Bring back some simple packaging

I'm getting older and need a little less flash and a little more honesty. Look, I still like Nutella and I'm still going to need Windex. Just make it a little easier on me. The folks at A2591 have worked on  a project to strip down some common labels to their bare essence. I'm posting a few down here for you. Wouldn't you feel better if the supermarket where more like this?

Thanks to The Fox is Black

Harris Tweed, an inside look

It should be pretty clear at this point that I'm becoming obsessed with videos and pictures that show how nice products are made. I really think if you have a great product, the marketing possible is to demonstrate the care that goes into it.

Anyway, Nike and North Face each just dropped a collaboration with Harris Tweed. Only you wouldn't know it unless you read blogs religiously as both runs are probably so limited that you'll never have the opportunity to buy either. In fact the North Face tweed bags are exclusive for the Japanese market.

The Style Salvage writer recently traveled up to the highlands of Scotland to visit Harris Tweed and he took plenty of photos. Please check it out- Style Salvage

Put this by the checkout,

and I don't care with the price tag is. You are telling me about hand crushed rosemary tea infusions with white chocolate and the packaged has watercolor and says "smile" at the bottom. It's going in cart. I don't even like chocolate.

via Lost in E Minor

Even cooler than Madvillianny

Do you remember when Madlib and MF DOOM collaborated and put out that crazy album? Yeah, me too. Everyone was a little shocked, like, "It happened. They really did it." I think it was a solid year before it left my heavy rotation.

I've commented on collaborations a bunch here recently. I'm usually kind of skeptical where the value add is. Sometimes the result is cool. Sometimes it's just really exciting and you can't wait to taste/listen to it. That's the case with this Sierra Nevada X Anchor Steam collaboration. These are my two favorite brands that have national distribution and I'm pretty excited about this (though I highly doubt this will be available in beer backwater Washington D.C.)

It appears that we are celebrating Sierra Nevada's 30th anniversary with Fritz and Ken's Ale which, I'm told, is a stout. An interesting choice as neither brewery is particularly known for stouts but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Cheers.

vis Cool Hunting 

Would you try it in this package?

I think it's pretty well established that Kimchi is a little daunting for the uninitiated but delicious for the initiated. The question remains, how does one cross over? Mother in Law Kimchi is here to help. I love the name but I love the packaging even more. Doesn't this just look safe to eat? It's almost like the yuppie salsa that Pace spent so much time warning you about some years ago. I'd try it, but I already like the stuff.

via Lost in E Minor

Field Notes manufacturing video

If I could do it all over I might not have gone to grad school or even college. I think I would drive around the states with a camera and capture American manufacturers that love their jobs. If I was good at it, I might put these videos up on vimeo. Even if I wasn't that good, I'd probably put them up on youtube.

Here's a video about a Field Notes notebook and the care that goes into making them. It's a little long but it's nice to watch.


Wings: Making the Field Notes 2010 Fall Edition from Coudal Partners on Vimeo.

ROY jeans

I've got to admit, Giraffe Lookout has fallen off in the past few weeks. There are two main factors, one being time and the other being interest. Frankly, I just don't care about ad copy much anymore. I'm not really even that into viral videos either now that I don't have anytime to watch them. Hang in there though, things will even out soon. I may even have a new project on the way (with help this time.)

One thing I'm really excited about, though, is American craft-made apparel and the videos that champion it. Case in point, Roy Slaper making jeans by himself with vintage equipment and denim from the Cone Mills plant in North Carolina. Watch this video and tell me you don't want a pair. 

Roy's Jeans - Video by Self Edge from Self Edge on Vimeo.

Carhartt is Holding Out on U.S.

Few brands have what Carhartt has- it is synonymous with quality, it is based out of Detroit, it is utilitarian and it somehow doesn't go out of style. Why can't I just be happy?

photo via Carhartt Europe

Brandweek is reporting that Carhartt is set to launch it's first nationwide intregrated marketing campaign complete with- television spend, a microsite, p.o.s. elements and facebook bells and whistles. It's targeting at young males between 18-34 and as you might expect, television ads will be on ESPN, Discovery and The History Channel. 

