There were some great design and brand-related stories on the CBS Sunday Morning "by Design" show this weekend.
Swimsuit Evolution
The first one I caught was "The Fashion of Speed," which involved the evolution of the swimsuit. Suits have come a long way in 40 years, thanks to companies like Tyr and Speedo, which design improved, hydrodynamic suits that many say give swimmers and edge.
LED Designs
In the next segment, "Let There Be LEDs!," Martha Teichner discovers how far LED lights have come since the 1960's, how they are changing the architectural landscape, and how modern designers are helping those in developing countries with solar-powered LED fabrics that can light a room for 7 hours.
Umbrella Design
Also on the show was a story of the form, function and design of the umbrella in Britain. Its design was simple, but became more than a salvation from rain. The piece discussed how brand allowed the company to sell their umbrellas to nations who didn't get much rain.
The Sean John Brand
Then there was a piece on Sean Combs, and the rebranding of his name (Puff Daddy, Puffy, P Diddy, Diddy, Sean John) and the reinvention of his persona from rapper to actor to fashion designer. "He wants to design your life." Listen to his music in the morning, put on some Sean John clothing, go to work at one of his many companies, come home, watch one of his TV shows, put on more Sean John clothing, dab some of the perfume he's created on you, hit the club and drink some of his CIROC Vodka. Though I'm not a customer (unless you count a couple Notorious BIG and Mary J. Blige CDs I bought back the 90s), I still find his half a billion dollars in sales impressive.
It's Gotta Be the Shoes
By far the most fascinating story for me was the brand battle between Puma and Adidas, rival companies started by brothers Rudi and Adi Dassler in the town of Herzogenaurach in Germany. It started during the time of the Hitler Olympics in the 30's, in which Jesse Owens ran away victoriously in Dassler spikes. It discusses how the rivalry split the small town, and in the 1980s, blinded both companies to "what was happening in the rest of the world." That is, the brand revolution known as NIKE.
Here's the textual recap at CBS Sunday Morning.
Phil | examplify.com
2 comments:
LEDs truly are the future. They have multiple benefits, in the areas of energy efficiency, rural electrification and beyond. Kudos to CBS for their strong coverage!
I agree. Was especially amazed at the solar jackets you powered up for two hours, then used as lamps for 7 hours. Given the disasters the world has recently experienced in Burma and China, these types of things could come in handy in both developed and undeveloped nations.
Post a Comment