Ludlow+Grand

Back in October, a Lower East Sider defaced American Apparel’s infamous billboard(s) at the intersection of Allen and Houston with “Gee, I Wonder Why Women Get Raped?”

American Apparel has been a brand celebrated for its sweatshop free products. But fair wages for factory workers no longer absolves the company’s pornographic exploitation of women in media. And let’s not ignore CEO Dov Charney’s 4 sexual harassment lawsuits. 

It’s time to put on a new t-shirt… try Alternative Apparel.

 

Absolut Vodka returns to its legendary design innovation. In a vodka world that tries way too hard to be cool, aka Belvedere’s bourgeois hipster advertising campaign by Terry Richardson/Berlin Cameron and even TBWA’s surreal campaign ”Absolut World,” it’s refreshing that something as fundamental as hot packaging makes a serious comeback for Absolut.

The 1-liter Absolut Disco limited edition gift pack is built of exactly 1,000 reflecting prisms formed in the classic bottle shape. The Absolut Disco is a clamshell skin that opens to reveal a bottle of vodka inside. Empty the package and use as a mirror ball by hanging it from its loop.

The concept of Absolut Disco was led by the Stockholm agency Family Business.

I Love Theme Magazine. Founders John Lee and Jiae Kim are rockstars who’ve created a title poised to define the 21st century. Theme Magazine is the modern lens into Asian avant-garde… Choosing not to believe that the influence and culture of Asians is created exclusively by and for the people of Asian descent. Theme is an editorial that inculcates a global conversation for all people to contribute and celebrate.

Each issue centers around universal “themes” of our lives, and reveals how those themes are interpreted in the arts, sports, fashion, literature and all aspects of popular culture. In the last 11 issues, Theme explored Vanguards, I Live Here, Skin, Siblings, The History Of, The Word, Performance, Transplants, Nerds, Journals and Do Good.

Not to overlook, John and Jiae have sick art direction on killer paper stock. In their first year of print, Theme won Design Awards from the Society of Publication Designers and Print Magazine.

Run out to your neighborhood newsstand or subscribe to my good friends, Theme Magazine.

 

Justice comes in all forms… even frozen yogurt. Pinkberry may have reached The Hills on MTV, but the campaign against its fake yogurt, NOgurt, is on. The “Live & Active Cultures” seal from the National Yogurt Association guarantees a frozen yogurt to contain at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture. Pinkberry does not have such a seal.

If authenticity is so important then where did the tart frozen yogurt craze all begin… South Korea’s Red Mango first introduced its seal-approved yogurt in 2002. 130 Korean stores later, Red Mango just launched in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and New York. 20 US locations are slated by 2008.

redmangousa.com

   

A continent covered by ice 14,000 feet thick… temperatures negative 76c… winds 120 mph. Trekking 745 miles from the coast of Antarctic to the South Pole has been a journey conquered by only 24 people in the world. November 28 was Day 1 for Todd Carmichael, 44, and Jason De Carteret, 41, to become the 25th and 26th adventurers to break the world record for the fastest unsupported team trek. By Day 9, Todd was solo as Jason suffered lower body injuries and was air-lifted out. 

Not only is Todd alone but his gear is limited to skiing, camping, communications and first aid kit. This human drama is being recorded by satellite tracker and blog. One thing that’s eerily personal is the primitive use of audio messages by Todd. In this day and age of sensory overload with 24/7 CNN and Second Life, it’s amazing how listening to a person’s voice alone brings you up close and personal to the experience.

subzeroexped.com

P.S. The previous world record of 45 days was set in 2004 by a 5-man South Korean team. Todd has only 40 days of food.

Tomorrow. Next time. Later. Soon. Excuses come so easily, and what happens… absolutely nothing. So what motivates a group of 20-somethings to think they can Be.The.Change for Uganda… “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has,” said Margaret Mead.

