Some Girls Like Super Heroes And Some Boys Like Dolls
This video is amazing and this girl is a genius.. for a 4 yr old?!http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=bestoftv/2011/12/26/erin-riley-girls-viral-rant.cnn
JWT 10 Trends For 2012
Are you just as excited as I am about all the trend reports for 2012? 2011 was such a tumultuous year and it brings to mind the idea that things have to get worse before they can get better. Well.. I'm hoping 2012 marks the year things get better. Most notably, I think there has been a breaking point in how much longer we will put up with a broken system, selfish politicians, people and corporations - a sentiment that's echoed throughout the world. And I'm hoping that 2012 is the year where we realize that selflessness, intelligently redistributing wealth and focusing on sustainable practices is good for everyone all around.Slowly but surely, American corporations are moving towards sustainability. In fact, it was reported in Ad Age today that Unilever is putting their $6 billion global account in review because "We want to make sure that we continue to have best-in-class agency partners to deliver Unilever's vision: to double the size of our business while reducing our environmental impact," Mr. Di Como said in a statement. "We will be looking at strategic planning and in-market execution capabilities from our agency partners."
And before you say that they're greenwashing, according to Climate Counts, a non profit, Unilever has the highest climate count score under Food Products for their climate footprint, reduction of global warming impact, support of climate legislation and their practice of publicly disclosing climate intentions and practices.
So I leave you with JWT's Annual Trends for 2012. I specifically hope the Rise of Shared Value #4 becomes mainstream. As we see with Unilever, Coke, Nike, Levi, L'Oreal, Clorox, GE, etc., companies can be both successful and environmentally sustainable. Now if only Apple could get on board.
Insight Into Whether or Not Men & Women Can Be "Just Friends"
What do you think?[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_lh5fR4DMA&w=420&h=315]
Interview with Brand Anthropologist Richard Wise
Richard Wise is the resident Brand Anthropologist at the experiential marketing firm, Mirrorball. He received a masters at the University of Sorbonne in Paris and has spoken at various conferences, most recently the Future Trends Conference in Miami. You can follow him on Twitter @CultureRevealed or his Tumblr where he highights a plethora of interesting cultural trends and insights. As a cultural anthropologist, you approach planning from an intellectual, academic angle. How valuable is the study of cultural trends to brands?
Look at the list of problems brands bring you to solve. They almost always come back to cultural issues.
“Our franchise is aging and we’re starting to look dated.”
“People don’t talk about us as much as they used to.”
“People say we have an arrogant, out-of-touch image.”
“People don’t know what we stand for.”
So…you’re losing it with the group because what you stand for is no longer valuable to them – to their culture!
The thing about culture and brands that makes it so challenging is this; culture hides more than it reveals - and what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants. You can’t understand that fully unless you go live in another culture and, starting as an outsider, become an insider. Then you go back to the culture you came from and suddenly you can actually see all the hidden meaning. And this is true for people who work on brands and try to solve the cultural problems of the brands without actually understanding their own culture. They won’t get very far.
The opposite is wonderfully true. The more you make serving the culture your brand mission, the faster you will grow – and it will feed and feed on itself. While most companies have been stagnant or declining in the last ten years, Apple‘s revenues, profits and public valuation have grown vertiginously. It all started with the return of Steve Jobs and their publicly thanking their fans with the “Think Different” campaign.
There's a minor war in the advertising world between traditional agencies that tout their big idea thinking and a rigorous approach to research and smaller, digital agencies that are well versed in current digital trends. Who do you think will win the "war" and why?
Remember that pre-Internet classic, Ogilvy on Advertising? I always love to get free advice from Uncle David. He said in his charming book, published in 1985 by the way, that his best advice to young men and women in advertising would be to learn everything they can about direct response – because it’s the future of advertising. You can see what works and what doesn’t, you have to lean forward and sell, one person at a time, like Ogilvy did when he sold stoves door to door. He indeed saw it all coming and he was right.
So big agency, digital shop…everybody looks for evidence of what works, what’s surprising and fresh, what people really want to experience. And the only way to find that is to experiment. If you’re conducting meaningful experiments then you have as much of a chance as anybody of owning the future.
That being said, I like what Karl Marx said: “Every time the train of history goes around a corner, the reactionaries fall off.” The bigger you are, the more likely you are to be a reactionary. My heroes are guys like Ogilvy and Bernbach because they stayed humble and curious even as they got enormously successful. And I think Robert Greenberg is just like that too.
The race today goes to whoever likes to learn the most and is fast at it. But I like to think that, if you’re slow, but you love to learn, you may have an edge over the fast learner who’s arrogant.
