Given that I have been in advertising for over 20 years I am always reluctant to include any form of it on my blog --call it a reluctance to mix business with pleasure.
Nevertheless, I cannot ignore this charming, beautifully produced, strategically sound spot by Saatchi & Saatchi NY for JC Penney named "Heart". Every time it airs, I find myself in rapt attention at the well-cast leads, the inventive effects and the universal appeal of the subject matter.
Clearly, I am not alone since it has been repeatedly tagged a 'favorite'on you tube many times along with 'making of' videos, etc.
Please enjoy:
The Commercial (:60 second cut)
i
The making of:
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, NY
copywriter: Craig Love
art director: Shayne Millington,
agency producer: Zamile Vilakaz
Director: Dougal Wilson
Creative Directors: Kerry Kennan and Michael Long
Levis Taps Damien Hirst For New Warhol Factory X Jeans
Levi Strauss & Co. is ready to unveil their latest work of wearable art: the first image of Damien Hirst's jeans for Levi's. The Tate Gallery Turner Prize-winning British artist Damien Hirst of the formaldehyde-preserved animals and diamond-encrusted skull designed a collection as part of The Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, known as Warhol Factory X Levi's Damien Hirst.
"From Damien Hirst, to Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among countless others, each of these spirited luminaries wore the Original 501 jean as the ultimate "blank canvas" for self-expression and individuality, said Levi's vice president of marketing, Robert Cameron. "In celebration of this, we are both thrilled and honored for our continued partnership with the The Andy Warhol Foundation and to have a creative leader such as Damien Hirst bring his unique perspective to our iconic 501 jean."
The jeans will be unveiled during New York's Spring 2008 Fashion Week at a runway show at the Gagosian gallery in Chelsea and the line will arrive in stores in January as part of the 2008 season and will feature both men's and women's selections. And it looks like life really does imitate art: Hirst's black jeans get an evening-appropriate boost from the mini rhinestone skull embellishment adorning them.
Damien Hirst -
Hirst, whose artwork includes an actual human skull studded with diamonds, will be lending his talents to Levi Strauss. The artist will be working with the denim giant on 2008 collection of the San Francisco company's Warhol Factory X Levi's label.
Hirst is best known for his Natural History series, where he preserves dead animals in formaldehyde and presents them as art.
Launched in 2006, the Warhol Factory X Levi's label paid tribute to the pop-culture art made famous by the late American artist Andy Warhol. Priced between $190-$250 for jeans and $80-$300 for tops, the said collection is only available at such high-end stores as Barneys New York, Fred Segal and American Rag.
Update: since this post, there have been developments with the Warhol factory X Levi's products, including a store and a limited edition book, read all about it over at notcot.org.
Appropos To A "T". The Perfect Shirt For Freelancers.
I especially love that he has a laptop! And note the metallic gold detailing. OOOOhhhh. Aaahhhh.
I have to thank NOTCOT for this find from The Chop Shop.
The perfect Tee for all of us freelancers out there.
25$ and comes with a temporary tattoo.
Get it here.
Match.com is for Plebians; Introducing the Snottiest Online Dating Service: The Diamond Lounge
Beginning this October, the Diamond Lounge -a 'social networking' site for the elite (aka an online dating service for the pretty and wealthy set), requiring application and 'approval' will launch.
They are purposely vague on the site but if you dig deep enough (under membership terms) you will find the details.
My favorite part of the application is the following:
And I love that the 'fees' have yet to be determined.
If they truly want to be the MOST EXCLUSIVE club, they ought to only take American Express Centurion Cards as their form of payment. And, if you don't know what that is... you should automatically be rejected.
Above: The American Express Centurion Card (aka The Black Card)
By the way, no surprise this "Diamond Club" is centrally located in London. P-shah.
Below is reprinted directly from their site:
THE MOST ELITE COMMUNITY EVER CREATED------------------------------------------------
The Diamond Lounge is a new online members' club aimed at the world's genuine elite.
The club will launch on October 1st, 2007 and will provide members with a sophisticated and refined online environment where they can meet and interact. The Diamond Lounge will be totally private and non-members will not have access to the club or be able to see who is inside. Membership will be granted on an exclusive and discretionary basis and many members will join through personal invitation.
