Street-Leveler

Greetings from LA

2005-04-01T16:26:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all so I'm in LA to moderate some focus groups. The weather is a balmy 78 degrees, the sky is clear and I'm trippin in Santa Monica. Staying at a low-budget hotel in Santa Monica.

So, its been a month and lots going down and it seems everyone is anticipating an exciting spring.

WHAT'S NEXT?
What I've been scoping is a rising trend among urban men--the resurgence of the dapper hat. And I don't just mean nappy skullies. I'm talking Borsalino, Dobbs, Tilley, Henschel and the like. Check out this month's VIBE style issue, there's a so/so article on the trend--no mention of why and what brands.

What I'm interested in is the resurgence of the brands like Goorin Brothers--they're stuff can be peeped at Urban Outfitters. Brims, crowns, whatever you want to call them, they're back and in force. Now, that don't mean the New Era kids are gonna suddenly put away their 59Fifties and start paying upswards of 100 and 150 for a new lid--they like their city/team affiliations too much. However, expect this market to mature soon. Certainly the hip-hop generation is now officially mature. All these cats and respectable indie/alt kids have a Kangol in their collection. Partly, the expression of tailoring and a refined look being sported by Kanye, Sean Carter and Mr. Combs is helping show urban men that they can look fine without dropping thousands--via their clothing labels. Hell Phat Farm makes a damn fine suit, really. But its the trilbys, fedoras and more and more gatstby-style hats (wool, tweed, six or eight panel) caps that are popping off. Expect to see the hat trend continue to grow and ultimately integrate on a much wider scale.

STYLE CULTURE
Spotted luxe French sneakers by BALISTON too. Peep those. Bart at Fred Segal (go seek him out) told me raw denim is showing up in everyone's collection. The must-have right now is G-Star of course. I've been to their NYC flagship and can confirm he's right. The cuts are for the urban hip-hop and urban skate style--kinda hybrid. They also are popping off hats--a great Brigade style and Trilby--in denim.

Also I'm seeing lots of Jokerbrand wear by famed LA tattoo artist Cartoon. Tattoo inspired clothing wear, that's what's up? He's got some limited edition Nike AF1s and Cortez's coming out. You might have seen his murals in GTA: Vice City. I believe his photographer partner is also responsible for the photos that inspired the look of the game.

RETAIL
Master X shop in Santa Monica. Its a street-wear colab in NYC, LA and Japan between several designers. They had a video in the back on Krump--if you don't know then look it up. Great boards and I got to say, everything was real simple but original looking. Clean, functional, and the prices weren't too bad. I think this is an excellent place to trendspot because its off the beaten path and has a select consumer.

BEVERAGES
On the drink-tip, the ever popular "Margarita King" seems to be dominating out here, a pre-mixed margarita in delicous flavours. It suits the weather so well. I'd love to see it this summer (which is going to be hot!) on the east coast.

WEIRD BUT COOL
Met a black skater rocking Ice Creams, the sky-blue ones with a matching shirt from OP--he was carrying around a board that said "Fuck all y'all", no trucks (wheels) on it. Said its like his calling card. I've seen this before, but it makes me wonder if the message of individuality so often sported in the skate culture through custome t-shirts is leaching off. A deck makes perfect sense, but its gotta be a little awkward at times.

THIS ONE'S FOR FREE
Vintage vs. Throw-back. I was asked recently by an apparel client if they should consider exploring vintage streetwear. I said, what do you mean, throw-back? They said, what's throw-back? I said, you know, Cooperstown Collection (caps), Mitchell and Ness, it's already been done/or is being done. You see, ok, the neo-soul type guy, skate kid, might shop thrift, but you'll never catch a hip-hop kid going for that style. They like it to be crisp and clean, all the way. These guys might have like twenty, thirty pairs of kicks. When one gets dirty, they throw it out. They've gotta have "cocaines" - white uptowns. So, as long as the vintage is crisp--like what M&N is doing, its possible. Fred Perry has enough history to do an archive-dive, but you need some longevity to make it work.

