N.A.S.A. NSFW 2010


Last February, N.A.S.A. (North America/South America) debuted “The Spirit of Apollo” on Anti- Records. I’ve written before about the ongoing creative collaboration between lifelong music aficionados Squeak E. Clean (aka Sam Spiegel) and DJ Zegon, and their friends, friends of friends and musical heroes. Today, “The Spirit of Apollo” continues involving many superstar artists from both U.S. coasts in bringing people together through music and art. I hope you enjoy the updated playlist, featuring the talents of N.A.S.A.’s many fine-artist friends.

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Hail brave crusaders! Brian Marr from Wexley School for Girls

Last evening, the American Advertising Federation of Greenville, South Carolina hosted Brian Marr, Managing Director for the West Coast marketing agency Wexley School for Girls, at the lovely Westin Poinsett in downtown Greenville.

Well known for their innovative approaches in engaging customers for Microsoft, Nike, Seattle Sounders and Seahawks, Copper Mountain and others

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Designing characters, stories and more with Jose Sebastian Gomez

WeMakeItGoodIf you haven’t seen the book “We Make It Good” from the filmmakers at creative production company Shilo, you are hereby enthusiastially encouraged to check it out.

As you’ll see there, much of the company’s extraordinary content leverages the character design talents of Co-Founder, Creative Director and Director Jose Sebastian Gomez.

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Laura Longsworth: Thanks for the Documentary

Thanks once again to Sundance Channel, I recently had another life-altering experience from a documentary film they chose to program. This time, the film is entitled “Luckey,” it was produced, written and directed by filmmaker Laura Longsworth, and it documents the challenges faced by sculptor Tom Luckey to carry on with his life, his artistry and his business after experiencing a major spinal injury.

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Creative Entrepreneurs: David Bouck

While attending the Boards Summit last October, I had the pleasure of meeting David Bouck (IMDB, LinkedIn), a veteran producer working in commercials, television and feature films. David is the founder and executive producer of Means of Production in Vancouver, a production services company specializing in television commercial production and still photography servicing all of Canada. After recently sending me his latest company reel (featured above), I peppered him with questions which he has kindly answered below.

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Among many people I’m thankful for, my big brother Scott

We’re taking off to go spend some quality time with our families in the St. Louis and Milwaukee areas over the days ahead, and I thought I’d make a quick nod to one of the people I’m most thankful for, my big brother, Scott Darnell. Scott and his partner David Gotter established a company in 2003 named Further OPTIONS, as a developer of innovative mobility systems for wheelchair-bound individuals. After debuting its first product at the 2006 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the company’s Patent-pending DMS-4 was unveiled at the 2009 National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association Annual Conference, where it was honored by NMEDA and the Adaptive Driving Alliance with their 2009 New Technology Award for Innovation in Engineering and Technology for the physically challenged.

Read moreAmong many people I’m thankful for, my big brother Scott

We Are Plus relaunches, drives positive brand movement worldwide

Since first launching Plus et Plus in New York City in 2002, company founder Jeremy Hollister, co-creative director Judy Wellfare and their colleagues have built a reputation as a go-to company for fashion brands seeking to create sexy, marketing-savvy visual content for high-profile promotional uses ranging from live and in-store events to online, offline and traditional broadcast marketing campaigns. Recently relaunched as We Are Plus, over the past several months the company has delivered innovative projects for AMC, Shu Uemura Cosmetics, and Kidrobot, among many others.

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Earth Island Institute asks tomorrow’s leaders, “What would Dave do?”

Earth Island Institute established the Brower Youth Awards in 2000 to honor their founder and legendary environmental activist, David R. Brower and to call forth a new generation of leaders. This award manifests the Earth Island Institute’s abiding commitment to growing environmental leadership. The annual Brower Youth Awards honor six young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy.

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Stardust Studios… going places!

Bicoastal U.S. creative production company Stardust Studios recently announced its new representation agreement with London-based production company Rokkit, which immediately extends Stardust’s active marketing presence within the creative, commercial and music video production communities across the UK, Europe and Asia.

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At age 23, self-styled creative agency ATTIK keeps making “Noise”

Ask the world’s leading entrepreneurs, top-level marketers, and graphic designers what companies have inspired them the most over the past 20 years, and you will very likely hear the name ATTIK. In 2002, when Advertising Age reported that Toyota had “stunned” the automotive industry by naming a “little-known graphic design shop-cum-advertising agency” to handle its new youth brand, in validating their choice, ATTIK’s newest clients quickly pointed to the firm’s design aesthetic and its strategic thinking.

Read moreAt age 23, self-styled creative agency ATTIK keeps making “Noise”