The Mashup Class

It was Richard Florida - author, professor and researcher, that coined the phrase "The Creative Class." A concept that identifies the essential elements required for urban revitalization: Technology, Talent and Tolerance - The three Ts.

Cities must invest in technology, nurture talent and be tolerant or accepting of diversity for creative people to come live, work and play. The growth and prosperity of a city is dependent on these attributes because they attract a unique group of people – The Creative Class. This concept fascinated me for the past six or seven years, it occupied many of my thoughts and influenced many of my actions during a time when I moved from Detroit to Boston to Cleveland.

Another concept that I've been following for the past few years is The Creator Class. Another set of three words enriched with alliteration: Creators, Communities and Companies - The three Cs. This concept was devised by Piers Fawkes of PSFK, it analyzes the intersection of these areas and how they affect culture.

Members of this community leverage digital distribution, thrive in niches, market via networking and collaborate. I found this concept particularly interesting when looking at the world of advertising, due to the creation of new agencies like Victors & Spoils, co: and Made by Many, and also open innovation groups like The PurpleList or Behance Network. However, it was another kind of Creator that attracted my attention and ignited my curiosity over the past few years: The mashup artist. People like Banksy, Poster Boy and Girl Talk, who blurred the lines of creation by mashing original and borrowed works to a point where the originator was indistinguishable and remixed everything, even culture.

I am anxious for more artists to use multidisciplinary tools and harness the power of technology to remix our world and mashup production, consumption and distribution. And it's happening now, you are the artist and consumer.

Press Pause Play

Press Pause Play is a documentary that introduces the creatives at the frontier of production, the technical enablers of collaboration and distribution, the artists, the pop stars, the film makers, the business men, the visionaries and the ones left behind. Itʼs a story from the smallest molecule to the largest corporation. Itʼs a snapshot of today, but at the same time predictions of a near future.

A new generation of global creators and artists are emerging, equipped with other points of reference and tools. The teachers are not certified schools anymore - itʼs web sites, discussion forums and a “learn by doing”-mentality. We see the children of a digital age, unspoiled or uneducated depending on who you ask. Collaboration over hierarchy, digital over analog - a change in the way we produce, distribute and consume creative works. Press Pause Play is an amazing documentary that will inspire any creator or mashup artist.

Collaborate and Remix Life

Walking on Eggshells: Borrowing Culture in the Remix Age is a documentary about appropriation, creative influence, re-use and intellectual property in the remix age. It is a conversation among various musicians, visual artists, writers and lawyers.

Remix Everything

Remixing utilizes the techniques of copying, transformation and combining; with all creations infused with inspiration from another work. Everything is a Remix is a four-party documentary. At this moment, only three have been published:

• The Song Remains the Same
• Remix Inc.
• The Elements of Creativity

The Future of Art & Ideas

This video from the New York Public Library features Larry Lessig, founder of Creative Commons and author of "Remix," Shepard Fairey, artist and founder of OBEY, and Steven Johnson, author of "The Invention of Air." This panel answers the question, "what is the future for art and ideas in an age when practically anything can be copied, pasted, downloaded, sampled, and re-imagined?"

The Mashup Class

After researching all of the sources above as well as many other reference materials, several key elements or trends were revealed. The idea that a breed of individuals exist that thrive in remixing and mashing up culture - The Mashup Class. And this is not limited to street art or music, it extends to the arts, business, technology and beyond. This culture has innate motivations and identifiable behaviors:

1. Collaboration - Many people think that mash-up art is created by stealing, but it is actually the greatest collaboration between artist and the beholder. Collaboration is an action where creative inspiration adapts and evolves to create something new.
2. Community - This is naturally created during collaboration, but also when the creator pays homage to those that inspired them
3. Culture - Inherent in this practice is the association to pop-culture and act of borrowing cultural references as need to inspire or express. Cultural and historical references are your canvass and influencers are your inspiration and instruments. Crowdsource - Inspiration is not pulled from one, but many sources. Crowdsourcing is not always a visible action, but can be covert
4. Openess - Transparency is not necessary, everything can be reverse engineered, whether purposely made available or not
5. Defiance - In order to be innovative and creative, you must, at times, break the rules. And also, be willing to pay for the consequences
6. Transform - According to copyright laws, the extent to which a work is deemed transformative will determine if the work is fair use. However, the expression and interpretation of art is native to the individual, the means by which language is translated or transformed from one to another. Originality is not a goal, plagiarism is not a fear, and authorship becomes unknown as the line between author and orignator is blurred.
7. Instrumental - Technology has created an endless number of new tools and instruments for artists to use.
8. Craft - Often the craft is learned through the process and individuals are self-made. Just as experise in the craft increases over time, so does respect for the craft
9. Share - The old distribution model is dead, sharing works digitally is the new methodology for exposing others to your works
10. Create - Be prolific and continue to remix and be creative

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by Eric Kogelschatz

Unconsumption

Overview

When we were kids it was pretty much beaten into us that planet earth was in danger + the only way to save the planet was to "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle."  Perhaps because we learned this at a young age it's second nature for us to want to limit the amount of "stuff" we contribute to landfills.  In the rare instances where a recycling bin isn't near and we, frankly, don't feel like carry garbage around with us for hours, we toss that bottle into the trash with a healthy feeling of guilt.  We know that not everything we throw away is "waste" - and our actions could be a lot less wasteful.