Ok, peace out til next time--I'll focus on some tech and media then.

I don't want to go home, ahh LA.

Scion Metro Party in Philly @ Five Spot

2005-03-03T13:46:00.000-05:00

Well, so I went to the Scion Metro party last night in Philly. They've had several parties around the US featuring djs like ?uestlove and Jazzy Jeff. The big feature was Lovebug Starski one of the legends of hip hop djing. Lots of old skool tunes and throwback music. A fine young woman siddled up to me and asked if I was having a good time since I was by myself chilling in the middle of the room just staring. I had to let her know I was scoping the fashion (plus a little too hung-over for dancing).

Peeped: lots of camo and high heels. The drab colours are really prevalent this winter--not much color out there. Plenty of l.e. Nikes, Pumas, Asics. Lots of Tims as this was a hip-hop event. Asking around about style many responses were the same, in Philly it don't matter if you bought your gear at Kmart, as long as it was limited and rocked in an original way. That said, I peeped Evisu and even a Sean John mechanic full-body piece

What I was most impressed about this time around was the women's hairstyles. Normally this kind of thing is a dreads only event but there were all kinds of cornrows, braids, twists, relaxed, even a couple of baldies on black women. A couple white chicks were rockin dreads (still trying to catch up). The men were sporting lots of caps. Conspicuously absent was the Gatsby-style (Sean John, Fozworth, etc.) don't know if that's just a high-end thing.... the layering trend was still going hard, being that its winter and all.

A word or two about the SCION element. Here's a brand that has worked very very hard to be urban--lots of sponsoring, a magazine, tuned in to the tuner culture (car mods) and so forth. I was suitably impressed by the swag they deposited on everyone as they left the FIVE SPOT. Tees, skullcap, mag (which is part urban mag like say Fader/URB/etc, part catalogue). Their mag even had a theme of "independence" and had the nerve to ask what the meaning of selling-out was today. Not bad guys...but don't get it twisted, Toyota did their research and have designed a line of cars for the urban scene, this isn't a post-design marketed scam.

Upcoming Coolhunt - its about listening

2005-02-28T15:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm not a fan of the word "coolhunting" but let's face it--it works. I read a recent article about how coolhunting could actually kill brands. That's true, but in reality, I think there's alot of designers, artists, musicians, etc. that are looking for a commercial break. And there's few and far in-between who will say no to publicity and cash that comes from notoriety.

Anyway, I'm going to LA this month and hopefully will come back with something interesting for y'all. Already I know I'm planning to hit up Korea-town...the emerging LA art scene is thriving in this out of the way downtown environment. I'm also in NYC for a week in mid-March but its increasingly difficult to find new trends there as its so saturated. Used to be that you could go chill in Williamsburg for a day and a night and see some cool shit. The burg is more commercial than ever though these days...

So what do I look for when I go on a coolhunt?

First, I scope a scene--and if it's harder to find--all the better. Like for instance the new music nights popping up featuring a style from the UK called "Grime". I mention it because its already been spotted by Josh Rubin (hey, I don't want to give away what I've been peeping for free, do I?).

Once I've found a scene--the next step is to just chill. Observe, wait and listen. I personally try and find out what I like or don't like about it. I'm not so concerned with "orginality" and much more "authencity". That is, its pretty hard to find an entirely new movement, be it music, art or whatever, rather its more like finding out why everyone in the scene believes in it. What makes the night, the gallery, the sneaker, the art, whatever, the event worth believing in? Will it last or is it symptomatic of a larger more underground aesthetic or investigation? If I can, I search for spaces that don't normally feature so big--more DIY scenes--like the basement of the local YMCA as opposed to the hottest club. I search low-budget because that's how most people start to put things out, low-budget. It may be a certain artist can't get a gallery show so he asks the local Y can he put up some of his canvases--maybe he's got a friend who is a dj and they start a monthly to promote it--to create a scene.

