Filmmaker Gina Levy is working with GetToKnowMeFirst.org, a website that advocates for marriage equality by putting a “face on the issue” with five 30-second commercials to air during inauguration week in the United States. In an effort to overturn Proposition 8 in California and a number of other anti-gay initiatives, many of these spots will show gays and lesbians as adoptive parents and active community members.
Two of my favourite mags The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest and Volume are out:
Volume is an architecture and urbanism magazine. It’s neither a highly specialized print that mere mortals like me find hard to approach nor is it one of those glossy Vogue-lookalikes with chichi spreads of fashionably ‘sustainable’ buildings. It’s not ‘something in between’ either.
This issue presents many trends, people, ideas that might look like they do not directly belong to the world of architecture and urbanism but are perfectly pertinent and relevant to architects and urbanists. And because almost anything architects and urbanists do ends up concerning the hoi polloi (that’s you and me, my friend), there’s much food for thoughts and heated discussions in Volume 17:
The editors explain: At the close of this era of expansion and surplus Volume speculates on one of the period’s emblematic inventions: Content Management, or the collecting, organizing and sharing of digital information. Our retrospective appraisal of recent developments in the managing of information offers inside into the ability of Content Management to serve the current realities of digital abundance and material shortage, and to protect both vast and extremely limited quantities.
Jesse Seegers and Jeffrey Inaba quizz Ken Goldberg on burning dollar bills and other less trivial matters, Chris Anderson about ‘free’ culture and PageRanking on business cards. They also get Julien De Smedt to discuss his views on free-wheel experiementation, the proliferation of ‘post-OMA offices’, why not choosing and mismanaging can be valuable strategies. Benedict Clouette and Forrest Jessee’s interview with publisher Lars Müller (whose Face of Human Rights is on my must read list) evokes books as a form of content management.
Volume dives into almost mainstream US culture with an interview of Rachel Maddow (available online) and another one with Arianna Huffington (best enjoyed after having savoured this article about the so-called death of the blogosphere.)
Entrance of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Credit: Mari Tefre / Global Crop Diversity Trust (more images)
Those are only a few of the many interviews of smart people by other smart people.
Just to contradict all the above i should add that many of the issues covered in Volume 17
1. are not interviews. C-LAB explores the World Heritage, the content management system for cultural and natural treasures. Easy happiness is at reach in “Architecture is Merciless”, a presentation by Jacques Herzog about Beijing’s Bird Nest and in a short series of photos that display how Vogt Landscape Architects transplant nature into a constructed context. “Seeds of Paranoia” gives the lowdown on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This must be one of the rare articles that goes beyond the hype aspect of the project.
2. openly belong to the world of architecture. For example, Professor of Architecture at Columbia University Mark Wigley has a short essay on architecture seen under the lens of content management.
The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest by the same publishers who released the very excellent the book, An Atlas of Radical Cartography.
Among all paper magazines, JoA&P is probably the one most likely to truly and gently give rise to social changes. Smart, wonderfully edited and available for a mere $15, the magazine is heavily centered on the US scene and i wonder if we have anything similar in Europe. And if we don’t i wonder what we’re waiting for.
The 300 pages of the sixth issue are broken down in three ‘conceptual’ sections.
1. I Love To We is a call for a new terminology to describe the formations of grassroots cultural resistant practices. These “interventions, strategies and tactics in the territory” explore the war on terror and the global order. A quick selection of the many essays featured in this section: LA-based organization Bicicocina (or Bicycle Kitchen) describes its self-assigned mission to teach people to work on their own bikes. Lisa Anne Auerbach wrote an insightful essay on the new “Don’t Do It Yourself” battle triggered by corporations’ avid assault and capitalisation of the D.I.Y. culture. Aimee Le Duc analyzes what happens when an old police station in San Francisco is bought and transformed into a home and office by someone like artist and architect Bruce Tomb.
