I Want My MTV

I remember when MTV first started out.  I was in grade school and whenever I went to my grandparents house I would run to the television and put MTV on because we didn’t have cable at home.  I would sit in the living room and watch video after video, entranced by seeing the music come to life.  These were the days when MTV just played music videos, and videos by the likes of Devo, Rod Stewart, Men at Work and Pat Benatar ruled the day.

Cult of Personality

Between music videos we were introduced to the newest “jockeys” on the block – video jockeys – or VJs.  When MTV debuted in 1981 there were 5 original VJs: Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson and Martha Quinn.  As the years progressed, VJs became celebrities in their own right.  My favorite of all time was Downtown Julie Brown (whom incidentally I stood right next to when I was on Club MTV – but that’s for another post!).  Her mix of style, sass and her accent made her the “it girl” of the 80s – Wubba Wubba Wubba!  Back then, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up the answer would have been an MTV VJ.

The Changing Media Landscape

Fast forward almost 30 years and the MTV landscape has changed.  You’d be hard pressed to find a music video and thus, the role of the VJ had changed.  You’re more likely find reality TV shows followed by more reality TV shows.  Sure, there are people hosting shows but they aren’t VJs.

MTV isn’t the only thing that has changed.  We are in the midst of a cultural revolution:  The way people learn and communicate is in a state of upheaval.  The growing influence of the interweb, texting and social media like Facebook and Twitter have changed the game.  Now, in order to be relevant, a company must have a presence online – and a website is not enough.  An entity must have a Facebook page and Twitter account at the very least.

The New Kid on the Block: MTV TJ

MTV was responsible for coining the term VJ and now they’ve coined a new term – TJ – also known as Twitter Jockey.  Yes, you read correctly Twitter Jockey.  MTV is looking for a TJ with personality who carries a lot of online influence.  Their job description? Tweeting.

MTV is currently holding a contest to select the very first TJ.  Twenty contestants are vying for the coveted title of TJ, relocation to NYC, $100,000 salary and a one-year contract with MTV, “exclusive access to events and celebrities, and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a new MTV personality”. Sounds like the cushiest job ever.

I Want My @MTV

It’s been interesting to see how marketing has adapted to changing media. The growing popularity of blogs and mobile, Facebook and Twitter campaigns is overwhelming. MTV’s search for a TJ is just one example of the possibilities for online marketing. From creating new jobs, new celebrities and new ways to spread your message, MTV is a prime example of how large companies can harness the power of the interweb.

The internet’s been abuzz with opinions flying about whether people love or hate the new Nike Tiger Woods ad. The ad features a pensive Tiger Woods with his late father, Earl Wood’s voice in the background. If you haven’t seen it, check it out:

I’ve read many opinions online and it seems many people don’t like the ad. I’ve even seen some people say they’ll never buy Nike again.

I actually like the ad. I think Nike did the best they could do under the uncomfortable circumstances. Rather than create an ad that glossed over the scandal, or simply ignored it, they faced it head on.

Tiger Woods got his deal with Nike because he is an exceptional athlete, not a model husband. Do I think what he did is ok? Of course not. But I really don’t care what athletes, politicians, celebrities do in their personal lives.

Anyone who says they won’t buy a Nike product because of this really needs to dig deep and explore what that means. They may as well stop buying anything because I would bet money that executives, or someone along the company chain, of everything that person buys, is probably not the most morally, upright person.

The new ad is short, simple and to the point. I applaud Nike for taking a stance that is a bit risky and had the potential for (and is having)a backlash. At the end of the day there’s no such thing as good press, right? People are talking and Nike is on their lips – good or bad.

The last issue of Business Week had an interesting article about Nike’s eco-friendly practices, but their decision to keep their “green-ness” quiet. A few years ago, Nike made a big effort to go green with the Considered Collection. The line was not as successful as hoped, and public efforts to go green were dropped.

Nike’s efforts to be eco-conscious did not end with the Considered Collection – they just stopped making those efforts public. “We want to do more and say less says Lorrie Vogel, who is responsible for Nike’s green business practices. For example, the Air Jordan XX3 released last year was designed so all of the pieces fit together like a puzzle, thereby cutting down on the amount of plastic used to produce the shoes. Not only that, the sole is made of recycled bits of old sneakers. Nike is also introducing green manufacturing: They even invented a sewing machine that speeds up production time as a way to cut down on electricity. So why are they keeping this quiet? Isn’t green the new black?

Since the Nike Considered line didn’t do well at retail, it seems that Nike has assumed that its customers don’t care about responsible business practices. I disagree. I think the Nike Considered line didn’t do well at retail because the shoes were just plain ugly. Nike was ahead of the curve with the concept of the Considered line and I commend them for that. Where they went wrong is where many companies go wrong: There seems to be a misconception that to be “green” a product has to look very crunch, granola, hippy-esque – you know, something someone would wear and douse themselves in patchouli.

More and more, we’re seeing companies take a “green” approach without sacrificing style and design. Ultimately, when it comes to purchasing things we wear, we have to like the way they look. The Considered collection didn’t look like a Nike – so why did Nike think that Nike customers would buy them? I think that if the Considered collection were revisited with an eye toward staying true to the Nike aesthetic we’ve come to know and love, the results would be entirely different. It’s a shame that they are keeping quiet about all the good they are doing because their Considered shoes were called “Air Hobbits” at one point. I think Nike should give their customers more credit for being conscious and responsible – and stay true to the look that their customers expect and want.

Reposted from GDK Is The New Black.

There’s been much ado (about nothing) when it comes to Kanye West‘s designs for Louis Vuitton.  The internet has had loads of pictures of his red and white styles for men.  Today, Kanye posted some pictures of his styles for the ladies.  Not surprisingly, both of the women’s styles feature pink.  It’s the typical male’s response to designing kicks for women.  “Hmmmm,  it’s for girls, so let’s make it pink.” What did that take? 5 seconds?  I really wish people would put a bit more time into thinking about what women over the age of 10 wear.  I can’t remember the last time I wore pink – especially on my feet!

“Pink for girls” is a social construct that we use to ingrain girls at a very young age what it means to be a “girl” (and it’s just as bad as the “blue for boys” – what if you’re a girl and you like blue – what does that make you??). Colors carry lots of meaning and pink is no exception. Pink is symbolic of childish innocence, flirtatiousness, femininity, sexual purity and love. Making something pink to make it feminine is a cop out. There are lots of other ways to convey femininity than to make something pink. It’s such an on the surface way of approaching women’s design that it’s insulting to my intelligence. I suppose our hair, breasts, curves and other feminine attributes don’t do enough to convey our womanliness – we need pink shoes to convey that.

If this sounds like a rant, then you’re very perceptive. It is. There’s more where this came from – just keep on bringing the stupid pink shoes for women.

P.S. Mr. West, you can use a lesson in humility. And, if I worked for LV, I’d take your deal away just for having that Goyard brief case in your video promoting LV . . . just my two cents. Watch the offending video after the jump.

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If you’ve spent any time on M.I.S.S., then you know how we feel about the choice of Madonna for the Louis Vuitton campaign, and her range of poses.  That said, we always love a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a photo shoot and product campaign.  You get to see Madonna and Marc Jacobs interact, hear about how Marc chose Madonna, and see the gorgeous array of Louis Vuitton bags and accessories just waiting to be plucked for use in the shoot.  “I Die!”  Read the full story to see more stills.

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