crush+lab

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Kevin Roberts

Kevin Roberts- the advertising and branding legend, the Executive Chairman of the world-renowned agency Saatchi & Saatchi, and the pioneer of the groundbreaking concept of, “Lovemarks”- has rewritten the definition of branding. At crush+lab, we live by our inspiration from Roberts’ phenomenal advertising works and his unique approach to brands. As Roberts puts it, “Great ideas can come from anywhere,but most of them turn up on the edge.” Throughout his tenures at Mary Quant, Procter and Gamble, Pepsi, and Lion Nathan Roberts had been inspired and trained to always to do the unexpected, to zig when others zag. For example, during a keynote speech he gave as the President and CEO of Pepsi in Canada, Roberts had a Coca Cola vending machined rolled onto the stage. Immediately after the speech, eh pulled out a machine gun and blasted away the vending machine. Roberts loves, the extreme. Being on the edge is exciting and risky. Moreover, the edge gives you power, power to be free from orthodoxy and conformity. This freedom is what makes one brand stand out among millions.

Roberts took on more risk when he took the CEO position at Saatchi & Saatchi in 1997. The advertising agency was in trouble and had low morale. What really intrigued Roberts, was the chance for him to test his belief in emotional connections.

He saw the develeopments of products to trademarks and trademarks to brands. All of these marketing strategies workded for a while, but tby the late 90s, it as obvious to Roberts that brands had lost their power. With so many businesses being created and advertised to the public, brands could  no longer keep their loyal customers. It raised the question: what comes after brands? Through studying special brands that had high loyalty despite changes in the market, he finally realized that to keep customers around, abrand needs to create a loyalty beyond reason.

 “Only an emotion like love could power the next evolution of branding.”- Kevin Roberts

With that, his world famous and unprecedented concept of “Lovemarks” was born. “The Lovemarks of this new century will be the brands and businesses that create genuine emotional connections with the communities and networks they live in.”

Successful Lovemarks have 3 components:

Mystery comest from stories, metaphors and characters. It inspires customers with the bran’s past, present and future and creates a character for the brand.

Sensuality is generated from a human touch. A brand needs to have the five conventional senses, visual, sound, scent, taste, touch. Additionally, it needs a sixth sense, intuition.

Intimacy touches personal aspirations and inspirations. It’s the result of the question, “What kind of relationship do we want to have?” Through empathy, commitment and passion, a brand can then reach emotional intimacy with customers.

These components create brands that customers love and have relationships with. They nurture love that bypasses reason, love tat makes customers loyal.

Crush+lab is constantly fascinated and motivated by Kevin Roberts, especially in his concept of Lovemarks. We generate ideas on the edge. We tell stories, create sensuality and develop intimacy with our audiences and partners.  We are here to build long-lasting relationships, to continuously challenge, fight, inspire, and change for the better. 

[crushlabproductions]

Ai Weiwei

In the West, art is about freedom of expression. We’re lucky. In certain parts of the world, every aspect of peoples’ lives is censored, including art. Fortunately, there are artists out there who won’t back down when it comes to creativity- artists that relentlessly wage war on the forces that stifle free speech. Described by the New Yorker as “China’s leading innovator of provocation,” artist and activist Ai Weiwei is a leading figure of rebellion against Chinese censorship. In fact, he sometimes turns censorship into art. Back in 2010 when a statue of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen was loaned to Shanghai, Ai was asked to create a piece to temporarily fill the site/ Guess what he did instead of building a new statue? He installed a live video of the mermaid in China with an over sized surveillance camera. When told by the Danes that the camera was unattractive, he responded,

“That’s our real life. Everybody is under some kind of surveillance camera. It’s not beautiful.”

Based in Beijing, Ai is highly outspoken and critical of the Chinese communist regime. After the disastrous earthquake in Sichuan in 2008, Ai led a “Citizens’ Investigation” to film post-earthquake conditions and to survey names of students who died from substandard construction. His investigation publicly criticize the government’s lack of transparency. It was later reported the he was attacked by the police and even suffered from an internal bleeding in the brain.

The earthquake incident was not the only time the Chinese government tried to stop Ai from his work. In 2010, he was first under house arrest for building a studio in Shanghai, and then banned from leaving the country. Later in 2011, he was arrested at the Beijing airport and had his studio searched by police. Afterwards, he found out the arrest was due to China’s suspicion of activists wanting to launch a “jasmine revolution” against the government.