2. Antiwar Survey Respondents has almost 20 activists not only describe their antiwar activities but also answer vital questions such as “How do you measure success for this activity?’ and ‘In order to continue and be successful with this or other related activities, what would you do or need?’ The answers should convince readers that activist actions do have an impact and inspire them to join the movements or start their own.
Center for Tactical Magic collaborating with UC Santa Cruz students on Wells Fargo Embargo
3. Another Theory Section. Under a title which could hardly get any more cloudy and bland are a handful of lessons learnt (sometimes the hard way) by artists and activists: problems encountered when trying to get art in public space, the recent history of the art collective in light of the persecution of the Critcal Art Ensemble, the danger of nostalgia to culture, etc.
This spot is created by O&M Amsterdam and MTV (whose names does not appear on this sport) as support for peace in Burma. Spot uses footage of warplanes bombing Burma with flowers as an impressive call-to-action, inviting viewers to visit a new Burma Arts Board website, noneofusarefree.org.
Here at the new Burma Arts Board website, you can send messages of support to the people of Burma in honor of their continuing struggles against the notorious practices of their oppressive military government, learn more about the devastating effects caused by the recent cyclone, and find ways to contribute to relief efforts.
“This spot somehow talks directly to the emotions we feel about the current humanitarian crisis in Burma. We know that people desperately need help and we also know it is not reaching them. The narrative conjures up a task force that brings a powerful message of support to the people of Burma, and an urgent appeal to donate to the international relief effort.”
said John Jackson, Director of Social Responsibility, MTV Networks International.
This spot let me silent…
MTV Director of Social Responsibility: John Jackson
Burma Arts Board Founder: Suki Dusanj
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather (Amsterdam)
Executive Creative Director: Carl Le Blond
Director: ShiloProduction
Company: Shilo (New York, USA)
Creative Director: Andre Stringer
Lead Artists: Andre Stringer, Tamir Sapir, David HillMatte
Painting: Mathieu Reynault and Rodeo FX, Andre Stringer, Marco Giampaolo, Cassidy Gearhart, Noah Conopask
3D Animators: Henning Koczy, Richard Cayton, Ohad Bracha, Bren Wilson, Eugen Sasu, Kiel Figgins
3D Artists: Christina Ku, Richard Kim, Warren Heimall, Craig Kohlemeyer, Scott Denton
Compositors: David Hill, Andre Stringer, Tamir Sapir, Cassidy Gearhart, Noah Conopask, Stieg Retlin
Typography: Evan Dennis
Miniature Design: Willi Patton
Editor: Nathan Caswell
Sound Design: Dante Nou
Coordinator: Danielle Smith
Producer: Lindsay Bodanza
Executive Producer: Tracy Chandler
Executive Producer (UK): Mark Hanrahan
Music production and arrangement: Good Sounds Amsterdam
Few months ago I was telling you about a new ecological campaign from Romania aiming to save the Danube reservation. That campaign was talking about the ecological problems from Danubian Delta.
Preserving and protecting nature is now the subject of a new campaign.
Three ad prints are asking people to share 2% of the income tax to give a chance to solve the most important problems of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation.
Their mission is: “In the battle against people for the sake of nature! And, finally, for the good of our people. ”
The contribution of 2% for the Danube Delta can help rare species to survive.
I good call for many people to react against indifference and natures extinction.
You know when I think of troubled third world nations who need our help, I can only think of one celebrity who might be able to adequately convey the pain and suffering of living in a disaster ridden country ruled by a junta.
Unfortunately, this ill-advised Public Service Announcement does less for the poor people of Burma and more for illiteracy. As. she. remembers. what. was. in. the. script.
I don’t watch their reality show, but I know Mom married Bruce Jenner, former awesome Wheaties spokesman and the man who spawned the “Princes of Malibu” (and “please make famous” Hills “star” Brody Jenner). So it’s like a perfect storm of fame-whoring suck.
