michael
This dress appeared at JC/DC (Jean-Charles de Castelbajac) London, right after Michael Jackson passed away. And I actually loved it.
February 2nd, 2010
Posts filed under 'branding'
good people = good brands
I’ve always been a Whole Foods fan, but today I’m even more. In 2007 I join the brand team at Nokia, back then I asked myself, what brands do I really like? I realized that there are only two brands that have won my heart: Whole Foods and Nike. Nike has been my favorite sports gear for many years, I discovered Nike sneakers when I was 8 years old, so, not only there is something about nostalgia, but also there is something about running shoes quality called Bowerman.
I spent the summer of 1990 at Berkeley, CA. studying English with two close friends of mine. It was then when I ran into Whole Foods for the first time, I noticed it was a different kind of grocery store. I wasn’t quite sure why, but it felt more cozy than the other grocery stores, it reminded me the happiness you fell when exploring street markets aisles. I liked the variety of fresh cereals they had at that time, it reminded me the way in which teas are sold and displayed in mexican markets.
Now, 2009 winter season in London, lots of people with flu and colds. Well, I’m not exemption. I have not left home for almost a week, I have a bad flu. I ran out of food this morning and my boyfriend is out of town, so I called Whole Foods Soho branch to ask them if they deliver groceries at home, like the Kensington branch. A young gentleman told me over the phone that Soho branch does not have that service. Nevertheless, he asked, why? I explained my situation – I am sick at home and ran out of food. It took me more time to explain myself, before Habib kindly offer to help me by taking my groceries request over email and then bring them home.
I could not believe it. But it is true. There are very good people out there. They get out of their way and basic job functions just to help other people. There are people with a big heart, that still can make time to listen to other people needs. There are people who know what to prioritize in life and make this a better world. Thank you Habib you made this a very special day!
Habib also reminded me a lesson about brands. No matter how good a brand strategy or brand idea is; brands are what people working for them decides to make out of them on a daily basis. All the maneuvers that take place behind the scenes reach consumers no matter what. All the good and the bad, the projects, programs, processes, structures, etc… have a true impact on the way consumers perceive brands. Employees behavior become absolutely critical in contributing to a brand success or failure. Today I like Whole Foods more than I liked it yesterday.
November 13th, 2009
wimbledon + branding
We went to Wimbledon last weekend and saw all matches on court one. I enjoyed the rituals and formality of the event. For me Venus Williams was the day’s highlight. What I found most interesting was the event branding. All the starategic places where symbols and logos were situated. Besides Nike, Reebok, etc. endorsing players, Polo is one of the core brands you constantly see, all '’ball boys'’ wear navy caps and polos with a humungus polo symbol, impossible to miss. The other strong brand is Fila strategically placed on the ‘’ball boys'’ sneakers’ soles… unmissable given their kneeling throughout the matches. And of course the wimbledon brand in '’line judges'’ dress code, from sneakers, color pallete to shirt patterns, a whole visual language for the event.
July 6th, 2008
train station
About three weeks ago I took this photo of amazing large scale photography outside the Amsterdam train station.
March 20th, 2008
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
One of the very first things I’ve learned five years ago, when I moved to the U.S. was the difference between the East & the West coast, one aspect I like about the West coast, particularly in California is that is laid back and one of the most liberal areas of the country when compared to most East coast cities, and middle America. Los Angeles even with the celebrity culture and the Hollywood lifestyle is an interestingly diverse and progressive city. The L.A. West side is closer to the beach, more expensive and less ethnically diverse. L.A. East side is more mixed and contrasted.
Yesterday, was a cold evening and for the first time I went to see a movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, my experience was an L.A. East side one, which I enjoyed because of the good vibe. The movie was Chinatown (1974) by Roman Polanski. The story unfolds in Los Angeles and involves the challenge of bringing water to the city. While Jack Nicholson’s character investigates a supposedly adultery case he discovers a plot to buy cheap unwatered land for low prices, to then water the land and sell it for millions of dollars. Sitting on blankets over the grass, with friends, food, wine & cigarets around, an amazing sound, palm trees and a lot of people, I was reminded that not all collective experiences are bad.
