Aisha Lopez @aishalynnyu - Tumblr Blog

Five Marketing Trends to Watch for in 2017

It’s been an incredible year for digital marketing. 2016 saw numerous ups, downs, and unexpected trends. As we kick off 2017, prepare to see some game-changing opportunities and exciting developments that may impact your marketing plans.

Live platforms

Live platforms like Periscope, Meerkat, and Facebook Live have emerged over the past couple of years, quickly becoming a popular way to engage with customers. Live streaming hasn’t fully taken off yet, but expect it to boom in 2017. New live streaming platforms, better content, faster connection speeds, and bigger data plans, will lower the barriers for adoption. Additionally, advancements in live stream technologies will encourage more brands to test out new ad products in the space.

While we expect to witness a rise in live streaming, we’ve already seen more than a handful of failed attempts. Earlier this year, the Grammy Awards live stream failed, citing technical glitches; cord cutters who eagerly aimed to catch the music industry’s important night were furious and lashed out on social media. Other live streams like Twitter’s Thursday Night Football saw some initial success. In an average minute of the game, 243,000 people streamed the game via Twitter, but those numbers paled in comparison to TV, which reached 15.4 million watchers on the NFL Network and CBS. While we might anticipate significant growth in live streaming, it remains to be seen if it will rival audiences on television.

Augmented reality apps

Augmented reality (AR) has been the talk of the town this year. Over the summer, we witnessed an AR cultural phenomenon with Pokémon Go. The nostalgic game was a hit worldwide, garnering over 720,000 downloads on peak days and 650 million installs within 80 days of launch. In turn, it has excited a lot of marketers, apps, and consumers about the future of AR. BIC has dabbled with AR, inspiring kids’ creativity by bringing drawings to life on its app, DrawyBook. We expect to see brands continuing to experiment with AR in different ways, from retail outlets enriching customer shopping to travel agencies facilitating bookings. Get ready for more direct use of AR within apps, both immersive experiences and tangentially related ones.

Even though the potential for AR is huge, we’ve only seen one phenomenal story so far. This begs the question of whether AR in general will go the way of the failed attempts of Google Glass and 3D TV. It’s a complex technology, challenging to implement for brands, and is only now starting to be adopted by consumers en masse.

Chatbots

Believe it or not, chatbots have been around for decades. But in 2017, we’re expecting chatbots to improve significantly and to be used in new ways. China-based messaging platform WeChat has pioneered the way brands use chatbots to interact with their consumers. The app is a go-to hub for consumer needs like banking, hailing cabs, and even booking doctor appointments. Over the past few months, the Western world, where we’ve seen a tremendous amount of bot development, has been playing catch-up. Facebook has invested in the burgeoning bot industry, rolling out tools for businesses and developers to build bots on its messaging platform. So far, the social media giant has unleashed a 30,000-strong bot army that provides news updates, sends flowers, responds to users in a personalized way, and much more. We expect this trend to continue into the new year.

Even with rapid development, chatbots are, at best, still imperfect. They can be slow, have difficulties understanding questions, and don’t always interact using conversational language. We’ve seen a lot of chatbot failures, which have alienated some customers from certain brands. Earlier this year, Microsoft’s chatbot on Twitter, known as Tay, ran into some problems and was taken down. But despite the many bot failures, chatbots could still dominate the future of messaging apps. Their future depends on the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Immersive video

Immersive viewing experiences could really break ground in 2017. Videos are no longer just one dimensional, as shoppable films and 360° videos break the fourth wall and immerse viewers. Early adopters include auto and real estate, where 360° has been around for a while. It’s time for other industries to get in on the action. GoPro released viral spherical videos that give viewers a unique experience of surfing an enormous tube. Shoppable videos are similarly immersing users. Recently, lifestyle brand Ted Baker released a spy-themed entirely shoppable film, Mission Impeccable, that dominated its home page. The Guy Ritchie shoppable collaboration allowed viewers to add items to their online carts with a simple click, switching up the usual online shopping experience. And we can’t forget about the immersive video disruption brought to you by Snapchat and its Spectacles. This product gives people even more control to shoot and share their videos in the moment.