To this end, we've been thinking a lot about the idea of unconsumption and have been for quite some time now.  During our trip to SXSW 2010, we had a chance to sit in on the panel of Dr. Nita Rollins from Resource Interactive to hear her perspective on "Digital’s Emerging Role In Unconsumption." Before we analyze and share insightful findings from Dr. Rollins, we will first beging with an analysis of "The Unconsumption Project" by Rob Walker, author of the New York Times column, Consumed; blog Murketing [The Journal of] and book "Buying In."

The Unconsumption Project

According to Walker, unconsumption is:

"a word used to describe acts of acquisition – generally, the acquisition of things, in exchange for money. Unconsumption is a word used to describe everything that happens after an act of acquisition. Unconsumption includes making things last, finding new uses for them, or, when they're used up, getting rid of them in the most responsible way. Lots and lots of thought and energy and money goes into creating “meanings” for consumption, but what about these unconsumption ideas? Can they be done in a meaningful way?

Walker further explains in his first NYTimes article on unconsumption that:

“Getting new stuff can feel really good. Most everybody knows that. Most everybody also knows ...  that utility can fade, pleasure can be fleeting and the whole thought-that-counts thing is especially ephemeral. Apart from the usual solution to this problem (more new stuff!), it’s worth pondering whether getting rid of stuff can ever feel as good as getting it.”

Digital’s Emerging Role In Unconsumption

Dr. Rollins' panel focused on this topic mostly as it pertains to consumer behavior, both during + post-recession.  Some interesting stats to put this into perspective: “Sales at Goodwill stores grew 7.1 percent in the first three months of 2009. Craigslist saw 100 percent increase in bartering. And companies began to launch campaigns to appeal to the frugal consumer, like the Babies 'R' Us trade-in where customers brought in old car seats for discounts on new goods” (via Huffington Post).  You see the trend emerging...

For many, this behavior is mandatory. But, for others, it’s trendy. Remember all those celebrities and their plain white shopping bags a few years ago?  How about this recent (more ironic) find. Nobody wants to be seen as a “have” in a world where most of those that make them successful are “have nots.” The same holds true for brands. But it’s not just an image play – what companies also have to deal with is how to stay profitable when their target audience seemingly can’t afford to buy their product. Dr. Rollins identified "Digital Forces" and "Consumer Actions" that support unconsumption. View the SlideShare presentation above for more details.

Digital Forces

• Radical Transparency
• Disintermediation
• Freeconomics
• Network Effect
• Dematerialization

Consumer Actions

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Refuse
• Make
• Sell
• Swap

Of these unconsumption forces and actions, it was interesting to hear Rollins assessment of the demise of greenwashing due to radical transparency. While we do agree, most organizations still have not completely adopted radical transparency and utilize selective transparency. However, as previously mentioned, Rollins' focus was about reaching the consumer, branding, and allowing that branding to do the heavy lifting of motivating that unconsuming consumer to action. Below are her suggestions for how to appeal to unconsumers:

1. Clarify what you mean by “sustainability”
2. Incorporate sustainability into your business’ operations, communications, and tactics
3. Provide consumers with the option to rent rather than buy
4. Think about selling “vintage” products
5. Look to de-sanctify your packaging – understand it is trash if you don’t specify another use (i.e. art)
6. Support swapping on-site

Even with the recession starting to soften, Dr. Rollins asserts that brands need to be aware that this trend is strong and, while it may diminish, certain brands will need to address this mindset present with their target audience for years to come.

Divergent Perspectives

There is one word that separates the beliefs of Dr. Rollins and Walker on unconsumption: brands.

From Walker:

"People can do what they want, I guess, but I should probably go on record as saying that it sounds to me like this version of “unconsumption” has nothing to do with The Unconsumption project that I’m involved in. My view, for the record, is that brands can’t “embrace unconsumption.” The last thing in the world that I had in mind with the Unconsumption project was coming up with some sort of shorthand that would help companies move more newly manufactured branded units. The unconsumption idea isn’t meant for brands, or people who make a living by burnishing brands. It’s meant for the rest of us. (via Murketing).

From Dr. Rollins

"...unconsumption...finding clever new uses for old, discarded, outmoded consumer goods--this is it. There were several of these uncanny flower pot cars in Uruguay's historic port town. Unconsumption is a trend known by many names, many of which begin with "re"--as in reuse, recycle, etc. The more inventive the reuse by the "unconsumer", if you will, or the more frequently a consumer releases her possessions into the ceaseless flow of capitalist goods so someone else can use and appreciate them, the easier her conscience about wanting something new. The environment is not the only beneficiary of this trend; so is the consumer on the receiving end of these repurposed, recirculated goods, if she is inclined to search for storied goods." (via Nita At Large).

