Archive for the 'Culture' Category

A Tip of the Hat to You, Mr. Charlie Walk

01.29.13

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The man, the myth, the legend.

Charlie Walk.

For the past 5 years he’s been one of our fearless leaders, our heart, our soul, our very own VVIP.

Charlie is returning to the land he loves, the world of music, where he earned his stripes and street cred as president of Epic Records, this time as EVP of Republic Records, where he’ll oversee the marketing, promotion and publicity departments.

And we’re going with him!

Well, not exactly. But he will keep his post as Chairman of JWALK, and he SAYS that all it means is that we’re all ‘in the music business’ now.

Sounds pretty good to us.

Here’s a tip of the hat and a raise of the glass to you, Charlie Walk. A true maverick, a true tastemaker, a true trendsetter, all in a time when everyone tries to be, and no one is.

Hollywood Reporter's got you covered for more deets.

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New Year, Same Us

01.3.13

2013. The world goes on.

New York is cold, as we’re sure you’ve heard.

Here at JWALK, it’s really just been more of the same – great projects, great partners.

Titan Tea, a new electrolyte-enhanced tea, has asked us to help run their brand strategy, handle package design and shape their digital footprint. You probably haven’t heard of them yet, but you will. Look shelf-side later this year.

Our friends at Kérastase brought us back this season to handle their community management during New York’s Fashion Week. We’ll be capturing and posting exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage from the Marchesa, Theory and Libertine shows… just to name a few. We’d suggest not sleeping on this one, but then, that would be pointless; even if you do, Kerastase will still make sure you wake up on the right side of the bed.

L’Oreal asked us to design for them an upscale mailer/gifting package. We obliged. It looks fabulous. Stay tuned for pictures.

We’re also working on a couple projects that we can’t quiteeee talk about just yet, but as soon as we can, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Happy 2013 everyone. Here’s hoping you haven’t given up on those pesky resolutions quite yet.


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A HOLIDAY UPDATE FROM THE BRASS

12.21.12

Brands 2012 color

Hello there!

2012 is wrapping up, so we wanted to give you all, our friends and contemporaries, a quick rundown on the year that was at JWALK. It’s been 4 full months since we officially rebranded as JWALK, but oh how time flies! (Or creeps, depending on who you ask)

Our team has exploded (with people and talent), and we’re now officially 21 full-timers, including our two new co-presidents, Ashley Heather and Sarrah Hallock, and our new Chief Creative Officer, Michael Milligan. We couldn’t be more excited about all the new faces.

The past year saw a lot of great things for our clients, too. We set LACOSTE up at Coachella again, which served as a smash hit prequel to what came next – the LACOSTE L!VE Concert Series in Williamsburg Park, a huge success. LACOSTE crossed the 10 million fan mark this year on Facebook, making them the 3rd most successful apparel brand in social media. We also opened a new flagship store in Miami to much fanfare.

We completely rebranded Health Warrior, winning prettiest new packaging at Expo East, launched a brand new website and got them national distribution into Whole Foods.

We grew Charming Charlie’s Facebook fan base from 250,000 to 500,000 in just four months, in addition to this (damn cute, if we do say so ourselves) video we produced.

And let’s not forget what we do for DeLeon every year.

2012 is wrapping up, but at JWALK, we don’t look back. 2013 is in the near horizon, and it’s already shaping up to be quite a year. In the new year, we’ll be engaging with Sensio to rebrand two of their reputable kitchenware lines, Bella and Bella Dots. SIN is a premium energy drink that we’ll be helping with its national US launch. We’ll also be helping launch Nourish Snacks – a revolutionary monthly snack subscription service – in partnership with super-nutritionist Joy Bauer. We’re creating a campaign to drive millenials into stores for school supply superstore Staples that will hopefully also reinvigorate an affinity for a certain dead art (that’s all we can say, for now. Stay tuned).

And that’s just the work.

Now for a little JWALK flavor, we welcome in Charlie Walk – the man, the legend – who has personally curated a ‘Best of 2012’ playlist through one of our favorite companies, 8tracks. Check it out here. He promises it’s very VIP.

So we’ve said a lot, maybe too much, and we think if you’ve gotten this far, you deserve a reward. Our friends at LACOSTE are helping us out – the first three people to use “croc” in a post on our Facebook Wall[https://www.facebook.com/JWalkNY] will receive a 40% off VIP discount card to LACOSTE for ALL of 2013.

In the words of one Charlie Walk, hollerrrrr.

