It’s 2003 and Hip-Hop’s reign of popular culture is cemented. It’s impact is resonating as it’s artists top the charts, sponsor international brands and influence buying trends. It’s that year that Athlete’s World approached me about creating a in-store re-design and marketing initiative to refresh their brand and create a connective between their buys and their market (their buying team was, young, trail blazing and way ahead of the curve showcasing premium urban brands in big-box outlets in urban centers and suburban malls). It was a bold move on their part but thankfully the brand had youth in the corporate office which pushed hard for a young guy like me to be the one to direct this campaign. This was my first major project and one that I am to this day very proud of.
As a response to the needs of the brand I conceived “The World Is Yours”. I looked to create something that had substance and weight to it- a visual and message that was authentic and resonated deeply into our culture. I sought out young talent, that like myself were or were about leave an indelible mark on the world. The tag line was a double entendre (Nas and Scarface reference was the undertone) spoke to the culture saying that this store is yours and that the world at large is yours to conquer as well. I enlisted a collective of young upstarts that would later go on to blaze paths for the culture. Bellow are some of the examples of the signage that was placed in stores nationwide exposing the country to the young bright faces.
My father got me in Leica’s the way I got him into Apple. Now the whole fam is brand loyal to both. So when I saw this I flipped out.
The special edition of Leica M8 - “White” - was announced. It features a white finished body. The Leica M8 “White” edition camera model comes in a durable white paint finish that is characterised by a particularly comfortable feel and grip. It is presented as part of a special edition set that includes a Leica M8 white finished camera body and silver Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH lens with a metal lens shade in classical design and a silver UV/IR filter. Additionally a real leather white carrying strap was especially made for it.
This is not the first time Leica camera produced with a unique colour scheme. The olive green colour was previously used for two other Leica cameras: in the 1960’s, olive green-painted Leica cameras were supplied to the military and used for surveillance and documentary photography. The second olive green camera model, the Leica R3 ‘Safari,’ was first introduced in 1977.
The Leica M8 “White” set will be available from Leica specialist dealers from late June 2009. ShotAddict
I’m in love with the TX™ Watches branding and the usage of the classic Timex orange (Pantone 1655 C). I remember days of me just sitting at my desk in school staring at the Timex and Ironman branding, admiring its simplicity and visual strength. The clip uses the strength of the brands clarity as a backbone and carries the colour palette throughout. It is an excellent piece in positioning, placing the timepieces with the aspired lifestyle usage. Overtures of classic international espionage films of the past and undertones of the graphic/film execution used on Sin City make this memorable. Props to Marcus Troy for the download and upload of the MP4. Hit the break to find out more. Read the rest of this entry »
I just downloaded my girl Lissa Monét’s (btw- it’s Lissa as in Melissa NOT Lisa) latest mix and the first edition of a new series entitled “Unheard Of”. She sparks off the mix with Diddy and that 17 year old teen sensation Jahvon and it continues to deliver heat for all 31 tracks. She says “I’m really excited about this project and the upcoming event on May 16th at Vola Lounge that started this whole mixtape”. It’s bangin from front to back featuring unheard music that is quality enough to be played in the club. Download x Listen x Enjoy x Share.
Back in the 1998 when the only reality show on TV was The Real World and the MTV network still played music videos (if you didn’t know, it stands for Music Television) and when platinum plaques were stacked by the dozens and diamonds glistened while champagne popped MTV enlisted a trio of Hip-Hop’s elite for a classic series of print ads. Only focussing on crop’d areas of each of their bodies, these 3 stars images are so well known that even a smile, arm and hairstyle make them instantaneous identifiable. The simplicity and clarity of the messaging paired with the graphic approach is vivid and left an indelible imprint on me. 10+ years later it still resonates. Here’s a quiz for those that can read between the lines…Can you see what connects each of these 3 stars?
I’ve mentioned my friend Sean Brown in past posts (I helped introduce the world to his vision at my video shoot with Drake for Replacement Girl). He’s a Curator of Good Taste™, and one of the few minds that inspire me. He has launched his latest venture- Frugal Magazine. Take a moment and read up on what is what.
Frugal Thrift Fashion Magazine will contain articles about current or past happenings in vintage or thrift related fashion; along with Fashion Designer profiles, brand history; and an extensive showcase of the rarest vintage and thrift finds. Vintage fashion is wearing history; Thrift shopping is attaining that history at little cost with great resources. The concept of Frugal is to promote a lifestyle by merging these two ideals.
Fashion Designer and Frugal’s Editor-in-Chief Sean Brown, said: “I walk into a thrift store and whether it is a large chain retailer or small boutique, the vibe is all the same. It tends to be dark, tacky and or unorganized. I realized that it is this imagery that deters a lot of people from second hand shopping, and I don’t blame them. Our vision is to reinvent the portrayal of thrift fashion through this unique lifestyle. We want our readers to have the knowledge and history of fashion from the yesteryear so that they are confident and comfortable when shopping thrift. Frugal makes second hand fashion intriguing and relevant. We allow our readers to share stories and send us pictures of the treasures they find, and we will also work together with the vintage boutiques and thrift stores to notify readers of upcoming sales and events at their local thrift stores.”
The current global economic situation cannot be ignored but neither can your personal style. This makes Frugal a great resource in the state of financial downtime. To see where fashion is going you must first understand and appreciate where it came from. Ultimately, Frugal encourages developing a timeless individual expression. Launching May 1st, Frugal Thrift Fashion Magazine will be available online. For more information on Frugal visit http://frugalmagazine.blogspot.com or contact us at reapwhatwese@gmail.com
In my opinion it is a must that as artists we are socially and civically minded. One of my passions is city planning and infrastructure. My uncle is an architect who worked on the design of the transit system in Calgary and last night my Dad and me got into a long discussion about high speed railways and our belief that they need to be built in Canada. That a country thats population hubs are separated by such great distance, and the cost of flights are extremely over priced and the dependency on the oil that is needed to fuel them is something we as a nation should step away from. This morning I caught this posting by The White House that speak of the same notion but for the United States. Take it in.