Mass adoption of immersive video will depend on new technology that could be developed in 2017. At the moment, distribution of these video types is limited to a few platforms, such as YouTube 360° and shoppable video. For brands, pre-roll is still the largest source of inventory, and it has limited capabilities to implement immersive video. Brands need to understand that although immersive content can engage users in exciting ways, it is restricted to a few available platforms.

Beyond viewability

Brands tend to use viewability to measure success. While it’s important to ensure that a brand’s video campaign attracts eyes, viewability is table stakes and doesn’t necessarily move the needle. It’s time for brands to move away from media-based outcomes, such as views or clicks, and shift towards tangible business objectives such as sign-ups, downloads, and purchases.

To focus on business objectives, agencies must go beyond CPMs in favor of performance-based metrics. Additionally, the industry needs to develop reliable attribution models to help connect the dots for marketers. Attribution technology is improving, but it is not foolproof.

These trends aren’t new. They do, however, reflect massive growth and a transformation to a more sophisticated and focused online advertising marketplace. Brands would be wise to stay abreast of these trends in 2017, as it will be an exciting and action-packed year.

Holiday Windows

Ohhh, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Ice Skating, Gingerbread cookies and snowmen can create the Christmas warmth and cheer. For New Yorkers, holiday windows fall into the same category and bring in tourists from around the globe to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

The long-standing tradition of holiday window displays goes back to the late 1800s, where retailers were slowly becoming more prominent in big cities across the nation. For these retailers, there was a lot of competiion and the best way to market their products were through their windows.

Now, Christmas windows have become extravagant and celebrate the holiday cheer. They aim to dazzle holiday shoppers, making it one of the most effective marketing tactics as it also helps build their brand that is centered around Christmas time.

Sak’s Fifth Avenue has one of the most extravagant Christmas windows, dazzled in Christmas decor and displays a light show that matches Christmas tunes. This year, their theme is centered around the “Land of 1000 Delights". Complete with jumbo swirled lollipops and high fashion, the 6 animated windows along Fifth Avenue are based on "The Nutcracker." There are 2,000 oversize candy ornaments, 12,851 linear feet of garland, and 4,678 square feet of foliage all make it all come to life. As a result, it draws in an international crowd and the streets are hectic and filled with Christmas shoppers.

Bloomingdale’s similarly places a huge emphasis on its Christmas windows to spread the holiday cheer. This year, their theme is to “Light up a Child’s Mind”. Their holiday theme of light is brought to life by the one-of-a-kind chandeliers created by different artists. Interestingly, the chandeliers will be auctioned off on charitybuzz.com and 100% of the proceeds will benefit their charity partner The Child Mind Institute.

Movie Review: Jackie

The Kennedys are known as America’s royal family, and their legacy has been built over multiple generations. Jackie, a movie by Pablo Larrain, focuses on Jackie Kenny (played by Natalie Portman) whose life is completely shattered by her husband’s assasination. She is traumatized and reeling with grief. Over the course of the next week she attempts to console their two young children, vacate the White House which she devoted time and effort into restoring, and plan her husband's funeral. Jackie quickly realizes that the next seven days will determine how history will define her husband's legacy - and how she herself will be remembered.

Jackie has seen great success so far. It was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and was released in the United States on December 2, 2016 by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Additionally, it has seen $1.7 million dollars at box office

The movie, which is filled with intense drama, is definitely a must see. While I may not be a history buff nor understand much about American politics, I was completely drawn in during the entirety of the movie. The movie taps into basic human emotions, such as grief, mourning and the idea of maintaining poise while being scrutinized by the public.

Portman’s performance is fascinating, chilling and deeply committed. Her presence in the movie is what leads to the success of the movie. It’s difficult to take your eyes of her, and the scenes that definitely captivate you are the close ups of Portman’s face that display real emotions.

