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.