With these two perspectives known, it is up to your subjective interpretation whether unconsumption can be used in branding. Maybe the case studies below can help you reach a conclusion.

Art & Music

In researching our "A Digital Rolling Stone" project, we also found a few methods of unconsumption in the music industry. Vinyl jewelry from Cat Division.

Also, Atlanta-based artist Erika Iris Simmons (iri5), has been creating beautiful portraits of musicians and bands like Robert Smith and The Clash out of cassette tapes as part of her "Ghost in the Machine" project. Her reason for the medium:  "The idea comes from a philosopher's (Ryle) description of how your spirit lives in your body. I imagine we are all, like cassettes, thoughts wrapped up in awkward packaging." We had the pleasure to trade art with Erika a few months ago, we gave her a vinyl LP record of Eric's band from Boston and she gave us an original composition created with paint and sheet music. Unconsumption can also create friendships.

Notebooks

Sorry Moleskin and Field Notes lovers, let us introduce you to your new crush. Anti-System Skateboard Notebooks made from recycled skateboards and Lego Notebooks made from recycled Legos.

Fashion

Wrath Arcane

One of our favorite clothing companies, Wrath Arcane:  "WRATH ARCANE will be launching 'THE DREDGERS UNION' (*exact date TDB, likely summer 2010). This line will feature new mens and womens styles made from salvaged fabrics. Goods will retail for $65 - $75 for wovens/hoodies/bottoms, with the most expensive outerwear being around $195. All of the line will be MADE IN USA."

Score!

Score! is not your typical swap. In fact, it more closely resembles a pop-up free store:  Attendees donate their goods, volunteers sort and display these items in themed “departments”, and attendees have the option to browse and take whatever they like… for free! It’s essentially a giant party — music, drinks, live screenprinting, photographers taking pictures of stylish “scored” outfits, etc. (via Score!)

Philanthropy

Hello Rewind

Hello Rewind, who has taken it a step further and woven in a philanthropic component.  What they do: "Turn your old t-shirt into a custom laptop sleeve + support new life for sex trafficking survivors."  There are certainly lots of companies/individuals that are finding ways to recycle clothing, we just happen to really dig the spirit + overall nature of this program.

Medwish International

Also on the non-profit tip, Medwish International keeps functioning medical aid equipment/supplies out of landfills and instead deploys goods to developing countries who are in need of such tools.

Matter of Trust

Perhaps the most timely example is Matter of Trust's efforts of recycling your discarded dog/cat/other animal fur to help absorb the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.  No business goal - this is purely non-profit, but nonetheless hugely important + impactful.

Health Insurance

The last industry that we expected to adopt the unconsumption mindset and methodology was insurance. However, health insurance and unconsumption is actually a perfect pairing. Recently, we received a direct mail piece from Anthem Health Insurance and were surprised to find a ecological message: "Take the  go green eco-challenge and get weekly emails that will show you how to lead a healthier life. Plant this recycled postcard in shallow soil. Add water and sunshine. In six to eight weeks, enjoy wildflowers." A beautiful idea.

Furniture

A Piece of Cleveland (APOC)

APOC loves Cleveland. Its history, its character and its potential. APOC was created to preserve this rich history by telling a story and turning unwanted materials into something better than they were before. Every product that they offer is made from materials carefully extracted from office buildings, residential homes, churches, schools and other historical structures in the city. Countless people, maybe some who were our ancestors, have walked on, sat in, and used the materials that we are rescuing to create our products. By using durable and beautiful wood, glass and metals found in these buildings, legacies are allowed to live on.

Coca-Cola

Technically, this case study exhibits the recycling of consumer product goods (CPG), however it also integrates a well-known furniture designer. Coca-Cola recently unveiled a partnership with Emeco to create a sustainable chair made out of recycled Coke cans and bottles (via Buzz-Beast). Each chair will be made out of rPET derived from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles. The chairs will be available for sale in June 2010 in select retail locations worldwide and can also be ordered by sending an email to coca-cola@emeco.net. This initiaitve benefits both companies.

“The 111 Navy Chair is a reflection of our commitment to sustainability, constant innovation and originality in design. This latest addition to our line of rPET licensed merchandise underscores the fact that Coca-Cola bottles are valuable recyclables. It is another step in our vision to recover and reuse all of our bottles and cans.” Kate Dwyer, Group Director of Worldwide Licensing for The Coca-Cola Company.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether you believe unconsumption can be utilized in branding or not, it is a powerful movement. Unconsumption is creative thinking in action. It's a response to the needs of our ecosytem and a moral responsibility each of us has to ensure a sustainable future. And we can't get enough of it!  If you've seen something interesting in the unconsumption vein, leave a comment so we can check it out.

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by Eric Kogelschatz