So the internets are abuzz with questions about the Saatchi/Epoch Bronze Lion winner “Speed Dressing” cause JC Penney is now denying ownership of the spot. For those not yet in the know, the :60 depicts two cute teens practicing speed dressing so that they can get away with some heavy petting (greatest sex-ed term evar, IMHO).
I was surprised when I saw it and didn’t think it was sanctioned; kinda like the below Levi’s :60. But I’m not wholly convinced that JC ‘knew nothing’ about it. Would Epoch and Saatchi really risk a F500 client relationship for Cannes? Dunno. Though I doubt JC will fire Saatchi. And Saatchi will work again with Epoch.
In the new media landscape, there are strategy briefs that make room to release and then deny content. And by denying it outright, JC can wash their hands in the public eye, yet get the benefit of viral buzz and grab that brass ring of cool amongst teen shoppers. Until this spot hit the web, the words ‘edgy’ and ‘JC Penney’ couldn’t be found in the same room. Now they’re necking in the basement.
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UPDATE
Of course Saatchi knew all about it. I mean, come on, awards shows are an incest fest, you think nobody told them that it was in the running?
…Well now Saatchi/Epoch is ‘returning’ the lion
Once upon a time, listening to music via headphones was considered a form of anti-social behavior, a way to shut out the world. So of course as a teenager, I reveled in the walls that I could create with my walkman. Yellow Sony Sports was my fave. As we moved to discman days, I rocked the chonky ear goggles. They signified hip-hop and served as a caul for my aloof attitude.
Now in the iPod era, headphones lost any stigma of standoffishness. We all share in the experience of using the same operating system, and paired with social media, it can be an act of social inclusion – witness the Silent Raves.
And so as part of the ongoing experiment that is my life, this past month I opted to go sans headphones/iPod, to see if it altered the way I interacted with the world. Eye contact picked up more, and I’ll admit to a spike in furtive eavesdropping, but no great epiphanies to speak of.
And then last Thursday morn I put my headphones back on – and my world went a tad bizzaro. My sense of smell perked up. Lose one sense, and others come to the fore. And since I couldn’t aurally understand the actions and intent of those in my peripheral, I became wary of other people. I did not truly think they sought to cause harm, but could not shake the feeling of being on guard. Human as we may be, I felt almost like an animal negotiating the city space, instinct being the trump card to reason.
If the US Department of Transportation stepped through a looking glass to hire someone from Runwayland, who would it be? While considering this deep thought, I realized that Karl’s personal style (sunglasses/gloves/tie/wearing lots of Hedi Slimane) may have greater mass culture fame than the garments he himself creates. The visage outpaces the artist. This is the Karl that we see in Grand Theft Auto IV, and while I doubt that many gamers know his body of work, they recognize his body and assent that yes, indeed, he is a fashion icon.
Well, we now know that swimming pools were made for Mischief. Here are some pics for the record and believe you me, there are other pics that will stay off the record. It seems that Vodka + New Yorkers + Lack of Clothing = Lots of OMFG. Zee tomfoolery continues next month, so stay close and we’ll keep you posted.
To see more Mischief, click our superfriends Jerri and Laurie.
The ad world just received a huge bonus last night.
Kevin Garnett has been as reliable a performer in commercials as any athlete. By turns his stunning physique, comedic talent, and sheer charisma vibrate from the screen; no athlete has starred in as diverse a reel of spots. In fact, Garnett’s participation in high-profile campaigns has been, I dare say, Jordanesque. All with the niggling caveat that he had yet to become a champion.
The thread running through all sports commercials, of course, is the attraction to that most addictive of binaries: winning. And while it is probably the dream of every commercial director to work with a singular kind of screen talent such as Garnett (and certainly the budgets that advertisers are willing to attach to his likeness), all are ultimately inconsequential with respect to his own dreams. Dreams we do not live, but experience as if they were our own through Gatorade, Adidas, and nba.com. In winning a championship last night Garnett has been able to pay back the promise of all of those ad dollars spent. And, uniquely to his profession, we were able to witness that great screen talent unleash his perspective on winning in as compelling and dramatic a fashion as the camera allows.
Here follows a brief recap in spots and ESPN’s authoritative document of The Moment:
“You have no idea,” Garnett mumbles midway through the above interview. Congratulations to you, Kevin. We don’t.
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Here’s Garnett splitting time with the other athlete-king of commercials, Peyton Manning.
Us Mischief Folk love a good pool party. And we love you. The two together? Pure Pleasure. So this Wednesday, grab your water wings and join us poolside after work.
Wednesday, June 18th
7p till drunk + drowned
125 West 45th Street @ Grace Hotel (Formerly QT)
