It's no secret that satisfying a craving for chocolate can instantly improve a person's mood. It's lesser known that a huge range of natural foods can stimulate longer-lasting 'happy' hormones than chocolate ever could. Knowledge that could become more memorable thanks to Van Gogh is Bipolar, a restaurant and cafe that opened in Quezon City earlier this year. (The Dutch painter has been posthumously diagnosed with bipolar disorder by some psychiatrists, while others believe he suffered from schizophrenia.)

The cafe only serves all-natural 'happy-hormone-producing' foods, set to lift customers' moods. Its menu is loaded with foods that are believed to help balance the brain's levels of serotonin and dopamine, which in turn helps alleviate mild to moderate depression. While nutritional scientists have assumed this for a while, it's the first time—as far as we know—that the theory has been used as the starting point for a restaurant.

Resembling a living room, Van Gogh is Bipolar's interior is meant to make customers feel comfortable and at home. Dish names, meanwhile, are inspired by celebrities known to have suffered from mood disorders. There's the Larry Flynt Cabbage Experience and Jim Carey Sardines—and even a series of Presidents' Meals that includes concoctions for Roosevelt, Lincoln and Clinton. The menu is designed to show customers the key foods that maintain healthy hormone levels, helping them include these foods in their diet at home. Combining functional food with social entrepreneurship, the concept aims to make a real difference in a new way. An idea worth spreading!

Website: www.facebook.com
Menu: www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=252266930260

Spotted by: Robert Alejandro

If ever there was a time of year made for free love, it's the holiday season. Apparently the same thought recently occurred to Manila cafe chain Delifrance, because this year it has launched a citywide Secret Santa campaign through which Filipinos can send each other special holiday treats--for free.

Two delectable Delifrance treats have been available for the giving this season: Almond Star Cookies, which were available from Nov. 10 through 23, and now Chocolate Chip Almond Biscotti, which will run through Dec. 7. To send treats, Filipinos need only enter friends' names and email addresses. Each friend is then sent an email with a special coupon that's redeemable at participating Delifrance cafes throughout metro Manila. There is no limit on the number of friends each user can treat in this way.

Free love is always a fairly sure way to win consumer goodwill, but when you give it away without limits during the holidays--and in tough economic times? Hard to imagine that could be outdone by anyone other than Kris Kringle himself! How could your brand create some free holiday cheer...?

Website: www.mysecretsanta08.com
Contact: Delifrance at 642-0021

Spotted by: Bong via Matthew Cua

We at Springwise are always happy to chronicle the spread of a good idea, but never more so than when those doing the spreading are part of the Springwise community themselves. So it's with great pleasure that we bring our readers one more tale of free photocopying for students, this time launched by one of our very own Springspotters in his home country of the Philippines.

At the Philippines' Prime University Ateneo De Manila, Matthew Cua is project manager of Celadon, the university's official Chinese-Filipino organization. Charged with the task of planning the group's Mid-Autumn Gratia faculty appreciation day celebration for this fall, Cua says he was inspired by our free love coverage to incorporate free photocopying for students into the event. Scouting around for sponsorship, Cua found a receptive audience in Dr. Diana Cua-Balcells, a local breast cancer surgeon and alumna of the university, who picked up on the idea as a way to promote breast cancer awareness on behalf of nonprofit organizations including Bosom Buddies, I Can Serve, Pink for Life, Carewell Community and the Cuabang Foundation. Accordingly, among the festival's many offerings was a free photocopying kiosk that aimed both to promote breast cancer causes and to help support Celadon. Equipped with just a single photocopier, the outdoor stand in the middle of campus produced 8,200 free photocopies over the course of the five-day festival, serving some 500 students plus a number of faculty who made copies for their entire classes. Celadon even took the free copies idea one better by designing the paper used to serve as notepaper on the reverse side, allowing it to do double-duty in class or be reused afterwards.

Celadon made minimal profit on the event, Cua says--aiming mainly to cover its costs--but the group is planning a similar effort for November, this time with commercial sponsorship, that it expects will be more lucrative. And because "moist paper doesn't work in a photocopying machine," Cua also notes that better precautions will be taken next time to keep the paper dry in Manila's humid open-air environment, using heaters and special packaging. More projects are planned for Chinese New Year as well. Is there any mountain free love can't climb? We think not. :-) Be inspired!

