Genre diving · 30 May 06
In the New York Times Magazine, John Wray explores two of the leading acts in underground metal, Sunn0))) and Boris.
Among other things, the article is a fascinating study of the taxonomy of the ever-widening web of sub-sub-genres. For bands like Sunn0))) (named for a rare type of amplifier), the term Heavy Metal is inadequate for conveying their sound—a wordless, melody-free assault of low-end vibration. What you need is a deep-dive into the sub-genre matrix. Sunn0))) is classified as Drone Metal, a descendent of Doom Metal, which is itself the unholy offspring of British Heavy Metal and Punk Rock (this gloriously low-tech Heavy Metal Family Tree delves even deeper if you want to go there). Even the relatively new term Drone Metal may be obsolete: One band’s site makes a distinction between normal Drone and Ambient Drone Metal. There is seemingly no bottom to the sub-genre well, though every sub-genre, presumably, must have at least one practitioner to qualify.
Posted by Jake |
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Simplicity, brought to you by... · 1 May 06
Philips electronics has embraced “Simplicity” as the foundation of their brand since 2004 (see their recent “Sense and Simplicty” campaign here).
And instead of merely telling us how they simplify our lives, they’re taking the novel next step of pushing magazines in which they advertise to simplify, too. The WSJ reports that Philips has reached an agreement with Time, Inc., one of it’s biggest ad partners, to move four of its magazines’ Tables of Contents to page 1, eliminating the need to flip through 10 pages of advertising to get what you came for.
With the Time Inc. magazines, readers will know right away about Philips’s involvement. A flap on the inside front cover of the magazines will state: “Simplicity means not letting complexity stand in your way. It starts with the Table of Contents on the first page. And it continues with the last page where you’ll see innovative products that will change the way you live.”
Posted by Jake |
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Rolling smokes · 18 April 06
Thank You For Smoking, now in theaters, traces the career of a fictional tobacco spin doctor. I loved the film, but I wanted to especially recommend the awesome titles (watch or download here), which cheerfully reference a golden age of package design and typography.
Posted by Jake |
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"Our biggest competitor is silence" · 13 April 06
The New Yorker profiles Muzak, the inventors of canned music who in the 21st century have become the ultimate audio brand builders. While the pop-instrumental sound they pioneered in the 50s hits the modern ear like nails on a chalkboard, the company’s contemporary work—programmed soundtracks compiled from over 1.5 million published songs—fits so naturally into our lives as shoppers, diners and lobby dwellers that we would never question it.
Posted by Jake |
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Blessed be the rebels · 6 March 06
Skateboard Bible study groups; evangelical tattoo parlors; Christian Goth CDs… since when is church so hardcore?
According to the New York Times, today’s Christian youth leaders are connecting the spirit and tactics of alt-culture marketing with “the original rebellion”—the revolutionary teachings of Jesus:
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Geek builders tweak Lego · 2 March 06
Those familiar with the classic Lego® building sets may not realize that the Danish company’s best-selling product is actually a robotics kit called Mindstorms. Launched in 1998, Mindstorms has gained an enormous following (it sells 40,000 units each years at $200 each) without advertising.
Wired writes that a bit over a year ago, Lego contacted top Mindstorms builders from around the world to tap into their expertise—not as beta-testers, but as de facto Lego employees who would eventually help develop the update to Mindstorms (called Mindstorms NXT) down to the smallest detail.
Seeking consumer input on a redesign or a new product launch isn’t new, but Lego’s wholesale outsourcing of innovation to unpaid fans is daring. Inspired by the geeks who hacked and reverse-engineered the original Mindstorms system for fun, Lego came to realize that its users’ creativity isn’t just a useful knowledge base, it’s a key aspect of the company’s purpose and mission.
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Pocket-size design · 9 February 06
The Japanese museum of advertising matches or Virtual Match World collects thousands of delightful two-, three- and four-color designs small enough to fit in a breast pocket. Explore the boxes by categories like insects and geography.
(via Daily Jive)
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Ripped off or un-designed? · 7 February 06
In Design Observer, Jessica Helfand points out the derivative aesthetic of some “modern” cleaning brands, which apparently seek to capitalize on the success of Method. The copycat is similar in most every respect—the clear bottle, lowercase, sans-serif type, vague duotone photography—and could easily be confused with its premium predecessor.
But as one commenter asks, what if “the object identified as ‘designed’ has gone so far down a path of simplification and clarity that it’s identical to a near-generic brand”?
The fact is, in the kingdom of the über-modern consumer product—white, transparent, smooth, quiet, abstract—there’s not all that much to own.
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"The Big Game" · 2 February 06
As the Super Bowl® approaches, The Washington post looks at advertisers who capitalize on the event (“Get Ready for The Big Game”) without paying millions for the privilege:
This is “ambush marketing,” or piggybacking an event without paying for the official right to do so. The Super Bowl is, of course, the Super Bowl ® of ambush marketing. Dozens of companies come right to the legal edge of the NFL’s copyrights, without trespassing on them. The game is so much a part of American culture that it’s easy, and highly cost-effective, to suggest “Super Bowl” without saying it.
Next up: Gold-Medal Days and your chance to Join the Madness.
Posted by Jake |
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Smile on da rocks · 31 January 06
Showing the world you’re for real isn’t as easy as it used to be. Tattoos, skin branding, piercing, and forehead spikes may be hardcore in some circles, but for today’s aspiring MCs, street cred demands a diamond-studded dental grille.
Though gold teeth are a venerable hip-hop tradition, the rise of Houston hip-hop has made turbo-charged mouth bling an underground sensation. Nelly’s hit “Grillz” celebrates the fun of it all (“I got my mouth lookin somethin like a disco ball”), but at $10K+ for a full set, the trend may be slow to reach suburban malls.
View a photo gallery of celebrity grilles by the L.A. Times.
Posted by Jake |
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