Despite all this violent and unfair treatment, Ai has never ceased fighting for his beliefs. He has continuously expressed himself through various artistic disciplines. In May 213, Ai released his first ever heavy metal single called, “Dumbass.” The music video is a recreation of his 81 day detention in jail.He wanted to show the world that “his country was one of crazy menace and inhuman conditions.” Ai told the Guardian that music served as elf-therapy for him, since he still suffered from the trauma he experienced in the cell.

crush+lab highly admires Ai weiwei’s ability to combine art and activism and his constant effort to express his beliefs and values regardless of the government’s cruel treatments. It’s extremely upsetting to see art being censored in such radical ways and to see people being punished brutally for expressing themselves Hopefully as a result of Ai Weiwei and other activists’ endeavors combined with exponentially increasing, internet-fueled globalization, all parts of the world will soon be free of extreme censorship

[crushlabproductions]

Cultural Recognition

Honored and grateful, crush+lab is excited to announce that our program, “Diplo Presents: @Large Creators at Work,” is a recipient of the 36th Annual Silver Telly Awards!

We are proud to have our work celebrated alongside that of other such distinguished production and media houses, and we are thrilled to be recognized by judges of the Silver Telly Council, who historically hold creative work up to exemplary standards.

Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards has been honoring the finest film, video and commercial productions in local, regional and cable TV as well as non-broadcast programs. Last year, the Telly Awards received over 12,000 entries from 5 continents. As crush+lab recently moved into the development process of multiple original TV series, to receive this honor in the “TV programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces – Cultural” category is extremely encouraging.  Cultural diversity and awareness is a major factor in our mission to make the world a better place.

“Diplo Presents: @Large Creators at Work” is an original series that crush+lab produced for Red Bull Media House. Over the course of a year, we traveled around the world, documenting artists who take their work outside of galleries and expose it to audiences in public spaces. For more information on the series, check out our previous post here.

The series can be streamed on Redbull TV across various platforms, including Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Chromecast, Amazon fire TV.

[crushlabproductions]

Last weekend saw the release of the much-anticipated documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. Alongside the release, crush+lab would like to highlight the rock genius’ life with a brief homage to the legendary frontman of Nirvana.   Though unfortunately his life was short-lived, culminating in his tragic demise at the seemingly cursed age of 27, the anger and passion reflected in his revolutionary music will continue to inspire future generations.

“Nirvana wasn’t glam, wasn’t hair, wasn’t metal, and above all wasn’t luxury. It was about resistance in the mega-Ohm range.” – Glenn O’Brien 

Kurt’s parents divorced when he was 7. He described in an interview with Jon Savage that his parents’ separation changed his whole world. All of a sudden, his childhood wasn’t great anymore. He became anti-social and almost insane in other people’s eyes. During those years, he would listen to the Beatles a lot; partly due to his British descent, partly because he liked the tunes, and mostly because he didn’t have access to other records. 

Since the age of 11, he had fantasized about being a part of the punk rock community. He recalled going to Seattle with his family as a kid, and he was always looking for punk. Finally, his friend gave him a couple mixed tapes.  Kurt was completely blown away.

“It expressed the way I felt socially and politically. Just everything. It was the anger that I felt, the alienation.” - KC

Although Kurt was immensely moved by rock music, he was not completely satisfied with the existing bands, but for a long time he couldn’t put his finger on what was lacking. Then one day it hit him like a ton of bricks.  Sexism.   His anger toward sexist lyrics and his disapproval of the way guys around him treated women, resulted in him making no male friends. Many started threatening him because they thought he was gay. Even Kurt himself thought he could be gay, though he never tested the theory.

Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic first formed the band that became Nirvana in the late 80s, though they went through a number of drummers before landing on the missing link, Dave Grohl. The band gained mainstream popularity and success in 1991 with the release of Nevermind. Overwhelmed by the fame and exposure, Cobain found it very difficult to stay on tour and even had thoughts of breaking up with the band. He suffered from chronic stomach problems, and eventually fell into heavy drug use, including heroin.

Kurt reported that his mental state and physical state improved tremendously after he got married to Courtney Love, lead singer of the LA band Hole and had a child, Frances Bean Cobain. However, he never quite learned to deal with attacks on the band members and himself by mainstream media. Video footage of Kurt and Courtney, even after the birth of Frances, makes it quite clear that though it may have subsided briefly, the drug use never ended.

On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead in his apartment in Seattle. The police found his body next to a shotgun and a suicide note.   He had reportedly made two previous attempts on his life and had written about killing himself many times in his personal notebooks.  Regrettably, this time he succeeded.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, written and directed by Brett Morgen, premiered to positive buzz and critical acclaim at Sundance 2015 and was released nationwide in theaters on April 24.  It features intimate interviews with Kurt’s mother, father, sister, wife, and band mate.  His daughter Frances was on board as an executive producer.  According to Morgen, he made the film from the perspective of Kurt Cobain, aiming to let the audience view his life from his eyes. The TV premiere is scheduled for May 4, 2015 on HBO.