The movie makes you do a double take because of how closely Portman resembles Jackie Kennedy. While this may be due to their small statures and their petite body builds, it also comes down the costume design. The costumes used in the movie really capture the beauty and poise that Jacqueline Kennedy has. They were designed by Madeline Fontaine, who created the iconic Kennedy’s style. In an interview, Portman discusses how important style was, not just to the film, but to Kennedy herself. The actress describes, “We know Jackie as an icon; she had this very particular style...It’s one of the things she’s really remembered for. The hair, the clothes, the grace.” There is an incredible amount of detail that is given to the costuming, appearing as if they are authentically from the time period. According to Portman, “The clothes are obviously very much a part of the facade that we know about Jackie. Madeline, our costume designer, did an incredible job recreating the wardrobe she was wearing in particular scenes.”

Additionally, Fontaine went through an incredible amount of efforts into accurately portraying the Kennedy’s iconic image. According to Madeline Fontaine, creating these costumes “was a challenge. I had this feeling already, working on Yves Saint Laurent. He was also a very well-known and famous fashion icon. It is obviously delicate to touch the public memory of such a famous and beloved lady, an ambassador of elegance. I hope we did not betray this memory.”

The movie acts as a marketing device that truly adds to the Kennedy legacy. It depicts the life of a First Lady, rather than focusing on Mr. President. Jackie is marketed as a strong and independent lady, who will be remembered years and years to come. Also, even though it barely features scenes of JFK, it still highlights his legacy. Jackie devotes her time and defies others opinions when it comes down to honoring her husband. She proudly marches with the mass for his funeral because she believed that he was a good man.

Overall, I definitely really enjoyed Jackie and would highly recommend it. It speaks volumes of the Kennedy legacy, and highlights the empowering attitude that Jackie Kennedy must have carried following her husband’s tragic assassination.

Media and the Beauty Industry

There is no doubt that the media has created unacceptable standards for female beauty. Women on the covers of magazines are heavily photoshopped, fooling audiences of the reality. Their legs can be elongated, their necks slimmer, their cheekbones defined and their boobs and butt enlarged. There has been a lack of “real women” in media.

In 2013, Dove released a beauty campaign that showcased women describing themselves to an artist. The video quickly became viral, racking up tens of millions of views on YouTube. The ad was successful and made a point of challenging beauty norms, promoting the idea of how “you’re more beautiful than you think”.

But behind it’s success, underlying are some issues. Dove is a part of the Unilever empire, which also owns Axe, Slim Fast, and Fair and lovely. Across these brands is a lack of consistency in advertising, suggesting that it’s authenticity is compromised. Additionally, the women that are portrayed in the ad are predominantly white, thin and void of physical conditions. People of color are barely shown in the ad, appearing only for a brief few seconds. And their beauty realizations are caused by the artist, a male figure. The ad seems to be a powerful empowering ad that paints Dove in a positive light. But that isn’t the reality.

As we become more and more aware of the unrealistic beauty standards, why hasn’t the media fully progressed into presenting more “real” women? How do we begin to make this shift? Or will we continue making these unrealistic expectations of what a woman should look like?

The September Issue

Vogue has been one of the hottest and top magazines for generations. Every August, the magazine company focuses on their most important issue, the September Issue.

The film revolves around the making of Vogue’s September issue in 2007. It explores the process that goes into developing the magazine, following the lives of Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington. Wintour is the current editor-in-chief on the multi-billion dollar corporation of Vogue, and is the face of the magazine. However, she does not work on developing the September issue alone. The movie explores the passion that Grace Coddington has, a former model turned creative director and the only person who dares to stand up to Anna Wintour. The relationship between Wintour and Coddington reveals itself to be symbiotic; there is a constant push and pull between both Coddington and Wintour as they decide what gets to appear in the final version of the September issue.

Yet what strikes me most during the documentary is the power that Coddington, Wintour and Vogue has on society. Whatever is being placed in the September issue seems to reflect the hottest trends in the fashion industry; however, instead it seems to dictate what is the next best thing. There is an apparent responsibility that the magazine, and the September issue, has.