August 27th, 2006
Chinampas in Xochimilco
Two weeks ago I visited Xochimilco an area located in the south-east of mexico city. I have not been there in about five years, it is interesting to go back to places you think you know well, because when you go back you realize that your memories about the place can be very different than the way the place really is. It can happen because real changes occurred in the place, or because real changes happened in your memory about the place. Xochimilco is an interesting place to visit because it shows the way mexico city was more than 500 years ago. You can still see Chinampas which are raised planting platforms where the Aztecs used to farm in the old Tenochtitlan, they are like little islands. You can also see Trajineras which are small canoes that the Aztecs used to travel from one Chinampa to another one. It is exciting just to think about it, and happily besides the touristic areas, which are crowded and dirty, there are preserved areas that have been cleaned. There you can travel in canoes, work-out or just observe the beauty of nature, from flamingos to ducks and other bird species. It is truly an oasis in one of the most polluted cities in the world.
The Trajineras in the touristic area each have a different name, and are designed in a unique manner. They used to be decorated with natural flowers which made them beautiful, with small facades at the front of each canoe featuring complex and unique multicolored arrangements. The flowers where replaced at least every five days so there was a new visual landscape to look at. Because of the high cost of maintaining the flower typography tradition, nowadays the Trajineras feature strange fonts that in some way mimic the idea of flowers, but they are certainly not flowers. It was confusing when I first saw the new canoes, my brain kept sending all kinds of signals telling me that something was not right. These transitions in traditions are sad to me, maybe they are good for the environment, I’m not sure… But I’m certain that from a design perspective my favorite real flower typography is vanishing : (
July 22nd, 2006
World Cup Germany 2006
This is the third year in a row that I went to San Francisco during the summer to attend a play on Mt. Tamalpais. At the top of the mountain there is an amphiteather with a gorgeous view of the bay area, the whole experience is lovely. The plays are nicely put together, but I have to confess that I go because of the “experience” rather than the play itself. I love the fact that I gather with a group of friends every year to hike for about three hours prior to the play, once we reach the top of the mountain we find a nice spot in the shade, and while we watch the play we share food and wine. This year it was different, the main reason: World cup season, which happens every four years. So instead of the play “experience”, I rather picked the couch “experience”.
I grew up in a country where futbol soccer is very important, it is more than a sport, it is a social activity. Although I don’t currently follow mexican tournaments, I played futbol during junior high and high school, and I do enjoy watching it on T.V., and certainly at the stadium. So this is a very special month for me, and the other millions of futbol fans in the world.
This year the World Cup has been as exciting as always, good futbol unexpected results, and expected ones… The World Cup has also been surprising from a design perspective, I thought that because Germany is hosting the tournament, the visual communication would’ve been great. My big surprise is that the graphic & media design are completely unexpressive, and non-appealing… trying too hard to communicate happiness… and at the end it is pretty sad to see how not only a futbol (3 times world cup winner ‘54, ‘74 and ‘90) but also a graphic design power house, has missed an excellent opportunity for good design. I found an interesting article by Spiekermann: “world cup design Just Embarrasing”. Interesting facts: Brazil 5 times world cup winner ‘58, ‘62 ‘70, ‘94 & ‘02, Italy 4 times world cup winner ‘34, ‘38, ‘82 and NOW ‘06, Uruguay ‘30 & ‘50, Argentina ‘78 & ‘86, France ‘98 & England ‘66.
2 comments June 25th, 2006
Las Vegas
While walking in a shopping mall in Las Vegas I found out that each visitor is recorded about 784 times a day. My first thought: security. I began thinking about how security has changed since 9/11, and how much more it will change in the coming years. From credit card transactions to driving violations, our actions are, and always will be recorded in some way. How many times will our everyday actions be digitally captured? How and where will this data be stored? Will we be able to keep information stored in its original format such as 5.25″ floppy disks, 3.5″ floppy discs, jazz disks, zip disks and hard drives?
What will the digital libraries of the future look like?
Add comment November 20th, 2005