Fast Forward: it’s now 2011. It was a late Monday afternoon when the call from Quiksilver came into our west coast office. They needed help with a last minute project and asked if we could come in the following morning to discuss. We have a long standing relationship with Quik, so we knew it must of been important. We showed up to the office not knowing exactly what was going to be needed. Nothing like last minute, but we were up for whatever curveball tossed our way. Cutting to the chase, apparently Pirate Surf had been shelved in the mid 90’s; the product design and POV had been folded into Quiksilver’s line as a whole. The brand was “shelved” meaning the brand stopped producing product, and ceased distribution, and was basically put away for another day. Well, Quik wanted to bring it back. We were charged with re-animating the brand in preparation for some large meetings the following week. Tic Toc, time’s a ticking, we have one week.

A few additional twists:

1. We needed to make sure the brand could speak year round, a four season offering.
2. We needed to expand beyond just “Surf” – it needed to apply to the culture as a whole, and be accepted in the moto, music, surf, skate, and snow arenas as well.
3. The brand needed to speak to male and female audience
4. At a glance, the brand needed to represent the mainstream general perception of action sport culture and it MUST come across as authentic
5. And finally, it must be a modern day version of Pirate Surf as the days of typical grunge are long gone. So, what does Pirate look like and stand for, both now and for the next 5 plus years?

Before heading back to the office we made a run to the local Trader Joes to pick up some PIRATE’s Booty. We knew that with this time frame, we’d need to maximize our eating efficiencies for the next several days.

We rolled up our sleeves and got right to work. We ran it through our traditional process but modified for speed. We did our homework, both on the history of the brand, its competition, and current market trends given how Quik thought it should be positioned. We developed a very poignant creative brief in one days time, defining target audiences, unique positioning, values, personality, etc.

We launched into full creative mode pulling swipe and inspiration from wherever we could in that short time frame. It was actually quite liberating to work on such a stringent timeline. It was almost like a mini escape and everyone in the office was leaving the team alone for the most part. They were respecting “the code.” The biggest inspiration we had in our arsenal was a book called “Fucked Up and Photocopied” which showcases the “instant art of the punk rock movement.”

We really gravitated to these gems:

We wanted the look and feel to capture the life of this youth culture and energy, with a subtle nod to a Pirate’s life (Pirate to us represented unbridled freedom). We wanted a weathered feel, bold use of color, but a zerox monochromatic look which lent itself to high contrast black and white imagery, almost disheveled but not. Once we honed in on this certain look and had our overarching concept developed, too many sleepless nights began to set in.

Somehow we got a little “Captain” in us. We found ourselves talking like pirates, quoting pirates, discussing the hottest pirate actresses, and best pirate jokes, all the while playing surf videos in the background and skating the hallways late at night. We even earned nicknames along the way, for example, senior designer Justin was known as: “Captain Calico J-Beard”, and senior copywriter Kyle became: “Black Long Dolphin” for which reasons we wont get into (but lets just say it had to do with too much rum and a tattoo parlor).

Ultimately we solved the puzzle and delivered one kick ass brand. We not only delivered a presentation, we took it one step further and fully developed the brand. It was complete with all the trimmings, brand guidelines, packaging, instore, outdoor, gorilla strategies, web templates, and an ad campaign to boot. Quiksilver was set, and Pirate was well Tee’d up for re-launch.

Check out the full case study here and relish in the Pirate life: http://www.160over90.com/
——————
…and wasn’ really going to post these but what the hell.

A couple of side notes, incase you were wondering:

1. Everybody wants to be a Pirate. Even my 2 year old son. Argh! (he does a great impression, i’m still getting the image)
2. the top pirate quote at least in the office during the time: “… you are without doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of … Ahhh, but you have heard of me…”
3. the top pirate joke: There was a pirate who wore a steering wheel on his belt buckle. One day, a landlubber asked him why. The pirated replied “I don’t know, but it’s drivin’ me nuts.”
4. hottest pirate actress: Penelope Cruz

What’s your favorite sneaker collaboration of the last decade?