What books, magazines and activities do you experience to remain on the cutting edge of cultural trends and developments?
The most important thing I do is read books that have nothing to do with marketing or brands but books about human nature and civilization. Most recently, I read two masterpieces of cultural anthropology: Becker’s [amazon_link id="0684832402" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Denial of Death[/amazon_link] and Girard’s [amazon_link id="0826468535" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World[/amazon_link]. I saw King Lear at the Public Library. I walked through the Frick Collection. I do this because it’s one of the best things I can do with myself. It always pays dividends in my work – provided I don’t directly seek them.
OK, then there’s thinking about marketing, brands and culture. Tumblr by itself is more than enough to be endlessly enriched, stimulated and provoked. If you curate the right list of people to follow you will be in the kitchen of emerging culture where it’s all being made right before your eyes. I read the Wall Street Journal, the paper itself, every day – my God, it’s so beautifully designed and it has amazing trend info. If you don’t have time for it, though, follow me on Twitter, I always tweet out their best stuff. I also love a couple of key websites: sciencedaily.com and psychologicalsciences.org. And I live in Bushwick – there’s something about the experience of living there, not being a tourist, that’s very valuable.
At the recent Future Trends conference, you gave a presentation on two cultural phenomena, FameUs, and AnonymUs, showing how everyone wants to be famous while at the same time, wants to contribute to the greater good. Are these attributes just two different sides of the same consumer or completely different targets?
I don’t believe that trend work should be some kind of glossy PC channeling of the Zeitgeist. It should describe what is really going on. I also believe that for every trend, there is a countertrend. So here’s how I apply that with the shift taking place in our public and private selves.
On the one hand, FameUs describes the ever-widening sense of intimacy we have with our celebrities, the feeling of control we have over their self-expression and the growing conviction that we ourselves are going to be famous.
Its countertrend is AnonymUs - the growing conviction that so much of social media is communal narcissism, the impulse to unplug from a culture of celebrity worship, and the spiritual inspiration to lose oneself in pursuing a greater social good.
How we experience and live in these trends varies from one person to the next. You can be your own Lady Gaga 24/7. Or you can wear unbranded vintage clothing that you bought at The Cure while you volunteer at the Homeless Shelter. And, just to keep things interesting, you can try to live in both trends simultaneously like the cast of Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab. Same thing for brands – they, too, can go to Rehab like Domino’s Pizza did, to great success, improving their store sales by 10% in one year.
The recent New York article The Kids Are Actually Sort of Alright, shares some of your findings about Millennials thinking they'll be famous someday while focusing on their reality as unemployed and disillusioned with the system. How can brands target these consumers given our current economic climate?
OK, suppose we’re Westinghouse or Maytag. Why don’t we open stores for refurbished vintage home appliances? They did it with manufacturer’s certified “pre-owned” automobiles. Why not fridges and stoves from the different decades? Why not train people in all these stores on how to refurbish vintage appliances? That would create local jobs. The appliances would look great. And you’d be reclaiming, not just sending things to the dump. I think there’s a lot of opportunities like that if brands would ask: how do I create jobs, how do I distribute my brand idea and logistics locally, how do I own not just what I make but what I have made?
As advertisers, working in trend setting cities like New York, San Francisco, Portland, etc. how can we be sure that our observations on trends reflect the viewpoints of the rest of the country? Should brands look to be ahead of the curve or eye to eye with consumers?
Go live in your trendy neighborhood – you want to see what’s coming next. But here are some suggestions, based on my personal experience, on how to avoid becoming nothing but a snob. Truth in advertising: I am a snob but I am not JUST a snob. Sign up for thankless volunteer jobs. Go to a regular, old-fashioned church and listen and learn. Call your Mom and find a way to be of service to her. Try to avoid gossiping about anybody for one day. Take a cross-country drive and hang out at truck stops. These are all intrinsically good things to do but they will also help you in your work.
Finally, can you give young planners with varying backgrounds advice on how to incorporate cultural anthropology into their research and brief writing process?
Show respect for the dignity of your fellow human beings but try not to be so PC. PC is the sanctimony of our time. Sanctimonious people don’t make very good art nor do they write very good briefs. Be curious, humble and open-minded. Always give into your curiosity and don’t be afraid to admit you don’t understand why people behave a certain way or prefer a certain brand.
The Great Brooklyn Neighborhood Tour
Since moving back to the East Coast in March, I have had the privilege of living in three different apartments, three distinct neighborhoods and with a total of six people, all within Brooklyn. I lived with people from all different backgrounds and ages, from a 20 year old college student about to enter her senior year of college and become legally allowed to drink, to a 39 year old Harvard educated, former doctor about to hit a very different milestone.
