Surfrider Foundation Campaign

Surfrider probably do some of the best print campaigns in the buisness/industry – aesthetically pleasing use of images and layout, engaging content that raises curiosity, and creative to communicates to you rather then punches you in the face…

We all know how bad ocean pollution is, you know about the garbage patch in the North Pacific right? So it’s great to see a solid campaign again from Surfrider to help further build awareness of the issues facing our oceans – did you see the campaign from a couple of years ago?

The campaign was pulled together by Arnold Furnace who were more about the subtle componentry of the creative rather then something that was more graphic and hard hitting. The creative pulls the reader in, the subtle addition of garbage allows the reader to grasp the challenge that lays ahead for Surfrider…

Rad campaign.

Cascade First Harvest.

This is up here for the concept, not the content (I’m not much of a Cascade fan). Everyone these days is trying to pull together clips to get as many views as possible – everyone needs to see our clip! or I want as many eyeballs as possible on this clip! – is what you’ll hear mkt managers holler. Spread it round, share it everywhere, make it ‘viral’. So it was really refreshing to get passed a link that revealed a campaign that wasn’t about how many views a clip was getting, but was about how many views a clip had left…

Cascade First Harvest is Cascade’s limited edition beer – each year it get’s brewed with different hops, different treatments and comes out tasting different. Each year only 5000 cases get brewed. First in, best dressed.

To help promote/celebrate/push this years batch, Cascade came up with the idea of creating a clip about the creation of the beer, just like everyone else would do – then they flipped that idea on it’s head. To tie back to the 5000 cases that get brewed, Cascade created a clip that can only be viewed 5000 times. And at last check there was about 2500 views left…

You can view it below or head over to Cascade First Harvest…
Daresay this will def get a few minds thinking about to use a concept like this, I can think of a bunch already…

SPY are Sofa King Happy

Ahhhh, least they didn’t run with Mike Hunt being happy right?

I post this because it’s funny – Happy To Sit on Your Face is SPY’s campaign for it’s shades. Their initial drop of creative had banners, ads and even billboards with just ‘Happy To Sit on Your Face’ as the creative. That’s it. One billboard in Carlsbad had to get pulled down due to the locals not being impressed with the connotation the creative was putting out..  Kinda lame they had to pull it down..

But. SPY are back with a new one!  This new creative is all about a guy being ‘sofa king happy’! Guy is sitting on a sofa with shades looking happy. Makes perfect sense. ha.

Anyway, Carlsbad are kicking up a stink again – you can read all about it, along with recent financials on SPY over here.

Thanks to Mr Wallace for the tip

In this rad little clip, DGK brainstorms with collaborator Eric Bailey in his Oakland studio. He talks through his early inspirations, fine art and graphics, different collaborations, old and new board series he has worked on for DGK.

If, like me, you love everything about the streets of SF then you’ll find it impossible not to enjoy his artworks and the story and lifestyle that influences it.

Do yourself a favour and check out Eric’s website and blog birdsandbullets.com

BRAINSTORM – ERIC BAILEY – ART from KAYOTV on Vimeo.

Pilerats & Flipside

This is out of the ordinary for ‘collabs’, when the email came in I was thinking Flipside must be a brand in WA or something – was half right. It’s a brand, a store, a joint that apparently makes kick ass burgers. And they’ve gone and created a burger with the gents from Pilerats Magazine in what I think is the first ever – Magazine x Burger Collaboration!

The partnership is based upon exploring creative collaborations between two of Perth’s most exciting young businesses. Pilerats Magazine is the first purely digital publication in Australia – not confined by the limitations of the print medium and aiming to produce media that is engaging and innovative, offering a complete experience, while Flipside Burger Bar have been producing super-high quality and wicked-tasty burgers in Western Australia since 2006 (so I’ve been told, I’m yet to sample the offerings).

While it’s not your typical #mcgangbang I generally tend to eat, the PMB sure does look pretty tasty. Only catch is that’s available at Flipside, can’t imagine they’re doing home delivery, especially not to the east coast. So if you’re WA bound, visiting or living, head over to Flipside and nail a PMB – hit us with some #clichemay photos of you guzzling it back…

Anyone had the $10 secret lunch?

