Last night, we attended Microsoft’s soft launch party for Softwear, the company’s new line of graphic tees designed by hip-hop artist Common and “inspired by the 1980s when both Microsoft and hip-hop really came of age.” The software giant’s foray into fashion is intended to conjure a sense of nostalgic hipness around the brand, while reacting to the “I’m a PC” stereotype made popular by Apple. The shirts, which will hit select stores in the US on Dec 15, incorporate old DOS iconography, geek vernacular, and a retro-futuristic aesthetic into some surprisingly stylish designs. Softwear’s two lines, Classic and Common’s [...]

Japanese design company Muji wants to be clear with the latest message on their website: they are “not a brand.”  They simply develop “products with a view towards global consumption of the future.”  Curious.
On one hand, their vision is to be commended for offering an intelligent response to unchecked consumerism, where fads and cheaply manufactured goods are too often easily discarded when they go out of style or break.  To combat this trend, “MUJI aims to raise the standard of ‘enough’ to the greatest extent possible.” They plan on accomplishing this by creating universal products made with dependable materials and [...]

SharedEgg offers some neat data visualization maps that provide a glimpse of the interconnected web of products, brands, and activities that binds us. Based on data collected from constituents of various ’subcultures’, the maps reflect the different labels people have for themselves and others based on what they like, what they consume and how they spend their free time. SharedEgg explains their process:
What we ended up asking of our participants was just to list some of the products, and activities that they are involved with: what music artists they listen to, what movies they watch, what television shows they watch, [...]

  
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The way we influence and interact through the internet is constantly changing. We’ve all witnessed how user generated content has brought new creative potential to consumers and opened up the doors of online collaboration. But while UGC’s impact on marketing and the way youth consume and create web content is significant, some believe it still has a long way to go. Screenplay’s Strategic Director Helge Tennø offers a compelling argument on the limitations of the current means for online collaboration, deeming them too rigid and presenting “artificial barriers” [...]

The PR industry as we once knew it is dead.  We’ve written about this topic before, but recently we came across some advice on creating the best PR through the social aggregator, FriendFeed.  SocialTNT explains the most efficient way to market yourself or your company in a well organized article.
The important lessons detailed involve staying current on the feed to maximize media research opportunities and taking advantage of the contacts you have.  In a new world that values usefulness over experience, staying current is critical.  Becoming involved is one of the central aims of FriendFeed and you can easily attain [...]

37signals has an interesting article about how they successfully launched a product to their target market after building up a strong base of fans. It serves as an market compass on how to transition from design to market. The article continues:
We built up an audience that turned out to be an invaluable headstart when we eventually launched Basecamp. It’s a lot easier to market a product when you already have thousands of fans — ones who are the perfect target market for what you’re trying to sell.
It’s also worth reemphasizing one thing that’s been there from the beginning: [...]

Gen Art Pulse have an interesting interview with Noah Kerner, co-founder of Noise Marketing, and Gene Pressman, former co-CEO of Barneys. The two have recently completed a book entitled, Chasing Cool, in which they “interview everyone from Tom Ford to Tiki Barber in their quest to define what it takes to stand out in today’s crowded marketplace.”
This quote in particular stood out:
So what is it about the current generation that makes us so hard to please when it comes to finding what’s “cool”?
The current generation is no different than any generation that has preceded it. There’s just more [...]

A new free service called xipto is paying taste-makers and influencers to endorse specific products and services to their circle of friends by leaving a pre-recorded message on their mobile phone. Each time someone calls, the caller hears “this clip was endorsed by the person you are calling,” the message plays, and the endorsers receives payment. The cool thing here is that each user gets to select exactly what they want to endorse by managing their own playlist of brands/campaigns they support. Users have the option of running a single message or having a rotating list.

mocoNews writes:

Most [...]

With the news that British Airways are to launch internal UK flights from London to Newquay Greenpeace ran this ad:

via Rodrigo Linzao’s Flickr & Russell Davies

Why don’t you give commuters something fun to put in their pockets – or even something useful? Lots of examples of ‘pimped’ London Oystercards are cropping up on the web:
Badoyster
Transport For London
Artist Series
Knitted!
[via Londonist: Pimp My Oystercard]

The Deck, an advertising network for creative and design blogs, has expanded its portfolio to include Subtraction, swissmiss and Zedelman.
More info: The Deck By Coudal Partners

The Socialite’s Life continues to show the way in terms of naturally blending advertising and editorial content. For the Oscar’s, they got Mastercard perfectly positioned.

In conjunction with Chicago’s Auto Show, Scion will be taking over Wicker Park hotspot Four, and transforming it into a place where dining, music, art, and entertainment convene under one roof to offer the best of Chicago’s arts and culture. The event plans to showcase local and emerging talents while recognizing the Wicker Park district as an important cultural and creative hub in Chicago.
The event will be open to the public seven days a week and they are encouraging people to spend their afternoons lingering around their cafe, where they will be providing free wi-fi.
The press release reads:
The nights will [...]

The Digital Influence Mapping Project reveals their methodology on seeking influential bloggers and online publishers in Asia. They say:
We have been working all week to apply our process for identifying influencers in specific categories across the region in Asia. We have a model for rating “influence” amongst bloggers. The elements include:
* Affiliation of blog writer(s)
* Number of links to the blog
* Number of feed subscriptions
* Search engine results position for relevant keyword searches
* Last update
* Industry mentions/lists of top blogs
* Inclusion in Technorati Blog Directory and other online directories
* Discussion Analysis – true discussion or bantering
Digital Influence Mapping Project: [...]

So why do you think that Apple screen is sat in the back of the daily podcast by MobuzzTv Spain. Nice product placement? Where’s your product?
MobuzzTV