. Dad on the other hand, was OJ Simpson’s lawyer. So in other words, everyone has a deal with the Devil
A sack of hammers could beat them all on Jeopardy.
I’m not against celebrity PSA’s per se, just ones where celebrities with no real higher education try to lecture me about stuff (looking at you DiCaprio) and to seem more caring than the common man just because they have more influence.
Here’s a good primer on what good PSA’s involve.
A good PSA, even if you don’t agree with the content.
Simple, straightforward, to the point, and fairly genuine, which I think is the key to a good PSA. Kim Kardashian couldn’t find Burma on a map with 3 guesses and an encyclopedia.
Technorati Tags: PSA’s, Burma, Kim Kardashian, Bad Spokespeople, Tom Hanks
If there is one thing that will really help you get our political aspirations towards better heights, television advertising is a best bet to get the job done. Not all people can afford television advertising due to the cost of having one. Secondly, it is not merely a matter of producing the ad itself. It also includes being able to get the desired time slot that will surely be hitting the proper voters who will know that you are running for public office.
Such is an issue that many call as dirty but advantageous. But if you have the funds to support your ad campaign and likewise avoiding any potential discrepancies on election requirements, then by all means use advertising to boost your political campaign!
Federal rules requiring candidates to have access to similar television audiences forced stations to bump some advertising from their traditional clients. In some cases, it was purchased months in advance and in a highly sought-after spot.
(Source) Business Weekly
Technorati Tags: television, political, voters, advertising, campaign
From The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Historic Quebec City hopes to take down a modern roadside decoration – the ubiquitous billboard.
The 400-year-old city is proposing a bylaw to wipe out large ad panels across much of the Quebec capital region in the next five years.
Serge Viau, the city’s assistant director general, says billboards mask Quebec City’s European architecture and stunning views.
“With the goal of cleaning up the urban landscape in mind, we decided to make the signs disappear,” Viau said of proposed changes to the city’s urban plan.
I defy the Quebecers to say this view is not stunning
People move to the city for the urban landscape, next thing you know, Quebec City will be getting rid of their strip clubs.
Also remember, if you’re going to have a billboard, the French part must be predominant if you’re also going to have your signs in English…silly separatists
Technorati Tags: billboards, Quebec, civil action
The smiling face above is Mick Cornett, the Mayor of Oklahoma City, who has teamed with Taco Bell to challenge his city’s residents to lose 1 million pounds this year.
According to the AP:
Taco Bell’s new Fresco Menu, which debuted in December and includes nine items with less than nine grams of fat, has been dubbed the “Official Menu of the Mayor’s Challenge.” Life-size cardboard cutouts of the mayor, which began appearing Thursday in Oklahoma City-area Taco Bell stores, feature the slug, “Because you can’t lose 1 million lbs. by yourself.”
…
The idea for the campaign began shortly after officials with Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell learned of Cornett’s initiative and contacted the mayor, telling him about the new menu items being launched in their stores, including 42 in the Oklahoma City metro area.
From a marketing standpoint, it’s both genius and dangerous, and a natural fit for a fast food company with resources. You have a built-in focus group, the problem is they a) have free will and aren’t required to buy Taco Bell every day and b) they aren’t required to get items off the Fresco menu, which isn’t price equivalent even if it may or may not be taste equivalent, which seems to be the major problem concerning fast food and obesity.
Do people care that they’re eating a bean burrito with 6 grams of fat versus the kind with a regular tortilla and nacho cheese that may be “less healthy?” Do they realize that a Fresco taco doesn’t mean you should get a regular soda? Does this new campaign mean the employees of Taco Bell have an obligation to the people of OKC to keep them on a healthy regiment or to plug the healthy menu when an obese person orders the Nachos Bell Grande?
I’m more skeptical. When it comes down to it, on your way home from work, it matters more if you’re paying $2.29 for the healthy menu item or $.99 for the regular one from the value menu. If you want to really be effective, you either have to make the price comparable or get rid of the unhealthy items and replace them entirely, thus taking the choice factor out.
