MIDDLE EAST
DESIGN WEEK
MY SPACE
View with a room
Hermann Behrens, CEO of Brand Union, hits the heights in his new digs
“THIS HAS definitely been the highlight of No less impressive, although on a far tape “so that people don’t walk into the incarnation as Enterprise IG. The other is a
the last few years,” says Hermann Behrens, smaller scale, are The Brand Union’s glass.” Paperwork, newspapers and folders bonsai tree that sits on the windowsill next
The Brand Union’s CEO, as he surveys the offices. Taking up the entire 43rd floor, the litter his desk, while behind this there are to a raft of folders.
view from his new office, vertiginously open-plan space is designed to “increase wooden-framed pictures of his family. “I’ve never been a big fan of bonsai
located on the 43rd floor of the Business collaboration,” says Behrens. And in Oddly, a sandwich sits at his right elbow, trees, to be honest with you,” says the six-
Central Towers in Media City. keeping with that aim, for one week of bearing a yellow Post-it note with the words foot-something South African, “but when
And it’s easy to see why. Just behind him, every month he’ll pick up his laptop and ‘Your Breakfast’ carefully inscribed. “I get I saw this in our meeting room, I just had
through the huge panes of glass that aren’t sit-in with one of The Brand Union’s various so busy that my PA has to get me my food, to have it. But, apparently I’d destroyed
cleaned often enough for his liking, lies one divisions. He will, he says, laughing, resist and this is today’s,” Behrens explains. the Feng Shui in the meeting room so they
edge of the sprawling Marina, while the Palm hiring out his office for that period. There are a few personal mementos replaced it instantly.”
Jumeirah stretches out to his right. “There are Although, on current evidence, any in his office. The first is a stylish wooden And does Behrens see the Bonsai as a
the Sheikh’s palaces,” says Behrens pointing new occupant will need to do their own carving, one of the few artefacts taken source of inner peace and tranquillity?
out a few specks in the distance, “although decorating. The glass walls are awaiting from The Brand Union’s old office, and is “Not really,” he says, “but it does look good
we don’t know who lives in which one.” graphics and currently have a strip of white a throwback to the company’s previous in the new office.”
LOOKING GOOD
Captain Click
The Microsoft Arc Mouse boldly goes where
no mouse has gone before
THIS STAR Trek-inspired mobile mouse, the crescent-shaped clicky thing (that’s our
with its ergonomic and original design, term, not the press release’s) is a splendid
apparently got the Microsoft PR people so piece of design. It has all the functional
hot under the collar that they felt obliged to details that you’d ever need; it’s remote
go into rhetorical warp speed. “It is truly an up to 30ft, when deployed can hold 25lb of
accessory,” we are informed in a breathless pressure and has a high-performance laser
press release, “adding to the fashion PC tracking system (we’re not entirely sure
trend that is taking the technology industry what that means, but we assume it’s the red
by storm.” light on the bottom of the mouse).
But it didn’t stop there. “The Arc Mouse,” And, of course, the Arc Mouse works
for that is its cunning name, “allows perfectly well by pointing and clicking and
consumers to flaunt their personal style.” dragging stuff on your computer. But line it up
Right, let’s run that one past the boss: “I next to your bog-standard, lunch-encrusted
need this new mouse because it allows me mouse, replete with Stevie Wonder sized
to flaunt my personal style.” buttons, miles of cable and hand-grenade
It’s a shame that the press release has design, and the comparison is stark.
fallen into this hyperbolic (mouse)trap, as Very mice, very mice indeed.
www.mediaweekme.com 08 FEBRUARY 2009 / 31
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