The Curator's News Feed: July 13, 2012
After a holiday hiatus, we're back with our reading list for the weekend. Thinking of whitewater rafting or spending the night in a treehouse? Or maybe your weekend plans call for watching TV and eating ice cream? Either way, we've got you covered with our links below.
Tree House Point. Came across this site while doing research for LiveLifeLocal - I have heard of glamping (glamorous camping) before, but how many can say they've spent the night in a treehouse complete with full furnishings and electricity? This one struck me in particular because it's out in Issaquah. The major catch for me, and I doubt I'm alone here, is the price tag you'll be paying per night: a cool $900. Would you or anyone you know stay here? – Megan K
DirecTV drops more than a dozen Viacom networks over fee dispute, LA Times. The Viacom and DirecTV debacle is really cramping my style! I didn't even know this issue was escalating so rapidly until I saw the announcement during a commercial break for Workaholics (favorite guilty pleasure) that said DirecTV customers might be losing MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and some other (very crucial) channels on July 11 thanks to a dispute over a new fee arrangement between Viacom and DirecTV. I thought it was a joke because I was watching Comedy Central but immediately set to find out if it was true aka asking my father. He was no help to me so I did some Google searching and saw that it was in fact real. Customers and even some celebs from shows on the endangered networks, have been criticizing the situation and begging for resolve in the social sphere. It will be interesting to monitor those conversations and also to see if ratings for those networks suffer in light of the blackouts on DirecTV. Hoping that this is solved soon — I can't very well get on with my week without my precious TV shows! – Chelsey
LiveLifeLocal. I've wanted to go whitewater rafting for a long time and was inspired to finally pull the trigger after watching the video of Ryan McPartlin, the campaign spokesperson for our Safeco client's LiveLifeLocal campaign, have an incredible time rafting a river outside of Denver. So this weekend, my wife and I and two friends are heading to Leavenworth to raft the Wenatchee River. Can't wait! For some inspiration and to find a fun activity in your hometown this weekend, check out LiveLifeLocal. Have a great weekend! – Scott
On the Spot: While the owner's away, places Fido can stay, LA Times and Dog owners go online to find alternatives to kennels, Seattle Times. I’ve got two this week, both about our client, Rover.com. Both the LA Times and Seattle Times wrote about this terrific service this week, so if you’re in need of a dog sitter, read on. – Dan
The Bob Marley Parasite and 6 Other Species Named After Famous People, The Week. You know you’ve succeeded at branding yourself when you have a parasite named after you. Or, at least anyone who questioned Bob Marley’s popularity before doesn’t have much ground to stand on anymore. This week, Arkansas State University biologist Paul Sikkel made headlines when he named his newly discovered parasitic Caribbean crustacean ‘Gnathia marly’ based on his extreme admiration of the famous musician. Turns out, Marley isn’t the only one who shares their name with a bizarre creature. Check out The Week’s list of other celebrities in the same boat. Hugh Heffner has a bunny named after him? No surprise there! Talk about the ultimate in personal branding. – Annie
Look Out NYFD! There’s a New Sexy Calendar in Town, Visual News. Cuz its money. – Shawn
Will you still medal in the morning?, ESPN the Magazine. I love the Olympics. I also love the unabashedly gossipy nature of this feature on the debauchery that goes down in the Athletes’ Village. And I especially love this eye-catching graphic that accompanies the story. – Lisa
Uber Will Deliver You Ice Cream Friday, Mashable. Uber is a perfect example of a company that just ‘gets’ their customers. Today they are offering on-demand ice cream trucks, allowing users to order an ice cream party for five any time between noon and 6 p.m. There might be no better way to grab a business professional’s attention on a hot Friday afternoon than ice cream, unless you’re delivering a car full of booze and party favors…which Uber already did on Cinco de Mayo (mariachi band anyone?). Here at Curator we are big fans of Uber, often telling people to ‘just Uber it!’. Clearly their marketing strategies are working, as our office is eagerly waiting for our Uber ice cream delivery this afternoon. – Megan A
Stella McCartney Runway Fall 2012, Fashionologie. Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Nordstrom Designer Preview – a glimpse into the fall collections from a range of designers. Nordstrom curated a show that pulled amazing pieces from the likes of Oscar de la Renta to Jason Wu. My favorite story from the evening was from Stella McCartney. I loved the bold, electric blue woven into all of the pieces last night. Take a look and pin away! – Ann Marie
Making Sense of the YSL Retrobranding, Business of Fashion. In our discussions around trends in retail, one of the big ones we noticed was reinvention and rebirth. Looking to the past for inspiration with a modern edge. YSL is great example of this. Their new creative director, Hedi Slimane, has decided to drop the ‘Yves’ name and rebrand as Saint Laurent Paris taking cues from the original ready-to-wear line launched in 1966, Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. This shift in the iconic fashion house is leading to an interesting debate. Will this reenergize a brand that is searching for a clear and concise point of view to take them successfully into the future, or will it alienate some of its most loyal fans and erode its heritage? - Julia