Driving home ideas

It is good to see in these economically difficult days that companies are still happy to throw money at researchers for daft surveys full of endless guff puffing their own products while masquerading as something that adds to the sum of human knowledge.

We have received two press releases recently from Vauxhall about a survey it had conducted among lawyers and others about when and where they are at their most creative.

Findings - most of which could easily have been knocked out on the back of a fag packet by pretty much anyone - included the revelation that around 80% of lawyers are at their most creative first thing in the morning; that either being alone or in a brainstorming session is the best way to get the creative juices flowing; that financial rewards are the best way to get lawyers 'to think outside the box'; and that most law firms do not have suggestion boxes.

However, the least shocking finding, given the source, was that in the first release, 42% of lawyers said their cars are becoming think tanks on wheels, while in the second release, 60% say being in the car increases the likelihood of being able to come up with new ideas.

You may not be surprised to learn that Vauxhall is launching a new car, the Signum, which apparently is set to 'redefine what a premium car should be'.

Would that we had access to Vauxhall's suggestion box.