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Consumption in a material world

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:40:22 +0000

We recently stumbled across an interesting article from Dr. Laura R. Oswald PhD, on the role of consumption in modern society, and in particular the role of shopping as a search for meaning in contemporary culture.

The piece is especially relevant for the post-recessionary environment where the challenge for luxury brands is not just to justify their value, but to justify – and enhance – their meaning.

As Dr Oswald points out, “Mall culture highlights the semiotic dimension of consumption, since, for the most part, the “objects of desire” are not objects at all, but meanings or brands endowed with value by consumer culture.”

Download white paper

Pharrell for Harley Davidson

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:45:58 +0000

Media Digest: 5 most interesting articles from August

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:23:02 +0000

Inspiration from August…

#1 – Sleep, the new status symbol (Vanity Fair)

#2 – Copywriting Fashion: Who gains? (New York Times)

#3 – I Tweet Therefore I Am (New York Times)

#4 – Why do we care about luxury brands? (Wired)

#5 – The Acceleration of Addictiveness (Paul Graham)

Have you ever tried to sell a diamond?

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:35:23 +0000

An article entitled Have you ever tried to sell a diamond? originally published in The Atlantic in 1982 is perhaps the most definitive and interesting piece ever published on the shifting fortunes of the diamond industry.

In a massive and sweeping report, it covers the origins of the category, the manipulation of a commodity, and the rise of De Beers.

Fascinating stuff.

Read full article

Kanye and the Occult

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:26:00 +0000

The ever-conspiratorial Vigilant Citizen website has published an exhaustive review at the occult symbolism that flows through Kanye West’s new ‘Power’ video, directed by Marco Brambilla.

While Vigilant Citizen tends to see occult symbolism everywhere, the video certainly represents the beginning of a new rebirth phase for hip-hop, with this video as its first official document.

Hip-hop is moving into deeper, more spiritual territory as a response to the shallowness of the recent bling years. It also seems to be moving more clearly into a stronger connection to visual culture. We can expect a lot more where that came from. These are interesting times…

And we’re back…

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:55:26 +0000

It’s been a fascinating and busy Summer. We have been working with a team of experts on the overlap between luxury strategy and belief systems.

We’ll be launching various new initiatives over the next few months, including a limited lecture series on the guiding principles of belief strategy, and more on what luxury brands can learn from religion and belief systems.

We’ve also updated our company information, and new clients. Download PDF

Or email us and find out more.

August

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:04:35 +0000

We’re taking a month’s break from the blog to spend some dedicated time focusing on new research; into cults, religions, and the strategic connection between luxury brands and the sacred.

We’ll be back on September 1st.

Media Digest: 10 most interesting articles from July

admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:32:05 +0000

Inspiration from July…

#1 – The wages of sin – how the internet changed gambling (The Economist)

#2 – Stéphane Malka; a permanent state of insurrection (Bldg Blog)

#3 – The cult of the Uniqlones; faster fashion business models (NY Mag)

#4 – Historical opportunity for small agile luxury brands (Reuters)

#5 – Ginsberg’s Howl, for the Tweet generation (McSweeneys)

#6 – Luxury literature repurposed as contemporary artifact (WSJ)

#7 – Peter Marino and the grammar of luxury retail (NY Times)

#8 – Emerging digital strategies from the fashion media (Mashable)

#9 – Levi’s pop-up retail meets grassroots creativity (PSFK)

#10 – A shift in meaning for luxury (USA Today)

The iPhone Jesus factor; bloggers, religion and intertextuality

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:02:24 +0000

Much has been written about the devotional relationship between Apple fans and the brand. For example… The Apple brand promise offers transcendence to a “marginalized” creative minority. The retail structure appears to echo Christian ‘retail’ with welcoming disciples, theaters where iMovie sermons are preached, and sins can be absolved at the Genius Bar confessional. The brand is overseen by a charismatic leader whose health and wealth is the subject of exactly the kind of rumor that surrounds most cult leaders.

Now, two professors from the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University have published an interesting white paper on the way in which Apple in particular, and the technology category in general, are increasingly adopting the communication strategy of religious promise.

This white paper goes further than the typical Apple-as-cult piece, and extends into a contemplation of how marketing – in the last 2 decades – has been increasingly full of religious strategies, targeting a consumer market which is increasingly persuaded by such techniques.

The abstract of the white paper explores the full theme – “The purpose of this article is to explore the intertextuality within story of the iPhone being framed as the “Jesus phone” and the relationship between religious language, imagery, and technology. The iPhone as the Jesus phone highlights an interesting interaction between technology fans, news media and corporate advertising. It also demonstrates how different groups may interact and appropriate the language and imagery of another to communicate very different meanings and intentions. Intertextuality serves as a valuable framework to specifically unpack how religion was employed as a helpmate to sell technology and reflect on how religious language and imagery may be utilized to communicate both positive and negative aspects of a technology.”

Download – How the iPhone Became Divine [PDF]

Evolution of the logo

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:48:00 +0000

Smashing magazine recently published a nice history of the evolution of the logo; from an indicator of tribal affiliation, through sacred statement to corporate identity. And forward into a possible post-logo era…

Read The Evolution of the Logo