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Spotify Wins Best Holiday Ads with Cheeky Billboards on User Listening Habits

Spotify’s funny new billboards manage to poke fun at its users’ listening habits when looking back on this year’s crazy events while simultaneously injecting lightheartedness into it all. 

One of my favorites writes in bold white font, “Avoid the ‘medical professionals’ who added these songs to operating room playlists: *Stressed Out, *Can’t Feel My Face, *Stairway to Heaven, *Say You Won’t Let Go.”

“The creative team here at Spotify came up with the idea of goals. How do we think forward? To take some of that nutty stuff and say, ‘I’m going to push against this, or be better at this’ A lot of people look back at this time of year. We just thought it would be interesting to look forward,” Spotify CMO Seth Farbman explained in an interview with AdWeek.

This creative decision to put a spin on the crazy events that have happened this year, many which have been very political, is very risky. We’ve seen a lot of brands try to use politically-charged public dialogues as a way to connect with consumers, only to fail miserably (cough, Pepsi, cough). 

Going the humorous route is especially high-risk. If done wrong, the brand could end up looking like they were making light of a serious issue. That would be bad publicity for the brand, especially in an era where consumers have a high level of social awareness.

However, this was also a concern for the creative team at Spotify, Farbman reveals. The team made sure to have an executed concept that would strike the perfect balance between ‘woke’-ness (2017 term for being socially and politically atuned) and humor, aiming more toward the direction of reflection and hope.

“It’s absolutely tricky,” Farbman admitted. “We rely on two things. One is a tone of voice that is sort of inclusive and reflective and a little cheeky. And we also rely on the information and the data that we see from from our fans. All of the work we present, they’re not statements we’re making. It’s just looking at how people consumed music over the course of the year and using that fact-based approach, which somehow makes it feel a bit less traumatic.”

And it worked!

It’s fun that we’re able to get a peek inside other people’s listening habits and relate, like maybe, “Oh! I’ve had moments I needed a good ‘sad’ playlist, too” or “I can’t stop listening to that song either!” 

For me, the ads are successful also because the brand was able to think outside the box and make use of its user data to create interesting ads that speak to consumers. The cheeky tone as described by Farbman results in a series of billboards that touch the public’s emotions, both by reflecting on the terrible things that happened this year and putting a positive spin on it. It’s all about being able to incorporate that human connection into a brand’s spiel, sometimes making people forget that, at the end of it all, they’re just trying to sell you a product. 

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Taxi Driver Snaps Iconic NYC Photographs of Passengers

It’s said that the practicalities of life are often what stifle an artist’s creativity, i.e. working odd jobs to make ends meet. But on rare occasions, there are those who are lucky enough to find a way to pay bills while still making art. 

Ryan Weideman is one of them. Weideman moved to The Big Apple in the 80s looking to launch is career as a photographer. But the reality of making enough to pay rent every month forced him to find a semi-stable day job. Lucky for him, he soon got a job driving a yellow taxi cab. But instead of letting the hustle get in the way of this creative pursuits, Weideman found a way to incorporate his knack for still moments into his day job by photographing the interesting passengers he drove and the results are stunning.

Because his photos mostly take place in the 80s and 90s (also evident by the crazy hair styles of his subjects), Weideman used analog cameras back then so a lot of the photos were captured on film and in black and white. The vintage-style of his photographs, I think, actually boost the intimacy that radiates from the photos, capturing candid moments of colorful characters the snapper met every day in his cab. Looking at the photos of different people dressed in diverse get-ups and sharing their ride with different people (or animals), these photos are the perfect representation of what New York City is all about.

According to articles circulating about his taxi photographs, Weideman still takes photos of his cab passengers sometimes.

I thought this was an interesting idea to write about because the artist was able to find a way to channel his creativity while fulfilling the responsibilities of daily life and have fun doing it. 

I think what he’s done here is also very relatable. Many creative workers find themselves stifled by their real world problems - in extreme scenarios, some even have to sacrifice their art so they can focus on making a living, usually by means totally unrelated to their creative field. I’m sure there were more instances in which Weideman had to deal with juggling his art and his day gig, but this artist-turned-cab-driver found a way to make it work without having to sacrifice one job over the other.

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Pastry Chef Turns Edible Cakes Into Geometrical Art

Photo: Dinara Kasko’s sculpted cakes. Courtesy Arch Daily.

