I will be teaching secondary English in the Denver area, and hope to bring my copywriting, research, and brief writing skills to the English classroom.

It’s quite a change in direction for me, and I will miss working in advertising. However, I am bright eyed with excitement about the opportunitiy to positively affect disadvantaged kids’ lives more directly.

I still hope to intermittently update The Brand Anthropologist, but my priority will be teaching for two years.

In the meantime, I invite you to check out my blog chronicling my Teach For America experience at Somehow a Teacher.

Cheers!

One thing about basketball shoes; they are expensive. This presents a problem, because their primary market is teenage boys who don’t have much disposable income.

Their have always been cheap shoes, but they were always dorky. Fake versions of Jordans, Garnetts, and Shox proliferated the shelves of K-Mart and Wal-Mart, bound to end up on some kids feet who just wasn’t fortunate enough to afford coolness.

Because of my long-engrained bias against cheap shoes, an advertisement for the new Protege brand caught my attention hard a few weeks ago. The ad was an appealing juxtaposition of gritty streetball scenes and futuristic CGI visually showing the values of the shoe. To top it all off, it was all being sold by Knicks’s big man Al Harrington. My attention was had, and then completely imprisoned by the end of the ad.

“Protege, available at K-Mart for 34.99″

Whoa. A good looking, pro-sponsored basketball shoe for the price of a pair of shorts? Was this the first cheap shoe that could be actually cool?

The Protege shoe is something that is an advertising dream; A beautiful product with a low price tag. DraftFCB could have simply had the shoe on a shelf with the price tag and it could have sold. Instead, they developed an ad that made the shoe even more appealing.

The aspect that makes this advertisement work is its ambition. It seems like many cheap alternative products are advertised cheaply; draped in cliche humor, stock video, and generally cheesy advertising message. Instead of take that obvious route, DraftFCB presents the Protege shoe as an extremely desirable product; something that is in the same league as the best of Nike. Everything from the pro athlete credibility to the extremely slick CGI to the well-written, subtle script creates a big-boy atmosphere for the upstart shoe. This is crucial, because basketball shoes are about 20% performance and 80% image.

They finish off this great ad with a pithy, hard hitting tagline; “You don’t need money to play this game, you need the shoe”

The tv spot is complemented by an interactive, multi-use website developed by interactive agency indelible. The website gives more information on the shoe design, shows the entire product line, and gives insight into Al Harrington’s vision for the new brand.

Its encouraging to see a company and an agency show that coolness isn’t all about how much you spend. It makes the idealistic part of my brain think that maybe all advertising isn’t just about fooling people to part with their money. Maybe advertising can actually connect people with something that will meet their needs. Maybe…

In any case, I want a pair.’s

In this climate, it seems impossible for a corporate giant to gain the trust of the average consumer. Names like Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, and Halliburton are uttered by activists as if they are unholy names of viscious demons.

This presents an enormous challenge to those agencies advertising these clients. How do I not only remove the bad reputation of these companies, but foster a positive relationship with their customers?

The venerable DraftFCB showed a great solution to this in their campaign for Dow. As a chemical company, Dow is in the crosshairs of a thriving eco-awareness movement and its ensuing organic movement. It seems as if consumers shudder at the word “chemical”, thinking of carcinegenic pesticides, dangerous food additives, and polluted rivers.

In the face of all this, these ads show a great sense of self-awareness by Dow.

Instead taking the damn-the-torpedoes we-know-best attitude that many companies have had in the midst of consumer backlash, Dow subtly acknowledges its image and assertively states that chemicals, are elemental and even beautiful. After seeing the following spot, its hard to disagree, at least on an emotional level.

“The missing element is the human element, and when we add it to the equation, the chemistry changes”

That beautiful quotation, which seems more at home in a Frost poem than a chemical ad, seems to sum up Dow’s attitude. Instead of taking a purely scientific, purely economic view of the world, they realize that the human presence must be both examined and accounted for.

The advertisement has been proven to be effective. It won the coveted golden Effie award in 2008 for Corporate Reputation, Image, and Identity. In a conversation I had with Sandy Colkey, Executive VP at DraftFCB and head of the Dow campaign, he said that the ads also had the unintended effect of bringing in a whole slew of green-minded recruits. Is the ad truly representative of Dow’s responsibility? I am not versed enough to know. In any case, the campaign serves as a great example of how geniuine communication can win over critics and consumers.

