I thought this week’s Brand Camp cartoon was pretty spot-on and thought provoking. It talks about how excited we are about social media as marketers, and yet how little respect we give it as permanent and public representation of our brand. In many ways the rules and tonality with social media are much more complex than those of more traditional outlets, and should probably be managed as carefully as we fuss over the typeface in our advertising copy.
I love the Evian couture bottle program. With the proliferation of bottled water brands that span the market from packaged tap water to luxury designer water, there is a natural comparison between bottled water and fashion.
Fashion sells textiles at extreme markup through design. Doesn’t Voss, Bling2O, Antipodes and other ‘Fine Waters’ do the same thing? Evian is clearly keeping a foot in this trend.
Here are some of the Evian designs so far. The latest one by Paul Smith is definitely my favorite.
I’m inspired by my friend Mike’s new renegade promotional efforts to stir up some commotion over his client/friend Rachel Nasvik’s handbag line. Inspired by the book The Pirate’s Dilemma, Mike decided to subvert the New York City street stand piracy game by beating those vendors to the punch. Using Twitter, he alerted fans when a limited number of genuine Rachel Nasvik bags (normally sold at high end department stores) would be available at those ubiquitous street stands for a discounted amount – then sat back and let the excitement build. Fans were delighted to be let in on the deal, and Mike strengthened the Rachel Nasvik community by giving loyalists a reason to stay tuned in. Plus, by accessing an irreverent and fun new “channel,” the brand made a statement about its personality and, I’ll say it, joie de vivre. Sounds like a brand worth staying in touch with. More here.
I am totally inspired by the groundbreaking force-to-be-reckoned-with of social media it what is proving to be pivotal in the historic events in Iran this week.
It has catapulted a technology that I was previously entirely cynical about into the realms of the truly revolutionary with average Iranian citizens able to get their personal experiences out to the world despite media blackouts and internet censorship with simple micro-blogging.
Hooray for a media coming of age and finding it’s worth. I am brimming with ideas to incorporate Twitter methodologies into our work!
In its latest installment of viral goodness, Burger King offers you ‘Flame’, the IT-fragrence of 2008 and perfect holiday gift for the spicy-hot-man-who-has-everything on your holiday list. Check it out at the brilliantly named website: firemeetsdesire.com.
Reported to make your man smell like "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat."…..mmmmmm, sexy.
It is a bargain at its $3.99 price point and available at Ricky NYC or online.
Happy Holidays!
Ok, now I get it. At first, I admit it, I was one of those left lost and confused with the Seinfeld/Gates spot. I felt I was left without message, without call to action, without purpose. But now, with the new I’m a PC work, I totally get it. (View the new spot here) And may I just say – Bravo. After years of allowing Mac to abuse the image of PC users like the too-cool-for-school playground bully that it is, this new campaign is taking back the power for those of us who don’t need our laptops to tell us how cool we are. And, in this day and age… rightly so. Geeks are chic, smart is in, nerds have all the power, we all wish we were Bill Gates…or at least Tina Fey. Take that, aging hipster with the Vans and the faux vintage organic cotton tee! And not just a parade of geeks are standing up and proudly proclaiming themselves PCs, average guys, artists, blue color workers, sports stars, aid workers, teachers, Hollywood starlets, and even hipsters with Vans and faux vintage organic cotton tees. PC users no longer have to hide in shame and sheepishly give all the cool credit to the all mighty Apple. So now, seeing where this all was heading, the fun-ification of Bill Gates by Jerry Seinfeld makes perfect sense. By, highlighting the Chic in Geek Chic, Bill himself becomes the new stereotype for the PC, aspirational, successful, smart, cool in his own way. But beyond that, PCs don’t discriminate like Mac. You don’t have to be the 'cool design guy' or Bill Gates to be one of us, you can be Eva Langoria or a fisherman in Alaska. We take all kinds. Solidarity comrades!
Speaking of the MTV VMA’s, every year, this one never ceases to amaze me because it is such a real life example of irony. The VMA’s were designed to make fun of other awards programs, by fixing, staging and lip-synching the entire event. Every aspect of the program is executed with the producer’s tongue firmly inserted in their cheeks. And yet, somehow, they have achieved a weird form of legitimacy, becoming coveted awards that signal success, comeback and industry recognition. I suppose this is a new media trend where the parody becomes the paradigm. Look at the Daily Show, something like a quarter of those under 30 use the Daily Show as their primary news source. Are there other examples of this sort of reversal from spoof to legitimacy?