After listening, then I start talking--searching for the source. Why did the DJ start this night? Where did they first find this style of music? What possessed the boutique to take on this artist's embroidered wallets? Who is the artist, the musician, the designer and what did they have in mind when they decided their activity or art or new form of diet or whatever was worth sharing with a larger audience?

Find out the rules. I search out the parameters of the movement. What's allowed and what's not? Is it a free-flowing system inviting people to contribute to the whole or is there a Guru at the lead? That way I can decide if the scene is too young/new too mention or too vulnerable and needs to percolate. I find out if the rules include room for commercialization or maybe its a brand-free space?

Lemme give you a hypothetical.

There's a lounge here in Philly that on Monday nites has a large gay crowd. Ok, nothing new there, but wait...it ain't a gay club. In fact, it's known for promoting neo-soul and caters heavily to an African-American audience. Let's say this night is kind of on the "down-low" a black slang term used to describe the acknowledgement that there is a black gay crowd out there but it ain't talked about much in the wider black community. Now, I know the last thing these cats wanna do is get hassled because this community values its privacy...they don't promote much outside their community. But I also know this is a community completely dissed and underserved in terms of representation in the Mass Market. Is it worth exposing this knowledge to a client? Depends on what they're tryin to do. My hunch...this is happening all over the country--not just in Philly. At times, I've recommended trying to reach the gay market to advertisers before because its a highly upwardly mobile consumer with a budget for luxuries. SO I have to balance these things.

I might say nothing and wait for the right client. Let's say I have a client, that's actually quite progressive, and wants to find new markets. There's alot of angles, but whatever angle is there, not every one wants exposure so one of things I have to do is make a judgement call. Get involved? Find out if the night's originators want to get involved, maybe help set something up. Like I said, this is a community that values its privacy--so listening is the most important aspect of trendhunting. Maybe its a go on both sides and we can help the originators set up similiar nights in other cities with a sponsor that respects what this community wants. Or maybe they have something unique to offer--a style or fashion or dance that's kind of hot?

Now, I know that was a bit la-la land there and it doesn't always work out. But if you listen well and present those sensitivities to the client correctly, people don't have to feel co-opted. The client gets access to a new market, and the innovators behind the trend get some financial support (if that's what they're looking for).

The point--yeah, sometimes coolhunting and trendhunting has negative effects. Usually if the trend has enough staying power and authenticity, commerical recognition--like maybe using the music in a commerical, sponsoring an event, hell, marketing a kind of alcoholic beverage with designs from a street-artist--ain't gonna stop it in its tracks. Maybe something useful could come out of it.

I love Banksy

2005-02-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

Here's an example of Banksy's work...

Street Art and the intersection of Advertising

2005-02-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is a topic I love to discuss with other trendhunters and occasionally the very liberal and adventurous client. Advertising is a visual medium and essentially is about directing your attention to a product. On occasion, it doesn't always have to give you an answer or a benefit right away. That's why guerilla marketers have employed the techniques of street artists when they want to create buzz or word of mouth usually around product launches. MTV's recent two-headed dog campaign for MTV2 springs to mind. Of course, not all guerilla advertising works as planned. Occasionally you hear of a company having to pay thousands of dollars in fines for stickering or tagging their product advertisements without a city's permission--this is sometimes referred to as "wild postering."

Wild postering is a medium born out of necessity. Though no one knows exactly when it started, its fair to say it was born out of a) the lack of resources to publicize in more expensive mediums, b) the need for the poster to remain somewhat anonymous, c) the need to reach commoners or people on the street who might not have access to more traditional media of the time.

Just imagine, Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses on doors of the Wittenberg Church in 1517, making this probably the earliest forms of advertising. He was publizing the reforms the church should make, but he was advertising his new brand of religion.