The result?

I was underwhelmed. Sure, it was aesthetically pleasing and reflected millennial design more than there overtly 90′s inspired previous logo, but worth the huge costs? In my mind, hardly.

I, like the rest of the AdAge commenters, immediately wrote off the redesign as unnecessary and overpriced. Furthermore, I believed the logo change seemed to be another example of Pepsi’s inability to create a logo as iconic and long lasting as Coca-Colas. Coca- Cola ‘s logo, which has remained unchanged throughout the many design phases it has lived through, serves as a direct contrast to Pepsi, which has changed to reflect every design phase.

Pepsi - 1898-2008

Coca-Cola - Largely unchanged since 1895

I started to rethink my opinion on the Pepsi redesign on a road trip with one of my graphic design friends. “The new Pepsi logo is genius”, he blithely stated after a quick stop at a convenience store. I was incredulous, “really? I think its pointless. It cost way too much money, and they lose all the visual recognition capital they built with their old logo.”

Both of us realized that marketing is essentially the only point of differentiation in the soft-drink world. However, I believed that Pepsi should refresh their marketing efforts around a constant logo, whereas my friend believed that the logo change was essential for them to stay relevant.

I was still convinced I was right. However, the fact that my friend, who is an astute creative with a love for forward thinking design, noticed and liked the new Pepsi logo had to be worth something.

I more or less forgot about the Pepsi logo until New Years Eve. I went to New York City, and as I strolled down the advertising Mecca of Times Square, I saw it.

I was awed. In the midst of the advertising overload of Times Square, my eye was immediately drawn to the colorful, bold Pepsi display. The use of the Pepsi logo as an “o” is incredibly simple and memorable. Instead of reading “Pepsi” and immediately tuning out to an already heard message, I was reading random words that all have a lot of social meaning and pique my interest. By including the Pepsi logo within these words, I am not only being exposed to the logo over and over again, I am passively connecting the logo to the words I am reading. Pop is Pepsi. Love is Pepsi. 09 is Pepsi. The brand message was there without saying it or even stating the company name: Pepsi emphasizes everything.

The next few weeks, I saw many variations of the execution, Booyah on top of Taxis, OohLaLa on the Chicago El, Hola on a huge billboard. None of these renditions included the Pepsi name. They were simply permanently indenting the new logo into my mind, associating it with the most happy and colorful expressions of words.

I now believe the Pepsi logo change was a great move, but only because of its inventive presentation. In addition to the memorable outdoor advertising campaign, the logo has the benefit of all sorts of controversy. First, we have the conspiracy that the logo and advertising message was designed in concert with Barack Obama’s campaign logo.

Second, we have a 27 page document explaining the development of the logo, which includes such heady topics as Earth’s magnetism and grandiose proclamations like “Emotive forces shape the gestalt of the brand identity”.

Third, we have the sheer cost of rebrand in the midst of mass layoffs by Pepsi.

While these all raise some legitimate questions for Pepsi as a company, they do nothing but boost the publicity of the new logo for free.

Will the new logo pull Pepsi out of its recession slump? So far, no. However, with its mass publicity and exciting executiong, the rebranding of Pepsi could be just what the doctor ordered in the long run. (Soft drink mixed metaphors are the best)

Despite many critics calling the ads mediocre this year, I found many to be captivating. The combination of the advertising and one of the greatest super bowls I’ve ever watched made it impossible to find bathroom breaks. Below are my top ten ads from the Super Bowl.

Honorable Mention. Career Builder – tips

Wieden + Kennedy

The “Hate your job” theme is starting to get a little redundant, with both Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com using it in their advertising for several years. However, this ad was memorable due to its fantastical clips, physical comedy, and repetition (honestly, does anyone not remember at least three of the scenes from this ad?). It felt like a children’s book to me. A children’s book of insanely disgruntled middle middle class employees.

10. GE – Smart Grid

BBDO

Maybe its my adoration of the gee-whiz technology of GE, or maybe its my excitement at new power technology, or maybe its just a soft spot in my heart for The Wizard of Oz. Whatever it is, this ad made me feel strangely emotional. Thats a pretty big success for a company advertising electric power.

9. Audi – Jason Statham

Venables Bell and Partners

I love the over the top action of the Transporter movies starring Jason Statham and his arsenal of Audis. Due to this, I think its astute of Audi to choose him as their “spokesman” in this ad. The ad had several great qualities; humorous yet subtle humor, high paced action, and cheeky jabs at competing luxury brands. The message was clear, Audi is the new standard of performance. It was delivered with excitement, humor, memorability, and originality.