A couple of things come to mind here-

First- Part of Carhartt's charm is that the product speaks for itself. Not having a real marketing push has provided credibility to the brand. It's sort of amazing how disparate Carhartt's market reach is. Anyone from red necks to aspiring hip hop stars wear Carhartt. It also seems to be immune from the boom and bust cycles that apparel brands face in trendy youth market. I always figured it was because they weren't actually trying to be trendy as much as they were making durable clothes at good price points. And I figured this was by design. Carhartt didn't want to appear to be concerned about projecting an image because it was so busy creating clothes. 

Second- Did you know that Carhartt also has a streetwear label in Europe? For the longest time I just thought that Europeans viewed Carhartt differently than we did in the States whenever I saw websites advertising Carharttt gear. It's actually a completely different line and it's really cool. I imagine the brand didn't want to sell these products in the states because it's afraid to soil the good thing it has going by appearing to bowing to trends. I say this because I refuse to believe that Carhartt doesn't see the market for streetwear in the states. 

So what gives? The brand wants facebook gimmicks but doesn't want to look too trendy? That doesn't work for me. However, Carhartt can make this right by sending over it's A.P.C collaboration. We will look the other way about your "built Ford tough" television campaign. 

What kind of guy are you?

Draft FCB USA made these great print ads for Dockers. I'm really feeling the use of typeface and copy to describe the man that is wearing the pants. The description comes across quickly and, I think, probably resonates really well with Dockers' target market.

via Typography Served

The Best Running Video Yet

A few weeks ago we looked at a cool running video from Japan that Nike did with Undercover. Seems like we've seen a lot of this kind of thing in the past couple of months so it's a little difficult to get excited about them at this point. Then this comes along. Now I know that wheat paste isn't really all that new and I don't live in a cosmopolitan city so it is difficult for me to tell if it is even still in style. However, it's what they do with it in this video that is so cool and makes me want to drop out of the start-up world and go to film school.

This come from Nike Stadium and was shot in Milan. Enjoy.

via Hypebeast

Someone Did Their Market Research

There is a new bus service from DC to NYC that is called TheKnowItExpress. That's not the biggest deal in and of itself but this one goes from U St. to Brooklyn, it's got bicycle storage and it has free wifi. They should have just called it the "hipster express" because that is what everyone is calling it anyways.

The reason this have been mentioned on Giraffe Lookout is because I'm super impressed with the research that went into this and what they figured a certain demographic wanted. You can file this under, "why didn't I think of this." Not that I'm about to jump in and operate a mid-Atlantic bus service but it is inspiring that someone saw something and made a move that makes a lot of sense.  

Just Love the Details

New Balance has this special MK1500 coming out. They seem to have internalized some of the really important things that you need to generate the most amount of buzz around a sneaker in the Fall of 2010. I'll list them for you-


Amazing packaging is the first thing. It's great to have a nice sneaker but if you are really going to covet it, should come in a nice box so you can look at in your closet every morning and feel just a little better about yourself.

A limited run is the second thing. This has been street tested by Nike time and time again. I think 50 pairs is a little extreme. But hey, who am I to say they are doing it wrong when I'm the one feeding the hype machine.

Made in the U.K. This is my new thing and it's one of the reasons I'm set on checking for New Balance in the future. 30% of New Balance sneakers are still made in the states and the U.K made models always look great too.

A classic colorway (in grey.) Grey sneakers are what up in the Fall of 2010. The plainer the better and sneaker companies have been holding out on us. Most of the grey colorways are coming out these limited runs and driving sneakerheads crazy.

A collaboration with a streetwear shop. I'm not sure what the value ad is here but it seems to be an important piece of the puzzle.

And there you have it. A flossy pair of kicks.

via Kicks on Fire

Just Make it Feel Good

We've mentioned a few viral videos recently on this site that are just kind of pleasant to watch. Something about them has this element that just makes it nice to watch. This element shouldn't be discounted.