Website: www.freelovephilippines.com
Contact: ateneo.celadon@gmail.com

Regular Springwise readers no doubt remember Blyk, the Finnish free mobile operator that targets 16- to 24-year-olds with its ad-funded service. We covered Blyk's British rollout on several occasions over the past year or so, and now one of our spotters has come across a similar concept that recently launched in the Philippines.

ümobile is an invitation-only mobile service and community that targets 15- to 35-year-old Filipinos with what it says is the first ad-funded mobile network in Asia, offering a range of telephony services including calls, texts, MMS, internet surfing and downloads. Beginning in June, when the service was launched by Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (CURE)--part of Philippine telco Smart--potential users were invited to apply for membership through a series of invite codes that were given away virally (and free) by already-accepted members or through online social networks. Young consumers with codes could then fill out ümobile's membership application, which includes a range of personal information as well as lifestyle questions such as preferences in movies and music and whether or not they go to a gym, for example. Also required is a willingness to accept ads, of course.

Based on their answers, Filipinos who were approved by Aug. 31 were given their ümobile SIM cards for free--delivered at no charge--along with a free PHP 100 load every month for the next six months. Just how many ads users will be sent each day isn't yet clear, but viewing them earns further rewards in the form of free loads or discounts and freebies. A portion of the revenues generated by a brand's campaigns is given back to subscribers, who can then purchase ümobile services or pursue product offers.

Is there any market free love can't conquer? Seems unlikely. Mobile operators: where will you spread some love of your own...?

Website: www.umobile.com.ph
Contact: customerservice@umobile.com.ph

Spotted by: Matthew Cua

In the Philippines, text messaging has caught on in a huge way. Two years ago, according to Pyramid Research, the Southeast Asian archipelago became the first nation on the planet where network providers saw revenues from text messaging exceed what users spent on voice. With its Share-A-Load programme, Philippine network provider Globe Telecom has capitalized on the local love of SMS messages by allowing its customers to send their phone credit (or ‘load’) to someone else. Globe charges PHP 1 or about US .024 for each transaction, making its service an easy way for parents to send money to their children, for example, to make sure they’re able to stay in touch.

Both prepaid and postpaid subscribers can share their airtime or mobile wallet by typing in an amount and their pin code, and sending it to a 4 digit-number followed by the recipient’s mobile number. Upon receipt, the both recipient and sender receive a confirmation by text message.

SMS remains a technology with lots of potential applications waiting to be discovered and implemented—for everything from payment systems to information on demand. Given the mobile network operators’ strong desire to maximize profits, a good idea from a start-up has an excellent chance of getting heard.

Website: www.globe.com.ph

Spotted by: Jo-An Chua

Back in 2002, we reported on a Thai government initiative to launch a chain of over 3,000 Thai restaurants across the world, promoting both the country and its cuisine. That plan fizzled out after elections brought on a new government with different priorities.

A recent spotting from Japan proves the idea can work, if on a slightly smaller scale. Sponsored by Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand, the New Zealand Travel Café opened in Tokyo's Roppongi district three months ago. The café serves New Zealand burgers, beer and wine in an upmarket setting. Kiwi music plays in the background, a small shop sells NZ products and visitors can browse travel guides and brochures.

Travel Café, which operates 20 themed cafés across Japan, also runs a branch in cooperation with the Philippine tourist board. The Philippine Travel Café serves 'images of Philippine leisure resorts and tasty Filipino cuisine'. Maybe the Thai government can breathe new life into its old plan, working with the Travel Café this time. In other countries, we could see the Costa Rican tourism board working with Starbucks, or the Italians teaming up with Café Nero. If you've spotted similar examples of country branding in your hometown, please let us know! Just leave a comment below.

Website: www.travelcafe.co.jp
Contact: info@travelcafe.co.jp

Spotted by: Lance Sy

Quick mobile spotting from the Philippines: Palengkenito (no website), which translates to 'mini-market' in English, is a well-designed mobile grocery store, developed to bring convenience to less-affluent consumers in the Philippines. Specially converted Suzuki minivans are outfitted with a generator, shelving units, food heating elements and a refrigerator. The roving store offers quality pre-packed fresh and processed food, snacks, canned goods, toiletries, and other basic household items in small packages (see sachet marketing for more on selling in small quantities).

Palengkenito combines the pop-up phenomenon's enduring success with an obvious convenience factor, wrapped in a cheerfully branded package. This would work anywhere, from Sao Paulo's avenidas to New York's avenues!

