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1.
more than usual; excessive; abnormal. 2. the study or theoretical
analysis of such working methods; the branch
of logic that deals with the general principles of the formation
of knowledge; usage problem. means, technique, or procedure. 3. integrated
visual communications; brand (re)engineering; photography + experimental
mediums; the artistic madness + passion of one man's existence; denver
colorado; eight zero one two one; copyright two thousand six; polymethodology.com |
news. |
17/04/2006; BRANDWEEK. >>MARKETERS OF THE NEXT GENERATION: By taking a walk on the wild side, Airwalk's creative director is reconnecting with the brand's core customers—and leading a resurgance. By Sandra O'Laughlin - BrandWeek / Photo by Patricia Barry Levy Jeffrey Buice admits he goes for the "wild thing," at least when it comes to developing ad campaigns as creative director for Airwalk. For his latest effort, launching this fall and running through next spring, he took his creative team and a bevy of athletes and models earlier this year to New York, where he directed shots of snowboarders on the subway during rush hour and surfer dudes hanging 10 on the Hudson. The most outrageous vignette, though, is a taxi surfing shot that shows a skateboarder holding onto the back wheel well of a cab as he winds his way through city streets. "The cabbie never stopped, but the passenger in the back seat was smilling and waving," Buice recalled. That image, one of the 6,000 to reach the final edits, no doubt will be part of the campaign. "It was a little dangerous," Buice conceded, "but I don't think we'll get negative feedback on it. If anything, we'll probably get, 'Wow, how were you guys able to pull that off?'" This latest adventure is emblematic of Buice's marketing efforts to capture the spontaneity of Airwalk and reconnect with the Southern California roots of the footwear and athletic sportswear brand. Authenticity is key to resonating with the hip skater crowd, an elusive demo sought by larger rivals such as Vans and Quiksilver. Retailers say those efforts are paying off. Payless Shoesource, for example, which has carried the brand since 2003, uses Airwalk to build foot traffic among various walks of life. "We view it as a lifestyle brand spanning on-the-board and off-the-board styles," said Eran Cohen, chief marketing officer. "Our Airwalk line is very popular among consumers and features key seasonal styles for men, women and kids." Airwalk catapulted to fame in the '80's with its quirky oversized shoes, but lost credibility among skater enthusiasts when its started selling product at J.C. Penny and other mainstream stores. Collective Licensing International, a subsidiary of Sunrise Capital Partners, acquired the brand for $26 million in 2004 and brought in Buice to shepard creative at the Englewood, Colo., company. Collective owns and licenses a total of nine youth lifestyle brands, including Genetic footwear, Vision streetwear and Lamar Snowboards. "We acquire brands and give them the tools to create a foundation in the marketplace," said Buice. The privately held company (described by Buice as part think tank, part agency) does not divulge specific financial results, but said its sales were up 25% last year. Prior to Collective, the 34-year old Buice worked on Airwalk and the Coors Original brand at The Integer Group, lakewood, Colo., executing promotions as well as retail, print and billboard advertising. His other agency work includes stints at Starz/Encore Group in Denver and BoldFace Design, Los Angeles. Collective CEO Bruce Pettet praised his visual skills and marketing savvy. "Jeff is blessed with the ability to visually depict a clear, impactful message every time he creates a campaign," said Pettet. "He understands brand building, and the need for every message to resonate with the consumer in a meaningful way." Buice argues that his non-traditional approach to advertising distinguishes Airwalk from competitors. "Most action sports brands like to go for the trick shot or action shot," he said. "It's easy to show a guy surfing a barrel in a tube, but we show what it's like when you're sitting out there on the water and waiting for a set of waves, a scene no one else has seen unless they've been on a surfboard." Recent Airwalk campaigns were shot in California in downtown Los Angeles, Chinatown and Death Valley, as well as in the ocean. This year, New York's gritty, edgy streets provided the backdrop for the apparel and shoes. Ads will run in niche publications (Revolver, URb, XLR8R) as well as action sports titles, with images also appearing in-store and in wild postings in major cities. Buice, who grew up on the beaches of Los Angeles, likens boardsports to marketing. "Marketing is like a wave: every one has its own shape and form, its own challenges," he enthused. "It's how you adjust to the challenge that will give you a successful ride. Airwalk taps into my core passion. That's what I grew up with. We want to bring authenticity to every brand in our portfolio." (Q): If I weren't doing this job, I'd be... (A): Working a job that would allow me to travel the world and surf. (Q): Smartest business decision: (A): Showing the reality of what happens on 'Guys Night Out' —rowdiness, not recklessness—in helping to reposition the Coors brand.. (Q): Ideal tie-in partner: (A): Photographer Michael Muller. >>(below) samples from the upcoming Fall 2006 Airwalk campaign, Photography by Michael Muller. |
