I know we're all getting sick of everything 'bling'. Gold flake vodka, diamond studded cellphones, $20,000 fancified iPods, platinum sex toys.. It seemed there couldn't possibly be anything left to kitsch up with gold, glitter, crystals or gems. Trend Hunter has been reluctant to publish any more "bling" articles -- we were ready to put our foot down; this wasn't news anymore. It was getting ancient.
Turns out, we were wrong. It seems the one niche that hadn't been fancified with all things sparkly was the medical industry. You bet, now we have bling medical gadgets, including Respire's breath-taking bling asthma inhaler case and the 24-carat gold, 220 diamond-crusted hearing aid.
"The revolutionary aid means even aging hip hop aficionados, reeling from years of overexposure to deafening bass beats, can get help for their hearing without looking like they are signing up for the blue rinse brigade," The Wimbledon Guardian couldn't resist writing about the world's most expensive hearing aid.
"As digital hearing aid technology has advanced wearers have become increasingly proud of the devices and the effects they have on their lives. Combine this with an ever younger age profile for hearing aid wearers and more and more clients advertise the fact they use an aid and even wear them as pieces of jewellery."
Trend Hunter already had an incling that med would go bling a few months ago when we published an article about medic alert bracelets turned fashionable jewelery.
Opulent Medical Gadgets
Gold Hearing Aid, Bling Asthma Inhaler
Trend Themes
1. Bling Medical Gadgets - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create fashionable and luxurious medical devices that cater to individuals seeking style and uniqueness in healthcare technology.
2. Medical Device Personalization - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop customizable medical devices that allow users to express their style and personality while receiving necessary healthcare support.
3. Fashionable Hearing Aids - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design hearing aids that not only enhance hearing capabilities but also serve as fashionable accessories.
Industry Implications
1. Medical Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate aesthetic elements into medical devices to create a market for luxury healthcare products.
2. Fashion and Jewelry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the intersection of fashion and healthcare by creating jewelry-inspired medical devices that appeal to style-conscious individuals.
3. Assistive Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Combine functionality with aesthetic appeal in the development of assistive devices to enhance user experience and promote acceptance.