-conscious. The emphasis on telling people 'I only need it for reading' is repeated several times a day.
Some self-deprecating jokes among close friends about finally 'growing old'
Dyeing hair is easier because it retains youthful looks. But eyeglasses are a definitive giveaway.
That's why Vuity, a new approach to handling presbyopia - the loss of eyesight that comes as part of the natural aging process, is getting attention.
The way it works is that you put in the drops, wait for about 15 minutes and like magic, your ability to read improves.
Unfortunately, the effect lasts for about 6 hours after which your eyes go back to their earlier state.
But it is a huge improvement from actually having to wear glasses - and the audience would be those who want to delay the inevitable.
It's going to be another stealth weapon for those who insist on staying young - and depending on how the early reviews are, it should be an easy sell.
How many products are focused on preserving and extending our youthful state?
The fountain of youth has more devotees than the fountain of wisdom!
A dark rum is about to become famous
Diplomats are rarely, if ever, involved with product promotions.
And the circumstances were bizarre.
Lithuania grows no sugar, so it imports the rum base, sugar cane molasses from Trinadad & Tobago.
The distilled rum, called Propeller Dark was marketed as a Caribbean original to China.
Then Lithuania made a misstep. It opened an embassy in Taiwan.
20,000 bottles of rum floating in mid sea were not allowed entry into Chinese ports.
Taiwan stepped in and bought out the entire shipment.
The national development council even created a series of ads with recipes of how the rum could be used.
Even if it was to help an ally, marketing realities can't be ignored.
Since the government cannot advertise a private brand of liquor, it built awareness of how rum could be used to spice up a meal or make exotic cocktails.
The ads show a bottle without the label and feature in social media.
Must be one of the rare occasions where the government is forced to play an anchor role in promoting a product category.
It was simply to make the point that they would not let down a country who supported them.
But in the process, Propeller Dark has got a dream launch in a country that was not part of the forecast!
It remains to be seen if they will use this story to get a foothold in other geographies.
But they have to win hearts and minds through the product, even if they've got a launch story for the ages!
Chal meri Luna - on Hydrogen
First things first - this is not an Indian product.
It's a new hydrogen fuel cell two-wheeler from a company in France.
However, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Indian Luna from the 70s.
That became a major hit. Though it didn't have the design dynamism of the swankier 100 cc bikes.
But it had what mattered - amazing fuel efficiency and great carrying capacity.
For Indian small towns, it was a godsend. Good to load all kinds of things and transport them to the nearest marketplace.
There may still be pictures in newspaper and magazine archives of Luna becoming the all-purpose two-wheeler in India.
But then, things changed. Fuel costs increased. The Luna evolved but not enough to withstand the competition from the Japanese bike JVs.
The Alpha from Pragma Industries rides on hydrogen with a range of 100 kms.
he hydrogen filling station can be connected to a renewable energy source and the two-wheelers can be filled in less than a minute.
Obviously, buying the filling infrastructure is part of the deal and it makes the most sense for captive fleet operators.
Hydrogen is among the cleanest fuel sources in the world but the competition from lithium-ion batteries is stiff.
So the company is sensibly targeting those who have a fleet of vehicles and want to keep fuel costs down to the minimum, without significant increases over time.
And that benefit beats looks and design hands down.
Will it succeed? Let's check back in a few years.
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