Best of 2011, Already

I know it's early in the year, but I have to mark these pairs of Nike Air Max 90's as the year's best, even if we are barely a month in. They are so clean, simple, and I love the texture of the denim. The hint of orange accent completes this shoe perfectly.




A similar pair from the denim collection is in the form of the Dunk. I'm not much of a Dunk wearer, but I still love the denim. Sweeeeet!

Air Jordan 2011 Shoe Revealed

Senior Footwear Designer, Tom Luedeke, and VP of Creative Design, Tinker Hatfield, take you through the design and performance features of the latest Air Jordan flagship model, the Air Jordan 2011. The two also discuss how the game of basketball has changed and what adaptations have been taken by Jordan Brand to create a shoe for adaptive players. (Video via Nicekicks.com)

Ohio Stadium LEGO Artwork

I've heard of LEGO fanatics and I've heard of Ohio State fanatics (especially be a Michigander all my life, and especially these last few difficult years for the UofM athletic program - but that's a different story). Anyways, I've heard of LEGO fanatics and I've heard of Ohio State fanatics...but this is the first time I've heard and seen both of those in one. The result: a scaled-down version of Ohio State's "Horseshoe" football stadium. Over 1 million LEGOS and 1,000-plus hours later, OSU professor, Paul Janssen, finished this masterpiece. It's reported that it took 4 years to collect all of the LEGO pieces and 2 years to construct it. Built in his basement, the masterpiece is built on a 1:120 scale.

Janssen explained about his hobby, "People who haven't seen the LEGO models built don't know what it takes, and they easily dismiss it," Janssen said. "But it's not playing anymore; it's using it as an art medium. I've seen many people who think it's a nerdy hobby, but I haven't met anyone who, once they've seen it, still holds that view."

Book of Art, by Isaac Salazar

Simply put, this is pretty cool. Salazar said, "I see my work as a way to display a meaningful piece of art onto a book that would otherwise sit on a shelf and collect dust; it’s also my way of recycling a book that might otherwise end up in a landfill. The words or symbols I use are drawn from anything that invokes inspiration or encouragement, such as “Read”, “Dream” and the Recycle symbol. If my work also makes people look at a book, and even art, in a new light, then the piece has done its job." Well Issac, I say job well done on this one.

Video: History of Oakley

I'm a history buff when it comes to learning how today's companies came up from small businesses. Obviously, one of the first companies that comes immediately to mind is Nike - which we know all too well their story - but I came across this short video documentary about Oakley. I had no idea how old of a brand this was because my first exposure to them was in elementary or middle school with the classic Oakley frames of our generation.

My favorite quote: "When Jim started Oakley, probably a few thousand dollars a year - obviously not profitable in the first years, to now a company that does over a billion dollars a year in sales. But, the interesting thing is that, as long as I've known Jim, that wasn't his goal. That wasn't what he was after. It was never a profit goal. It was always a product goal."

INFLUENCERS: In-Depth Series, Pt. I

Here's the first in-depth segment of the INFLUENCERS documentary. This video features Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO of Translation, a brand management firm that arranges strategic partnerships between Pop Culture icons (Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Lebron James, Justin Timberlake, etc.) and Fortune 500 companies.

In this episode, Steve Stoute discusses the concept of cool and how new cultural codes are redefining traditional corporation communication. He also talks about creating successful collaborations between Artists and Brands.

Named one of the Fortune's 40 under 40 list and inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Achievement (2009), Steve Stoute is one of today's most influential forces in entertainment marketing. His client roster includes companies such as Samsung, State Farm, McDonald's, Target, Wrigley's, HP, P&G and artists such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna (management).

How NIKE Makes Oregon Better

Even though they lost last week in the National Championship game, Oregon still looked good doing it. There's no doubt in my mind that the first thing that comes to mind when Oregon is ever mentioned is their uniforms. Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't help but notice them. However, there is a method to their madness...

Visually, the colorway of the uniforms is meant to bring your eyes to the fastest moving parts of the player's bodies -- the hands, and in particular the shins (which move twice as fast as the thighs do while running). Todd Van Horn, Nike's top football uniform designer, says, "The artistry comes in in how we make the players look fast and look dynamic." To top it off, a custom font was designed to make the players look bigger and badder. The numbers are wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, thus making the player's shoulders look bigger and the waist look slimmer. Nike takes VERY good care of their founder's alma mater.





The Oregon football team aren't the only ones getting the special attentions to detail by Nike. Tinker Hatfield, who is 'The Man' when it comes to designing shoes (including some of the most popular Air Jordan sneakers), was behind the design on this basketball court makeover. Imagine you're located deep in a thick forest, and you are standing there, looking up towards the sky... This court is as if you were there, looking to the treetops somewhere in Oregon-country. Once again, love it or hate it, but you can't help but notice it.

New Office Remodel Update

It has taken longer than expected, but we're getting closer to finally finishing the office remodel. The drywall is up, we've added some color on the walls, are currently working on refinishing the original hardwood floors, and then will soon be ready to tie up loose ends and the detail-work. I've enjoyed getting my hands dirty and being able to take pride in its progress, but at the same time, it's exhausting and seems never-ending. I'm beginning to think that for next time, I may be more inclined to hire it out. One thing is for sure, I've gained a new appreciation for skilled carpenters and their handy work. THANK YOU to those who have volunteered to help out - we could not have gotten this far without your hard work and numerous long nights.

Starbucks New Logo

Yesterday, Starbucks revealed their new brand logo. They say that it will enable the brand to widen their products, from coffee and other beverages to muffins, bagels, and whatever else they create. Personally, I do like the change. The new logo is more simple, seems very lightweight, fresh, and crisp.



If you've been following the blog since Day 1, you might remember that my uncle is some title in the marketing department, which I'm sure he oversaw the logo redesign process. Here's one of my first blog posts ever from when I was out in Seattle visiting the Starbucks headquarters: http://twaycollection.blogspot.com/2008/08/day-4-starbucks-headquarters.html. It's interesting to go back and read up on what was happening years ago. That's the great part about an "online journal," it's easy to go back and search for specific subjects and posts.

Behind the Scenes: "Go Hard" Music Video

Here's a little sneak peak of the soon-to-release music video, "Go Hard," by Joe Buys. I wasn't able to make it out to the video shoot that night, but you still might see some familiar faces if you've been connected to the T.WAY brand for awhile. Enjoy!