But let’s hope for the best and expect the worst. Maybe the advertising blitz in OKC will educate and change behavior, which is part of the point.
Technorati Tags: Taco Bell, Oklahoma City, Mick Cornett, politics, fast food,
On the left, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners’ ad for the NBA Playoffs
on the right, Time Magazine’s cover
Technorati Tags: Time, NBA, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
Another WWF social responsibility ad print that illustrates the environment disasters created by humans.
Actually this is a preview of what`s left from human actions over marine species and not only. Earth species can become the same as well if we don`t control our actions.
By 2050, indiscriminate fishing will have taken away 90% of marine species.
Defend the sea.
Ad prints are expressing the fact that soon the seas will only have human left overs in a very realistic way.
It`s not that easy to defend the nature, but we should all try.
Team: Antonio Montero/Jaime ChavarriClara Hernandez/Guillermo Santa Isabel
Agency: Contrapunto, Spain
Print: Seas and Coasts (WWF/ADENA)
Executions: Redes 1; Redes 2; Redes 3
An Atlas of Radical Cartography, edited by artists Lize Mogel and Alexis Bhagat (Amazon USA and UK)
The editors say: An Atlas of Radical Cartography is a collection of 10 maps and 10 essays about social issues from globalization to garbage; surveillance to extraordinary rendition; statelessness to visibility; deportation to migration. The map is inherently political– and the contributions to this book wear their politics on their sleeves.
An Atlas of Radical Cartography provides a critical foundation for an area of work that bridges art/design, cartography/geography, and activism. The maps and essays in this book provoke new understandings of networks and representations of power and its effects on people and places. These new perceptions of the world are the prerequisites of social change.
New York City Garbage Machine, by the Center for Urban Pedagogy
The slipcase contains a set of ten maps and a collection of essays by artists, architects, designers, and writers who illuminate the maps and explore their role as political agent. An Atlas is one of the most intelligent, thought-provoking and original publications i’ve read in a long long time.
First there is a purely aesthetic pleasure of unfolding the maps and discovering the careful, unique and innovative design of each one.
Then the essays are engrossing. They are written by people who have a story to tell you, they are passionate about it, they are angry or worried by the current state of affair but they are also smart enough to know that the best way to solve a problem is to adopt a pro-active attitude.
Right from the cover, showing an “upside-down”map, we are faced with the fact that even the most banal and innocent-looking map has its own agenda, that it is extremely difficult to separate cartography from politics and ideology. Far from being neutral accessories which would merely help you go from point A to point B, maps are often used as instruments for controlling and shaping beliefs. Conversely, maps can also be at the service of protest and social change. That’s what the contributors of the Atlas demonstrate. Deliberately, openly and quite convincingly.
Unnayan | Chetla Lock Gate, Marginal Land Settlement in Calcutta, 1984 (detail)
The first map transports you a few decades ago in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Formed in the mid-late 70s, Unnayan was a civil activist groups which campaigned on dwelling, health, labour, schooling and various rights-related issues met by communities in urban and rural areas of eastern India. Unnayan was involved in projects that including preparing maps that identified settlements which existed in Calcutta at the time but were blanked out in officila maps. Elaborated in collaboration with the communities, the maps helped them locate water pumps, roads, but it also made these communities visible on a space which official maps would otherwise define as “vacant land.” The vast majority of these maps are destroyed by floods or stolen. Jai Sen, a member of Unnayan, reconstructs fragments of these experiments and puts them on record in Other Worlds, Other Maps: Mapping the Unintended City, his contribution for An Atlas of Radical Cartography.
Institute for Applied Autonomy, iSee
All the other maps are contemporary.