[crushlabproductions]

+ crush+lab is thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of @Large - Creators at Work, presented by Diplo - an original series produced for Red Bull Media House

+we spent a year following visionary artists around the globe, documenting the creative process, philosophy, development and execution of a new and groundbreaking project from each.

+the series introduces and exposes the audience to both emerging, established, and celebrated artists of many disciplines, who find ways to creatively take their art outside of the gallery world, and bring it to public spaces.

+as we followed each of these brilliant creators at work, we were taken on an intimate and profoundly impactful journey, each carrying a unique message that we believe is of paramount importance to share with the world - we are honored to be part of this dynamic and vital dialogue between artist and viewer.

+ each episode juxtaposes 2 artists, revealing how each harnesses the inspirational       power of their individual crafts to engage with the public. This transformation of art into positive energy aligns perfectly with the core values we hold here at crush+lab.

+we would like to applaud the forward-thinking and passionate team at Red Bull Media House for being bold enough to embrace and nurture a project of this nature, making it possible for this kind of material to reach an audience well beyond the established confines of the art world.

+we’d also like to thank our friend Diplo for stepping into this world, bringing his energy and passion to the project, as well as lending a considerable endorsement to the project in his role as a taste-maker for our generation.

+ the series will debut on April 22nd at 10am PST on Redbull TV across multiple platforms - including Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Chromecast and Amazon fire TV. Check out the teaser below, share it with your people, and we hope you enjoy this fresh and moving perspective on the relevance and importance of art and it’s crucial role in our evolution and the elevation of our collective consciousness.

[crushlabproductions]

Starting this Wednesday in Los Angeles, Roar, the terrifying yet intriguing 80s film, will have a limited theatrical release. Partnered with Olive Films, Drafthouse Films has decided to finally screen and reveal to America the film known to be the most dangerous movie ever made.

Roar features director Noel Marshall and his then wife Tippi Hedren, their real children and over a hundred wild, untamed “big cats.” The plotline centers on Hank (played by Marshall) living peacefully alongside 100+ wild big cats, until his family visits. Then things get ugly.

The inspiration for the movie first hit Marshall and Hedren during their touring of the safari preserves. Shocked by the overhunting of lions, tigers and jaguars, they wanted to raise awareness of the cruel captivity and treatment of wild big cats. They then literally adopted, bred and raised countless lions for the shooting of the film.

The movie was shot and produced over the course of 11 years with a $17 million budget, but it unfortunately only made around $2 million worldwide.

According to the trailer, “no animals were harmed in the making of this film. 70 members of the cast and crew were.” While no cast member was injured to the point of dying, a few were dangerously close. The initial release in 1981 was described by Variety as “the most disaster-plagued film in the history of Hollywood.” It’s fair to argue that no other movie in the history of film has had this level of high risk and danger. 

Though the production of the movie was a physical and financial disaster for Noel Marshall and his family, the movie itself is described by many as one of the most epic and meaningful animal thrillers out there. As Tim League, the founder of Drafthouse Films, states, “you’ve never seen a movie like Roar and there will never, ever be a movie like Roar again.”

Roar will be screened at The Cinefamily and ArcLight Cinemas in Los Angeles. Needless to say, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch an epic classic on the big screen featuring dangerous and risky elements that will probably never be seen again in the film world.

Watch the trailer at http://www.cinefamily.org/films/roar/.

[crushlabproductions]

Yohji Yamamoto

“I think there is no difference between men and women. We are different in body, but sense, spirit and soul are the same” – Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto, Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris, has long been an inspiration for crush+lab.

Setting off with an “anti” position state of mind, a counter-fashion approach to extravagance and the ambition to re-define borders, Yamamoto has, in the last 40 years, introduced and popularized his definition of feminine beauty and sexual appeal. His philosophy and artistic principle are largely based on mixing genders, circulating air between the garment and the body, asymmetry, the color black, and last but not least, utilizing living material.  

“My life is a paradox: I renounce fashion by creating it” - Yohji Yamamoto

Yamamoto’s embodiment of simplistic aesthetics, sensual body and breaking existing boundaries parallels crush+lab’s creative vision. At crush+lab, we believe that art comes from challenging the system and embracing the freedom in spirit. Where there is resistance to conform, there is innovation.

“Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy – but mysterious” - Yohji Yamamoto

 Yamamoto’s new collection for fall 2015, as he described as “under construction,” once again impressed the fashion world with asymmetrical aesthetics and dark silhouettes. Incorporating Greek and Oriental elements, Yamamoto’s fall collection features large, single-piece fabrics shaped into various outfits. Black comprises most of the collection, as usual, but a few deep color shades were used too. And, like always, many outfits are gender-neutral with free and loose fittings. Inspired by under-construction buildings in the city, Yamamoto’s collection elegantly and powerfully expresses the state of imperfection.