8. Hyundai – Bosses

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

The old luxury standbys are getting attacked from every angle, even from lowly Hyundai. After years of increasing quality in their offerings, Hyundai has finally gotten critical approval for its luxury Genesis. The little guy beating the big guy theme in this ad is pretty likable, and the self-referential jab at the confusing pronunciation of the name Hyundai ends the ad perfectly. This ad seems to be the official announcement of Hyundai as a big time competitor in the car industry.

7. Heroes Football

Wow. I never knew how much I needed to see a scrimmage between football legends and superheroes. I was so pumped up by this ad I hardly knew what to do. By the time John Elway flew in and showed his all-American quarterback jaw, I was ready to give high fives to every one in the room. Its been a few seasons since I’ve watched Heroes, but this definitely reminded me while I love the show. I can only hope for more Elway cameos.

6. Gatorade – What G Means

TBWA/Chiat/Day

Gatorade’s rebranding campaign has been extremely interesting, and I hope to cover it in a future post. This finale of the mysterious “What is G?” campaign hit pretty hard. The combination of big name stars like Tiger and Peyton with more eclectic additions such as autistic basketball player Jason McElwain and dance crew Jabbawockeez shows an attempt to expand Gatorade’s appeal from die-hard sports players to those with a broader scope of passions. Memorable, emotional, and visually stunning.

5. Cars.com – David Abernathy

BBDO

Perhaps the most-hyped creative spot, the tale of David Abernathy delivered in originality, memorability, and humor. The Wes Anderson-esque description of David Abernathy’s confidence might have made the most well-remembered advertisement of the Super Bowl. But for all its creative genius, I realized it may have failed when my friends were discussing the ad, wondering who it was for again.

4. Pepsi – Refresh Anthem

TBWA/Chiat/Day

Nothing like a Bob Dylan song with emotional clips from the past juxtaposed with their modern day alternatives to get your heart pumping. While some of the comparisons were a little questionable (Will.i.am is the new Dylan?), I thought the ad delivered a great message in a consistent, emotional way. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and Pepsi will always be part of being cool.

3. Coke – Avatar

Wieden + Kennedy

Wieden + Kennedy seem to always know exactly what the public needs from Coca Cola. In an atmosphere where one can get crushed by the myriads of social networking and technology-enabled “connections”, the power of a real life connection is even more potent. What better catalyst for these face to face encounters than a shared bottle of Coke?

2. Hulu – Alec Baldwin

Crispin Porter + Bogusky

The edgiest product advertised during the Superbowl by the edgiest agency. Hulu delivered big with a stellar performance by Alec Baldwin in his 30Rock persona and a sarcastic tone that relies big on the viewer’s ability to “get it”. After multitudes of social networking sites and new media ventures making bombastic claims of changing the world and making life better, its nice to see one unabashedly state that it will turn your brain to mush.

1. Coke Zero – Mean Troy

Crispin Porter + Bogusky

Is it any surprise that CP+B were responsible for my top two ads? The agency is on fire. This ad could have easily been a faithful recreation of the original “mean Joe Greene” spot and been incredible. Instead, CP+B inserts their asinine Coca Cola brand managers into the beautiful ad and somehow make it even more memorable.

He was attempting to catch up on a few episodes of The Office on nbc.com. As usual, he was subjected to mini advertisements during the streaming episode. He said that one advertiser, “some cell phone” company, was presenting their advertisement in the form of an online game. However, instead of being excited about the interactivity of the game during the interruption of his episode, he had the opposite reaction.

“I felt like I was being condescended to. There was a little progress bar, and I knew if I clicked around it would fill up or something, but I didn’t care about it at all. And it had nothing to do with cell phones. I almost wanted to say, ‘pitch me something here at least!’.”

I thought this was interesting. Here was a little campaign that obviously took some creativity and attempted to overcome the annoyance factor of online advertising. It was obviously marketed to people who enjoy The Office, a target market in which I imagine my roommate fits in rather nicely. However, instead of igniting the joy and excitement every viral campaign lusts for, it turned my roommate off. He, in his own words, would have preferred a more basic, more informational advertisement.