The Institute for Applied Autonomy discusses tactical cartography and how locative media technology can be used by activists as cold and precise weapons to foster critical social engagement. They illustrate the concept by detailing their project iSee, a web-based application developed in collaboration with NYCLU and the Surveillance Camera Players to chart the locations of CCTV cameras in Manhattan. By checking iSee, users can find routes that avoid these cameras (“paths of least surveillance”) allowing them to walk around their cities without fear of being “caught on tape” by unregulated security monitors. Their essay explains how stories about the iSee application spread all over the media and generated a series of discussions and debates amongst a -so far- unsuspecting audience. The work also extended to camera-mapping workshops which assumed the double role of rendering the proliferation of surveillance cameras tangible to a general audience and creating an empirical basis for challenging policing and public safety policy.
Visible Collective/Naeem Mohaimen interviews Trevor Paglen about his investigation into extraordinary rendition flights, the tension between art and activism as exemplified by a look at Mark Lombardi‘s drawings and Ashley Hunt‘s maps, the reasons why cartography shouldn’t be confused with geography, etc.
Olivier Clochard and Philippe Rekacewicz, Death at Europe frontiers
I found An Architektur‘s contribution to the book illuminating. Because of what i read in the media and because of the intense pleasure i experience when i am treated like a delinquent by the “immigration” officers each time my plane land in the U.S., i often have this vision that the U.S. is the evil one in the quest of security and border control. An Architektur, a collective that applies sociopolitical questions to space and architecture, proves me wrong by exposing the European Union’s efforts to tighten its borders against asylum seekers and people looking for a better life. Hence, the need to close hermetically the access to EU and to park inside a migration camp anyone managing to jump above the wired fences. An Architektur points to several maps which illustrate the issue such as Migreurop‘ s From European Migration and Asylum Policies. to Camps for Foreigners map (PDF), – Hackitectura‘s map that rethinks the frontier between Morocco and Spain, replacing the concept of border as space of separation with site of connection and reciprocal flow, etc. A striking example is the article and map called Death at Europe frontiers where Olivier Clochard and Philippe Rekacewicz document the death occurred while trying to reach the territory of the European Union. Only documented death are taken into account but their number goes way beyond the 7 000 between 1993 and 2006 (3 000 from December 2003 to 2006). The map shows that danger doesn’t stop when the border is crossed. Once inside the EU, migrants have to face racist attacks, unsafe working conditions for the illegals, police repression, internment camps, etc.
Pedro Lasch, GuÃas de Ruta / Route Guides, 2003/2006,
These were just a few lines about 4 of the maps and essays you’ll find in An Atlas of Radical Cartography. There’s also Pedro Lasch’s beautifully symbolic map of the America/Latin America relationships, Lize Mogel’s politically heavy re-lecture of the map of the San Francisco Bay Area, Jane Tsong’s children science textbook-style drawings which reveal what it takes to be able to turn on the tap in her bathroom, the Center for Urban Pedagogy’s well-documented New York City Garbage Machine describes the fight for power over the bins, Brooke Singer’s The US Oil Fix demonstrates the impact that the US addiction to fossil fuels has on the rest of the world and Ashley Hunt’s A World Map tackles the world capitalist system.
An Atlas takes also the form of a touring exhibition which is making a stop over unitl May 6, 2008 at Dowd Fine Art Gallery, SUNY Cortland, NY.
Related: Resistant Maps (part 1) – Introduction, Resistant Maps (part 2) – GuerrigliaMarketing.
Out here in the Pacific Northwest, things are occasionally done a bit differently. Politics is obviously not exempt from the sometimes bizarre. As the political campaign for State Senator is ramping up, one candidate in particular is standing out in the crowd, so to speak, enough so to be gaining a fair bit of national attention.
And another Steve Novick political spot that’s been playing pretty much ’round the clock:
An interesting turn in Novick’s advertising and marketing is the recent release of Left Hook Lager, “A Battling Brew”.
That’s right, a politically endorsed beer. Nothing speaks to Oregonians quite like craft beer, so labeling bottles from small Eugene, OR craft brewer Ninkasi only makes sense (in a bizarre sort of way). If you’re so inclined, more info on purchasing the beer is available here.