I was watching football with a  buddy last Saturday when one of those rotoscoped Charles Schwab ads comes on. It was an ad about retirement or investing or something. When the ad was over my buddy casually asked me, "Why do I love that ad so much?" I had just been thinking the same thing. I think it was the green color of the guy's shirt that just kind of entranced me. This visuals of this ad put me into a nice comfortable place. The lack overbearing music also helps. This especially in contrast with Aflac duck that has haunted my Saturdays for as long as I can remember.

To all the agencies out there- please give us the gift of more soft colors and mellow moments.

Here's the ad. You've all probably seen it but just in case-

I Love Guinness But...

Only for the bold?

Listen, I love Guinness.  It's light and creamy with a slightly roasted malt flavor. Yes it is a dark colored beer and it is a stout but let's get something straight once and for all- it's not a big beer. It's low in alcohol content and gravity. Have you ever seen someone pour a black and tan? The Guinness floats on top of a flipping lager! It can do this because it has lower sugar content than a Harp (alcohol is made from the sugar.) We can all appreciate Guinness for what it is but let's not pretend it's a tough guy beer with tons of flavor that packs some secret Irish punch.

 Photo via Brandweek

That's why is drives me a crazy when Americans are always saying things like, "I'm a beer snob. I know all about beer. I only drink dark strong beers like Guinness." Awesome, you have given me all I need to know. Now please leave me alone, I'm trying to enjoy my Makers rocks in peace.

Anyways, Guinness doesn't seem to care if consumers are misguided. It's more than happy to play up the big macho image. It was running some ads encouraging people to be bold and drink Guinness. Most recently it's taken it a step further and been running ads during college football games about how Guinness isn't for people that punt on forth and one. ONLY FOR THE BOLD is the final tagline. I like to roll my eyes when that comes on. I wanted to throw the video up but I think even Guinness is kind of embarrassed by this stateside approach and won't upload it.

Anyhoo, my rant is over. I hope you all have a pleasant day.

Just a Little Bit More Juice Please

Does this package make you want some juice? If you answered yes you are correct. It's a design for a fictional company by an Aussie design student named Yunyeen Yang. I'm looking forward to the moment that this is no longer a concept and actually something I pick up at the grocery store and pay for with my hard earned legal tender.

via Lost in E Minor

Wolverine makes great boots

Wolverine just put out a video on Vimeo. I guess you could call it a viral even though it's not funny or clever or whatever. It's a video about how they make their boots. It's really pleasant to watch and it's converted me. It's interesting how platforms like youtube and vimeo have opened up all kinds of avenues for companies to really present an honest portrayal of the craftsmanship that goes into their products instead of a 30 second ad spot with lots of bells and whistles or some glossy magazine buy with attractive hikers. If you put this much care into your product, who needs brand consultants and limited colorways? 

Wolverine 1000 Mile | 721LTD | Making the Boot from Wolverine on Vimeo.

This video gives off a similar patriotic vibe that the Detroit Lives series presents. It's funny, I almost feel like this is a little window into the America that I thought of when Obama was on the campaign trail and talking about making the nation great again.

via Hypebeast 

A Much Lighter Video

Studiocanoe made this fun viral for Lego called "Build Anything." It's creative, it's witty, it has good music and it's brief. The only frightening thing is that it's reminding me that I'm getting to that age at which I might be buying Legos again
.

Build Anything from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

via Hypebeast

Palladium Boots brings us a different side of Detroit

It's not often you receive a gift like this from a footwear brand. Sure converse will give us a new Kid Cudi song and Asics will give us a photo shoot of a girl in a bikini but this is way different. Palladium Boots has made a mini documentary on Detroit and what is going on there today. The picture it paints is far different from what I expected. Yes there is urban decay but there is also an emergence of youth moving to the city in order to contribute to rebuilding it. It's actually a very exciting time for this city and not in the the sense that it's going to go back to the glory days. Rather, it has it's own unique future and people are moving there because they care.