Her

Conversational interfaces are becoming much more commonplace in our society. The artificial intelligence of technologies like Siri, Amazon Echo and more are constantly being improved. At the moment, conversational interfaces can’t make humans obsolete. They are at best imperfect. But what happens when we reach an era where conversational interfaces can be as intelligent as humans?

Her, a film directed by Spike Jonze, explores the phenomena of conversational interfaces in a time period where they act almost like real humans. The movie is set in futuristic Los Angeles, and follows the life of Theodore (played by Juaquin Pheonix) and the relationnship that he develops with an OS system, known as Samantha. Unlike Theodore’s past relationship, Sam is always there for him whenever he needs her. As Sam learns and grows with more usage, Theordore ends up falling in love with the OS system and believes that feels like the bond between them resembles a true relationship.

The film received numerous awards and nominations, primarily for Jonze's screenplay. At the 86th Academy Awards, Her received five nominations, including Best Picture, and won the award for Best Original Screenplay. Jonze also won awards for his screenplay at the 71st Golden Globe Awards, the 66th Writers Guild of America Awards, the 19th Critics' Choice Awards, and the 40th Saturn Awards.

The movie’s success is rooted upon its strong storyline which makes the audience feel like this world may not be that far off in the future. At the moment, we name our OS and conversational interfaces with human like names, such as Siri. We can have conversations with OS systems, and they learn cues with more information that we provide them. For example, I told Siri to call me by my nickname “Aisha” and from now on, that’s what it solely refers to me as. Conversational Interfaces are smart and depend upon learning and the artificial intelligence. As that technology continues to grow, it seems as though the world of Her may be approaching us soon.

Interactive Advertising

The average city person sees about 5,000 ads a day. We see them on the subway, on the streets, on our phones, as we log into our emails and much more. Because of the fact that we are constantly being bombarded with ads on a day to day basis, there’s a lot of clutter and ads are having a hard time garnering audience engagement. The apparent volume of ads has led to the majority of audiences choosing to ignore these ads.

However, interactive advertising aims to immerse their audiences. According to the Journal of Interactive Advertising, Interactive Advertising is the “paid and unpaid presentation and promotion of products, services and ideas by an identified sponsor through mediated means involving mutual action between consumers and producers." Interactive advertising has received great results; it is immersive, impactful, memorable and noble. Its sole purpose is to get users to engage with ads.

One great example of an Interactive Ad is Coke’s Valentine’s Day vending machine, which promoted the #Shareacoke campaign. Unsuspected audiences walked by a wall, and only couples were able to see what appeared to be a usual wall transform itself into a vending machine. The virtual vending machine dispensed personalized coke cans that had the couple’s names printed on the beverage items. The marketing campaign was incredibly creative, captured a strong emotion of love, and went viral in 2014.

Another example of interactive advertising is Motorolla’s print ad for Moto X that allows users to change the phone’s color with a push of a button. The wafer-thin sorcery was available in 15,000 copies of WIRED. Readers were able to explore the phone’s different color offering with a simple menu at the bottom of the page. The ad caught users’ attention, and conveyed a message that would not have been as powerful without the technology.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebok’s CEO and Founder, has stated that “(t)here’s always a richer way that people want to share and consume thoughts and ideas and I think immersive 3D content is the obvious next thing after video.” There seems to be a lot of potential for the future of interactive advertising, and with the growth of technology, it could potentially become increasingly innovative.

Food Porn: WTF is Muk-Bang?

In South Korean culture, it is tradition to have meals with family members or with friends. Yet with more and more people moving to cities and often living alone, this tradition of familial eating isn’t always possible. As a result, a phenomenon known as Muk-Bang, where people watch others eat food on live streaming, has emerged.

Muk-Bang, derives from the Korean words “muok-da” (eat) and “bang song (broadcast). The online eaters, who live stream these videos, are called “BJs” and can even earn up to $8000 a month just eating food in front of a web cam. Most BJs buy read-made-food from stores, but only a handful decide to film and broaddcast home cooking.