Remember our 'Small is Sundara' article? Or our piece on Mexican Banco Azteca selling small loans in retail stores? Well, with more of the world gaining in purchasing power, however modest it sometimes may be, innovative micro-selling methods continue to reap the benefits. From mini-sachets of Unilever shampoo to micro-loans from a big financial institution.

Our sister-publication TRENDWATCHING.COM has dubbed this promising trend SACHET MARKETING (and will report on it in the January edition). Below are three very cool and insightful new business concepts, from Bangladesh, India, and The Philippines.

GrameenPhone, Bangladesh's leading cell phone operator, is offering a special low-priced package to so-called 'phone ladies' in small villages, where fixed telephone lines are non-existent. The phone ladies share their cell phones with other villagers at a few taka a call, raking in monthly earnings that could top USD 170: a serious income in a nation where the average annual per capita income is USD 368. Internet access over wireless phones is next. (Source: Reuters.)

Private Joyce cleverly caters to Philippine women back home and abroad

Let's say you're a movie star, or even a nation's sex symbol, and you want to start your own business. Why not launch a Victoria's Secret inspired lingerie label? Philippine-American Joyce Jimenez did just that, and her Private Joyce lingerie and cosmetics are selling well in both the Philippines and the U.S. (source: Far Eastern Economic Review).

Two smart moves that turned Private Joyce into an excellent new business idea instead of just a nice initiative: introducing a franchise formula, which is still quite a novelty in most of Asia (but catching on quickly!), and closing a deal with Philippine fashion store chain Sari-Sari which also has outlets in the US.

The latter is a great example of what our sister-site TRENDWATCHING.COM has dubbed IMMI-MERCE: catering to ever growing, and ever more prosperous immigrant communities all over the world. In this case: selling lingerie to the sizable Philippine community in New York. Private Joyce appeals to Philippine customers who are not only happy to buy lingerie from a fellow compatriot, but who also appreciate the fact that the label carries smaller sizes, perfect for more delicate frames.

Opportunities

We think the world could do with a few more Victoria's Secrets (starting with Europe, which lacks a professionally branded and sexy yet accessible lingerie chain) but that's another story altogether, which we will tackle in one of the upcoming issues of this newsletter. For now, we are sure that some entrepreneurial immigrants might be sitting on a goldmine without even realizing it, whether it's lingerie or fried chicken. Fried chicken?!? Check out our IMMI MERCE trend!

'Native' Asian restaurant chains that may well make it big

Tasty and healthy, pan-Asian food has never been more popular. Wok and noodle bars are popping up all over the world, be it, often, with a very modest roll-out strategy. Eager to know which one will eventually turn out to be the Asian equivalent of Burger King or KFC? Some of the truly 'native' Asian chains you should keep an eye on:

Philippine fast food player Jollibee, which has 400 burger restaurants in the Philippines, has high hopes for its Chinese fast food chain Chowking. Not only is it rapidly expanding in the Philippines, but outlets are now in operation on the West Coast of the US, and a Dubai restaurant is in the pipeline.

Hong Kong based Café de Coral, an up-market Chinese fast food chain with more than 100 restaurants in the Hong Kong region, is set to conquer Mainland China, with branches popping up in special economic zones and coastal cities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Guangzhou, and regional town centers of Foshan and Jiangmen. It also has restaurants in Canada, where it bought the Manchu Wok chain in 2000, and in the US, where it operates under the China Inn, Fan Ting and Dai Bai Dang brands. According to their website, Café de Coral is more than interested in discussing franchising, JVs and other partnering business opportunities.

Thai Mango Chili goes after the fast-rice and noodle crowd in Thailand and beyond. It is owned by Thai Exquisine System and offers quick khao gaeng style meals (rice with a sauce-based topping) in its proto-type fast food restaurant in the heart of Bangkok.

So far, Mango Chili has received interest from franchisees in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, India and Saudi Arabia. A second concept outlet is being developed in Malaysia (source: Bangkok Post).

And last but not least, MTR Foods (Bangalore, India), which hopes to become the 'McDonald's of Indian food', is rolling out Indian fast food restaurants in Bangalore, Delhi, Bombay and Chennai this year (source: NYT). The company also has a sizable instant and frozen foods business. J.P. Morgan liked the idea so much they took a 28% stake.

So, whether you're an investor, an established fast food giant, a beer/soda distributor, or a budding fast food entrepreneur interested in representing these companies in your country of residence, there are plenty of spicy initiatives to get you going in this space.