During my research presentation last week, one classmate asked me, “As a journalist, how would you apply Bjarke Ingels’ philosophy in his architectural work to your own?” This was a very good question, and it reminds us that one field is not necessarily exclusive to others. Just take pastry chef Dinara Kasko’s sculptural cakes.

According to an article on Dezeen, Kasko used to be an architect and 3D-visualizer, which is clearly prominent in her edible works now as pastry chef. But even though she’s moved to the culinary world, it seems that Kasko can’t seem to shake off her love for architectural design. Her delicious art work is gaining notoriety in both worlds as she continues to collaborate with a multitude of designers from around the world.

One of her most visually-enticing cakes is a red-and-white streusel made with an almond sponge cake, cherry confit and yogurt mousse tart. The cake was inspired by mixed-media artist Jose Margulis and also included the craftsmanship of an engineer to create.

Photo: The Geometrical Kinetic Tart by Dinara Kasko and Jose Margulis. Courtesy of Design Boom.

“I tried to transform his creations, made of plastic, aluminum and acrylic, into something edible, using basic techniques and ingredients,” Kasko said.  

To make most of her insanely geometrical cakes, Kasko comes up with a basic design then inputs the algorithms for the design into a 3D printer to form a cake mold. And then, I guess, by some kitchen magic she is able to bake multiple layers of cake, cream and mousse into the mold to shape (unfortunately, videos of her work only focus on the post-molding of her bakes, none reveal how she is able to put all the ingredients perfectly into the complicated molds).

Here’s a behind-the-scenes video for the Margulis cake which Kasko later named the “Geometrical Kinetic Tart”:

I do wonder how viable it is to sell these crazy creations. Though I would definitely have a slice (or two) of these cakes if they were presented in front of me, I’m not totally sure I would be compelled to purchase these on my own. I think these type of cake designs cater to a specific market, if not to specific events at the very least. 

Kasko sells the cake molds she makes for a pretty penny so other pasty chefs have put their own spin on her geometrical creations. Some can be viewed on her website’s blog. 

Then there’s the matter of taste. None of the articles that cover her work talk about how the cakes taste, they only focus on the exterior. I understand that her unique designs have become the focal point of her coverage but if you’re working in the food industry, taste must continue to be the priority. 

But there’s no denying that Kasko’s cakes are certainly pushing the envelope in design for the culinary world by transforming food into art, and in today’s revolving door of pop culture trends there is always a market for something. Whether you fancy them or not, these cakes would definitely make for a great party center piece. 

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CNN Uses Apple/Banana Metaphor for New Ad Addressing Fake News

In the wake of “fake news” (a term likely popularized by Trump in his earlier rants about the press), some daily publications are amplifying public displays that highlight their commitment to uncovering the truth.

The Washington Post changed its old slogan to the more dramatic phrase, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” The New York Times started producing stickers that read “Facts are Facts.” And now a more recent “statement” has come out of CNN through the unveiling of its new video ad. 

Here is the full video:

The video is just 30 seconds-long using nothing but a moving camera perspective zooming on to a red apple. There’s nothing else, just an apple against a plain white background. The accompanying voice narration is also incredibly basic (not verbatim): Here’s an apple. It’s not a banana, but people will try to make you believe it’s a banana. It’s not, it’s an apple. That is fact. 

I first saw this on Twitter from a prominent journalist I follow online and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. CNN’s super simple concept -- truth, facts, accuracy -- is visualized perfectly and in a way that drives the point straight home without superfluous effects or complicated story lines. Simplicity works great in terms of virality, which is the main goal really. Because the video is so easy to understand, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a person that didn’t get the message in the ad. 

Some people forget that creativity doesn’t have to be flashy. In fact, the more understated it is the more sophisticated the creative endeavor becomes, like this ad. Most of the time simplicity goes a long way.

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ARTIST’S DATE - Hike in NYC

I was in NYC to visit some family for the weekend and had a lovely time taking the dog to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The weather in New York still feels like summer, so the vegetation was still pretty green, some of it even brown and dry. 

We spent almost 2 hours going up and down the walking trail through the woods. We finally arrived at an elevated part of the trails where a few rocks were located strategically enough to see the city skyline from a distance. It was so nice to be able to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city without being *too* far away.

A few things I learned:

-- The park is named after the Van Cortlandts, a very influential Dutch family in the earlier days of the city. 

