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.

And as good as the other stuff is, this long form music video for the Swagger Wagon takes the cake. Damn funny stuff.

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.

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?

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.

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.