The SPOKE Daily » Social

Fashion Against Aids with H&M Prelaunch Party

Karen Lo — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:00:58 +0000

H&M just launched their 3rd Fashion Against AIDS campaign on June 3 in Toronto and revealed their first ever festival collection under their Divided line the night before. 25% of the profit goes to AIDS awareness campaigns: Designers Against AIDS, YouthAIDS, MTV Staying Alive Foundation, and the United Nations Population Fund. The collection in store stretches from safari to rock for boys and girls, head to toe. While MTV’s Movie Night host, Johnny Hockin, was not spinning the night away, Bedouin Soundclash filled the store with a mellow flow of reggae tunes.

Marmite XO Tastemaker Outreach

Kai Exos — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:33:28 +0000

By We Are Social and Splendid Communications to launch the new (and delicious) spreadable yeast goodness. Packaged with perfection.

Prosthetic Brands

Kai Exos — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:50:16 +0000

The theories around trust marketing assume a general ideology wherein brands ask for extended engagement by a consumer. Over the past few months, I’ve witnessed some rhetoric that calls upon a push-pull metaphor to somehow tip the scales in favour of a rudimentary idea. I’m tired of it. That kind of basic thinking doesn’t equate to insights that are valuable in a campaign’s development. Sure, it’s a good start. Ultimately, what we’re trying to do is promote an infectious brand personality to sell something. Why should anyone care for a product that barely works? A glow behind the type doesn’t make it our saviour. Or a video that tries to trick the viewer into associating humour with product benefit? Come on, be genuine. When you’ve chosen to market to a consumer’s belief system, reinforcement is more critical than the push or pull. Buyers are not necessarily part of your brand’s community just because they’ve purchased the product. No one has the time to care if it’s not useful. We can’t sell lies, no matter how clever the execution. Branded entertainment has given us freedom to create weird and wonderful stories that prepare the consumer to start caring. Think of all the great products you’re loyal to. Did you originally opt-in to be exposed to the brand? Probably not. Only when we’ve done enough work for a person to trust a product, can a brand can assert itself prosthetically. A brand becomes part of a person’s identity. Like Zugara’s Social Shopper, dubbed Fashionista on tobi.com. That’s some cool shit. Know why? ‘Cause it’s useful. Think of how much trust a woman has to give to allow an app to see her live and fit her into that little dress on a webcam. Spending money on awareness campaigns that don’t equate to dollars won’t help the brand build itself; so you’ve gotta build in efficiencies to save time and cost. SPOKE and Praxis did a custom publishing piece for Quaker, nearly 1M issues. Simultaneously, on the same full-day of shooting, our film crew captured coverage for the 15 second TV spot. The cost-efficient delivery mechanisms at retail, online and in health environments are what bring it all back to the brand’s personality. And useful, entertaining content with a fresh, integrated approach shows the audience why we care. It’s not enough to spout rhetoric to prove the media or delivery. It takes a deep conversation to find out who actually cares enough to trust your brand.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go

Fabio Abreu — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:05:32 +0000

There are seldom places on this globe where one man’s inherently good-natured vision gets transformed into reality. Along my travels in Copenhagen, I stumbled upon one of its gem neighbourhoods, whose humble, utopian origins are still echoed today: the Free Town of Christiana. The neighbourhood was once a deserted military barracks in the center of the city until the hippie-movement of the 70s called for change. In 1971, a journalist, Jacob Ludvigsen, and hundreds of squatters overtook the area to forge their peaceful anarchistic and libertarian existence with the following mission statement: “The objective of Christiania is to create a self-governing society whereby each and every individual holds themselves responsible over the wellbeing of the entire community. Our society is to be economically self-sustaining and, as such, our aspiration is to be steadfast in our conviction that psychological and physical destitution can be averted.” Today, the self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood is home to artists, vagabonds, musicians, the impoverished, and is arguably one of the best places to showcase the progressive and liberated Danish lifestyle. However, its forged-sovereignty is far from being exempt of political controversy, which becomes further complicated by Christiania’s main cash crop− cannabis. Along Pusherstreet amongst bakeries, falafel kiosks, beautiful street art, recycled urban architecture, and street vendors peddling Christiania souvenirs, are the infamous dealers. They are consensually obliged to adhere to, like every other resident under Christiana law, no selling of hard drugs, no stealing, no guns, and no bulletproof vests. Nonetheless, under Danish law there exists a smoking ban and police will randomly raid the area for vendors. This is accompanied by onlookers’ warning symphonies of “Ost, ost, ost” (the cheese are coming) to which follows the rapid scurrying of vendors into safer pastures. Amidst this confusion and Christiania’s controversial existence is my memory of the place. Seen for its creative, loving, and friendly nature where one perfect Sunday at a blues café, they let my friend, Pat, get on stage with the band. For over an hour, he held his own with the rest of the band. The music was fantastic and at one point I swear that every instrument I could name was on stage, even the mighty cowbell. It’s this memory that I’ll remember and it’s just as so that it is a memory because there’s one last Christianian law− NO PICTURES!

BELL Samsung Galaxy Launch Party

Karen Lo — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:56:33 +0000

Wednesday was the first snow fall in Toronto. What could warm up a techie’s heart more than some wine and hors d’oeuvres at the launch party for BELL Samsung Galaxy android mobile phone at the Thrush Holmes Empire? The Samsung Galaxy is now available exclusively through BELL beginning December 10, 2009.

Samsung Galaxy phone and its Android mascot.

Share your thoughts on the new Samsung phone with Notable TV host, Julian Brass, for a chance to win one of the 15 giveaway Galaxy phones.

A few of the 75 guests at this exclusive guestlist event.