Yo, No Sushi

What more do I need to say. No brand, no sushi. No pret a manger. No M&S. Lonesome and no friends. On the other hand just got the hang of scaleable vector graphics so I can work on the not-logo. Things are coming along - have you seen the nifty new fragments website?

I’m overconvinced that brand allure has had its day. Caught myself writing this in an article yesterday.

“To Freitag” could one day mean to be clever enough to develop concepts dressed up as bags, stools, accessories, whatever. This cerebral component makes their mission imitable by anyone with a curious mind.

Check out freitag.ch, the purveyors of bags made of truck tarp and seat belts. I’m amazed how may of these initiatives are out there and the desire of people for uniqueness, a key element of the Freitag project. Am I delusional? It seems people who are buying things want to feel a direct contact with the people who are selling, so what does that mean for Amazon and online stores and how do we go about creating personal connections around our products?

Well we set up a Facebook page for fragments to see how that goes. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fragments/41843090211

And we must, really must start talking to people more about the project and the ambition - to demystify art, make it extremely accessible, and to invite participation. The first blog press is coming out Friday so who knows. Word is on its way.

A PayPal Buy Button

The sign.

I Am Not A Brand

Am I a BMW driver? No. Volkswagen Golf? No siree. Do I drink Yellow Tail or Jacob’s Creek? When I was younger. How about Paul Smith suits? Can’t afford. Versace neither. Wallpaper magazine? I pick it up at airports because in fact I really love design. I’m pretty proud to say, though, I am not a brand. Life has been hell trying to be one, trying to live up to expectations.

It’s only a passing observation but these affiliations with brands seem to go hand in hand with a personal brand mentality, that whole Brand You gig, and with it, the danger of feeling unfulfilled. Yes, under-branded.

If we don’t get a slice of the brand action, if we can’t or won’t talk ourselves up, if we won’t embrace the idea that we are out there selling ourselves there’s a good chance we’re going to feel a little short on the essentials.

On the other hand can we reject branding and all that goes with it? What does go with it? A set of signs and a language of what constitutes success, a short hand for luxury, even if luxury is just your Friday night shot of Standard Vodka.

Branding and design are beautiful and that is why they wield power. But art too can be beautiful, more often than not original, always in search of a difference but never, well nearly never, a brand. A little art in our lives opens up the possibility of a brand-escape route, a road to a brand-free life. Well that would be impossible but to be on the road, that is the thing.

If you are not a brand or want to be a little less branded in your life maybe you could take a look at our first project, the One World Wallet. Heck if you are an artist you might want to suggest our next project. All it takes is a comment.