It seems the problem here is one that a lot of companies attempting to “go viral” with their advertising face. Some campaigns may have interactivity, may be witty, may even be well targeted, but simply aren’t effective in advertising the product. Its a tough line to draw, and producing good viral campaigns seems to require a lot of trial and error.

A look at some of the best interactive campaigns, Office Max’s “Elf Yourself”, Burger King’s “Subservient Chicken”, HBO’s “True Blood” are all examples that come to mind, reveals some consistent themes.

1. It is fun

2. It is easily connected to the company

3. It presents something uniquely valuable

It seems like it is fairly easy to achieve two of the three characteristics, but it is only when all three are met that the campaign can truly become viral.

In the case of of the interactive games by “some cell phone company”, it seems like 1 and 3 were both adequately met, but the lack of 2 made my roommate lose interest. After all, if he wanted a fun valuable experience, he could easily play a few rounds of Slayer on Halo 3, or for that matter, hit up addictinggames.com. Why play what he knew an advertisement? Shouldn’t he at least get a message if he was going to be subjected to advertising?

This experience just goes to prove what is known by anyone trying to develop a great interactive campaign: it is a minefield.

I recently had the pleasure to talk with marketing visionary Bob Thacker. Mr. Thacker is currently the senior VP of marketing at Officemax, and his experience includes heading up the Minneapolis BBDO office and serving as marketing VP of Target, where he led the incredibly effective turnaround of the company from a retailing also-ran to an ultra hip shopping destination. Talking with Mr. Thacker was an incredible experience, and was filled with enough marketing and life lessons to fill an entire post at another time. Anyway, during that meeting, Mr. Thacker told me to check out tul.com.

Tul is OfficeMax’s house brand of high quality pens and markers. I have used the pens, and they are incredible, enough for me to specifically go to Office Max to get more. In addition to making great pens, Tul has an interactive website that, I believe, does everything right.

The concept of the tul website, put together by forward thinking agency The Escape Pod, is that of a handwriting analysis. The site instructs you to handwrite the not-so-subtle sentence, “I Need a New Pen”, after which it asks you to answer several questions based on your handwriting. The test is quick, easy to navigate, and aesthetically pleasing.

It is after the test, however, that the real beauty comes out. A video analysis is played that is tailored to your answers. The plausible handwriting analysis is peppered with dry, off-kilter jokes. This approach has a lot of potential to be derivative or boring, but the actor portraying Gerard Ackerman gives the material all sorts of life. His snarky comments range from subtle put-downs to a surprising vow of love.

After the “analysis” is finished, Dr. Ackerman recommends to you an appropriate Tul pen for your style, which you can read more about, watch a video about, or order online.

I think the Tul site is a great example of an interactive campaign. It meets the three needs established above effectively.

1. It is fun Absolutely. A handwriting analysis is not something the average person has done, so physically writing and then answering the subsequent questions is an interesting, new experience for most. On top of this, the humor on the website is impeccable. It truly thrives in its subtlety, and seems to be designed for the customer who loves Arrested Development and Wes Anderson movies.

2. It is easily connected to the company. Yes. Unlike a seemingly random game for a cell phone provider, a writing analysis is something that gets the user to start thinking about pens. There are also seamless links from the interactive portion of the site to the product information section.

3. It presents something uniquely valuable. Again, absolutely. The handwriting assessment is a unique activity, and the humor is quirky and specialized enough to make the website a destination and something to forward to friends. Also, the variability in the answers and analysis makes repeat visits to the site irresistable.

The site was initially launched in conjunction with a print campaign as well as a direct mail campaign directing 2 million subscribers of thought-leading magazines such as Wired and Esquire to try out the analysis.

Final verdict? According to The Escape Pod’s website, “The pens flew off the shelves”.

By applying these three concepts to interactive advertising, agencies can transcend the attitude of jumping on the interactive bandwagon, and truly create something the will shape pop culture. In the mean time, see what the Doc has to say about your writing

www.tul.com

John was one of the best designers at my college, and it looks like he has improved even more since graduating.

His newest project is goofy, unnecessary, and completely genius. He has illustrated every one of the fifty states as a plate of food. A pretty original idea mixed with brilliant execution makes the posters incredible.

Check out his project, The United Plates, or check out his website, Shorthanded Studios, for some great design and an intense exhibit of his love for music.

I present you, from the United Plates, Idaho!