In the Western world, it might be difficult to understand this eating broadcasting phenomenon. This is because there is not as strong of a culture or tradition surrounding around family meals. However through Muk-Bang, many South Koreans form a sort of online relationship with these BJs, and no longer have to eat alone. It creates a community, where BJs and viewers can even chat through a messaging feature that goes along side the live stream videos.

I’d be interested to see if this trend could translate into the Western world, and if there could be a market niche for the online broadcast. Is Muk-Bang just a result of a specific asian culture, or is there a potential for a large audience in America?

360 Video: Server Room Symphony

Earlier this year, Facebook released the option for users to upload and share 360 degree video. On mobile, the videos work by moving your phone around which has its own motion sensors. On computers, it works by clicking and dragging your mouse around. 360 video gives audiences the opportunity to view videos in any angle that the choose.

Recently, Director Alan Smith partnered with Facebook, to implement 360 video for a short 3 minute long video called “Server Room Symphony”. Smith’s work uses the 360 technology to the best of its ability and is shot in a single 10mm wide lens. What’s interesting is that the video acts almost like theater; there’s no where for actors to hide, there are no cut shots or extreme edits. Instead, we are immersed in this experience where the scrolling text follows our cursor and sound and actions attract us to watch certain parts of the video.

As 360 video begins to pick up speed in the social media world, I’d be interested to see how else 360 video can be used for story telling. But more so, I’d be curious to see how it can be implemented in the marketing campaigns of brands.

#https://www.facebook.com/revolverwillorourke/videos

Super Heroes: Fashion and Fantasy

Clothing can transform the body. It changes the way the wearer is perceived, and gives them a character. For superheroes, clothing often symbolizes the type of power that the wearer has. It disguises their true civilian character, as they put on a persona of a hero. In Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, we witness the influence on fashion of the costumes of DC and Marvel superheroes like Captain America, Wonder Woman, Superman, Spider-Man and Batman.

Flipping through the pages of the book, we witness an evolution of the characters and how they were depicted in different time eras. It’s fascinating to compare the costume that SuperMan donned in the early 1950s, versus how he appears in comic books, and finally on the run way. Each costume differed, yet kept the same elements of the Superman logo and the striking iconic colors of blue, yellow and red. I particularly enjoyed the way the models on Bernhard Willlhelm (Spring/Summer 2006) were dressed. It took a different on Spiderman, jazzing it up with the dye leggings and scrappy sandals. The interpretation of the cape is creative, keeping the same flow nature of the cape, Bernard showed this through tassels that draped the bottom the logo. Yet what intrigued me most, was the way the superman logo was painted with red drips, almost symbolizing blood. Was this a simple stylistic choice? Or does it symbolize something deeper about bloodshed and the work that SuperMan does?

This is the power that fashion has on our perception. Fashion is not just a functional piece, but asks the audience to judge a person based on what they are costumed with.

Social Media: Trump vs. Clinton

As the presidential elections are quickly approaching, the talk about Trump vs. Hillary picks up speed. In the first head to head debate of the 2016 election campaign, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced each other, discussing employment, race, tax, just to name a few topics. With our current digital age and our connection to social media, audiences are constantly in conversation about the elections.

One of the ways that social media has affected the debates is the creation of memes. Shitposting, which is “making utterly worthless and inane posts on an internet message board”, is becoming increasingly popular. On one hand, this seems to be positive as it encourages the younger generation to participate in the presidential elections. These posts are easy to create and share on social media, yet this is problematic if you base your judgment on these “shit posts”. This might be one of the first elections which is decided by memes.

Social media also provides us with an incredible amount of data about audiences. During the debate the hashtag #debatenight came up over 5.7 million times in 24 hours (CNN). Fact check was also a popular topic, raking in over 326,000 tweets. #TrumpedUpTrickleDown began trending early on Twitter (Tech Republic).

