The Corporate Revolt project is working to question the limits of corporate, branding, and advertising power in a culture consumed by consumption. Its goal is to encourage citizens to question their response to commercial messages and to play a more active role in determining the limits of corporate power in our society. Read More.
This past week I printed and pieced together some actual (not comped) packaging for the Anarkon Basic Gas Mask. I bought the mask from Amazon.com of all places. It’s an Israili Civilian mask and was a mere $30 after shipping. The photos aren’t the greatest but I was pretty happy with how the packaging itself turned out. I made a little warranty card and a product description piece that goes inside.
This past weekend I was down in San Diego and ended up randomly going to swap meet. I found some great stuff including some manuals from the 70’s and early 40’s. One is a small manual entitled, “The United States Marine… Essential Subjects,” and covers everything from uniform specification and measurements, to types of shelters good for weathering out a nuclear attack. The other one (pictured here) is a little booklet called, “Miscellaneous Chemical Munitions,” and gives a detailed run-down on all the chemical munitions available to soldiers, covering what they are made of, how to use them and when to use them. Both are packed with some great instructional illustrations.
This week over a short flight to San Diego I started reading Kalle Lasn’s Culture Jam. Though its not particularly research heavy, most of his rants about the state of American consumer culture and its effects on all of us carry a lot of truth. One such bit in a chapter about the emergence of modern advertising and how we’ve come to experience the world not as it is, but as it is seen through commercial messaging goes as follow: “(Modern Advertising) marks the end of the authentic experience, and therefore the end of the authentic self.”
This made me think of another bit of related genius I read recently in a magazine: “When you cut off arterial blood to an organ, the organ dies. When you cut the flow of nature into people’s lives, their spirit dies. It’s as simple as that.”
Both of these made me think about how living in a large urban area, exposed to almost constant commercial messaging can sometimes feel like slow death. I think I’ll join a small farming community when I finish grad school. : )
Wanted to re-post some good reading that I’ve recently been tipped off to. An instructor of mine recently reminded me of Naomi Klien’s new book The Shock Doctrine, in which the author “explodes the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically.” If you are not familiar with the author, I highly recommend her first book No Logo.
Another book I just ordered by Rob Walker is entitled, Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are. Once again I’ve heard some great things about this one. A quick excerpt to get your attention, “Brands are dead. Advertising no longer works. Weaned on TiVo, the Internet, and other emerging technologies, the short-attention-span generation has become immune to marketing. Consumers are “in control.” Or so we’re told.”
Not completely unrelated to this project, the firm I work at just had it’s grand opening and launched its first project. To learn more about the firm and it’s mission to “Change Hearts, Minds and Habits,” visit www.ishothim.com. Our first project is working to promote line drying as a symbol of patriotism, intelligence and environmental activism, rescuing it from the symbol of poverty and dispear it seems to represent in America today. Learn more at www.right2dry.org.
A friend of mine just sent me this great news video from the Onion entitled, New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less. Future developments are “family feed troughs,” and “drive threw feed hoses.” I would love to work for these guys.
I just got a pile of new posters back from ShortRunPosters.com and was relatively impressed. They print 18×24 full color on a glossy 80lb paper for $2 a piece. Color and quality is surprisingly impressive for the price.
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In listening to the news this morning I heard a reading the entire Declaration of Independence. I think I may be repurposing it for the needs of Anarkon as so many parts of it are relevant to my project. The following segment I’m especially drawn to…
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
In a consumer crazed country like America I think many people would see a corporate sponsored state as “a new government most likely to effect their happiness.”
I just got confirmation from the head of the Graphic Design department that I will have the distinct pleasure of working with bona fide brand guru Debbie Millman this summer. Debbie is president of Sterling Brands in New York, host of Design Matters, a board member of the New York Chapter of the AIGA and a mentor at the High School of Art & Design. She is also an author on the design blog Speak Up and a writer for Print Magazine. Needless to say, I’m very excited about having her input and direction on my thesis project.
Another product for the “lifestyle” section of the site. I thought the addition of vodka to be a appropriate. You can read the product description up on the site for more information.
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