We had the opportunity to attend a symposium at Pratt Institute as part of their “ReIGNITE!” series during alumni weekend. The event brought together a group of panelists from across a wide range of disciplines speaking on ideas related to redefining the good life and reconsidering creative value in the 21st century.

We previously covered one clothing company and its undertaking of an anti-branding campaign, removing logos from its gear to focus on designing a superior product. In July we spotted a covert Starbucks store in Seattle. Now big banks are also taking measures to avoid being identified using “stealth spending” at sponsored events.
During the U.S. Open golf tournament at Bethpage Black,  Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley all brought clients to the Heritage Club, an exclusive corporate hospitality center. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on tables but those responsible could not be identified, logos on [...]

Agency laid you off? Make Lemonade.
That’s exactly what Eric Proulx did when he was laid off from his copywriting job. He launched his own blog as a support system for ad agency creatives and the overwhelming response inspired the idea for Lemonade. The short documentary candidly tells the story of former directors, designers, and writers from the instant they were fired and what came next. Each person describes how their dismissal dramatically changed their life. The time to pursue life-long dreams ranging from painting to holistic healing became new sources of creativity. Lemonade will be released for free online in late [...]

Vacant retail space is always a bit of a bummer, and now more than any time in the recent past, spots are closing their doors and clearing out as business diminishes and prospects dim. Seeking to make the most of the recession’s real estate pummeling, non-profit art group No Longer Empty is reclaiming empty storefront space and converting it into temporary art installations. The group describes their mission as one to alleviate bear market anxiety during the moribund New Gilded Age—to place beauty in the spatial vacuum of the crash. The project’s first two sites are in the lobby of [...]

While the state of the economy is having a negative effect on most areas of the retail sector, more than a few industries are experiencing an uptick. Time examines recent trends in consumer spending, discovering that products and services that fulfill needs like escapism, inexpensive luxury and stress relief are reaping the most benefits.
Though it’s not exactly clear what methodology the magazine used to draw their conclusions, it’s interesting to note the contrast between purchases that reflect a desire for personal improvement – yoga classes, gardening supplies and mobile devices – versus those that seem to be indicative of temporary [...]

For some, Easter-time means stuffing yourself with chocolate, jellybeans, and marshmellowy delights. But it’s not just the recent holiday that has crowded the candy aisle. The economic downturn appears to have a distinct sweet tooth. Candy stores around the country are reporting a jump in sales since the slowdown last fall, as people everywhere rush to fill up on sugary snacks.
No one knows exactly why the recession inspires candy cravings. A recent New York Times article pondered possibilities for the candy craze: Penny pinchers looking for an affordable pleasure? Stressed adults nostalgic for their childhood? The [...]

When UK based Woolworths, the store that stocked and sold pretty much everything you’d never need, was hit by the recession and closed most people were a little distraught. Although the chain was famous for its variety of sweets and being frequented around holiday time for any and every type of toy, there was not enough business to keep them afloat. From this disaster and disappointment however, has come some good.
First, via the initiative of previous Dorchester branch Woolworths manager, Clare Robertson: after the closure of her branch in late 2008, she decided that something similar had to go in [...]

Is this a sign of ‘reorder’ taking affect? At the start of this year, the UK saw the bankruptcy of Woolworth’s and this closed 807 stores across the country. While the retail brand couldn’t apparently compete in this turmoil, several of the individual stores did turn a profit. After the closures, some of the old managers have leased the old properties and reopened the stores as Wellworths – or ‘Wellies’ for short.
The Sun has a report on the re-opening of one store in the county of Dorset:
Enterprising ex-manager Claire Robertson defied the recession to launch a new spin-off and gave [...]

An article in the Telegraph argues that the current-shake up of the market has reversed the oft-predicted view that Western economies are drifting from a manufacturing to services focus. The paper says that oil, pharmaceuticals and technology production is making a come back in the UK while retail and banking is declining:
Two years ago financial services dominated – overtaking even the combined might of our oil giants: BP, Shell and British Gas. Not surprisingly oil and gas has regained the number one spot – by some considerable margin. The pharmaceutical sector takes second place followed by the resources sector, which [...]

Having been around the track quite a few times over my checkered career, I’m once again starting to pick up that rancid smell of fear which always permeates the Adverati when the economy begins its inexorable tightening of the marketing budget screws after the excesses of the “money grows on trees” cycle. You know, the one everyone unfailingly assumes will last for years… And guess what? It never fucking does. Remember the euphoria of the dot com explosion followed by the hand wringing that accompanied the inevitable implosion? Ah, those glorious, all too short years when starts ups promised insatiably [...]

As I declined the plastic bag to take my purchase in at Duane Read last night I explained to the girl behind the checkout, “A small step to help save the world.” She didn’t understand me. Of course, it could have been the accent or it could be too late in her shift. But I also realized as I finished speaking that I had used the wrong word at the end of my sentence.
When it comes to environmental issues, the word we use for the place we live isn’t ‘world’. Instead we often use ‘planet’. We talk to each other [...]

What impact is the recession having on green goods – a sector that seemed to be booming until everything went a little south? Common perception is that everyone has got budget conscious and that they’re choosing price over environmental considerations – but is that the case?
In the New York Times magazine, Rob Walker looks at the brand Preserve that uses recycled plastics to make kitchen products. Demand for recycled plastics has plummeted, Rob says, making it much cheaper to acquire the stuff to make Preserve products but there might also be other reasons for consumers to buy the brand:
A more [...]

An article in the New York Times seemed to echo discussion on these pages about a significant shift in the economy, the type of work we do and the kind of goods and services we buy. The Times says that the dramatic rise in jobless in the US shows that there will be a “vast” remaking of the US economy which will require the retraining of a large chunk of the workforce:
This dynamic has proved true in past recessions as well, with fading industries pushed to the brink during downturns before others emerged to create jobs when economic growth inevitably [...]

Since becoming increasingly commercial and globally successful, London-based street artist Banksy has decided to sell one of his sought after pieces for pennies – or rather, literally a penny. With the help of sponsors Brahma beer and Artichoke Ltd, Banksy is allowing art buyers and enthusiasts to bag a bargain in the recession. The initiative is based upon an online lottery with which you register, where you’re allotted a number to take along to a secret venue on 27th March, where a winner will be picked at random. The piece for sale, Trolleys, is currently on display at a pop [...]

This picture was taken of one of the several stores in New York’s Nolita that have closed down recently. The sign in the window says that after 14 years the store has closed and that the business gone web-based.
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