However, solely basing the presidential election on social media data is problematic. While these data sources may paint a picture, it is not truly reflective of who might win the race. This is because of the demographic of social media users, with a majority being millenials. Also, the type of posts regarding the elections depends on your social circles. If you’re friend list tends to be more republican, you can almost guarantee that more of your News Feed would feature posts supporting the republican party.

Coco Before Chanel

We all know the Chanel brand. It’s associated with extravagance, luxury and beauty in the fashion world. Yet personally, I have never considered the early beginnings of Chanel. How did it become a household and publicly owned name, valued at $7.2 Billion as of May 2016?

As the title of the movie suggests, Coco Before Chanel depicts Coco’s life before she became an extravagant luxurious brand. Set before the First World War, it tells the story of her life in her 20s, before the the first world war. Audrey Tatou provides a great performance of Coco, as we follow her life as a streamstress by day and a cabaret entertainer by night where she meets a wealthy heir, Baldan (Benoît Poelvoorde). She becomes his lover and joins him at his events of high French society. There, she becomes fed up with the norm of flowery feminine clothing. She uniquely wears her own style, even despite the fact that she is a new comer in high French society. With Baldan's support, Coco is presented with an opportunity to develop increasingly popular hats. Her style is unique, controversial and inspires a handful of characters. In the process, she builds an incredibly successful business and falls in love with Capel.

Coco remains as an exemplar of beating the status as she created a phenomenal brand. In Capels words, "there's no one like you" and Coco Chanel remains as a unique powerful woman in the fashion industry.

Conversational Interfaces

A conversational interface is any UI that mimics chatting with a human. While it has been gaining a lot of attention, especially from brands, conversational interfaces aren’t a new concept. We’ve witnessed discussion of conversational interfaces in movies, like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it has not come into fruition until the past couple of years. Now, conversational interfaces are one of the hottest topics, and work well everywhere. They’re available on smartphones, desktops, smart watches, and more. Increasingly, major companies have implemented it in some form within their technology. Apple has Siri. Google has OK Google. Amazon has Echo. Yet there’s many more. This rise of conversational interfaces is becoming increasingly important because it can potentially change our relationship with computers. At the moment, I use conversational interfaces rarely. I talk to Siri every now and then to set an alarm or look up something really quickly, when my hands are busy. Yet I do not depend on it, as it sometimes misunderstands my questions or statements. Yet how will conversational interfaces progress in the future, when it becomes almost flawless in conversation? Will we reach an era that is similar to the movie “Her”, which tells the story of a man who develops a romantic relationship with his conversational interface. Will the development of CIs ultimately change how we socialize for the worst? I’m interested in seeing how CIs integration in society pans out over the next few years.

“Goodbye, broacast. Hello Conversation” - Shel Israel

Twitterville - Shel Israel (Book Review)

Before the emergence of Twitter (or social media platforms) in 2008, the media landscape was different. Brands focused on a one way communication through TV, magazines and radio. But with the emergence of the social media 140 character platform, the media landscape was disrupted. Twitter has changed the way that we are interacting with one another, and in particular, it has changed customer support, product research and marketing efforts. No longer are we being fed information through a one way direction, where it comes from source to receiver, Twitter allows us to have conversations with each other and has created a nonstop feedback loop.

In Shel Israel’s Twitterville, he explores how Dell has created a customer service that is personalized, as each customer service worker uses their own Twitter account that follows the format @NameatDell (e.g. @LioneatDell, @RichardatDell). By implementing this human touch, Dell is becoming much more approachable and is starting to create a face for their corporate billion dollar brand. There is a sense of transparency, and it makes customers feel at ease when experiencing any issues, complaints or questions. Thus, Israel posits the question “are brands people?” (Israel 144). Increasingly, brands aim to create a persona that their customers can relate to as they want to to tap into the emotional and social side of their audience.

Yet, is this really a new phenomenon? Betty Crocker was a fabricated name and face that was created in 1945. The models were then changed throughout time, as the years went on, but the main goal was to create a persona that fans could feel like they could find warmth and comfort from. If its customers see the brand as a big company that they do not know, they are not able to create as much as an intimate relationship.

