Bonfire of the Brands debate

September 8, 2007 | 1 Comment

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So Thursday evening I headed over to Mother’s offices to hear Neil Boorman author of Bonfire of the Brands, share the epiphany he experienced just over one year ago, that made him want to live a brand-free life. Neil was joined by Dylan Williams, strategist at Mother, Adam Curtis, director of BBC documentary The Trap and media commentator Peter York to discuss the ethics of advertising. For someone who publicly set fire to everything he owns to raise awareness of this life choice and has just released a book detailing his experiences, I didn’t quite know what to expect from Neil. His actions have been received with mixed emotions ranging from full admiration for believing in something so much that he was actually prepared to do something about it, to some more self-righteous opinions (fellow Guardian readers I mean you) who believe Neil should have donated all his belongings to charity and only set fire to them to raise awareness of his own brand.

From meeting Neil I have to say I found him charming and wonderfully honest. He genuinely believes that brands have come to mean too much in our lives to the point where we think that they will enable us to achieve a better quality of life. Choice has become too much of a burden. He openly discussed the vitroil he has experienced since burning his branded belongings, and admits that he could have given everything to charity instead of burning it, and that’s ok. It is really as simple as Neil Boorman believed in something so much that he decided to change his way of life, and he has let us share this experience with him. Personally I think it is a very brave decision.

Neil I know you are reading this and as we discussed even though you have received mixed emotions, I hope you always have faith in your decision and wish you every success with your book. Those who wish to purchase it can do so here.

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Blog, Books, Events, Marketing 

Cadbury make you smile

September 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Juan Cabral at Fallon London has created the latest ad for Cadburys Dairy Milk with the notion that Cadburys Daily Milk makes you smile. What could make you smile more than a life-size Gorilla playing the drums to Phil Collins “In the air tonight”. Wonderfully bizarre. http://www.glassandahalffull.com/

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Advertising, Blog, Marketing, Music, Video 

Sonic Youth does `Daydream Nation’ start to finish

September 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment

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Now, I know that I predominantly write about advertising and technology in this blog however, it was originally developed to inspire creativity and that includes experiences. So last night I went to the Roundhouse to see Sonic Youth perform the final night of their tour performing the 1988 masterpiece “Daydream Nation” in it’s entirety, the very album that in 1996 was one of 50 albums chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Those who know the album know that the best comes first in the form of “Teen Age Riot” which sounded even better live last night than it did eighteen years ago. Despite being in her mid-fifties, Kim Gordon is still the original rock chic and can pull it off better than Karen O (who I also admire BTW) or any of the other twenty somethings that the naughties have to offer. All in all, it was bloody marvelous to be able to relive my youth again, and I don’t know if it was because Daydream Nation was re-released again in July of this year, but they just sound better and better.

Posted by Jamie Coomber | Filed Under Blog, Events, Music 

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