Tom Ford was interviewed earlier this week by Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air”. After years as a top fashion designer, Ford has directed and co-written his first film, “A Single Man,” based on the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood. Ford is the former creative director of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, where he was known for as much for his collections as the provocative ad campaigns that helped revive both struggling houses. In 2004, he launched his own line of menswear, beauty, eyewear, and accessories, then introduced fragrances in 2006.

Whereas I am very familiar with (and a fan of) Ford’s work, as well as his image as a gay and straight style icon (he is always impeccably dressed, usually in a simple black suit, with a white pocket square, a white shirt unbuttoned down to his native Texas, and black cowboy boots; he looks like one of the most macho men on the planet), I had actually never heard him speak.  He is very soft spoken and articulate, belying his structured machismo, and I found it riveting as he was able to confidently yet delicately deconstruct and defend (on public radio) his most avant-garde work by explaining the intimate and fragile connections between time, fashion, branding and advertising.

On his now infamous Gucci “G” pubic hair ad:

“First of all in fashion as in life, the right thing at the right time is the right thing. The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing. I wouldn’t necessarily do that ad today because we’re in a different world and we’re in a different time. And it isn’t necessarily something that needs to be said culturally at this particular moment in time. However, at that moment in time, that was meant as a bit of a tongue in cheek take on where we were with branding in our culture. And, of course, you know, I was at Gucci and branding everything, everything had a G on it.

Louis Vuitton, everything had an LV on it. And we had come to a point in our culture, you know, globalization had really kicked in with the Internet in the early ’90s. And we were at a point where all of a sudden, everyone all over the world was consuming exactly the same thing at the same time. And branding, branding, branding, everything became a brand. And you know, there was nothing left to brand. So, the idea is that this young man is branding his girlfriend. And she is wearing a brand.”

On the speed and time sensitivity of fashion:

“I studied architecture at Parson’s and I finally realized that while I loved architecture and it was very useful to me as a tool to learn how to think, that it was little too serious for me at that moment in time. And that fashion – I was better suited for fashion. I also liked the speed of fashion. You know, fashion and film-making, to me, were two very, very different things in terms of satisfying a certain kind of creative need. And I hope to be able to make films and produce fashion for the rest of my life. But they’re very, very different. Fashion is very quick. It’s very disposable. It’s immediately – it tells you exactly where we are in our culture, especially women’s fashion.

If we’re having a glitzy over-the-top moment, fashion is very glitzy and over-the-top, you know, over-the-top. If we’re having a moment where things are, you know, we’re in a recession, fashion becomes quiet. So, in terms of popular culture, fashion and especially women’s fashion is incredibly interesting, aside from satisfying just a particular need to create and arrange things in a way that one sees as beautiful. And so, in a certain way, it’s fulfilling. In another way, it’s very fleeting because it doesn’t last very long. You know, a beautiful moment in fashion goes away very quickly.”

On his complete full frontal male nude ad for Yves Saint Laurent fragrance M7. (NSFW) 

“Well, why did I do it? Again, you know, I’m an equal opportunity objectifier…and Yves Saint Laurent posed nude for his first men’s fragrance. And it was groundbreaking at the time. So, I thought, all right, we’re launching a new Yves Saint Laurent men’s fragrance. What perfect way than to continue the tradition and vocabulary of the house of Yves Saint Laurent by, you know, publishing the first full frontal male nude.”

On advertising:

“So, it was really – you know, the first thing about advertising is that it needs to be arresting. It needs to make you stop and look. And sometimes challenge you and make you think.”

See/hear the full interview here.

“Put This On” looks like a promising new Web series on, as host Jesse Thorn puts it, “how to dress like a grownup.” Good advice for those ready to move on from looking like they just rolled out of an American Apparel loft party. First episode is up here.