This isn't terribly new; it's been out for at least a few weeks. It's also a bit longer than your average 3 minute viral but it is so worth watching. Please do.

Another day another awesome Japanese sneaker video

Someday soon Giraffe Lookout will have its own collaboration with a sneaker brand complete with a sophisticated color palate. When that day comes we'll make a nice video for you to watch while you eat lunch at your desk and maybe post up to your blog. Until then, please enjoy this video that Asics made for a Tiger line. 

Tsuri Collection: Autumn/Winter 2010 by The Savants Collective from Onitsuka Tiger on Vimeo.


Via Hypebeast

What is your perfect typeface?

This has nothing really to do with marketing but it must be shared because I just spent a wonderful couple of minutes with an online therapist that identified my ideal typeface. Now I know and I encourage you to discover yours.

http://pentagram.com/what-type-are-you/

Check us out on Pinterest

I met the founder of pinterest last spring at the Tech Crunch Disrupt conference last spring. He explained to me that the site is basically twitter but just for images. It was just still in a beta phase at that point but now it is open to the public and I've finally got my pinboards up and running.

I wanted to pass on my pinterest page- stevea- and encourage everyone to start their own.

Undercover X Nike video

I check streetwear blogs on the regular and sometimes follow the link check on prices and availability. Inevitably, the stuff I'm, most excited about shows up on some Japanese site with all kinds of characters and crazy rendering. I still check the price and it's always like tens of thousands of yen. I don't bother to do any math.

But this post isn't about crying over the state the dollar, this is a post about how Japan always seems to have the best gear. I'm sure at some point in time, you've seen flocks of Japanese teenagers with astounding outfits. They'll have Nikes in exotic colorways and New Balances in models that you've never seen before. Their jeans actually fit and they make it look effortless. Meanwhile, I'm scratching my head wondering- why are these American companies holding out on us stateside and how come these teenagers dressing so well while American teenagers are still wondering in the wilderness.

So you can imagine my frustration when I see a video like the one below. I run probably 3 to 4 times a week (just to throw that in there.) I usually wear an old t-shirt or some functional polyester top. I figure its that part of my day where I really don't need to stress my look. Meanwhile, these Japanese guys just don't stop. They have a team that's running all weekend in knit beanies and nicely cut windbreakers. They are making collaborations with Nike and filming videos with nice drum beats. Even if we could get our hands one any of this stuff, we wouldn't be able to afford it. Still though, I have the sense not to run in traffic. 

Gyakusou International Running Association from POP Magazine on Vimeo.

More on the collaboration and the line at Pop Magazine

Excuse the late pass...

It's tough on this side of the pond to keep up with British adverts. I wanted to post this up though because it is another example of blue-collar alcoholic beverages going white-collar once they get stateside. I went to London once and saw a three liter bottle (I didn't know about the three liter bottle at that point either) for 1.80 quid in a Safeway. The only people I ever saw drinking it were winos and the occasional Brit with a gluten allergy.

Here's an ad that firmly places Strongbow within the trenches, pun intended, of blue collar folk. Please think of this next time you pay 7 bucks for a pint of Strongbow during happy hour in D.C.

How cute...

The Rolling Stones have made a Monopoly game. This kind of makes sense in a real Phillip Morris kind of way. As your target market gets older and falls off, you need to reach the next generation. I imagine at one point in time the Rolling Stones were the type of thing you wouldn't want around children. But this could well be a product that baby boomers buy their grandchildren for christmas. 

I'm personally going to feel extremely old when I see Justin Beiber working on similar cross-branding efforts.

via Brand Republic

Arcade Fire Video

You will see this on every blog all week. In a month's time, your 75 year old father will be sending you this with a nice note attached. Why even post it? Well, it's really pretty rad.

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

Make sure you use Chrome though.

Kaws X Dos Equis

Dos Equis teamed up with graffiti artist gone super famous Kaws for special beer bottle. There is bad news and good news. The bad news is that it's only slated for a Mexican release. The good news is that they made a video.

