Take a look at the picture on the right.
Do you notice anything special about this boat?
Well, it's a big beautiful and incredibly cool thing, that's for sure. Anybody seeing this boat would be impressed.
It looks old too, but actually it's fairly new. But that's not the special thing about it.
The special thing is that it's made out of cement! (水泥)
Actually, cement boats have been around for a long time. If they're made properly they're tough and will last for many years. During the second world war, floating harbours were built out of cement that are still floating. It sounds amazing, but it's true.
And as the picture shows, you can build some pretty amazing boats out of cement.
A few weeks ago, one of my designer friends asked me to think of ways to help a cement company in Taiwan 'launch' a new brand. I think the solution is obvious..... build a cement boat and sail it around Taiwan. The question is, how can I persuade them to do it?
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To help me persuade my clients that this is a good idea I want to make a demonstration "TV report" to show them - in Chinese.
I have a producer and camera available. I just need someone to play the role of the reporter. You would present the idea and interview a few different people, as if you were a real reporter and someone had just launched a cement boat. The plan is for the sponsors to get an idea of the sort of media exposure they could hope to get.
And we'll put the video here on this site, of course!
If you want to take part then click here to reply to the ad.....
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There are a hundred questions to ask, but I still think it's a great idea. If you know anything at all about any of the following, or even nothing at all but have ideas of your own, then add a comment below. I'd love to hear from you.
- Event sponsorship - how do you persuade people to pay lots of money to put their name on something like this?
- Building boats out of cement - I've done work on a cement boat, but wouldn't want to try and build my own. Where would I find an expert? And how much would that cost?
- Cool things you can do with a cement boat, such as filling it with beautiful girls and sailing it round Taiwan.
- Training a crew - you would need a lot of people on a boat like this just to pull all the ropes and stuff. There aren't many sailors in Taiwan, so you would need to start a training program...... Read this article to hear more about how "trainees who participate in off-shore sail training programmes show measurable improvements in social confidence and their ability to work with others.... The positive value of the sail training experience transcends national and cultural boundaries.... The most effective sail training experience in developing social confidence and teamwork skills is delivered by vessel operators who offer well structured educational programmes"
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