Today, street art and postering hardly have such lofty goals, but they do have the same power to critique society while simultaneously creating a new brand. Not all advertisers get this--and often times, their wild postering diminishes the power of this medium. I mean, so what, you got a new version of your diet, low-carb, non-sweet sugar water, or you're a new band...so what! What gives the medium impact is when you connect the purpose of the medium to something in your brand, idea or concept that makes it worth sharing in this mode. BIG NUGGET OF WISDOM: So just because its cheap, doesn't mean it'll work for you (if you're a marketer).

Respect the medium and use it to say something, not to litter. Come on, I know your brand has something useful to offer the world, you just have to dig deep.

Now, that said, let me share some street artists work with you, and then we'll get to some of the resources out there if you think your brand or campaign just absolutely has to have a postering campaign. BIG FAT IDEA: Look at your brand's corporate giving projects for a start...

Ok, if you're a marketer, go away now...if you're an urban believer, keep reading.

The master of all street art and strict anti-capitalist (except when he gets paid by his GALLERY to make his art) must be Londoner, BANKSY. He has a concept called "Brandalism" which is invokes sly critiques of the escalation of a "culture vs. capitalism war" between humans, brandmakers, and rats. Yup rats, sort of the "we shall inherit the earth" manifesto. See the previous blog for an example of his work or his website.

You can the definitive history and presentation of street art online at the Wooster Collective.

The Wooster Collective has people scouring the Earth, well, London, Paris, New York for the most interesting stickering, graf, stenciling and poster art by street artists. One thing you'll find in common with the street-art level of this activity is that there is a wicked sense of humour often deployed, a wit borrowed from the punchiness of good advertising (despite the capitalist culture critique). The humour helps in the transmission of the idea. Other memes include, beauty, simplicity, irony, sarcasm, and commentary on nearby messages, architecture and media. And one thing that is absolutely amazing to see is the use of postal stickers--a readily available and free resource of stickers--as the canvas for the work.

OK, now if you're a marketer, and you still don't get it. "Don't co-opt, sponsor." I should put that message on a limited edition t-shirt and sell it on my business's website, (shamless plug) www.livewirestrategy.net

Here's a commercial application that worked well:
Let's take a cue from the pagebook of SHARP, makers of LCD television brand, Acquos. Feeling the pinch from Sony and Panasonic, Sharp approached ad agency Wieden + Kennedy (the doyens of culture jamming advertising) to do something exciting. They build a huge brand campaign, a dedicated website. They also sponsored an exhibition of graphic artist/street artist/fashion designer Kenzo Minami that additionally explored the visual mystery presented in the W+K "Perspectives" commercials. Minami's work is indicative of street art in that it creates a system of aesthetics in relation to a subject. The collaboration is a good example of "flow", a concept I discuss in earlier blogs, where an urban artist/advertiser/client collaboration makes sense. The gallery is Minami's street--heavily inspired by the art form of grafiti. But the creative junction of these worlds was brokered by the agency, W+K. It's a win-win situation in the culture wars, rare, but true. Not all street-artists want to work with advertisers of course, it's like THE MAN, NOR SHOULD THEY, but when the "flow" is right, it works out well.

Trendspotting - Why the Philly Underground is Hot

2005-02-11T18:23:00.000-05:00

Notwithstanding the Eagles loss and the T.O. ad scandal, Philly is hot. As an urban strategist based here I used to tell clients that this city is a great place for trendspotting but to keep it on the downlow. Having recently moved back here after a year away in London, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that this bohemian mecca is still contributing to the urban style culture fabric...and content to stay on the downlow (I'll explain more on that in a bit). Oh, and don't get it twisted, MTV's Real World in Philly does not sanctify the city's hipness and can't be counted.

What makes Philly such an interesting setting to trendwatch is that its kind of a DIY culture here. Being a couple hours South of NYC, and the same North of D.C. Philly has been able to stay just out of range of the kind of overdevelopment that can decimate city center populations. What you get instead is a tough culture informed by black, immigrant European, and hispanic roots, fed by suburban money and good local universities, a history of urban music innovation, and nonplussed by popular culture because of a strong sense of self-identity.