Can we talk about gimmick shoes?

My brother sent me this youtube video with Kenny Powers advertising some new K-Swiss trainer that comes with a state-of-the-art technology they call “Tubes.” I’m not exactly sure what Kenny Powers’ origins are. I’ve never seen Eastbound and Down save for a few youtube clips and I see him featured in internet memes from time to time. I’m pretty sure he is a fictional character though it appears the actor spends a lot of time in character ala Paul Reubens. Anyway, my point is that I want to give K-Swiss props for kind of admitting that their new shoes are a ridiculous gimmick.

Gimmick Shoes-

I’m only an casual footwear historian and will not pretend that I know the origins of gimmick shoes but the first one I remember being cognizant of was the Reebok Pump. You probably remember remember the big campaign push. I also remember the kid with indulgent parents showing up with a pair in gym class. Of course they weighed like well over a pound and even fifth graders kind of thought they were silly. 

photo via NiceKicks

Gimmick shoes are back. Actually, they have been back. As anyone in the shoe industry will tell you, Nike Shox are a joke and actually pretty bad for you if you run in them. Of course adidas rolled out the Bounce soon afterwards. I was in an adidas training session one time and was told that the Bounce is for people that aren’t serious about working out but want to look cool in the gym.

Reebok has been busy too. I’m no insider but it seems like adidas, the owner of Reebok since 2005, has been looking for a space to put Reebok in that won’t actually cannibalize adidas sales. Their solution is gimmick shoes.

One is supposed to give you a workout just be wearing them and has lots of great ads with girls rocking spandex and wearing these around.

The other is supposed to work like a slinky and spring you forward or some such. They weren't shy with the colorways on this one.

Photos via City Sports

I know this all because I had the benefit of talking with a Reebok sales rep at a running tech event last weekend. It was kind of comical. He showed up late to this big running tech event and squeezed his table between the Saucony and Mizuno tables. The Saucony and Mizuno gear is really well respected in the run world and their reps are really knowledgeable and take gear super seriously. The Reebok rep was a nice guy but just a full on sales personality. He started talking up the Reebok gear like it was the second coming of the pump. He had a slinky out on his table and would push it over on its side and say, “See that? These shoes are just like that.” It was a little shocking how many people wanted to hear more.

All the serious run techs in the room were quietly shaking their heads- kind of amused and kind depressed. I’ve talked to some retail sales associates and they’ve told me that people are always asking about the Reebok products because they want a work out but they don’t want to work out.

So where am I going with this? If you shoe is gimmicky, embrace it and get Kenny Powers to endorse it. I know there are NFL players in the ad as well but nobody has ever emailed a youtube video to their little brother because Drew Brees is doing a push up. 

Roger Federer Viral

Got to love this. Gilette pays Federer the big bucks and he delivers with a crazy William Tell style viral video. This reminds me that I need to shave. I use a Schick btw and maybe that's been my problem.

Starbucks cranking it up a notch

We've seen the original expensive cup of coffee take on Folger's and Maxwell house in the instant market. Now we are seeing Starbucks return to what it did best to begin with- seeking out those of us that like to pay a little bit more. This time it's packing premium coffees from exotic locals

The coffees will be released in limited runs to 12 cities starting in September. Those of us in Washington, D.C. will be lucky enough to be included. We've seen one off runs with sneakers that do incredibly well, I'm willing to bet this does well too. 

However, you won't see me drinking one even if the prices weren't higher. What is an exotic local in these days of globalization? I'm hearing the first batch comes from the Galapagos. When I was in fifth grade we saw a video about the Galapagos and how precious the place is. Of all the places for my friendly corner multinational to brag about sourcing from, the Galapagos isn't scratching that itch. 

via Washington Business Journal 

How did I sleep on this???

Yeah we all know that Geico puts out some really funny creative. So much so that it's kind of not even worth bringing up. This ad, however, had me laughing out loud. It's not even that new. I guess I need to focus my television watching game.