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PS Download the Pilerats magazine here.

This one slipped pass me last week but I managed to get the low down finally.. and really who doesn’t wanna hear what Kate’s up to. You all would have seen the video that we posted yesterday anyways of the Kate Upton in Vogue.

So we know that this pretty lady has landed back-to-back coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition covers, and now she will be appearing on the June cover of American Vogue for the first time. After recently getting some bad remarks from casting agents Upton slams back in the mag by saying “I love my body. It’s what God gave me,” she follows by adding that she’s “so proud” of her boobs. (I think the whole world are proud of those things)

Upton’s June issue of Vogue hits newsstands on May 21.

Kate Upton. Vogue. Video.

History of Converse

Converse, it’s a brand that’s been around for a very long time. I think everyone has a story about them – mine? I had a pair of black Chucks when I like 10, but I went to Catholic Primary school where you had to wear black leathery’s or some super creepy sandals (which, like polo’s, I can never wear again). One day I wore them, snuck them in my bag, caught the bus, made the switch on the bus. Waltzed on into school feeling a zillion bucks…

Only to get shot down by the first teacher that saw me, Mr MacDonald. Dude waddled over to me with his duck walk and sent me on my way to Sister Ursula the principal. Long story short, mum got rang, I got detention, Sister Ursula confiscated my Chucks. Heavy.

Anyway, this book here, is an epic showcase of the history of Converse. It’s a good read if you can get your hands on a copy…

Converse.

Atramental 

With a big year ahead of them  - they’ve got new product lines happening, helmets (which looked amazing) and watches – it’s going to be an exciting year for them. Perfect time for their new CEO Mr Crane to own it and drive the brand into a new era.

Altramental is Electric’s first campaign since the huge shift in branding earlier this year and kinda signals the final step in the whole branding exercise –  digital is done, product is done, instore is done, team is done – now the campaign to push it all out is done.

“Derived from the process ‘to atrament’, turning an object to black, ‘Atramental’ focuses on a pure and honest form of documentation.”

Which kinda makes more sense when you see all the creative is B&W – which kinda reminded of their Loveless campaign from last year. Well, in general, Electric have strong ties with using B&W imagery thru a lot of their creative. On the release page, you’ll see a mix of branded and non-branded content which gives a better idea of the vibe their chasing. A mix of strong portraits (well, they are selling shades) and funner styled photos make for a good mix.

Head over and make your opinion tho… 

EKIN. NIKE.

EKIN you ask? It’s Nike spelt backwards (you have to know the product backwards and forwards to get an EKIN gig), and it’s a division of Nike marketing based on delivering the Nike message using innovation and grassroots development. Nike, as you know, are pretty gnarly in all areas – product, sales, branding and marketing. So when you think of how rad Nike are with their marketing, this whole EKIN program makes a lot of sense.

Generally if your a new employee at Nike your orientation will last two days and the story of Nike’s heritage is the first item on the agenda – along with a host of other Nikeucation (yep, just made that up) that drills what the brand is about into you. But EKINs they get a bit more. Each EKIN undergoes a nine-day Rookie Camp at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. A full day is spent in Eugene, where Ekins run at the Hayward field track (where Bowerman coached) and visit the site of Prefontaine’s fatal car crash.

Apparently there are EKINs all over North America (any in Aust?), well, about 28-30 of them at last count. Scattered across cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Denver and Toronto while some EKINs cover multiple states. Nuts huh. But then with all the training also comes also the spoils. Complex recently sat down with a EKIN and got the scoop on what actually happens and what the perks are. Things like getting to hang in the innovation kitchen, that alone would make any sneaker head go hard – and of course access and knowledge of products waaaaaay before they hit retail. From what I’ve read there’s one thing they all seem to do, and that’s get a backward Nike Swoosh on the ankle..

Anyway, you can read more about the EKIN program over at Complex (borrowed a few images) and Fast Company.