It is a tough climate for the fast food titans to advertise in. Some change their advertising message and even their menus to cast themselves as self-aware health advocates. The cheerful spokeswoman for Wendy’s brags about the origin of their fish sandwiches. The ubiquitous Jared implies that eating Subway is equal to running 3 miles a day. Even Mcdonalds is joining the health game, littering their menu with parfaits, apple dippers, and salads like healthy camoflauge for Double Quarter Pounders and McGriddles.

Fast Food restaurants at least aspiring to be part of the health revolution in America is a sensible reaction to changing consumer opinions.

That’s why I love the advertising for Burger King.

When Crispin Porter + Bogusky took the reins of Burger King in 2003, they took a brand with weak differentiation from McDonalds and transformed it into a quirky, irreverent behemoth. Characters like the King, Subservient Chicken, and Coq Roq not only made for engaging, if disturbing, advertisements, but pushed their way into becoming popular culture memes.

A viral dream - From advertisement to message board meme

CP+B’s newest bit of advertising genius is the “controversial” Whopper Virgins. In the TV spots, which are actually teasers for the 8 minute long mini-documentary on http://www.whoppervirgins.com, we are introduced to an over-serious execution of a simple concept; give Whoppers to people who have never had them.

After the campaign’s announcement, the online world went absolutely insane. Cries of protest resounded, “They are stereotyping!”, “They are forcing American culture upon unwilling cultures!”, “They are exploiting the poor!”. When not lambasting the campaign as a fervent rejuvenation of imperialism, there were whispers questioning the validity of the taste-test “research” in the ad; “There are no official numbers!”, “Are these really the most qualified taste-testers?”. All in all, the educated were furious about the campaign.

This is why the campaign works. Burger King is a seller of cheap, delicious, unhealthy food. By its nature, it is not going to appeal to those with developed food taste, health awareness, or large enough budgets to frequent Whole Foods. Instead of attempting to broaden its target and appeal to these customers with a more healthy menu or “grown-up” marketing, it is going squarely for its solid customer base of young males.

While Burger King’s privately-held status prevents knowledge of how effective the campaign is financially, I know from personal experience that the Burger King has established itself as a leader in the mind of 20 something males. The people who even consider Burger King as a meal choice don’t care about statistical integrity in taste tests. They are aware that they aren’t exactly eating the most healthy choice but they don’t care. They watch the advertisements that make them laugh and they surely don’t forward emails attachments of Wendy’s ads to their friends. They are the ones that bought 3.2 million copies of Burger King’s Xbox 360 games.

While David Ogilvy would roll over in his grave at the thought of an agency producing advertising that focuses more on company image than product explanation and differentiation, CP+B have shown that that may be the best way to build a brand equity when their main product is as scorned as fast food.

And man..now I’m hungry for a Whopper. Maybe I’ll delete ten friends from facebook so I can get one.

Wieden + Kennedy’s work for Nike includes some of the most awe-inspiring, memorable television spots amongst all their other advertising endeavors. Almost anyone you talk to can recall a Nike ad that they liked, whether it be one month old or one decade old. These are my favorites.

Leave Nothing (2007)

I can distinctly remember the first time I saw this ad in the fall of 2007. The theme music was the first thing to strike me, as I have loved the soundtrack for “The Last of the Mohicans” for years. I was captivated by the oddly fitting juxtaposition of the gorgeous song with the fearsome, stripped down portrayal of football. The incredible athleticism was introduced with reality as each grunt and labored breath found harmony with the soaring soundtrack. By the time the screen blacked out just before the ball crosses the plain, I was covered in goosebumps. “Leave Nothing”, I was exhorted by the swoosh. The ad was classic Nike in that it didn’t describe shoes, didn’t explain technology, and certainly didn’t compare itself to a lesser brand. It just showed why we love sports. It is obvious that if we are passionate at all, there is no other product to buy besides Nike.

After the first time, I shushed my roommates and turned up the sound every time this ad came on, excitedly telling them to watch it. That is the reaction I want my advertising to elicit.

I Can (1998)

As an eleven year old with a fierce love of all things Nike, I was aware of the buzz of Nike’s attempt to change their tagline from “Just do it” to “I can”. At the time, I didn’t really understand the strategy of this, but I did know that the “I Can” spot that aired during SuperBowl XXXII made me love the company even more. Another example of Nike’s excellent music in their advertising, “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve is the perfect inspirational backdrop for athletes ranging from a young girl to Gary Payton exhibiting what and why they can.