Asics is grabbing my attention

I'm not sure if I'm the only one that is paying attention to new Asics colorways for women these days. Granted I'm a little more into sneakers than the next guy but I don't think that is what it's really about. The Japanese sneaker manufacturer has enlisted the designs of a designer named Ronnie Fieg. Ronnie Fieg has the arduous task of developing new colorways for the Asics Gel Lyte III. It's a tough job but he seems up to the task. You can scope his website at RonnieFieg.

So why is it that I'm even talking about all this? This is why

This photo is just the beginning of the shoot. Asics keeps doing awesome photo shoots for new colorways with really pretty girls acting all casual. Trust me, there is something about girls chilling in some workout gear and nice kicks that does it for a large segment of the young male population. Bear in mind the shoots don't cross any lines of decency.

As soon Asics does this, several things happen in rapid succession.
-Sneaker blogs like KicksonFire post the pics up.
-The young males that check these blogs are sure to pay attention to this post.
-Most readers are thinking, "Damn, maybe my girl would look good in a fresh pair Asics."
-Credit card numbers are entered and shipping options selected.
- Just as a special treat, Asics drops a video documenting the photo shoot itself a few days later and we all watch that too.

This isn't rocket science folks. This is just nice sneakers doing what nice sneakers do.

Thanks to KicksonFire for bringing these to my inbox on the regular.

Nice Packaging Never Hurt

This is not really what we think of when we think packaging or point of sale but it is clever packaging. South African airline Kulula has gone all out with inspired designs on one its planes. Flying 101 was created internally by the company in order to demystify airplane travel. After all airplanes are made with science and not with magic as magnets are made.

Peroni's "Timeless" Look

While other lager brands were busy trying to find ways to create impressions at the World Cup or develop a new gimmick flavor for football season, Peroni was taking the high road. The company enlisted Gabriele Muccino to make this 5 minute video about love and product placement. The short is set in Rome and really succeeds in creating a timeless feel and not beating you over the head with the Peroni brand.

Bitchin' in the Kitchen

Hell Pizza out of New Zealand dropped an absolutely next level interactive viral video featuring a hero pizza delivery guy performing his duties in a wasteland full of zombies. I'm not a huge fan of zombie movies but we all know many people who are. It's really fun to watch and, like Tom Hank's role in the Castaway, demonstrates a commitment to customer service despite extreme circumstances. It takes a minute to watch but it's also a lot of fun.

You can get started with this embed.

Speaking of Collaborations

Please have a gander at a guest blog post over at my friend Sara Fosmo's blog, Fosmopolitan. I told a little story about buying some nice denim.

Collaborations gone too far?

One of the most popular ways to add an edge to your clothing line is introduce a limited run of product that was created in collaboration with another brand or an outside designer with some prestige. This can work really well and refresh the brand a bit and the results can be exciting.

Some examples that come to mind are Ransom x Adidas and Maiden Noir x Porter. Even Tim Burton x Moleskin was kind of cool. There are about a million others that have come out in the past couple of years alone.

But this trend may have gone to far with the announcement that Hanes collaborated with Stussy on some plain white t-shirts. I will tread lightly because I like that guys that run the Stussy store in DC and I have picked a couple of things there since they opened a couple of years ago. However, it's still a funny idea. Hanes makes cheap and plain t-shirts and doesn't charge much. Stussy makes cheap t-shirts with a little bit of print and charges a lot. Someone decided they were ripe for a collaboration. What is the value add? A small Stussy logo on the front and no tag on the neck. Awesome, no tag on the neck. We can only hope that these creative genius behind these brands will continue to bestow us with such innovative gems of design.

You can check for these in your local Stussy shop. Via Hypebeast.

Wieden drops stunning visuals and an empty message

It's hard to imagine a advertisement that can inspire conflicting emotions quite like this offering from Wieden + Kennedy as part of the Levi's go forth campaign.

