What to think about this campaign? Not sure.
Check out my post about this issue over at Under The Microscope, a blog by Science Creative.
Did Mini Vans Just Become Cool?
I love the new Toyota campaign for the Sienna. It’s a bit of a nod to Modern Family, or at least appears to be. The serialized spots are so well done and so funny that I look forward to seeing them.
And as good as the other stuff is, this long form music video for the Swagger Wagon takes the cake. Damn funny stuff.
New Valero Texas Open Creative
I wanted to share this new work. I’m really proud of the creative. The campaign was fun and the client is great. These are the first set of outdoor executions. The idea behind the “Unapologetically Campaign” is to capture the spirit of the Texas attitude which lies at the heart of the tournament, the region and the people of the state.
Open Source Everything
I keep thinking that the best ideas will come when we can get past self-interest and get to a baseline of true collaboration. In my own work, I’m fortunate to have a tremendous creative partner that has great ideas and insights that feed well into the way I think and together we’ve been able to create work I’m very proud of as a creative.
However, this isn’t always the rule. My question is why? What do we have to lose by opening up and letting good thinking in regardless of where it comes from? Are we that territorial?
This from Get Back In The Box by Douglas Rushkoff.
Open source is more than a computer-programming ethos. It’s the impetus to an approach toward work and life that makes secrets and protectionism obsolete, and opens the floodgates of innovation on an unprecedented scale. As of yet, however, most people and businesses are still unprepared to confront the challenges to their own sense of competence that go along with it.
In other words, as Rushkoff writes, “Open source may be a new business model but it’s also a well tested, even ancient, approach to innovation.”
Personally, I like the notion of transparency. It’s honest and sincere and in an industry plagued by deception and skepticism, we need a fresh dose of truth. This begins with the ways in which we work and conduct ourselves. Besides, if we haven’t figured this out yet, people don’t want to be sold, they want instead to be inspired by brands that mean something to them, brands that resonate with their value systems and sense of self.
We gotta start somewhere. Why not the creative process?
The WSJ Talks Yoga Mats
The Wall Street Journal reviews the latest yoga mats in a recent post at their site.
This coverage is interesting and is yet another indicator as to the ever growing popularity of yoga across a rapidly expanding segment of the U.S. population. In fact, the yoga industry may just be one of the next big boom industries as more and more people seek wholeness or completeness in their ever more fragmented lives.
What’s at the core of this expansion is highly debatable ( I think people find a great deal more than exercise in their practice, but may not be able to articulate it or wish to admit it ) and could be its own post entirely, but what is clear is that the yoga gear industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
In fact, according to the WJS,
Manufacturers are unveiling the new mats at a time when the market for yoga equipment is growing. According to a 2008 survey by Yoga Journal, Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products, an 87% increase from 2004.
Since I’m in the market for a new mat, I found this article interesting, if not helpful as I try and wade through the overwhelming choices. I don’t want bad mat karma and have found choosing to be a bit difficult. Do I go Manduka? Or, is Jade the way to go? I like Jade’s advertising campaign a lot, so who knows? And then there are the Eco considerations and PVC concerns.
Bottom line, I just want a mat that doesn’t slip, doesn’t slide and that is practical for my Ashtanga practice.
When Designful Companies Are All The Rage
If you want a bit of future focused brand insight, read The Designful Company by Marty Neumeier from Neutron, LLC. His previous book are must reads ( ZAG being my favorite) and his newest provides a swift kick in the operational jewels of corporate America.
Reading this book made me feel all dreamy and idealistic about the possibilities of a world where companies, marketing departments and even governments where run by designers, creative thinkers, conceptualists and other aesthetically minded leaders. Just imagine what kind of world this would be.
Pipe dreams aside, we are moving ever more quickly toward a designcentric world as the cultural creative class grows, consumers become more brand savvy and the last true differentiation point is the core notion of really great design. We’re headed there now. Take a look at brands like Apple and you’ll see that some are already there and have been as the rest scramble and staff to keep up or in some cases simply get started.
Don’t lag behind. Read The Designful Company and jump on board.