Am I talking out my ass? Let me break down a few successful urban enterprises that follows my #2 rule about urban culture driving popular culture.

Urban Outfitters, the doyen of collegeiate youth style near major campuses around the US (just opened up a Covent Garden location in London) are based in Philly. Sure, they've got trendspotters of their own that scour the world, but they pay attention around here too.

Is that Chambord you're mixing with vodka and cranberry juice? Charles Jacquin et Cie (liquors), owner and distributor is based in, yup, Philly (though the marketer/co-owner lives in Manhattan).

You might have noticed those incredible vintage jerseys that alot of celebs and hip-hoppers have been wearing lately and wondering who did that? That'd be Mitchell & Ness, one of the oldest producers of authentic vintage sportswear in the country.

Other urban innovators in Philly include:

The Five Spot: a club with a famous night called "Black Lily" that has helped launched the careers of Lady Alma, the JazzyFatNastees, Jean Grae.
Ubiq: this streetwear store has been dropping limited-edition gear and kicks for the last couple of years, including their own brand.
611 Records: the home of world-class electronic djs Josh Wink, King Britt, and Nigel Richards.
Gyro Worldwide: brand agency responsible for putting Puma back on the map.
Union 237 Gallery: a new gallery dedicated to uniting communities through art. Grafitti artist POSE recently put up his fine art show Pose2 here.
Skatenerd: a revolutionary skateshop and homebase for local and international skaters.
Stephen Starr: former night-club owner, now restauranteur who brought Iron Chef Morimoto and Karim Rashid to town and re-invigorated Center City dining by directly appealing to the urban population.
The Roots: you don't know these kids, you don't know nothing about hip-hop.
Jazzy Jeff: the cat who never left Philly and whose legendary studio, Touch of Jazz, has produced Jill Scott, Floetry, Musique Soulchild, and the Love Jones soundtrack.

Well, 'nuff said.

Ok, I promised to explain why the Philly underground likes its quiet anonymity. There is an enormous creative community here of artists, musicians, designers, writers, and thinkers--from radicals to anarchists. The point is, it's cheap to work and create here, and there is an abundance of resources here (studios, printers, etc.), and geographically its on the north/south corridor for easy access up and down the coast. After 9-11, alot of New Yorkers migrated here looking for a sense of peace, but not wanting to leave behind a taste for 'cool.' That influx only added to a base of innovators here. True, there are some industries that just aren't Philly, like film (although thats growing) and fashion, but you'd be surprised how many designers and filmmakers trawl through Philly like a dj roaming wax at a record shop.

Later...

from my e-letter Word on the Street

2005-02-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

The following is the content of my seasonal e-letter (winter 2005) that I publish to account planners (advertising strategists), brand managers, and consumer insight managers (the guys who conduct consumer research for products) with brands that have urban market aspirations.

STYLE CULTURE “The What not the Who”

After a year in London at BurkittDDB, perhaps a place even more style-conscious than New York (yup I said it), coming back to the US provided a major wake-up call as to just how strange the uptake of streetwear is in the fashion industry. Used to be that savvy marketers and designers could look deep into the subcultures or urban America for inspiration, punk, goth, surf/skate, hip-hop, etc. Some even look into the well of suburban cultures too. Now, mass marketers like Target are capable of pushing knock-off fashion so easily that it takes less than a year or so to capture the trend and re-market it, because they’re bringing the designers in-house. Take for example NYC’s Yellow Rat Bastard, perennial style trend-hunting ground in Soho. I swear I saw a trucker hat (own-brand) for $25 that looked like the one I just scooped at Target for $8.