On one hand, the ad is absolutely stunning to look at and listen to. The clothes look great and one might even be able to find a small shred of inspiration from the young male voice whispering sweet nothings about pioneers in the rust belt. This is America. The home of- pioneers, coal miners, big ten football and, of course, Levi's. Any second now, American craftsmanship (manufacturing) will be back!

On the other hand, the ad is kind of vague. Welcome back to Braddock, PA? So what is Levi's doing for Braddock, PA besides getting some kids to plant a garden? Maybe these sweet nothings really are just sweet nothings. The kind that undergrad girls may fall prey to at their freshman orientation. Hmmm, I think I'll take a bath now.

The Levi's website states that the company is supporting a community center and a community garden. Awesome!! A huge clothing empire wants to help but sending some charity to Pennsylvania. That is not really the ideal method of corporate responsibility and Ed Freeman would agree with me.

Here's another idea, labor in the U.S. is expensive but people still like to pay a lot of money for denim. Don't pay Wieden any more money. The Levi's brand is already strong enough. Send over some shuttle looms to Pennsylvania (if you still have any or buy them back from the Japan) then put out a line of high end dry denim. The product would hit a demographic that is not currently wearing Levi's and it would be willing to shell out $300 bucks a pop. This is not exactly gear for working people in Braddock, PA but these are rust belt folks. They want jobs not charity.

We are back with a little summertime jam

I’m back after a long vacation to Europe so please put the blog and updates back on your radar screen.

I found this video in my inbox upon my return home (thanks Ellen and Fool’s Gold.) It features Kid Cudi, Rostam Batmanglij and Bethany Cosentino and was brought to you by the good folks at Converse.



There are a couple of reasons to be excited about this. First off, Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend should be given as much love as possible. He’s a local DC kid that done good (he grew up in Georgetown) and is super cool as well as crazy talented. Secondly, Converse’s new ad campaign is behind all this. You can never be mad at a brand that gives us gifts of good summertime jams. This is especially the case when said brand encourages quirky collaborations with artists that are so hot right now.

It is efforts like this that allow the Converse brand to create shelf space at Barney’s Coop while having a strong presence at discount retailers like Target and even Marshalls. Few other brands, if any, are successful at straddling distribution channels that are this disparate. To do so successfully is an amazing feat. Converse isn’t just successful in the U.S. market either, the brand is all over Europe right now.

NBA Fan Ads

I'm sure everyone has seen this this week. I wanted to post it up here just in case. At least basketball knows how to enjoy itself. I feel like if any of this happened during an NFL game, someone would be fined.

Google Ad Experiment

File this under- I wish I had thought of this first. Marketing brands and products is one thing. A lot of people, myself included, can freeze up when it comes to marketing themselves.

adidas Original's World Cup Cantina

Adidas dropped this Originals ad last week that combines the unlikely combination of World Cup watching and Star Wars. The Star Wars bit is not as random as it may appear at first. Original's dropped an extensive Star Wars themed line last winter that definitely offered something for everyone. It's an interesting idea to combine that pack with FIFA given Original's position as a lifestyle brand.

The ad itself is in line with Original's overall approach of drawing in lifestyle celebrities. It features Bekham, Snoop, Ian Brown and a few others. Snoop's performance is endearing even though his acting is always a little goofy. HOWEVER, the big deal here is the rare cameo from Daft Punk. The helmeted duo shines in this ad for sure. There is also a cameo with Neil Armstrong at the very beginning which is also pretty cool.

I owe the Giraffe Lookout loyalists a word of apology for being slowing down on posting. It's been a busy few weeks with the launch of a start-up, a spill in the gulf, a guest blog post over at fosmopolitan and then college football world imploding. The bad news is that it's only going to get slower as I'm about to embark on an extended vacation (bad news for you, not for me.) When I get back in mid-July, I fully intend to keep the blog up and will continue blog with renewed vigor.

In the meantime, I wanted to post up these awesome World Cup posters that ESPN made. I posted all of them because they are all cool in their own way. You can find the original posting here.