Consumed is Rob Walker's New York Times Magazine column about consumer behavior, consumer culture, products, marketing, design, and all things consumed.
Social RSS
 Murketing
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The Product Is You, No. 16
25 November 2009, 11:37 am |
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Marketplace of (others’?) ideas, Part two
25 November 2009, 8:21 am |
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Iraq Inquiry: The logo!
25 November 2009, 5:38 am |
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Stand by
22 November 2009, 5:53 am |
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In The New York Times Magazine: Augmented Reality
14 November 2009, 9:12 am |
Notes
Favorite Pages
Jason Desjardins How is it going Rob, It has been far to long since we have last talked. Hope all things are well with you.
Consumed Tomorrow's column: The Tauntaun Sleeping bag, which started as a real idea, became a joke, then became a real product.
www.nytimes.com
A lot of ThinkGeek’s customers, fooled or not, didn’t simply want to appreciate the funny idea of a Tauntaun sleeping bag. They wanted to own one."
Consumed I missed this earlier, but the NYT today notes the attached story, saying the estranged wife of adulterous SC Gov Sanford has filed to trademark her name for use on "items sold by an online retailer bearing her name. The merchandise listed on the filing includes clothing, mugs, 'other household items,' stickers, decals, notepads."
www.thestate.com
First lady Jenny Sanford sought to trademark her name shortly after she was thrust into the national spotlight after her husband, Gov. Mark Sanford, went missing in June and later admitted to an extramarital affair.
Consumed This is making the rounds, so you may have seen it, and I still can't believe it's real, but here's an incredibly entertaining kiss-off from designer to erstwhile client. With pie charts. (Also profanity.)
www.27bslash6.com
If I did have a working time machine, the first thing I would do is go back four days and tell myself to read the warning on the hair removal cream packaging where it recommends not using on sensitive areas.
Consumed Have you noticed the Iraq Inquiry logo? Do you think the designer includes this in his/her portfolio or no?
www.murketing.com
Consumed
Interesting essay by Rob Horning at Gen Bubble. "As communication technology became more intrusive and expansive, it
appeared that the chance to transform society wasn’t nearly as pressing
as the opportunities to transform the self."
generationbubble.com
The onset of The Great Recession seemed a moment ripe with revolutionary possibility. But as this moment passed another revolution was just gaining impetus, one which threatens to divorce the very idea of revolution from the dream of emancipation.
Devon Ferreira Rob - any interest in being a guest speaker at UCLA Anderson? We'd love to have you come and speak to our Exec MBA class. Lemme know...
Consumed
No column in tomorrow's issue (but go buy the paper anyway).
Meanwhile, LA Times says complaints againt airlines are DOWN. Surprising. But suggests service isn't better, people are just tired of complaining. Hard to believe people are tired of complaining.
www.latimes.com
After hearing Jim Engle of Sierra Madre talk about the headaches he and his wife endured on a round trip from Burbank to Detroit on American Airlines in the summer, you might be surprised to hear that ...
Consumed Here's a wrapup on The Significant Objects Project, exploring the relationship between narrative and value. A for-charity sequel is in the works.
significantobjects.com
A few moments ago, the auction for our 100th item (the Missouri Shotglass, story courtesy of Jonathan Lethem) ended. Moment of silence, please. The research phase of the Significant Objects experiment is over; next, we’ll analyze the data. ...
Consumed Dr. Dre and Best Buy's new "Club Beats Section": Best Buy sees "a growing interest in DJing" that will cater to with special section of mixers, turntables, headphones and whatnot. I'd like to see how this is handled, if it's more about products or sort of retail branding. Evidently a centerpiece of the effort are Dre-b...randed headphones. Anybody seen?
tinyurl.com
Best Buy is aiming to become a destination for DJs. The retailer has partnered with Monster Cable and Beats by Dr. Dre headphones to launch its new in-store Club Beats area.
See MoreConsumed "Have you been avoiding e-books because they just don’t smell right?" Well, here's "Smell of Books." In a handy can. Via Sarah W.
smellofbooks.com
If you’ve been hesitant to jump on the e-book bandwagon, you’re not alone. Book lovers everywhere have resisted digital books because they still don’t compare to the experience of reading a good old fashioned paper book.
Consumed I love these photos of "re-inhabited" Circle Ks, around Phoenix, by Paho Mann. (Via: Thelistenerd.com)
www.pahomann.com
Starting in 1951, Circle K built thousands of retail locations across the southwest United States. By the 1980s there was a location on nearly every block in cities like Phoenix, Arizona. In the ...
Consumed I guess I'm showing up late on this, but just read about the crackdown on "Oba-Mao" merch in China.
worldblog.msnbc.msn.com
By NBC News' Bo Gu BEIJING – Liu Mingjie expected that President Barack Obama’s first visit to China would bring more business to his little boutique shop in Beijing’s popular Houhai area, a lakeside district filled with trendy restaurants and bars,
Consumed Story asks: "Should owning a great dane make feel like as much of an eco-outcast as an SUV driver?" Some say yes. Pets "guzzle resources, devastate wildlife, and spread disease." Thoughts? [I can't figure out who sent this article to me! Thanks and sorry I'm not giving you full credit!!}
www.newscientist.com
It's time to wise up to the ecological pawprint of your furry friend – it may be doing more environmental damage than an SUV
Consumed Latest article on the very popular topic of "Mommy bloggers" wooed by big consumer-products companies [Frito Lay; Nestle; etc.]. Not "corporate shills," one says. "Just fun." On the other hand another says: "My business is not to bash companies."
www.latimes.com
Andrea Deckard, a stay-at-home mom in Monroe, Ohio, points to a post on her Mommy Snacks blog. Both Frito-Lay and Nestle have brought her to Los Angeles this year to be entertained and learn about their products. (Samantha Grier / Dayton (Ohio) Daily News / September 12, 2008)