Let’s face it, we might be deeply annoyed by the Von Dutch trucker hat phenomena because we could have sworn we were the first to get one, but is it really Von Dutch’s fault, could they really help it? Everyone is so eager to be cool, to buy cool that mass marketers won’t wait one minute longer than they have to bite, recycle it down to their own brand or generic brand (if you’re Target), buy up the music for their commercials, or hire the dj/skatepunk/garageband/artist to “do one for them too.” Hey, I’m not complaining, I mean this is my bread and butter, but its all just mimicry. The really tough thing to do is not to mimic but create flow, a way for underground urban influencers and trend makers creativity to flow up from the underground to the mainstream. Believe it or not, it’s good for society. Without that flow, we wouldn’t have MTV, the X Games, Hip-Hop, and the list goes on and on.

However, for the last five years, the style culture has become about who you know, in other words, tribes. Which means…in classic trend-countertrend, the next thing is probably going to be about what you know…and we’re already seeing some of that. But let’s start with the basic of style culture formulation. Subculture trendmakers, artists and designers create for themselves first, not for the mass market. They tap into their own needs. Mass marketers mimic and serve the needs of a suburban or secondary adopter market who have the need to fit in. But with the advent of so many powerful technologies at your fingertips, computers, the internet, home recording studios, and broader cheaper ways to get educated, the urban core is spitting out new concepts of culture at an unbelievable rate. So…

Start looking out for subculture style based around this concept: design for self, culture for self, style for self. Limited-edition you.

More on this in the MUCH PROPS section below but how can you as a brandmaker tap into this new upcoming trend? Give me a call and let’s chat about it.

WEIRD BUT COOL

At FAO Schwarz you can design a doll that looks like you or your kid…and get it in minutes. Does nappy hair come with that?

ENTERTAINMENT “Give it away”

A lot of people are hyping VOD (Video on Demand) and chances are you’ve sat around in your pjs one lazy Sunday surfing the free content and wondering why anyone would want to tune into obscure DIY shows on framing and last season’s movies? Can anyone say “content!” Yes, well impresario of hip-hop content Russell Simmons can. His media partnership, Simmons Lathan Media Group, and Clear Channel Entertainment Television, a division of Clear Channel Entertainment announced today an agreement to co-produce twelve music and fashion related events per year under the new banner, "Def On Demand Live!" Now this is interesting because VOD while an exciting technology, hasn’t exactly taken off due to a lack of more branded content.

Recently groups in Atlanta told me that VOD is like “second-class citizen” programming. However, Def On Demand should bring the kind of cred to dispel the idea that you’re watching something networks are willing to give away for free—a popular misconception of VOD programming. Will Clear Channel give it away at first then charge? We’ll see. Madison+ Vine (Adweek's def for the mash-up of Hollywood and Madison Ave ad agencies) should be all over challenging the misconception and seeking out entertainment properties to develop and sponsor better branded content.

MEDIA “the new Oprah”

Word is that Tyra Banks, host of the incredibly popular “America’s Next Top Model” on the UPN Network will be hosting a new talk-show for Fox. Now America will get to see the beauty and the brains—behind this ambitious growing celebrity franchise. Banks continues an exciting trend started by non-white supermodels Brooke Burke and Roshumba. In groups we did last month, all we heard from suburban and urban women was Tyra-this, Tyra-that when it came to women role-models on TV. Fox no doubt is banking (sorry) that this HUGE cross-over talent will pull some of UPN’s female urban market as it will debut in 19 key black and Hispanic DMAs across the nation.

TECHNOLOGY

The people behind Gizmodo and Gawker launched a couple of new blogs this month. One of them, Lifehacker, is sponsored by Sony (the story is it was the first multi-million dollar sponsorship of a blog). Finally, a marketer out there gets it. Get there first and go all the way.

If you hadn’t heard, the fastest thing on four legs must be Mozilla’s Firefox. The Firefox browser blocks pop-up advertising like Yao Ming. 2 million downloads in less than a year can’t be wrong. Does this mean people will do anything to stay away from advertising? No, people will do anything to stay away from SPAM. While you might think consumers are protected by law, they’re not. MX Logic research reported that in 2004, compliance to spam-reduction laws was at a staggeringly low of .5% and high of just 7%. Online advertising has grown by leaps and bounds, only to be shot-down before it reaches its destination. For every online ad vehicle created an enterprising company reaches the conclusion that most of us don’t want ads online. Sony’s sponsorship of Lifehacker is break-through stuff and again shows of the valuable concept of pairing the right kind of content with the right kind of sponsor. Come on guys, we do it all the time in print advertising, don’t we?

