buying in and selling out

it's a way to buy credibility. which, if you base all your decisions around money, it's probably rather easy to run short of. lot's of companies do it, so it really is the practice that i don't like and not any one in particular. i figure it works like this: Megabrand commissions art with no discernible marketing value, and then after one gallery opening and one closing--they more or less bury it. buzz circulates just enough that those in already in said subculture see it, and acknowledge Megabrand's effort. of course that buzz bleeds into related circles, but interestingly enough, not much. Megabrand risks and loses none of their mass appeal, they gain a small amount of ground with the creative set, they get to toot their horn about moneys spent on philanthropic endeavors, and wrap the whole thing up with a nice tax write off. gone and forgotten. perfect.

it's not quite evil, just a little parasitic--and even though it tastes like phony, sometimes it generates some pretty cool work. this is from adidas' adicolor campaign...a line of dominant color, limited edition shoes. the shoes you might've seen, because Megabrand wanted to sell those, but did you ever hear about these shorts? of course you didn't.



see the rest here.