The Diamond Lounge will provide members with a variety of quite different online experiences. On the one hand, the club will be traditional and formal. On the other, it will be decadent, extravagant and even a little hedonistic.
This is private business networking, social networking and dating for the world's most amazing people. A secret society where everyone has to keep the secret. As one person put it: "This is Small World meets Studio 54!"
INSIDE THE CLUB
The Diamond Lounge has been heavily influenced by the ultra-exclusive private clubs of the 80s and the somewhat 'retro' feel of the site will reflect this. It will be a beautiful, technically advanced and highly secure online world where the elite can get together out of view of everyone else.
Everything about the Diamond Lounge site will be luxurious and personal. Members will be able to create totally individual profiles that mirror their own personalities (and can work with our award winning designers on these if they choose to). They will be able to interact with other members using live video links and even utilise an array of business networking and collaboration tools. In addition, they will also be able to take the club everywhere with them (as the Diamond Lounge site will function on mobiles, PDAs and the iphone).
The Diamond Lounge will also have an incredible 'real life' element with members having exclusive access to some of the most lavish private parties and events ever staged. Expect to be very surprised!
PRIVACY
A central focus of the Diamond Lounge is privacy. The owners of the club and those managing it won't divulge information about members or events to those outside the club. In fact, many of the events will be so secret that their exact locations won't even be published until the very last minute.
And members will also have to respect the privacy of others. Quite simply, who is the in the Diamond Lounge, and what happens in the Diamond Lounge, must stay in the Diamond Lounge!
MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA AND OBTAINING MEMBERSHIP
To become a Diamond Lounge member, you must be successful, sophisticated and attractive and genuinely have something interesting to bring to the club. You can obtain membership either by being directly invited or by submitting an online application which can (but does not have to be) supported by a recommendation from a trusted existing member.
THE TOUGH DECISIONS
All decisions about who to accept for membership are taken by an anonymous, pre-appointed and representative Committee of 'elite' individuals. This Committee is external and none of the Diamond Lounge Management Team can influence their decisions.
Membership to the Diamond Lounge is reserved for the real elite. It is unashamedly difficult to obtain and is already being highly sought after.
APPLYING ONLINE
If you have not been personally invited but fit the Membership Criteria, click here to apply to be accepted for membership.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CLUB
As was the case with so many of the private clubs that inspired it, you will probably never know exactly who is behind the Diamond Lounge. It's all part of the secret!
Apply here.
Pouring Money Down The Drain Can Be A Good Thing. Luxury Vanity Wastes For The Bathroom.
Murano House has turned that simple stainless feature, the drain, into a piece of art.
Murano House has launched its debut product: Venetian bejewelled marble and stone vanity wastes (aka sink and shower drains)
Titled as: 'Murano Scolpisce il Tappo,' this designer vanity waste range is jewellery in the bathroom for those who wish to indulge in understated and contemporary elegance.
The jewelled vanity wastes reflect the company’s branded strategy: luxury appeal, high-end quality and its unflinching integrity in its approach to design. The elegant glass and stone drains for sinks, showers, bathtubs (both overflow and fillers) really add a posh splash to the bathroom.
Polished stone, glass, terrazzo, marble and 24k gold finishes:
Watch faces that function as drains:
Bath overflows and bath fillers :
A bit about Murano House reprinted from their site:
Be seduced by Murano House defining the essence of bathroom beauty with handmade Venetian bathroom wastes for the sink, bath and shower.Now your sink can have a beautiful drain as well as fixtures.
Murano House’s myriad of colours and innovative creative sense incorporates precious stones including: Emeralds, Rubies, Topaz, Amber and Amethyst. The jewels are set in glass onto refined mountings in gilded silver gold and platinum.
The nimble hands of the glass master whose craft has been passed down through father and son generations fuses the glass together and moulds the glass giving the sculpture its form and shape.
This exclusive designer range of vanity wastes will stand alone as an independent objet d'art in any bathroom scheme. Additionally, when immersed in water, the vanity wastes sparkle brightly as lustrous and luminous jewels.