Peace, love, and merry yuletides.

Your friends Sarrah, Ashley, Doug, Charlie and the entire JWALK family.

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Tweets of a Nation

06.13.12

We’ve seen it before: people posting their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and their nonsense on Twitter for the all world to see. But what would happen if an entire country came together and used Twitter to post updates about what is going on in the nation? That is exactly what Sweden just did.

The @Sweden program, also called Curators of Sweden, was started at the end of last year as part of Sweden’s government tourist agency. The program is putting the account in the hands of its citizens in an attempt to create “the world’s most democratic Twitter account.” Each week, a different person is “@Sweden” and he or she tweets, well, whatever they want.

The point of the program is to demonstrate through “typical” Swedes that there in fact, exists no “typical” Swede. Curators of Sweden aims to provide real accounts of the nation’s broad range of events and happenings, rather than a glossy overview of the country. In doing so, they are also reintroducing the early Internet concept of the global village.

The sometimes personal, sometimes provocative, sometimes inappropriate but always interesting, posts have been successful in bringing attention the nation; in just a few months, @Sweden has garnered tens of thousands of followers and mentions in over 120 countries. Clearly people around the world are attracted to this innovative way of displaying ideas about the nation. The question that remains though is whether this sort of identity merger is a trend to look out for in the future…

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I'm Dreaming Of...

12.12.11

Here at RJW, we believe in being generous during the holiday season. That's why we've put together this list of some of the coolest things around the web (and beyond) for your shopping delight. Sure, there are hundreds of gift guides out there, but we've curated some of the greatest gadgets and style accessories this season so that you can stay ahead of the curve. Let's face it - your gifting says a lot about you as a person. With our suggestions, you're sure to impress everyone on your list.

Check out the complete list below.

Malin-+-Goetz_Vetiver_Home-Fragrance


Malin + Goetz Vetiver Scented Candle
Available at (Malin+Goetz).
There are a ton of high-end home fragrance options out there right now, but this vetiver candle from Malin + Goetz still gets our vote for most intoxicating. Seriously… it’s amazing.

Presso-Manual-espresso-machine

Presso Espresso Machine
Available at Holstee.
The Presso allows any coffee aficionado to brew the perfect cup of espresso without the need for a thousand-dollar bar machine. Now you can ditch those alien pod K-cups for the good stuff.


Jimmy-Choo_Glitter_bedazzled_tablet_caseJimmy Choo iPad Sleeve
Available at Net-a-Porter.
If you’re going to bedeck your iPad, you might as well do it in style. This glitter-ized leather slipcover from Jimmy Choo is made for the girl who wishes she could lift the mirrorball out of the club with her. Your tablet case should sparkle like your party pumps. Obvi!

RJW-Collective_Holiday-Gift-Guide_Raymond-Martin_book

The Trend Forecaster's Handbook
Available at Amazon.
If you consider yourself a cultural tastemaker (or would like to), this book is Influencer 101. Complete with rich visuals, this is a how-to guide to start some trend forecasting of your own, so that you’re always one step ahead of the masses.

RJW-Collective_Holiday-Gift-Guide_Kiehl's_Limited-Edition_Creme-de-CorpsLimited Edition Creme de Corps
Available at Kiehl's.
While dipping our hands in a metallic paint bath never seemed like a great idea, Kiehl’s gives us a way to still give our skin the Jeff Koons treatment. Crème de Corps is sure to take care of your skin through the brutal winter weather. Plus, 100% of net profits from this product go to charity.

RJW-Collective_Holiday-gift-guide_British-fashion-magazine-subscription

Foreign Fashion Mag
Available at Amazon.
Rather than looking for that trend-of-the-moment pair of shoes they’re sure to return, why not gift your fashion-minded friends with a subscription to an artfully printed international fashion mag? The Gentlewoman, Fantastic Man, and Lula are some of the best.

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Hermes Corners the Luxury Market in India

10.14.11

While the U.S. is slowly beginning to climb back in luxury sales after a period of economic struggle, international luxury sales are continuing to climb at staggering rates. One country of significance in this trend is India. According to a recent report, domestic sales of luxury accessories in India were estimated at $2.2B and are growing by a shocking 20% annually.

Rather than simply tweak their existing product line with an India-targeted campaign, Hermès is becoming the first luxury brand to seize the opportunity that exists in the country. Hermès is catering to Indian tradition, and their brand’s connections to the country by launching a limited edition line of 27 saris. The scarves will retail at a range from $6,100 to $8,200.

