the world the way is
the world you would like to see
what you are fighting against to make this new world real
what actions you want people to take to make this world possible
I'm in the business of beauty. My account is a day in and day out subjection of creating naturally beautiful girls to become even more beautiful than any normal human being could be, and then recycling it into advertising's "au naturelle". It's a billion dollar whisper of a promise that sells more products than self-reflective security; it's putting money where your heart is and then silently siphoning out the quarters and dimes by the bucketfuls. It's like a pickup artist's perfect balance of both negging to lure you in, and complimenting you to seal the deal. It's the drug dealer's exact calculations of 40% bullshit ingredients and 60% glory, to ensure you're hooked just enough but not enough to lose a profit on the real stuff. It's advertising, and it's my job.
All too often we buy into the anti-bandwagon approach--chasing organic and farm fresh labels, opting for Dove because it's the "real" beauty, forking over $40 for a T-shirt at American Apparel because it's home grown. And there's nothing wrong with that, really. In the end it does proffer a healthier perspective that often is lost among the hunt for dollars. My bigger issue, which is ultimately beyond hypocritical just by the sheer fact that I make a living off of it, is the need to brand the obvious.
My recent trip to New Zealand was an introduction to a world of unadvertised, good, obviousness that is not publicized or promoted but simply, is. I only spent my time in a limited portion of North Island, around Auckland, North Shore, Rotorua, KareKare and Piha Beaches, and Hamilton. Save the usual downtown hustle and bustle and occasional tourist promotions, billboards are scant in the area. The only advertisement is the land itself. It's a given that everyone serves grass fed beef, freshly caught oysters, and locally grown wine. It's understood that it is everyone's duty as a citizen of New Zealand and as a visitor, to keep the country green and environmentally sustainable. That people should care and live in a fashion that shows they care about themselves, their bodies, their health, their world, is deeply rooted and programmed into the general mentality to such an extent that an American like me can walk away and say, "Wow, those New Zealanders are just so much better minded than us." It becomes true because they are, the idea simply is, and it's natural. It's obvious.
This showed up in my email box from my daily subscription to Gaping Void this morning:
Yesterday my client showed up unexpected for a meeting that was supposed to have been a call. In a rush to throw the room together as though we all work without papers on our desks, as though we always have nuts, wine and steak salads ready, as though we're always this naturally pristine, I realized just how little people in advertising embrace candidness...unless it's behind some campaign to turn dollars. Perhaps unfair, since we ARE in the business of client services and branding ourselves. However I have always appreciated a messy desk, a stack of charts and documents scattered--so my client knows I'm working. And my previous clients have happily made themselves at home in my mess because it's not always the disturbing ripples that should be noticed, but the source of what made them. My coworker was most concerned with the surprise not because he was showing up, but because she didn't have the right shoes on. As if we were hired for our shoes!
I just also redesigned this blog. I tried to make it intense, deep, masked by layers of thoughtful backdrops of candles and moods. Finally I got sick of it all and figured it all looked so fake that people would be so overwhelmed by the sleepiness and the romantic personality I was accidentally conveying...and not even read what I really wanted to write. So simple, fresh, white, non-descript it is.
All of this has been a circumlocution for the first thing that really caught my eye: in going through my old mail, I found this "No Subject" email to myself. I love it when I don't package good things for myself. I love it when I surprise myself. Four things to think about, and no subject line, no direction to affect how I'm supposed to digest these four perspectives of how to see the world the way it is, the way I want it to be, what I am fighting against, and the actions I want people to take.
Action? No subject. No labels. Just be. Obviously!
All too often we buy into the anti-bandwagon approach--chasing organic and farm fresh labels, opting for Dove because it's the "real" beauty, forking over $40 for a T-shirt at American Apparel because it's home grown. And there's nothing wrong with that, really. In the end it does proffer a healthier perspective that often is lost among the hunt for dollars. My bigger issue, which is ultimately beyond hypocritical just by the sheer fact that I make a living off of it, is the need to brand the obvious.
My recent trip to New Zealand was an introduction to a world of unadvertised, good, obviousness that is not publicized or promoted but simply, is. I only spent my time in a limited portion of North Island, around Auckland, North Shore, Rotorua, KareKare and Piha Beaches, and Hamilton. Save the usual downtown hustle and bustle and occasional tourist promotions, billboards are scant in the area. The only advertisement is the land itself. It's a given that everyone serves grass fed beef, freshly caught oysters, and locally grown wine. It's understood that it is everyone's duty as a citizen of New Zealand and as a visitor, to keep the country green and environmentally sustainable. That people should care and live in a fashion that shows they care about themselves, their bodies, their health, their world, is deeply rooted and programmed into the general mentality to such an extent that an American like me can walk away and say, "Wow, those New Zealanders are just so much better minded than us." It becomes true because they are, the idea simply is, and it's natural. It's obvious.
This showed up in my email box from my daily subscription to Gaping Void this morning:
Yesterday my client showed up unexpected for a meeting that was supposed to have been a call. In a rush to throw the room together as though we all work without papers on our desks, as though we always have nuts, wine and steak salads ready, as though we're always this naturally pristine, I realized just how little people in advertising embrace candidness...unless it's behind some campaign to turn dollars. Perhaps unfair, since we ARE in the business of client services and branding ourselves. However I have always appreciated a messy desk, a stack of charts and documents scattered--so my client knows I'm working. And my previous clients have happily made themselves at home in my mess because it's not always the disturbing ripples that should be noticed, but the source of what made them. My coworker was most concerned with the surprise not because he was showing up, but because she didn't have the right shoes on. As if we were hired for our shoes!
I just also redesigned this blog. I tried to make it intense, deep, masked by layers of thoughtful backdrops of candles and moods. Finally I got sick of it all and figured it all looked so fake that people would be so overwhelmed by the sleepiness and the romantic personality I was accidentally conveying...and not even read what I really wanted to write. So simple, fresh, white, non-descript it is.
All of this has been a circumlocution for the first thing that really caught my eye: in going through my old mail, I found this "No Subject" email to myself. I love it when I don't package good things for myself. I love it when I surprise myself. Four things to think about, and no subject line, no direction to affect how I'm supposed to digest these four perspectives of how to see the world the way it is, the way I want it to be, what I am fighting against, and the actions I want people to take.
Action? No subject. No labels. Just be. Obviously!
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