These exclusive Venetian jewelled vanity wastes will adorn any high-end specification including hotels, bars and restaurants as well as those discerning and indulgent clients from the domestic interior market.
Bespoke commissions are available, particularly; if there is a colour scheme you are working to. Bespoke pieces are priced on application. Also note that each vanity waste is individually crafted and therefore, colour variations can be expected.
The also make drains for showers. Amazingly beautiful collection. And, well... another thing to spend your money on.
learn more about Murano House bejewelled venetian fixtures by clicking here.
CHANEL's New Pavilion in Venice by Zaha Hadid
above: Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel and architect Zaha Hadid. Her firm conceived of and designed his new Chanel Pavilion in Venice.
You can read an interview with Wallpaper Magazine and Karl Lagerfeld on his reasons for choosing Zaha Hadid here.
Exhibition Pavilion for Chanel: Zaha Hadid Architects_June 2007
Below are computer renderings of the building now under construction and expected to open in January 2008.
The following description was reprinted from the Zaha Hadid Architecture site.
The form of the Chanel Pavilion is a celebration of the iconic work of Chanel, unmistakable for its smooth layering of exquisite details that together create an elegant, cohesive whole. The resulting structure is very much tied to that original inspiration—elegant, functional, and versatile both in its overall structure and detail.
The architectural structure of the Pavilion is a series of continuous arch-shaped elements, with a courtyard in its central space. The glazed ceiling adjusts to allow for control of the interior temperature in response to the particular climate conditions of each venue city.
Natural light descending from seven elements on the ceiling, meets artificial light pushed up from gap between the walls and raised floor to emphasize the “arched” structure, and assists in the creation of a new artificial landscape for art installations. Six of these elements are roof lights for artworks; another large opening dramatically floods the entrance in daylight to blur the relationship between interior and exterior. In addition to the lighting and colour effects, the spatial rhythm created by the seams of each segment gives strong perspective views throughout the interior.
The size of the Pavilion will be 29m x 45m, a total of 700sqm. The overall height is 6m, with the floor raised 1.00m above the existing ground surface. In light of the extensive shipping between cities, each structural segment will be a maximum of 2,25m wide.
The 65sqm central courtyard has large transparent openings to the sky above and is designed to host events as well as provide an area for reflection after visiting the exhibition. The courtyard serves as an intermediate space between the exhibition and a public area of the Pavilion. A 25sqm cloakroom is also provided.
With a direct visual connection to the courtyard, the 128sqm terrace continues this dialogue between the Pavilion’s exterior and interior. During an event, the two spaces could be linked to become one large event zone.
Reflective materials allow the exterior skin to be illuminated with varying colours which can be tailored to the differing programmes of special events in each city.
The dichotomy between the powerful sculptural mass of the Chanel Pavilion’s structure and the lightness of its envelope create a bold and enigmatic element. The Pavilion’s exterior develops into a rich variety of interior spaces that maximize the potential to reuse and rethink space due to the innate flexibility of its plan.
The total fluidity of the Chanel Pavilion’s curvilinear geometries is an obvious continuation of Hadid’s 30-years of exploration and research into systems of continuous transformations and smooth transitions. With this repertoire of morphology, Zaha Hadid is able to translate the ephemeral typology of a pavilion into the sensual forms required for this celebration of Chanel’s cultural importance.
Click here to see a video rendering of the Pavilion from the NY Times.
Now be sure to see the mobile art exhibit and Zaha Hadid's finished structure here.
Product Pick of The Week: The Corner Lamp
I'm actually really surprised I haven't seen this before, it's so smart and yet so obvious.
And I really like that it's still elegant and simple and clean as opposed to becoming a 'silly' lamp.
by Design House Stockholm Corner Lamp
pergament plastic lamp shade & steel pole
height = 66"
$225.00
$15 shipping charge added at fulfillment
Available for purchase by clicking here.
Headhoods; Hot Hilarious Hoodies
If you're a blog reader, chances are you've seen these written about and showcased on many a design blog or community shopping site. But, because it's my job to bring you what's hip, I'd be remiss if I didn't do a post about this rapidly growing trend, Head Hoods.