Hermès’ ateliers, based in Lyon, France, have never before printed their designs over fabric of this size (the saris will measure 18 feet in length). Hermès wanted to accommodate tradition further, by providing a meter of extra twill silk with the garments, so that a top can be tailored in the same fabric, in accordance with the custom.

It’s admirable that a brand is stepping up to honor the potential in a foreign market by modifying their product line like this. The business move is a strategic move on Hermès’ part. What better way to keep some of your best customers than by catering products that suit them directly?

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NY Fashion Week by RJW

09.19.11

We've been busy for the past week here at RJW. New York Fashion Week brought in a slew of events for a few of our clients, including LACOSTE, DeLeón Tequila, and Gramercy Park Hotel.

To kick it all off, LACOSTE hosted none other than band-of-the-moment, Foster the People, to celebrate Fashion's Night Out and the reopening of LACOSTE's 5th Avenue Flagship store. Following that was LACOSTE'S Spring/Summer 2012 Runway Show, and the unveiling of Polo Gigante - the world's biggest polo shirt.

Meanwhile, DeLeón Tequila served up its usual top-tier parties. Courtney Love started it off, and later in the week, electronic duo Crystal Castles, rocked out at Hiro Ballroom, after both events the crowd moved downstairs for after-parties at Nur Khan's newest club, The Electric Room. And of course, Gramercy Park Hotel was buzzing all week long with events for John Varvatos, Interview Magazine & Tommy Hilfiger, Rebecca Minkoff, and J. Mendel.

We think this video quite accurately sums up the week that  supermodels descend on our tiny little town...

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Paying it Forward Through Social Media

08.16.11

The digital age has fostered a new wave of altruism that ranges from crowd-funding projects like Kickstarter.com to site like Freerice.com, which provides food to hungry families around the world as the reward for games played on the site. The most recent iteration has come through Jonathan Stark’s Starbucks Card. Stark began his social experiment in the generosity of strangers by loading around $200 onto a Starbucks card, posting the barcode on the internet, and letting anyone buy their coffee with it... or add money to the balance.

Tracking the experiment via the Twitter handle @Jonathanscard, Stark never had to add more to the balance himself, instead, relying on the anonymous contributions of others. Lasting over month, with over $4,000 added by strangers, Starbucks recently deactivated the account when a hacker exploited a loophole to siphon money from the card for his own use.

While Jonathan’s Card is no more, we’re glad to see that it was a successful project for its run, and we hope that the project continues to inspire others to embrace the spirit behind the Italian tradition of Caffe Pagato.

photo by flickr user puuikibeach

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Emi and Andrew Escape to New York

08.10.11

Last weekend, a team from RJW headed to the Shinnecock Nation Reservation about 100 miles east of New York City for the ‘Escape to New York Festival’. Attending on behalf of LACOSTE, who had outfitted all the Milk Studios photographers in tennis gear, the RJW team quickly learned that this was no ordinary music festival.

While there was certainly music, with acts including Patti Smith, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Of Montreal, the real experience came from the other aspects of the festival including: glamping (glamorous camping), a panda pit, a brain drop, and the Milk Studios after-hour jam sessions. The RJW team was eager to explore this creative haven that claims its roots in the epic Secret Garden Party in England, and Burning Man festival in Nevada.

Arriving to the office on Monday, the team struggled to explain why the weekend was so special, resorting to “best weekend ever” and “you need to go next year.” We may have to make a whole-office trip to see ourselves, but in the meantime, Milk sent over some of the photos from the weekend that helped fill in the details.

Photo Credit:  Steven Stone and Brian Depinto

edward-sharpe-and-the-magnetic-zeros

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Farm Living in an Urban Setting

04.5.11

Our very own social media strategist, Martina Fugazzotto, was profiled in a recent New York Post article detailing the latest trend of "urban homesteading." Despite some minor inaccuracies regarding the finer points of the story, we now know that Martina does in fact moonlight as the poster child for the movement. Her qualifications include "nerdy-hip glasses and American Apparel style" (really?). In any case, we think her great-grandma, who used to grow her own produce on a Lower East Side rooftop in gun boxes (of all things), would be proud of the continuation of the Fugazzotto tradition. We're pretty proud ourselves to be able to count this self-sufficient foodie as one of our own. Now go and read about why that t-shirt Martina is wearing packs an extra dose of irony.

Meet the New York Hillbillies

You can also check out more about Martina's adventures in working the fertile land of New York City at FarmTina.com.

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