Perhaps it was NBC that told the story best during their live interview with us this week:

Well our 15 minutes days (or so) of fame are nearing an end, as tomorrow (Friday, 10/30/09) is the last day of the who-wore-it-best competition. However, we will be posting photos on the site next week from the punishment that’s in store for the loser, so be sure to check back.

www.TieOrDie.com

Additional context and some fun interviews after the break.

The name “Tie or Die” proved to be the most worthy of the few options we considered when launching this site that was originally intended to be for our coworkers amusement. I suppose it’s an intriguing title, albeit a little bit creepy. We assure you there is nothing creepy about the site,  unless you are completely and utterly creeped out by young men wearing ties. I wish that everyone was creeped out by young men wearing ties, because then I would at least have a Halloween costume picked out.

But despite the quick-launch of this unplanned escapade, our quirky rivalry has garnered its fair share of attention. Check out the sites below that were kind and interested enough to feature our contest. The interviews were a real gas.

Man Over Board: “A collaboration of original content from a select few authors from around the world, delving in the male species.”

http://man-over-board.com/2009/10/17/mob-interview-the-cofounders-of-tieordie-com/

Shmitten Kitten: “We talk about dudes and dating in Philadelphia although our observations seem to be relevant to people in all time zones.”

http://www.shmittenkitten.com/2009/10/flippin-our-shades-boys-from.html

Philadelphia Weekly Style Blog:

http://www.160over90.com/blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/style/2009/10/28/tie-or-die-who-wore-it-best/

She Knows Best: “Fashion and Style Tips for Men from a Female”

http://www.splendicity.com/sheknowsbest/vote-in-the-tie-or-die-contest/

What a dandy little art book/scene document/memento thingy. Maripolarama is a collection of Polaroids taken in the late 70′s and early 80′s by Maripol. Her (single – natch) name contains a multitude of très fabuloso personas: Model; art director for quintessential 80′s designer Fiorucci; Madonna’s friend and her stylist during the original, classic, “Like a Virgin” period (we have her to thank for the rubber bracelets); producer of the legendary new wave art scene flick Downtown 81; and on, and on… she’s less a person that the essence of the New York post punk new wave fashion scene in human form.

Maripolorama is her raw candid, exuberant diary. It’s not really who’s in it that makes it so compelling, though. It’s how young and unguarded everyone is, how genuine and sincere they are in thier goofy exhibitionism. The group shots are especially revelatory – before they went on to become stars, icons, flameouts, poseurs, and tragedies they were all weirdo pals dressing up and running around the big city. (via shepelavy.com)

Craig Sager sporting his new pocket kerchief for Game 5

We caught up with Craig Sager, our favorite fashion-forward sports reporter, on Chestnut Street early this afternoon. He’d just returned from a shopping trip to Boyd’s for a few accessories and was so excited to show us his new purchase that he put his Di Bruno Brothers soup down on the street and started unwrapping the kerchief before we could say “polyester”.

This may come as a surprise, but Craig is his own stylist. With over 300 suits, Craig tries never to repeat an ensemble. He did admit that a few pieces from his NBA wardrobe may migrate to the MLB post season – but not very often. For tonight’s NLCS Game 5 between the Phillies and the Dodgers, Craig will be wearing a teal suit with his brand new pocket square.

Photographer Irving Penn has passed away. One of the most versatile photographers ever, he has shaped the medium for the past 65 years. He pioneered fashion, portraits and still lives with a signature simplicity and elegance.  If you work in the art world, it’s a sad loss.

Equally interesting, but not as nearly publicized, is this new short film for California based denim brand Cassette.

Cassette Summer Surf from Peterock on Vimeo.

While both pieces speak to a sense of freedom, have bonfires (note – if you ever want to communicate a sense of being free bonfires will do the trick everytime) and include some quick cuts to people making-out they are different spots. The question for all you West Coast readers out there is what feels more authentic to you?

Keep em coming kids..coordinate those outfits. Enjoy some new, and some not so new, Who Wore It Bests.