Now printing or silkscreening on American Apparel Tees and Hoodies is nothing new nor ingenius, but this simple idea has taken off like wildfire.
Taking famous faces like Elvis and Audrey or icons like Skulls and Kings, headhoods has printed these on the "hood' of the hoodies to give the illusion from profile that the head is that of someone else. At $60.00 a piece (custom ones cost more and take longer to produce) they arrive via priority mail in 2-3 days.
So, time to get your hood on...
Get your headhood here.
Meet Amy J. Rowan aka Art School Girl
Who is Amy J. Rowan? Well, she's the imaginative force behind Art School Girl.
I stumbled upon Amy's work while browsing an online card store and was immediately drawn to not only the charming indie look of her vintage-fabric-on-cardstock cards, but the fact that she took the odd tradition of adding "in bed" to one's chinese cookie fortune and turned them into actual cards (see below):
So, I 'googled' her and found her site, filled with objects of fun and whimsy.
Below are two examples of her hand-crafted one of a kind stationery on her self-proclaimed favorite brown cardstock:
You can order a sampler of her items (as shown below):
She makes everything from hand sewn bookmarks.....:
Journals and notebooks made with recyclables she's cleverly named reNEWed:
Taken from her own "about us" page:
Art School Girl's origins can be traced back to owner, Amy Rowan's days as a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was there that she constructed what would be the first of several stationery lines—a simple blank journal made from recycled books. Fueled by a passion for paper and a love for specialty printing processes, Art School Girl specializes in one-of-a-kind hand made paper goods. Expertly crafted from recycled materials and often sewn or printed by hand, each piece is artisan quality.
She even sells 'art, some creations of vintage imagery on old index cards:
See all her fun products here.
HP Toyrama: Make Your Own Animated Movies with Pete Fowler's Characters
HP and Artist/toy designer, Pete Fowler have teamed up for a great interactive co-op project that allows you to create your own animated movie with Pete Fowler's Monsterism characters and HP's technology.
Called Toyrama, you can create your own animated movies, pick music, scenes, create dialogue and then submit your film.
The Press Release reads as follows:
Singapore, Aug 2, 2007 – Embarking on magical adventures is not just for Shrek-like ogres and furry animals from Over the Hedge anymore as HP kicks off a unique contest that invites digital animators across Asia Pacific to create, design and direct short, animated skits using high-performance workstations and graphics tools.
Christened the HP Toyrama Contest, this online competition developed by Arc Worldwide Singapore challenges the best digital content creators in the region to create innovative and rich multimedia stop-motion animation starring five toy characters named Sancho, Farm Girl, Ranger, Jogger and Green from Monsterism Island, designed by cult toy designer, Pete Fowler. The contest has two categories – the Open segment, for enthusiasts, amateurs or students with a passion for animation; as well as the Professional segment, for the more proficient animators.
They even have a "professional category" (see below):
Below is a nice example of the "How To" (created by my friends over at NOTCOT), just click on it to enlarge:
So, check out Toyrama and have some fun.
More For Pete Fowler Fans
For all you Pete Fowler Fans, he's also just created a KIA spot in the uk:
Pete Fowler creates new animation for Kia advert
Illustrator and designer Pete Fowler, best known for his work with the Super Furry Animals and his Monsterism.net Website, has animated an advert for Kia's new Picanto range.
The advert is directed by Pete Candeland of Passion pictures, the man responsible for four of the Gorillaz music videos, which similarly made use of the work of cult illustrator Jamie Hewlett, creator of Tank Girl.
This is the first time Fowler's characters have been animated using computer graphics. The challenge for Candeland and his CG team was representing the 2D characters in 3D while keeping Fowler's trademark style. In order to do this, Candeland and Fowler decided to keep certain objects, together with the backgrounds, as flat graphic elements. The 3D characters were then built in Lightwave and animated in Messiah before compositing the background elements in After Effects.
The Kia advert is being screened in TV ad breaks now.
To see more of Pete Fowler's work, click here.
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