However, Israel poses an interesting issue regarding brands and the face they put on. While Dell creates a somewhat transparent persona, with its @NameatDell marketing strategy, Starbucks does not explicitly state who runs their social media. Israel asks the question why do they not follow the Dell team approach and tweet as @BradatStarbucks? However, Starbucks does not necessarily need to tweet as a brand to create a face. It is possible to create a company persona, and seem somewhat transparent without tweeting as a certain person.

In response to Israel’s comments, this makes me question what if the person who runs the social media account does not fit the brand identity. For example, I previously helped manage the social media accounts for Pernod Ricard (who own Absolut Vodka, Jameson Whiskey, Malibu Rum etc.) and Guinness Beer, and would tweet on their behalf. However, I was 18 years old at the time, am a student at NYU and clearly do not fit the overall persona and target market of the alcohol beverages.

Thus, how does this affect consumers’ relationships with brands? Should brands become more transparent with their social media use? Do consumers even care for that matter, if they are speaking to someone who is authentic?

Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology

Exhibit Press Opening

This year’s exhibition, Manus x Machina, presented in the Museum’s Robert Lehman Wing explores fashion that displays handmade and machine-made creations of hate couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear. Instead of displaying man and machine as oppositional entities, Manus x Machina shows how hand meets design at the onset of mass production. The dichotomy between the two creative processes show how art evolves with the introduction of technology, and was brought out by Andrew Bolton. “I focused on designers who are known for either fetishising the hand or fetishising the machine or combining the two,” Bolton said. “I wanted to challenge the assumption of the hand versus the machine. One always thinks the hand is representative of superiority or luxury, the machine is inferior. Sometimes, a garment produced by a machine is so much more time consuming and complex.”

Entering the exhibit, the first piece that immediately catches your attention is Karl Lagerfeld’s (for Channel) wedding ensemble which features a gorgeous long and bedazzled train that has been embroidered with rhinestones, pears and gems. According to the exhibit’s curator, Andrew Bolton, Lagerfeld’s wedding dress was hand molded, machine sewn and hand finished. The beautiful random baroque pattern was digitally manipulated, making it one of fashion’s most elaborate gowns.

Another striking example of where craft meets technology is the 3D printed dress, one of the most innovative tech processes that is slowly becoming commercialized. For example, Iris Van Herpen’s ensemble made from Polyamide, acrylic, leather :

The intricacy of the bodice particularly caught my attention because of how fine the details were, which could not have been achieved through solely human efforts.

From a marketing perspective, the event was sponsored by Apple which helps position the tech powerhouse in a creative and artistic light. Especially as the gala is the hottest pop culture event, Apple receives a tremendous amount of press coverage for supporting a charitable cause. It also helps them market its first “wearable tech device”, the Apple Watch, which not only acts as a functional piece but also as a fashions statement. Indeed the sponsorship was further strengthened with Jony Ive’s opening remarks who stated that “technology and craft are not mutually exclusive, but can go hand in hand” (Jony Ive, event co host and Chief Design Officer, Apple).

Additionally, the event was further promoted on Snapchat where filters were created specifically for the event:

Snapchat’s fun and targets a younger generation of millenials. This use of Snapchat technology further promotes how technology can work hand in hand with craft. Personally, I found that using the filters gave me a sense of exclusivity especially because of the fact that the filters are only available at the met for a certain amount of time as it is location and time based. It also allows users to share it with their audience, primarily opening the opportunity to target millenials.

The MET further promotes the exhibit on their website, where they leverage the biggest names in press such as Vogue or E! and their own social media accounts. The posts feature the celebrities who attended the luxurious and high-profile event, which further attracts a world wide audience to the event.

While this exhibit looks at how the fashion business can incorporate technology in their work, it’s also interesting to begin to think about how other industries can leverage how quickly the tech world is growing. Fashion is just one form of business that has been impacted by technology, but with the tech world evolving even more, there are even more infinite possibilities in the future.

