Orange innovation TV launches the “do you chindogu?” challenge for unusual and innovative objects that make digital life easier

Paris

From March 26 to May 7, 2009, check out www.Orange-innovation.tv: download the “Mouss Mouss, Tomoko garde la ligne” and “Pablo les longs tuyaux” videos and take part in the “do you chindogu?” challenge by posting your chindogus that makes digital life easier

Orange-innovation TV is today launching a series of exclusive chindogus, presented in video clips that can be downloaded from www.orange-innovation.tv. With the support of Bac Film Créative and the teams from Paul Nicolas Loesch, its founding director, discover the first two episodes from the series with the “Mouss, Mouss, Tomoko garde la ligne” and “Pablo les longs tuyaux” videos as of today.

Chindogu is the Japanese art of inventing “useful but unusable” objects, that are both unusual and innovative.
Created in the 1980s by the Japanese engineer Kenji Kawahami, Chindogu has built up a large popular following ever since then that has been carried by online communities across the world.

These first two episodes represent an opportunity to launch the chindogu challenge, running from March 26 to May 7 this year, to make digital life simpler.

Internet users are invited to create their own digital chindogu, film or photograph it, then post their production on Orange Innovation TV or send it in to doyouchindogu@mychindogu.com. They will be able to follow all the ideas hatching throughout the competition as events unfold on www.orange-innovation.tv/la-collection.

In May, a jury chaired by Jean-Philippe Vanot, the Orange’s Executive Vice-President of Innovation and Marketing, along with representatives from the blog, fashion and audiovisual worlds, will meet to select the five winners.

The jury will select the five best digital chindogus based on:

* The criteria for chindogu art set out below,
* The originality of the creation,
* The quality of the presentation of the work,
* Its relevance to the digital world.


Between May 15 and 31, 2009, the list of winners will be published on www.orange-innovation.tv, and they will receive:

* 1/ A Samsung NC 10 PC
* 2/ a 3G/3G+ HTC Touch unik mobile phone
* 3/ A GSM Snap Show digital photo frame
* 4/ A Vintage liveradio
* 5/ A Warhammer on line game (Age of Reckoning)


the literal translation of chindogu is “strange” (chin), “tool” (dogu)”: a strange, unusual object
The International Chindogu Society has defined 10 broad principles that must be respected and followed when creating chindogus:
1. A chindogu must not be designed for real use. From a practical point of view, it must be almost completely useless.
2. A chindogu must exist. Even if it cannot really be used, the chindogu must physically exist.
3. Each chindogu must convey the idea of a certain anarchy, and must have been created in a certain anarchy. Chindogus are man-made objects freed from the concept of usefulness. They represent freedom of thought and action; the freedom to challenge the suffocating historical dominance of utility; the freedom to be (almost) useless.
4. Chindogus are designed for everyday life. They must be understandable to everyone, everywhere. Chindogus are a form of non-verbal communication. Extremely specialized or technical inventions do not count.
5. Chindogus are not for sale. Chindogus are not made to be bought or sold.
6. Humor must not be the sole reason for creating a chindogu. The creation of a chindogu is fundamentally a problem-solving activity. Humor is simply the by-product of finding an elaborate or unconventional solution to a problem that may not have been that pressing to begin with.
7. Chindogus are not propaganda. Chindogus are innocent. They are made to be used, even though they cannot be used. They should not be created as a perverse or ironic comment on the sorry state of mankind.
8. Chindogus are never taboo. They must not be vulgar or debase the sanctity of living things.
9. Chindogus cannot be patented. Chindogus are offerings to the rest of the world. They are not therefore ideas to be copyrighted, patented, collected and owned. As they say in Spain, “mi Chindogu es tu Chindogu”.
10. Chindogus are without prejudice.

Orange Innovation TV is the WebTV from Orange that makes digital life simpler. Informing and enabling people to understand and dream about the digital revolution, and ensuring that nobody is afraid of getting on board. It is available to all at www.orange-innovation.tv.
Created in January 2008, the channel is preparing for its second season in partnership with leading media. From May 2009, Orange innovation TV will be extended in both English and French to all countries where the Group is present.