-- Before it became New York, it was actually named New Amsterdam because it was a Dutch colony for a period of time (and perhaps also why New York is not considered part of the New England region, which was established under British colonization.) Harlem, a neighborhood in NYC, is named after another city, Haarlem, in the Netherlands.

-- Not far from the strategic rocks was a plot of land that was barricaded by a tall wall and gates. That is where most of the Van Cortlandt family is burried.

-- I am terrible at hiking.

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Life-Sized Projections Open Public Dialogue About Immigrants

Above: Projection of Jennis Perez of Cuba, who came to the US seeking a better life for her 7-year-old daughter, floods the brick exterior of a historic building in downtown.

A giant projection illuminated the Boston Public Garden, stopping visitors in their tracks as they took in the stranger’s face that lit up a garden tree on Sept. 15. It was the face of Semyon Dukach, who many may know as an angel investor for One-Way Ventures. What a lot of people may not know is that Dukach is also a Russian immigrant. 

The projection art is part of the #StandWithImmigrants project created by photographer Erik Jacobs which is meant to open the conversation about immigrants and immigration in Boston public spaces. The photographs that are projected on to these spaces feature the faces of immigrants and refugees from all walks of life: doctors, cleaners, business people, artists, farmers, and others.

“We’re taking those immigrants and stitching their faces onto the fabric of the city,” Jacobs says in a promotional video meant to help fundraising for the project. “I think that our collective identity as a country is fractured right now, and I think people are hungry for a voice that is unifying.”

By showing the images of immigrants and refugees from different backgrounds, Jacobs hopes to break the community stereotype and invite those at the other end of the table to talk about immigration in a way that is less alienating.

What I like most about this project is that it’s an inspiring way to accomplish something positive for the community, using images and technology to facilitate social change. It’s also very engaging, as the video of their inaugural projection shows passersby in the garden stopping to look and question the picture in front of them. 

But the placement of these images is not random. Jacobs and his team also cleverly display these photographs in open spaces that are part of the immigrant’s identity. For instance, Jennifer Hyoje-Ryu Kenty, a farmer who immigrated from South Korea, is projected onto the water tower at Alexander Farm. Thaer Abdallah, an artist-refugee from Iraq, was displayed on the “sunken house” public artwork on the Greenway. And retired Red Sox player David Ortiz, who is originally from the Dominican Republic and perhaps the most high-profile immigrant featured in the project so far, snaked onto the red chairs at Fenway stadium. So not only do these images capture attention, they also reveal a story without using words.

Photo: Thaer Abdallah, an artist-refugee from Iraq, was displayed on the “sunken house” public artwork on the Greenway.

Also, this might seem like a small detail, but the fact that they decided to title the project with a hashtag ‘#’ in front of it, shows that the creative team was also thinking of ways to promote it. People will most likely share this project on Facebook and Twitter. By including a hashtag in the project’s name, it will automatically be compiled and easily searchable online. That’s a great way of incorporating the public’s behavioral habits (tweeting, posting) to advance the art.  

I think what stands out most about this artistic endeavor is its larger-than-life undertaking but equally striking is the attitude behind it. Jacobs was not afraid to think ‘big’ - in this case, literally - to realize his art. He wasn’t constrained by logistics or money (though the project is continuously seeking donations to keep running), he just went ahead and did it. Of course, there is organization and planning that needs to go into making sure a project can be executed, but the trick is to not let those things become challenges that paralyze our creativity. And I think that fearlessness is what separates good artists with great artists. 

Check out more details on the project here.

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ARTIST’S DATE - Columbus Day 2017

What: Art from different eras and cultures at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Spent Columbus Day - or what I prefer to call Indigenous People’s Day - at the MFA as they were providing free admission to commemorate the holiday. I’m by no means an art connoisseur, but I can appreciate its beauty. One of my favorite things there was an original Frida Kahlo painting that was recently acquired by the museum. 

In “Two Women, 1929″ Kahlo depicts two Mexican-Indian women, both whom are believed to represent female domestic workers in the house. A few interesting things I learned from the museum guide’s talk about the painting:

1. When researchers x-rayed the painting, they discovered that Kahlo had covered up brushes of white paint meant to illustrate an apron worn by the woman standing in the back of the painting. Experts believe she had initially planned to draw the woman wearing an apron but decided against it to present the woman as an individual instead of a domestic worker.