And unlike many of these slightly bizarre campaigns, Novick’s campaign is quickly gaining ground and winning supporters. Last week, he received the endorsement from former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, and this week won the support of the Oregon Education Association. I hope this means we’ll be seeing some more entertaining political spots before this campaign is over. *And just a note – I’m definitely not proclaiming my political support for Novick – merely pointing out my appreciation for the advertising and marketing strategies that we’re seeing*
Politics aren’t exactly my thing, and I’m definitely not directly expressing any views or endorsing anything here. I just read through Andrew Romano’s Newsweek Blog article from last week on Why The Obama Brand is Working. I hadn’t taken the time to really step back and look at what was going on – and I’m greatful that Romano did for me. A very interesting read. He writes:
Reinforced with a coherent, comprehensive program of fonts, logos, slogans and web design, Obama is the first presidential candidate to be marketed like a high-end consumer brand. And for folks who don’t necessarily need Democratic social programs–upscale voters, young people–I suspect that the novel comfort of that brand affiliation contributes (however subconsciously) to his appeal.
Interesting to look at in those terms. And also interesting to analyze everything from a marketing campaign level rather than a political campaign standpoint. I realize there are many similarities, and that many political campaigns are purely advertising, but, as Romano points out, it’s much more than just advertising. It’s a politcian producing branding that would make most companies envious.
Talk about viral: a LOL CATZ kind of meme with political flavor. Today, I’ve got four messages from different friends with a link to Barack Obama Is Your New Bicycle. Call it consumer-generated subliminal propaganda. Here’s apparently the guy who did it, as well as some first-day stats.
BBH London’s created this ad of Hillary Clinton endorsing Barack Obama. The print ad asks you to “Imagine the power of AXE.” A little controversy can go a long way. This could not have come at a more pivotal time in the American Primaries. Now I have to ask a few questions to you folks out there? Do you think that non-political advertisements can have an effect on an election? Is this a political ad and therefor subject to the same rules that govern political advertisements?
I am quite enthusiastic about this year’s edition of Transmediale. The theme was Conspire and as such it attempted to enter the increasingly prevalent yet ambiguous worlds of network induced narratives, cryptic environments and speculative inquiry. As far as i can tell (i missed the three first days of the festival), the festival delivered its promises.
Here are the notes i took during the talk of Eva Horn who was part of Session 4: Techno-Historical Collusions: The Making Of A Trojan Horse. This session investigated the way politics, narrative, technology and belief systems collude.
From left to right: moderator: Florian Cramer. Speakers Eva Horn, Trevor Paglen, Pierre Lagrange and brespondent: Konrad Becker
Eva Horn is a professor of German Literature at the University of Basel. Her research focuses on literature and war in the twentieth century. She has recently finished a manuscript titled The Secret War: Espionage, Treason and Modern Literature (in German). She is the author of “Knowing the Enemy: The Epistemology of Secret Intelligence” (Grey Room).
In her talk, Eva Horn analyzed conspiracy theories that have emerged after 9/11 as an example of a political discourse in the internet.
Unlike the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 9/11 tragedy didn’t appear at first sight as a conspiracy. Several other explanations were proposed on the first few days which followed 9/11.
She quote President Bush, in a talk to the United Nations, urged people to reject conspiracy theories:
Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September the 11th; malicious lies that attempt to shift the blame away from the terrorists, themselves, away from the guilty.
The main catch phrase in the discourse about the perpetrators of 9/11 is the term “Network(s)”. Another quote from the National Security Strategy offices:
Enemies in the past needed great armies and great industrial capabilities to endanger America. Now, shadowy networks of individuals can bring great chaos and suffering to our shores for less than it costs to purchase a single tank. Terrorists are organized to penetrate open societies and to turn the power of modern technologies against us.