According to recent survey data by The Media Audit Group, 51% of Hispanics who accessed the Internet at least once during the previous 30 days have a household income of $50,000 or more. In the general adult population of the metropolitan markets surveyed, only 44.9% have household incomes of $50,000 or more. Of all Hispanics in the general adult population, just 31.8% have household incomes of $50,000 or more. Translation, Hispanics online are most cases more affluent than their general audience counterpart. Opportunities for the mass luxury brands to reach this market online abound.

UNTAPPED

Did you know that 50% of adult African Americans are between the ages of 18-34? (source, HMG Research).

If you were to review a recent national ranker of the TV programs watched by Total Hispanic A18-49, a group that includes English and Spanish speaking Hispanics, you would find that the top 53 programs are in Spanish. The first English-language program on this ranker, "American Idol", comes in at number 54. (source, HispanicWorks).

THIS ONES FOR FREE

Heard of “podcasting”? It’s when you put together a mix of your digital content (music, musings, interviews, recipes, you name it), and post it to the web for downloading by other iPod and mp3 users. Why aren’t big brands developing/sponsoring their own podcasts about their products? Hmm. A little birdy told me MTV2's relaunch (you know, the 2-headed dog you've seen on billboards around NYC?) is going to be downloading HEAVY.

MUCH PROPS “Infiniti in Black”

Ok, if you’ve seen the outdoor or print from “Infiniti in Black” is a year-long campaign for Nissan’s luxury brand, Infiniti. The work was done by “transcultural” agency TRUE, a division of TBWA, and is the second or third major campaign TRUE has done for them since the urban business left Carol H. Williams agency. Now, this work is tight, and for a perfect example of letting the African American urban influencer flow upstream, rather than downstream to mass market mimicry.

So why does this campaign work? Well, whether you believe in the notion of transculturalism or not, what Infiniti does is to recede just enough into the background to let consumer aspirations take over the job of creating interest. By featuring and giving voice to relatively unknown black artists (to the mass market), Infiniti is announcing that they have something unique to the urban market, but in common to all markets, which is the desire to be heard and seen. To be given a platform or voice is a powerful motivator in the urban market. Hip-hop and graf are all about that, self-made platforms for expression. In 2005, when hip-hop has been so heavily co-opted by the mass market, it makes perfect sense to go to the underground for something more intriguing. And you can expect the remaining artists yet to be revealed will be equally intriguing. This neatly follows Rule #1: (see yesterday's post).

Link of the moment: www.Flavorpill.net

2005-02-08T01:22:00.000-05:00

in case you were wondering....

Urban Culture Brand Jamming

2005-02-07T23:57:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the official blog of livewire strategy/research, a brand consultancy dedicated to decoding urban culture and urban marketing campaigns. On this blog, I'll be pulling some of the best feeds online, as well as providing my own commentary and reporting on the firmament of subculture activities in metropolises across the US and perhaps even beyond.

The plan--put it out there, comment on it, ask tough questions--are we selling out or selling ourselves short? The idea--hope you pick it up and maybe do something with it. If you're in the biz, maybe you'll find a nugget of an idea for an ad campaign or how not too, if you're not in the biz, then you'll get an insider's view into how we in the biz actually appear smarter than we really are.

The goal of this blog is to take a hard look at urban marketing campaigns whether dropped from on high off the steel cliffs of Madison Ave or drug up from the allies of a gritty back alley chop-shop ad boutique. To do that, I always follow a few simple rules.

Rule #1
Urban culture is experience not product.

Rule #2
Urban culture drives the popular culture.

Rule #3
Not every idea in the urban culture is worth keeping.