I’m taking a downtown stroll to clear my head.

Going to live tweet whatever interesting marketing / advertising stuff I come across on this thread.

If you follow me on IG (same handle) you’ll also get the non-marketing takes.

First up:

This is a top 5 Soho OOH placement (or all of downtown, arguably).

Gucci owns it as a perm. They have NOT disappointed with their creative. Consistently great.

BTW this is hand painted via Colossal. Hand painted ads are a dying art, but thankfully alive and well in Soho.

Side not about OOH perms: means a brand has 100% SOV (ownership) of the placement for a set amount of time, usually a year, at a huge discount.

Big luxury and retail used to own a lot of perms downtown (Soho, Meatpacking).

In the last recession, a lot of perms were released.

This used to be a Saint Laurent perm. Always beautiful creative. Prime real estate bc it’s above La Esquina and across from Café Select.

Looks like construction is wiping it out?

Reminds me of when the Hollister construction wiped out the legendary DKNY mural on Broadway.

Btw if you are wondering, yes, plenty of business are open but plenty others still board up and/or closed.

I was initially confused when Apple put “privacy” at the forefront of their messaging (launched @ CES 2019)... but now it seems prescient.

What do you think of this campaign?

AIMÉ LEON DORE has IMO defined what good merchandising and mixed retail experience is. This storefront sets the vibe of the surrounding area.

The brand (along w/ Noah) is setting the tone for post-streetwear fashion for male consumers in their 30s IMHO.

Outdoor dining has changed the complexion of city streets, for the better. Feels like Europe.

I hope this never goes away, or at least comes back every summer.

Worried about how we’re going to continue this as it gets colder. It’s been such a net positive.

BTW this is what the outside of AIMÉ looks like on a weekend afternoon. A vibe.

If you’re not familiar with the brand, get familiar. Tip of the spear as a modern and relevant retailer.

Thx GG for the pic

Dressing retail windows is an art. Windows are famous in places like 5th Ave, but equally important downtown (even if the window size is literally smaller).

Some brands have kept things as per usual. Other brands are v transparent about their merchandise (survival?) pivots.

On masks:

I’m of the opinion that even after a vaccine, masks will continue to be a mainstream fashion accessory.

For many brands, masks will be a high margin revenue-driver (like fragrances). There’s a commodity argument, but there’s enough innovation to drive a market IMO.

Interesting thing about early AM Apple lines is that most are there for Genius Bar appointments, but it creates this velvet rope spectacle when casual observers think “... might as well check it out.”

Covid capacity limitations amplify this a bit. Flipping externality - to +.

I’m not sure if this was intentional, but it works.

I have a lot of thoughts on this collaboration, but I’ll hold back...

I really want to have a conversation with whomever is in charge of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s estate / IP...

Great example of a perm that has been going for a while. Google has owned this placement for years (if another brand shows it, they are prob “leasing” the space).

Note on copy: Is Google trying to make “Google Phone” a thing? Did focus on “Pixel” become problematic?

Going to be honest here... I really don’t like Hudson Whiskey’s rebrand.

Why go from something authentic and distinctive to looking like every other DTC brand?

Does anyone disagree? Would love to know your thoughts.

That concludes my stroll for the day.

Lmk if you want to see more of these. I’m trying to offer unique value here and not just be another thinkfluencer.

Also, I will be pushing hard for full time work in the coming weeks, so consider this a quick dose of how I see the world.

Lastly (I swear...)

If you’re interested in the hand painted wall I pointed out earlier, please please watch this excellent documentary from Stella (2010) on the art & beauty of hand painted advertising murals. Timeless. https://vimeo.com/11175747