This text emphasizes the cheapness of this kind of strategy. It also blurs the line between individual and political acts. 9/11 here is about networks. Invisible, latent networks become all of a sudden visible.
Mathias Bröckers‘s work “The WTC Conspiracy” tries to list facts that do not agree with the official version of the event. It has been translated into english only very recently. Can’t find any trace of it
History Commons is an interactive timeline projects everyone can contribute to by adding facts (not opinions) relevant to the 9/11 events. The website provides users with detailed information about and around 9/11. Minute by minute. It also engages with the roads that led to 9/11. The aim is not to try and sell any coherent truth but rather to raise questions and point out incoherences in the official version. The timeline is not complete but provides an open source material that gives readers an idea of how complex the structure of politics is. The time line does not identify a clear and simple cause of the events, it doesn’t point to precise alliances with a neat cut between friends and enemies, there is no well-defined causes that lead to conclusions. Instead it demonstrates the hypercomplexity one has to face when trying to understand 9/11.
USA. New York City. September 11th, 2001. As people work around him, a minister stands amid the wreckage of the World Trade Center, seemingly dazed from the events of the day. © Larry Towell/Magnum Photos
Horn then showed an extract of the movie Loose Change which, unlike the timeline, has a narrative and a view on what the “truth” is in this context.
The documentary film, made by film students using recycled footage, claims that 9/11 was a mock terrorist attack and that the events had in fact been orchestrated by the United States government, and bases these claims on perceived anomalies in the historical record of the attacks.
Loose Change 2nd Edition Online Version (Google Video):
For Horn, conspiracy theories are a way to deal with the impenetrable complexity and connectivity of politics and other factors. When dealing with high complexity we have to recognize our loss of control: we can’t name the culprit anymore, we loose clear distinctions between friends and enemies, etc. Theories allow you to get back to a sense of control behind what happened. The idea that US secret services couldn’t prevent the event looks too much like a loss of control. But with a theory such as the one exposed in Loose Change”, we don’t lose control over just “10 Arabs in a cave”. This sort of political discourse negates global complexity and connectivity.
We have to abandon the claim to absolute truth.
So it is not often here I get to post rumors/”inside the industry issues buzz”, but I would love some clarity from all of you faithful readers – both of you know who you are… I’m talking right to you.
Anyway, so as most of you might or might not know, Friendly’s Creative duties were given to the ever un-inspiring Zimmerman in Fort Lauderdale. Fine. But what is odd is that another newer agency that was in contention and passed on was Full Contact. Full Contact is headed by a few fellas from Hill Holiday. Now, why that is relevant is because Hill Holiday has done some great Dunkin Donut work – I reference the charming Fritalian – and Friendly’s is now being headed up by some ole’ DD guys.
So, they have obviously worked together in the past and produced some decent results, so why not continue the partnership as that happens quite often in this business as everyone knows? Can anyone shed any light on this? Was the relationship not as Friendly (sorry) as I, and many others, assumed?
If you know anything, please talk to me.
Word.
Technorati Tags: dunkin donuts, friendly’s creative, zimmerman, beyond madison avenue, agency
Okay…who has the best brand in this race? Tough question, right? It all depends on what attracts you most and what your image of our next President should be.
Is it character? How about leadership? Does experience matter… and, if so, what kind of experience? How smart is the candidate? How likable? Does he or she look and/or sound “Presidential”? And, the all-important buzz word after most eight-year Presidencies, “change.” Is being a change agent an important and desirable brand quality here?
Who’s got the right stuff this time around? For the Republicans, is Rudy the best leader with concrete results in public office? Is Mitt the most well-rounded manager – public and private success story? And, just who is this guy Huckabee? For the Democrats, does Hillary really have a lock on experience? Is Barack the kind of change agent that brings us back to the excitement of Jack Kennedy? And, are we ready to embrace the populist approach of John Edwards?
Jump in…let’s discuss.
Technorati Tags: mitt romney, marketing of politics, beyond madison avenue
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