20/03/2006; FOOTWEAR NEWS. >>SET CALL: Airwalk is taking its So Cal vibe to the Big Apple for its new campaign, "Escape from New York." Lensed by Michael Muller (who has shot ads for films "Walk the Line" and the upcoming "X3," as well as for Nike, Speedo and Absolut), the ads feature skateboarders "catching" a cab in Times Square (see photo) and ripping it up at the famed Autumn Bowl skate park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Other spots show surfers braving the Hudson River — in a blizzard. MediaBank caught up with Jeffrey Buice, creative director for The Collective, Airwalk's parent company, during the brand's recent New York shoot. "The 'Escape from New York' concept is a metaphor for escaping from the concrete jungle," said Buice. "Everyone has a place that they want to escape from. We're showing how you can break free with our brand." Buice chose New York as a location because "it reflects the global presence of the brand." Airwalk pitchpeople (and surf champions) Josh Mohr and Neva Massey were clearly excited by the prospect of hanging 10 on the Hudson. Zodiac boats made the waves; Mother Nature provided the snowstorm. "We're always pushing the limits on the Airwalk team," Mohr said. "I felt like I was in Alaska trying to catch waves!" Added Massey: "Airwalk is great because instead of the typical surf/skate brand that's shooting some freckled blond girl who can't even swim, we're shooting in New York, when it's 30 degrees and hailing, out on jet boats and laying on the pavement in the middle of Times Square." A spokeswoman for Airwalk said the brandhas doubled its marketing budget this year compared to 2005. The new ads debut in June issues of action sports and lifestyle magazines including Revolver, URB, Surfer, and Snowboarder. The spots are already sparking industry interest: Largely for his work on this campaign, Buice will be featured as one of AdWeek magazine's "Next Generation Creatives" in a special issue hitting newsstands next month. (written by Eric Newman, Footwear News) |
12/03/2006; The fact that this website will be an on-going work in progress and is actual (somewhat) operational. It's news to me... because it's my first entry into learning html and the likes. I thought it was about time for myself to actually get something up as a constant presence of my work... Lord knows many of millions have seen the work either here or there, but never knew exactly who it was that was involved with it...or how and why. And don't get me wrong either... this is by no means some type of digital boast or egocentric milepost in the ether of the internet. I wanted to have a try at doing a website completely for myself, and being that I am a professional in the visual communications - well, what better of an excuse and attempt. So there is a basic explination as to myself, this site... which will also serve as a constant evolution of a portfolio for myself... and a way for friends + family to keep tabs, since I suppose I am difficult when it comes to that. Also, as a news entry I was just awarded the AdWeek/BrandWeek NextGen 10. The article will be out sometime in the near future... not sure exactly when - but most definitely a cool award they have chosen to bestow. The little I know of the article is that it will name from the publisher's standpoint as "the next generation of the top 10 creative marketers to watch..." I'm not much for writting on this so... I'll wait to see the article and see how it gets positioned. I am quite honored though, as it's quite the recognition for the cumilative of the work I have done for the past +15 years. I am very honored. |
06/03/2006; BRANDWEEK. >>AIRWALK NOT GOING BACK TO CALI: By Sandra O'Laughlin Airwalk, which for the past two years has sought to reconnect with its authentic Southern California heritage, this fall will change things up and reach for some East Coast style. Creative, developed in-house, portrays an "Escape from New York" theme with shots of skateboarders at the Brooklyn Bridge, riding the subway and in an indoor warehouse. Snow shots were photographed in Midtown Manhattan; surfers at Chelsea Piers and Coney Island; Athletes, models and native New Yorkers appear in the ads. "We;re capturing a Southern California feel in New York and the wild spontaneity of Airwalk," said Jeffrey Buice, creative director at Airwalk. Last year's effort was shot in downtown Los Angeles and the California desert. The campaign will break in June editions of niche publications such as Revolver, URb and XLR8R as well as core action sports titles including Skateboarder, Surfer, Foam and Snowboarder. Budget was not revealed, but is double last year's spend, which was less than $1 million, per Buice. Images will be used in-store and in wild postings in major cities.
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08/2005; GRAPHIC DESIGN USA. >>airwalk
campaign shows spirit and roots |
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professional links. |
personal links. Personal MADRAS Myspace Music Page Silverlake Conservatory of Music
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interesting links. KCRW Metropolis Show (Host Jason Bentley) |