mystique of the brand. The makeup also provided an important rela- tional component to the KISS brand. Not only did it communicate an image from the band to its fans, it gave fans a way to communicate back to the band, participate in the brand, and complete the two-way communication cycle. "Something definitely was going on between the fans and the band, a kind of you-are-us we-are-you; without you, we are nothing," says Simmons. Fans loved living the brand; they showed up at concerts in KISS makeup and costumes and conjured up the type of fanatical frenzy reserved for NFL and college football games. For the first time, con- certgoers werent just listening to music; they were seeing it, feeling it, smelling it, and living it. With all senses stimulated, their emotions were heightened as never before, and afterward, they were often left in that awkward state of complete excitement, exhaustion, and shock. After an experience like that, word of mouth and repeat patronage was not a problem. What KISS brought back to the stage was an element of surprise- a sensory overload kind of surprise. To this day, KISS combines cre- ativity, escapism, and surprise into one action-packed event. The combination leaves audiences temporarily deaf and dumbfounded, but permanently delighted. Creativity and surprise are what some industry insiders say is missing from many musical acts today. Com- pany executives take note-that is also what some corporate insiders say is missing from many shopping and service experiences today. k is s: k e ep i t s i m pl e, s t up i d | 9 9     Pushing the envelope of creativity and generating the unexpected can be risky and may not always work. In the case of KISS, it did. Tina Weymouth, of the Talking Heads points out, "Today, the pressure is to be mainstream-or commercially safe. Celine Dion has a great voice; before her was Barbra Streisand, and there will be someone after her as well. But there isnt a lot of surprise there, something that will stop you and make you say wow." KISS audiences said wow- and still do. In corporate terms, the element of surprise can help to exceed customer expectations, which impacts fan creation and brand loy- alty. For example, Westin Hotels recently developed its new Heavenly Bed, hoping to give customers something more than just a restful nights sleep-an above average sleeping experience. Travelers, espe- cially seasoned ones, expect a nice bed to sleep in, but dont expect a bed befitting a five-star resort. But the Heavenly Bed delivers; hotel guests are treated to a lush bed outfitted with all-white down com-