Loot | MAD abut Jewelry

Exhibit Press Opening

“Loot: MAD About Jewelry is the Museum of Arts and Design’s annual exhibition and sale of one-of-a-kind contemporary jewelry created by more than forty of the world’s most innovative jewelry artists”

I had the honor of attending the press release opening for the exhibition, where I found a handful of artists whose work stood out for me.

GENEVIEVE HOWARD (Ireland)

Howard, who hails from Dublin, Ireland, is an accomplished and classically trained musician who has recently graduated from the National College of Art and Design with a BA in metals and jewelry. With her background in music and her studies in jewelry, Howard has managed to incorporate music and three-dimensional forms in her art. In her work, she uses laser-cut paper to create delicate bracelets and necklaces, which are carefully cut to resemble a musical sequence of a score.

Her work is a great example of how you can derive inspiration from anywhere, as jewelry and music notation may not have a direct correlation. This relates back to Marketing and New Media as it is exemplary of the fact that media can be used in different forms to create the unexpected.

CECILIA BORGHI (Argentina)

Borghi is an Argentine ceramicist who has been inspired by the relationship of nature in urban environments. She was trained in fine arts and became a third-generation ceramicist in her family’s porcelain factory.

Her jewelry stood out to me because of the detail given to her work, as she recreates sea shells that adorn her necklaces. The shapes are asymmetric yet its curves appear incredibly organic, creating a beautiful yet simple object.

MAD Museum

Ebony G. Patterson: Dead Treez

About the Artist: Ebony G. Patterson is a Jamaican artist who is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky. One of her most recognized pieces of work is “Gangstas for Life” which explores the culture of dancehall from Jamaica. Patterson’s work primarily focuses on identity, while using mixed media in her paintings, sculptures and collages.

Currently, Patterson’s work is featured in the Museum of Art in Design, where one piece in particular, titled “Swag Swag Krew”, caught my immediate attention as soon as I got off the elevator. The piece displays a troupe of individuals who are dressed in bright, flamboyant and contrasting patterns. One mannequin perches on the side, donning a pink diamond checkered leotard that is complete with black leather boots and neon orange sunglasses. Whereas, the baby mannequin behind him rides in a bedazzled toy hummer.

Patterson’s work explores the culture of dancehall in Jamaica, displaying how its focus is not only on the dance moves or the music, but also in the way individuals present themselves. Image is incredibly important in dance culture, which heavily relates to the idea of pushing the boundaries of culture for branding. Here, in “Swag Swag Krew”, the mannequins are clothed in striking clothing, which comments on how you attempt to standout as individuals but at the same time you conform to the norms of the dance troupe.

However, what is also interesting is that the striking pattern of the mannequin’s skin, which added to the beautiful chaos. It became a statement about how identity is not only about how you choose to dress, but is perhaps about something that you were born with.

Patterson’s Dead Treez can really be applied to the world of marketing, as brand image is incredibly important. Consumers often choose products based on how they perceive them, and how the products can help create a perception about themselves.

In Time (The Rhythm of the Workshop)

Andreas Bunte, Denis Côté, Daniel Eisenberg and Varvara & Mar

As soon as you enter the exhibit and exit the elevators, you are immediately greeted with a line of metronomes. My first thought was that the exhibit would be about music as these devices keep rhythm. Yet above the metronome were clocks with different times. I was slightly perplexed - it was only until I read the info on the wall, where he exhibit began to make more sense.

The exhibit explores stock markets around the world, where the metronomes were synced to portray how busy each city was. For example, when we went during a Thursday afternoon, the tempo of the New York metronome was fairly fast paced, which reflected how busy the New York stock market is. Whereas the London metronome was at a standstill, as at the time it was closed. The tour guide also informed us that if we had visited the exhibit during the weekend, it would be silent as stock markets would not be live.

It’s an interesting portrayal of stock markets, and is a great visual way of viewing how different markets operate at different times.

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