Chicks Dig the Long Ball (1999)

All around good guys Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux can’t win. Despite their intimidating pitching stats, it seems the only thing girls like to see are home runs. Seeing the two skinny men who could be mistaken for accountants work to become home run monsters is hilariously gratifying. I remember “Chicks dig the long ball” was the catchphrase in my Babe Ruth league dugout for weeks after the ad ran.

Freestyle (2001)

Not much you can say about this ad, except that it quite possibly was the biggest force of bringing inner city streetball culture to the mainstream. After this ad came out, no one practiced their free throws anymore. They were too busy dribbling with their knees and bouncing the ball into their shirts.

The Second Coming (2006)

Not the most renowned Nike ad, but there is something about seeing the absolute best basketball players slowly walking together in matching jumpsuits while Juelz Santana proclaims “Together we stand, united we fall” that makes me think basketball is something much much bigger than just a game.

Failure (199?)

One thing that Nike does extremely well is that it transcends simply selling a product in an advertisement. It somehow creates a relevant message, an inspirational goad to the viewer. Nike isn’t just a sneaker brand, it is a team member, a mentor who wants you to succeed with its help. This ad is a perfect example of that.

So thats the list. What are your favorites?

Here’s an exercise. Go to a college campus, talk to the entry level employees at your company, or go to any concert thats not in a stadium. Start a conversation about t-shirts.

T-shirts are perhaps the most definitive piece of clothing for the millenial generation. We grew up needing our t-shirts to say Nike or Abercrombie. Some of us communicated our cynicism through black t-shirts with distorted fonts declaring such idioms as “I hear voices and they don’t like you”, or “I see dumb people”. Others wore our t-shirts as a resume of our sports accomplishments; “CCHS Track Regionals 2000″ or a resume of our social accomplishments; “Hard Rock Cafe: Hawaii”, “Ozzfest 99″.

T-shirts quickly escalated from a piece of clothing to a personal status update medium in a pre-twitter, pre- facebook world. In the few years after the turn of the millenium, a myriad of online boutique retailers capitalized on this trend and developed their own t-shirts that were updated at a lightning pace to reflect pop culture happenings or popular memes. Sites like Busted Tees, Snorg Tees, and VintageVantage all provided a broad mix of shirt designs that shifted with the fickle consumer needs and saw great success as a result. With the options of t-shirt expression expanding at a breakneck pace, it seemed that anyone could find anything they wanted on a t-shirt.

Then came Threadless.

Threadless doesn’t just tag along on popular culture icons or design trends, it doesn’t gain insight from thought-leaders on its design lines. Threadless says, you design a shirt, and if enough people like it, we will pay you and produce and distribute the shirt.

This business model is not only focused on the consumer, it is made by the consumer. This is remarkable for several reasons.

First, Threadless is able to offer the most edgy, most relevant, most popular t-shirts at all times. By taking a chainsaw to the processes of market research, product development, and design time and providing a direct line from consumer preference to product offering, it is guaranteed that threadless t-shirts will always be directly in tune with consumer preference. Furthermore, by printing the t-shirts that receive the most votes from users, there is an automatic audience for those designs, and it is impossible that an unpopular shirt will be provided.

Second, Threadless ‘ user created model gains an enormous marketing reach without spending an advertising dollar. Threadless has over a thousand individual design submitters. Each one of these submitters wants their t-shirt to be seen and to be printed by threadless. Their best way of doing this, besides creating a killer design, is to send word to everyone they know and direct them to vote for their t-shirt on threadless.com. To have a customer tell everyone they know to visit their store is every company’s dream. Threadless has effectively developed this enormous word of mouth buzz with minimal spending.

Third, Threadless eliminates the time intensive, difficult process of idea generation and design while maintaining its status as a fashion leader. They are basically a distributor, nothing more than UPS.

Threadless is just one example of the enormous push towards user generated content. However, they have eclipsed the likes of Wikipedia and Amazon by not only allowing customers to have a voice, but to literally make money off of their voice.

Obviously not every company can rely as exclusively on user created content as Threadless, (The new Boeing Transatlantic Jet: Designed by your teenage neighbor!). However, in a world where the common consumer expects to have an influence, companies would do well to capitilize on Threadless success. Whether it be a user created bookstore like lulu.com or Google’s $10 million prize for a user idea, there are many avenues of connecting with consumers directly, increasing consumer opinion while making some good money.