I experienced, witnessed and lived through countless events on a historial and personal level. During the hurricane that wasn't, also my last weekend in Prospect Heights, I was awoken by the falling of a huge tree right outside my window, a tree, that I later found out, had been in front of the building for over forty years.
A week later, settled into my new neighborhood of Crown Heights, only a ten minute walk but a world of difference, I came home one night to a swarm of policemen and roped off sidewalks. There had been a major shooting 6 blocks from my apartment and two people had been killed, including an innocent bystander. This shocked the neighborhood, an eclectic mix of West Indians, Orthodox Jews, white, creative professions and hipsters. I've only been in "my" Park Slope apartment for nearly a month and with a new freelance gig, my reality has changed dramatically. It seems that with each apartment, there is the possibility of a new beginning and I am making the most out of every moment.
My first apartment in Prospect Heights was a world of first's; first time being outnumbered by male roommates, living in Brooklyn and living in an up and coming neighborhood. My neighborhood was more racially diverse than the East Village but less diverse than my home town. The local ice cream shop, Blue Marble, catered to hipster parents with young children, eagerly lining up for all natural ice cream and young professionals, like me, excited that my fair-trade iced coffee came in a compostable cup.
My apartment building was a mix of young, white professionals and African Americans of all ages, some with kids and some who had been in the building their entire life.The neighborhood itself consisted mostly of brownstones, nearly as beautiful as Park Slope but not as crowded or as developed. Vanderbilt was lined with only a handful of restaurants and Washington had various hidden enclaves like Sit & Wonder, among local corner delis and laundromats.
My next Brooklyn apartment in Crown Heights coincided with one of the most difficult experiences in my life financially and emotionally. The cliff notes are that my cat nearly died and some other stuff happened that I'd prefer not to write about. I don't have many fond memories of my dark apartment, with a window that overlooked a garbage filled courtyard, but I'm happy to have discovered Franklin Avenue and all
the lovely restaurants. Most importantly, I'm still trying to cope with not having Chavela's corn on the cob once a week. And I'm still kicking myself for having only discovered,a week before leaving, that Abigail Cafe, with their mellow atmosphere and healthy menu is the absolute perfect work spot. I usually went to Glass Shop on Classon which was a great coffee shop but you can only drink coffee so much before you need a real meal.
Finally, we come to ParkSlope.Call me simple, but I am easily influenced by amazing food and like Crown Heights, there are culinary delights to be found. I had my mind expanded and blown away the other day with a breakfast dish from Juventino, two poached eggs over wilted greens (swiss chard perhaps?!), brioche with garlic infused chicken broth poured over the dish - a perfect cold day, fall or winter treat.
And now instead of "hipster cafes" with freelancers on laptops, I'm a block away from Café Martin, acoffee shop with enough French staff to allow me to pretend I've just stepped into Paris. Now, instead of being surrounded by "hipsters," I'm surrounded by parents with their children who have won the clothing battle. Once again, a am faced with an entirely new beginning and a neighborhood full of new discoveries. What's your favorite neighborhood in Brooklyn?
What English Sounds Like to Foreigners
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt4Dfa4fOEY&w=560&h=315]
Occupy Wall Street - A Turning Point
It's hard to write about Occupy Wall Street and say what has not already been said but I'll share my thoughts. If you live near New York City, you should visit the movement because it's unique experience that can't be fully taken in through pictures. I absolutely support the movement. These people are sacrificing their time, comfort and daily lives to stand up to a system that is not working. And when I say system, I believe it's not the absolute fault of Wall Street, but an entire American system that includes people spending beyond their means, a culture that values having more stuff, government regulation or lack of, politics, unions, our health care ... the list goes on.Their two weeks of occupation is gaining more traction than countless opinion articles in the New York Times and they're doing more than most of us who are merely complaining to our friends and family about our anger against Wall Street. Occupy Wall Street looks like a scene from an apocalyptical movie where people from all walks of life come together to fight for a cause. You have the Jesus lovers, hippies, homeless, yuppies, students, blue collar workers, old, young, musicians, super heros, yogis, and then you have all the people coming to observe this cast of characters, capturing moments with their iPhones, iPads, point and shoot video cameras, fancy cameras, analogue cameras, or pens and notebooks. There are people who choose to protest with their voice in song, use their wit in clever signs, their t-shirt design skills, their sub-conscious in meditation, or their hands letting their instruments speak. And their are the cops who stand around doing their job and watching the movement with amusement.