2. Because her father is German, Frida’s name was originally spelled ‘Frieda.’ This painting is among her earlier work so she had signed it using her name’s old spelling (which you can still see on the right side of the painting up-close). But Kahlo identified very strongly with her Mexican roots and decided to drop the ‘e’ from her first name, possibly wanting to make it less German-sounding.

3. Her painting at the MFA is the only original work by Kahlo that exists in New England.

Kahlo’s painting was striking to me because of its very distinct influence of Mexican culture. I love the bright colors, strong lines, and subtle message of social awareness of the painting.

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Allure and Teen Vogue’s Successful Evolution Has Been Unexpectedly Political

As a former lifestyle writer, I’ve always loved reading magazines. These kind of publications are relaxing, not to mention informative (everyone benefits from knowing where to get the best sushi in town, right?). But now many women’s lifestyle magazines, like Allure and Teen Vogue, are pushing the envelope by integrating heavy news topics as part of their publication’s brand.

Photos: Allure’s September 2017 cover featuring Helen Mirren (left) and the Black models featured on Allure’s April 2017 cover.

In a recent AdWeek panel, speakers Michelle Lee, editor-in-chief of Allure, and Phillip Picardi, digital editorial director of Teen Vogue, emphasized that, though data is an important tool to figure out what readers want (and thus determine what content to publish), sometimes readers don’t know what they really want until you give it to them. 

“Yes, I use data, but I use people even more so,” Lee said during the panel. “I ask for their opinions, especially those who wouldn’t normally look at our cover, for example. Because if we’re trying to be truly innovative, no data exists to tell you what will work. Data only measures what’s been done before.” 

Lee referred to Allure’s “anti-anti-aging” and “diversity” magazine issues as prime examples of how looking at people - what they’re saying and what they’re doing - instead of polls to appeal to consumers can actually work.

The “anti-anti-aging” issue, shot with beloved veteran actress Helen Mirren on the cover, tackled the sensitive topic of age among women and the magazine pledged to stop using the term “anti-aging” in its pages. Allure’s “diversity” issue, on the other hand, talked about racial biases and encouraged readers to embrace what makes them different, and featured three beautiful Black models with different tones of dark skin. Both editions of the magazine pushed content outside of what is usually covered in mainstream beauty magazines, even put forward those that most publications would avoid, and did surprisingly well. 

The magazine also braved the political climate now by posting an image on their official Instagram account denouncing racism. 

These editorial decisions turned out to be huge successes, Lee said, and would have not been able to be predicted just by looking at readership data. The result of innovative ideas, whether good or bad, can only be found once they are done.

Teen Vogue has also been catching attention with its increased push toward political news coverage aside from its regular beauty and fashion stories. This was most obvious before the 2016 elections, so much so that journalists online started comparing the New York Times’ coverage to Teen Vogue’s and applauding the latter’s bolder efforts.

“Designing for an algorithm is a flawed approach to creating content,” said Picardi. “Our brands have never been ‘for the masses,’ but we’ve been able to frequently captivate audiences all over the world. If we told our photographers or editors to create with mass scale in mind, we’d lose what makes us special.”

Photo: Most of the stories featured on Teen Vogue’s website are tinged with political coverage.

Picardi’s argument conflicts with the popular belief in business that says appealing to the masses is good for business. I think this notion makes sense: reaching more people means reaching more potential customers. Because of this, businesses tend to steer clear of any type of branding that may be too controversial to avoid alienating any demographics and possibly losing business. Getting political has always been a big no-no for brands but Allure and Teen Vogue show that, if done right, it can work as part of the company’s evolution. 

Allure and Teen Vogue have built their brand on being beauty and fashion resources for women, yet both magazines were smart enough to realize that they needed to adjust with the current times in order to compete. Not letting the public’s perception of the magazine’s brand get in the way of their desire to expand their coverage is a divergent way of thinking. It actually helped their editorial bosses think outside of the “fashion” and “beauty��� labels readers have assigned them and go for other topics outside of that realm, like politics, race and gender identity. 

I think another element to their successful brand evolution is their willingness to be “the first,” and that’s a big part of true creativity. Taking the first step to do something that no other beauty magazines were doing is an essential part of the magazines’ creativity. And it proved that getting involved with controversial topics won’t hurt a company’s image, so long as the end product still resonates with the current climate. Everyone is getting political now so to feed that political appetite magazines can get political too.

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Artist captures Bay Area personalities through weekly visual column

People are interesting and I love hearing their stories. The way that we tell these stories has evolved so much as society becomes more creative in finding new ways of storytelling. Take George McCalman, who etches illustrations of interesting characters at local events for the San Francisco Chronicle’s weekly “visual column.”