For those of you who are as passionate about green living as I am, you must check out ecopop.com. The website was launched in 2006 by Chad Rea who saw a real need to create a virtual world where edgy companies can put their real-life, innovative ideas on display. Ranging from food and beverage to transportation and travel, ecopop.com works as a starting point for the public (i.e., you) to view, discuss and even launch their own ideas. Ecopop adds fuel to the fire of inspiration, with its end goal being the generation of new ways to “greenify” our world. As the site puts it, “The world could use better ideas… to you and all of your crazy, sexy, cool, world-changing, profit-making, do-gooding ideas, we welcome you to ecopop.com. Inspire at will.” One of my favorite ideas has to be the reinvention of the business card. Based on the Cradle to Cradle mentality (if you haven’t read it, read it… immediately), companies are beginning to design business cards that move past the traditional ways of recycled paper and into new, unchartered waters of, yes you guessed it, sustainability. Because let’s be honest, where do half of your business cards really end up? Companies are turning their basic card stock business cards into other, more constructive devices. For instance, why hand out something as boring as a paper business card, when you can give your client a handy-dandy moist towelette with your business information conveniently printed on the eco-friendly wrapper? Yes, a little unconventional, but definitely buzz-worthy. Another great example is the wildflowers card. That’s right – there are actual seeds planted in the business card paper. So regardless of where the card ends up, you can rest easy knowing your card is not harming the environment. The possibilities are endless. Got a better idea? Visit ecopop.com.
A local chef and friend of mine recently had the pleasure of cooking for an impressive gathering of Boulderites—in a corn field. No, this was not some throwback, Boulder hippie cook-out as I assure you no hemp clothing was worn, no tempeh burgers served and the Grateful Dead was certainly not being played via the tailgate of a VW. Rather, the meal was attended by over 200 diners and included a resplendent five-course meal, complete with wine pairings. Not what you would expect when dining mere yards away from a chicken coop… Outstanding in the Field (cleverly named, indeed) is a group that orchestrates meals all over and outside the U.S. in unique locations meant to bring diners back to the source. The goal is wonderfully simple, to reconnect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. “Senses are heightened in the fresh air. And it's not every day you get to sit next to the person who planted the beans, raised the lamb, and shaped the cheese on your plate,” says founder Jim Denevan. These meals seem to take slow-food to a new place—uber-slow food, if you will—as the meal is not only meticulously prepared, but also explained in detail by the growers themselves so you know what you are about to consume before tasting your first bite. Being the foodie nerd that I am, I immediately thought this was a terrific idea. Who wouldn’t want to be wined and dined by a renowned chef under the stars, while getting a course in the origins of my meal? However, it also made me wonder why this source-centric philosophy resonates so much with the consumer and how this idea could be applied to other areas. Recently, I read an article in my new favorite magazine about a man on a mission to personally meet all those responsible in creating the products he uses—before he uses them. A challenge indeed, he has visited production factories, breweries, even a coffee bean plantation to gain an understanding of just how what he consumes comes to be. I think this desire for consumers to “take it back to the source” comes from an innate need for connection, as well as a deep yearning to understand the story behind a product, be it their morning cup of coffee, face wash or evening meal. Perhaps it is a consumer backlash against the state of food/products today in all their processed, mechanized and removed glory? What do you think? How could this philosophy of “getting to the source” be applied to other realms or industries? Why does it matter?
We can reasonably assume that all adults living today, even those that work in marketing, were once teenagers. But it is amazing to see how soon we forget how it felt to adolesce; that above all, most teenagers want to be treated and spoken to as what they are – young adults – and not coddled, patronized or dismissed by society as we so often do. A few groundbreaking campaigns in recent years have dared to communicate with young adults as they are: intelligent, thoughtful, fully aware participants in society. Most notable of these is probably the Truth anti-smoking campaign by Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Following close in its heels, however, is this anti-binge drinking campaign (a realistic goal advocating moderation not abstinence in alcohol consumption - click on the picture to see one of the spots) launched in England introduced by Amelia Torode in her blog. Similar to the truth campaign, these TV spots de-glamorize the over-indulgence of alcohol by displaying, in naked clarity, how very unaspirational drunkenness really is. Bravo, well done. Three spots featured: The Girl's Night Out The Boy's Night Out Fashion Show
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