But a picture tells a thousand words.
Monday Morning Inspiration
Just thought this was perfect Monday morning inspiration. This commercial for Levi's by Wieden + Kennedy brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. What an amazing insight - the idea that when things break, or are not working out, it gives us an opportunity to work hard and make things better. Think about all the areas this can be applied to - our economy, our country, our infrastructure and most importantly, when we have personal failures, we can rise above them, work hard and become better versions of our selves. For me, the start of crisp fall weather and reminder of starting school always signals a time to start again and work with gusto.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=635XItRDU7g&w=560&h=315]
Photographic Journey Through Brooklyn
I recently moved from Prospect Heights to Crown Heights, only a few blocks away but a world of differences. I'm really enjoying exploring my new neighborhood from the discount stores, to the cheap but good Mexican restaurants, to the signs of gentrification, i.e. chill coffee shop with great internet, and even better $4 coffee that's totally worth it. Instead of the quiet, tree lined streets of Prospect Heights with young, blonde, children watched by their black nanny's, I pass by young, black mothers, white or multi-ethnic young, creative-types, and blinged out, tattooed, muscular black guys standing next to their BMW's. Around the corner from me is my new favorite bar, Franklin Park, where I danced my ass off, even going as far as showing off my hip hop moves in a dance circle and keeping up with a 6ft4 dude rocking an 80's hip hop look. On the next block over is potentially my new favorite coffee shop, called The Breukelen Coffee House with ample benches, an outdoor space and chill R&B music cutting the library silence. Across from the coffee shop is a Rastafarian owned vegan cafe serving healthier versions of Jamaican patties and $5 green juices. And later in the next few days, I'll post pictures of the West Indian Day Parade, an all day event that was complete mayhem, enough sensory overload to make one want to stare at a blank wall for hours to clear one's head.
The Nature of Greed
We all strive for the American dream. In America, it is understood that one of our basic rights is to freely achieve success and reap the rewards of our labor. We often focus on the actual labor, education, and drive that led to, for instance, a banker's success. But along the way, this banker received government assistance or was directly effected by those who did. Perhaps the grandparent that inspired him and challenged him was on medicare. Or maybe the teachers of his public grade school were all happy members of the middle class, actually able to live a decent lifestyle that enabled them to be great teachers.At what point did we, as Americans decide that it's every man for themselves? Let's be honest, there is no proof that the trickle down theory actually works. Actually, it's fairly evident that it doesn't work given the current state of our economy. Lately I've felt so helpless and angry about the current state of our government that I contacted a friend who works in politics, asking him what to do. But unfortunately, even he was at a loss as to what the average American citizen could do. He told me that
The biggest issues of our time are the wealth gaps in the U.S. (the distance in wealth between the top 1% and the bottom, or even the middle 50% of income earners) and the explosive costs of health care, college, retirement and child care. While all of these things have gone up exponentially, middle class incomes have essentially been stagnant since 1978. The only way to deal with this is through taxation and re-distribution of some of the wealthiest American's money to provide services for the middle class, let alone the poor. Unfortunately, our elected leaders of both Parties appear unwilling to come together to work on these issues.
American corporations right now are collectively sitting on $1 trillion in liquid cash but aren't willing to spend it on hiring because of two factors: [lack of consumer demand and technology taking away jobs from humans]
In other words, the wealthy are sitting on a disproportionate, huge pile of wealth, that they are not necessarily spending in America, in ways that are NOT trickling down - while the middle class and poor are left to uncomfortably hang. Our attempts to reprimand this guy ---> and tell him to lose some weight failed. So now we need a very strong figure to swoop in and push down on the seesaw from the other end, putting the selfish bully in their place. If not, who knows what will happen? Will the guy hanging suddenly fight back with more anger and violence than the bully could have ever dreamed of? My friend pointed out that throughout history,
when wealth has stratified to the top the way it is now and unemployment has been as widespread as it currently is, there have usually been conflicts of historic proportions that have resolved it. World War II, Nazis, the fall of the Roman Empire, etc. come to mind.
So countless articles have been written about how history may repeat itself. Are we going to sit by and watch it happen? Is it already happening with the London riots? Will we head into yet another war? Or will we show that we've learned from our mistakes and have evolved beyond greed and bipartisan politics to actually care about the health of our entire nation, recognizing that we're all connected?
Inspiration
What would our world look like if every brand used advertising as a platform to inspire others to take change of their life, live life to the fullest and live up to their potential. I can imagine it would be a very beautiful world, something like the world in W+K's latest spot for Levi's.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLKFp8hm6NM&w=560&h=349]