I love this photo, courtesy of Arkitip (hat tip to Rob Walker for calling to my attention): It says so many things to me: I’m so rich, even my trash bags are Louis Vuitton. Our consumer culture is just so much garbage. Spending money on fancy labels is like throwing money away. Just because it’s trash, doesn’t mean it has... »
Seth Godin wrote about the new Disney/Pixar movie WALL-E this morning and I had a similar experience regarding the marketing of the film, as well as my reaction to the movie itself. What little I did see of the main character, WALL-E, prior to the film turned me off. He was dribbling a basketball in commercials... »
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany organizers unveiled official, sponsored FanZones. These venues featured huge screens where literally hundreds of thousands of fans who didn’t have tickets could watch the matches together, for free. The idea came from the experience of the 2002 FIFA World Cup where a quarter of a million... »
The Sunday New York Times business section featured a pretty lengthy article on the trend of celebrities and brands. Nothing real new here, but the article painted the tactic in a fairly positive light, and backed it up with sales statistics. I agree that for certain brands, and certain celebrities, tie-ups can make a lot... »
Yesterday I wrote about the Sony Ericsson WTA tour and their need to connect with the casual tennis fan. I recommended they work on creating a Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe (DINU) that goes beyond the excellent tennis action they offer. Also yesterday, Rob Walker, posted on a recent Nike ad featuring Tiger Woods that ran... »
An article in today’s New York Times describes the ambitious marketing plan for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, which highlights the many stars of the Women’s Tennis Association. It’s a bold new move that features an international cast of athletes and highlights several of the global tournaments they compete in. One of the challenges noted... »
Witty, dry and subtle. In other words, the Brits did it: »
British SAS soldier turned author Andy McNab has made the news by offering to auction the name of a villain in an upcoming novel. For the right price, your name will appear in his book and the proceeds will go to charity. I love the idea of McNab integrating his fans into his work, and... »
Photography has been a powerful tool for more than 100 years. It can inform, illuimate, educate and inspire. Today, technology allows photographers to bend the art form to their will, creating truly breathtaking images. Here are a couple I’ve come across recently that blew my mind: Jason Tozer – NASA astronaut? No, that’s not a planet... »
Seth Godin has a post this morning that in some ways echoes the sentiments I posted yesterday. No, I don’t think Seth is reading my stuff, but I do think we both hit upon a universal truth. I used the example of Russell Davies as a guy who grabs an opportunity to do something... »