Beautiful is the people who just do their thing. No thinking twice. No second guessing. I’m honored to have in my life the dreamers of Be.The.Change: Griffin. Leslie. Jordan. Bill. Cameron. Last night I attended their 2nd Annual Yuleganda Ball, a charitable celebration to further the education, mentorship and sustenance of children in Uganda. Tuition. Housing. Medical. Food. Transportation. Love. Hope. Strength. Faith. Community. Currently 11 in Ndejje Village outside of Kampala are empowered. Be.The.Change intends that the loss of one or both parents to AIDS does not stop their future as the next generation of leaders to raise Uganda up.

bethechangeuganda.com

In a society that’s more diverse, more cultured and more dynamic than ever before, it’s fundamentally important to be inclusive of all perspectives. But I wonder who in the advertising industry helps or hurts the cause.

Ask any 1st or 2nd generation immigrant in the States how they connect with their ethnic culture – Mexicans, Koreans, Romanians will say that they watch telenovelas from the “home” country. Ancestral countries still strongly define and influence perceptions. And I bet the most popular shows on Telemundo or AZN are not original programming… they’re imported from Mexico or Brazil, Korea or China.

My question then, Are American-based multicultural agencies the best qualified to produce “in-language” advertising for each respective ethnic group – if ethnicity is the most important criterion?

I think not.

1. Global agency networks with best-in-class multicultural offices/talent abroad are better suited and more authentic.

2. Import international campaigns for non-English speaking American consumers a la “Betty la fea.”

3. General agencies have a greater responsibility and role to create inclusive, respectful messages to reach acculturated minorities who speak English and consume English-language media. Simply, ethnic stereotypes perpetuated is not creative for a creative business.

P.S. Maybe GM should harness the full power of its general market agencies with global networks and drop its multicultural [in-language] agencies as was mistakenly reported before. multicultclassics.blogspot.com

To the start of a healthy conversation.

UPDATE: A complementary p.o.v. on how Theme Magazine is pushing culture forward, ludlowandgrand.com/2007/12/14/beyond-race-theme-magazine

Sometimes words alone cannot explain or express the depths of what is “cool.” But in this case the “words” are what make it cool.

Of any generation, today’s young adults understand how intimately connected the world truly is. Katrina. Asian Tsunami. Youtube’s Chocolate Rain. Ugh Facebook. Yet in the daily walk of our lives, do we truly engage our fellow pedestrians?

Thus in 2005 I discovered Danish thinker and photographer Simon Hoegsberg. Simon conducted a social experiment over the course of 3 months. He stopped 150 strangers on the streets of Copenhagen and New York, and asked them what they were thinking about the second before he stopped them. He recorded exactly what they told him and then took their picture.

The Thought Project: Life-Snaps by Simon Hoegsberg brings to life the vocal anthologies of people’s inner most thoughts, ruminations, secrets, hopes and fears. The honesty of their words is simply cool…

simonhoegsberg.com

 

Throughout time, counterculture has been feared, celebrated and often imitated. As technology is the new social currency of our day, geeks have risen as aspirational icons. They are geek gods, loved for their relentless pursuit to find breakthrough solutions to age-old problems. E.g. Herman Miller for Aeron Chair, Frank Gehry for Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Nicholas Negropont for One Laptop Per Child.

In a city full of hot spots, must haves and dynamic personalities, I found all 3 at 198b Elizabeth Street. I first met the illest shoemaker, Derrick Miller of Barker Black, 2 years ago as he launched his flagship Nolita store. Since then GQ, Details, Vogue, NY Times and Esquire have all given accolades, and brother Kirk Miller has joined on from Thom Browne.

At first glance, you’ll notice the fine craftsmanship of bespoke English shoemaking. But a closer look reveals a provocative surprise. Derrick calls it “subversive sophistication.” Perforations take the shape of a skull, silverwork form tiny crossbones, neckties and pocket squares conceal a mortal theme. The gentleman returns, albeit with a Machiavellian draw.

Barker Black Ltd. :: 212.966.2166 :: 198b Elizabeth Street, between Prince and Spring

 

Cancer is Live Strong. AIDS is RED. Spinal Cord Injury is Superman. As opposed to earlier generations who view disease only as an end point or something to fear, people today have grown up in a culture being empowered and inspired by disease. Let’s rethink the problem-solution paradigm of pharma marketing.