Photo: Collage of illustrations from his San Francisco Chronicle “Observed” series.

The idea of McCalman’s column, titled “Observed,” is simple: go to events, mingle and draw. Yet, it has created a new way to tell people’s stories. Each episode of his series features several illustrations of personalities from three different events that happened over the week similar to what an "events” section in any other publication would be like. But instead of doing a basic recap of what happened and who attended, McCalman uses his art to recapture everything. 

Photo: One of McCalman’s illustrations in the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Observed” series.

Each illustration is accompanied by some text, but the main attraction is without a doubt the drawings. And perhaps the people themselves.

For his drawings, McCalman uses a mix of sketch pens and pencil, creating modern silhouettes to his figures. Some are colored in with bright water colors, while others are left as is. The quotes that are pulled out from his conversations with these characters are engaging and short which complement his whimsical sketches perfectly. 

McCalman, who is also a photographer, graphic designer, writer and everything else in between, is quite active in using his artistic skills as more than works of beauty. They are expressions of his beliefs and help bring light to things that matter.

Last year, McCalman collaborated with fellow writer Ebony Haight to create a series called #IllustratedBlackHistory commemorating influential Black icons which turned into a hit online. He sees his artistic endeavors as having more than aesthetic purposes.

“We live in a self-aware time, with technology giving previously marginalized people a voice. So we’re speaking up,” he said in an interview. Read the full interview here. 

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You’ve Been Mooch’d: How a banished White House communication director is capitalizing on his expulsion

Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty

On Sept. 12, a new account on Twitter with the handle @ScaramucciPost sparked a viral frenzy just hours after its launch. Word-of-mouth quickly revealed that the social media account was a precursor to a new publication soon-to-be unveiled by former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, nicknamed ‘Mooch,’ who rose to infamy after his unceremonious firing from the White House.

“Coming soon. Follow us here and on Instagram @ScaramucciPost,” read the account’s second tweet. Now, three days since its creation, the account has garnered 143,000 followers on Twitter and 500 followers on Instagram, respectively.

Photo: The Twitter account @ScaramucciPost is already interacting with users online.

Though this came as an unexpected twist for many people following Scaramucci’s rapid fall from Capitol Hill, it wasn’t entirely surprising. 

The silver-tongued, slick, financier was perceived as a wild card by the media. His blunt personality finally did him in when he went on the record bad mouthing multiple top White House officials, most notably then Chief of Staff Rience Priebus who he reportedly was feuding with. After that, it was a free fall for Scaramucci; not only did he lose his job 10 days after being hired, he began a nasty divorce with his wife and his outlandish persona became a running joke among the public.

Video: ‘Weekend Update’ skit with Bill Hader playing Anthony Scaramucci on Saturday Night Live.

The wide media coverage of his firing from the White House combined with the caricatured persona that the public knew of him -- a fast-talking Italian-American from Long Island -- amplified his reputation. And being famous in today’s world, no matter what the circumstances, can benefit a person’s fall from grace as long as they know how the media works. 

Scaramucci did just that. Instead of shying away from the publicity of his White House exit, Scaramucci basked in it. He did interviews with multiple news outlets, from a Facebook-style Q&A with ABC News to chatting up Stephen Colbert. He bantered with people on Twitter, taking in jest those mocking his words and image. He even posted stuff on his Instagram that capitalized on his ‘Mooch’ persona, captioning posts with ‘cool face’ emojis and hashtags like #hair. 

Photo: Anthony Scaramucci often posts updates on Instagram of his talk show appearances and even humorous references to his White House ordeal.

Now, Scaramucci has even used his fame to expand his personal brand from Wall Street to the newsroom with his upcoming publication. Teasers for the Scaramucci Post, which people online have playfully dubbed ‘ScarPo,’ were not rolled out by an official announcement during his TV appearance or a statement from his PR, but through social media. This suggests that his new media venture will likely cater to the digital demographic: tech-savvy, educated media consumers ages 20 to 40-something. the ScarPo Twitter handle has already engaged with other people on Twitter, despite having no content.

All these moves geared toward the digital demographic are smart ones on Scaramucci’s end. If he plays his cards right, Scaramucci Post may evolve into something bigger than a footnote in his list of headlining moves. The public will have to keep on clicking refresh and see what he has planned next.