Connecting coincidences it occurs to me that Blue Ant, in reality is Strawberry Frog, a small but powerful marketing/advertising agency based in Amsterdam and founded by a couple of Canadians. Among ad-world folks Strawberry Orange is distinguished by its international re-branding and strategic positioning work for several top global retail firms. Although relatively low-profile compared to agencies that are themsleves brands they have enjoyed some media attention in Canada and would have caught WG's attention. Check them out at www.strawberryfrog.com

This message has been edited. Last edited by: elstan,

nice link - welcome in!

Very, very interesting. I live in a box (I've watched less than 80 hours of television total since 1999 and I don't read internet news sites), and the whole "Blue Ant" thing is what impressed me the most when I read Gibson's Pattern Recognition. Here's a quote from StrawberryFrog's site:


Here's our theory:
a) Align the brand with a powerful idea on the rise, or define a culture that is appealing
b) Create programs/events/communities around this idea that people are drawn to
c) Use advertising to leverage the power of (b) to a wider audience
d) Use PR to broaden and create buzz
e) Use the web to create own branded medium

They sound insidious. And ultimately, evil.

Wow, your reference MoM does appear to confirm the hunch I began with - that Blue Ant is Strawberry Frog.

Check out these other two short blurbs from "about us"

"It's about inspiring people to talk about and actively participate in branded ideas and create a two-way traffic between brand and believer" (Magda.Trans)

"Back whwn we were envisioning what Strawberry Frog could be, we recognised the emergence of a Global Soul - a universal mindset, an electromagnetic current of people and ideas circling the globe. We saw how consumers in the US, Europe, and Asia are influenced by ideas from miles away."

No wonder Bigend must appropriate the footage.

quote:

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"It's about inspiring people to talk about and actively participate in branded ideas and create a two-way traffic between brand and believer" (Magda.Trans)

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Didn't the Jesuits do this, too? Consumerism as world religion. Ever notice the dollar sign is a horned serpent? *wriggles in Santa's grasp*

edit: ok, that got rantish.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: uroborus,

Brands (and consumerism in general) are just a secularised form of religious belief, as I said in another thread somewhere. Brands promise happiness/success/attractiveness if you adopt them, although unlike religion disillusion tends to be pretty immediate. But like all belief systems they percolate much more effectively if ordinary people can be persuaded to preach on their behalf. It's an interesting thought that, since brands obviously do not deliver what they promise (drinking this new drink does not make you happy) for the first time in human history the human race's major belief system is based from top to bottom on deliberate lies.

greetings

i recently (a week or so ago) finished pattern recognition and am stiil digesting it. i wasn't until tonight that i actually decided to google "blue ant" and take a little ride. well, this was the first stop and between the motivating factors of william gibson and curiosity i decided to sign up. immediately i hit elstan's link to strawberryfrog. even not knowing there global relevance i would have to agree that their image is conveyed.

are there any other potential companies that could have been utilized as models?

i believe that the realization and awareness of the global mindset or "Global Soul" is a vital step for society in general and as someone involved in he marketing/advertising arena am fascinated by it's effects and effectiveness.

sincerely, not to plug, but notice the the tone of this companies mission, www.one11.us. it is becoming less about positioning products and more about globally moving up. because ultimately thats really the only sustainable way to live, make money.

well, i will imediately blame arack for any ranting and mispellings!

i believe that i have read everything that william gibson has written solo, however a complete list would be much appreciated.

The first step in solving a problem is to recognize it.

Know thine enemy.

Blah Blah Blah.

quote:

Originally posted by karma:
i believe that i have read everything that william gibson has written solo, however a complete list would be much appreciated.

There is a section in williamgibsonbooks called "Books by Gibson". There you see the ones he wrote for Putnam, and get a list of the others. If you go to another helpful section called "Links", there are some old, some dead, but some complete bibliographies as well. Your best bet would be to visit the Aleph for more information than you probably need. Or do like the rest of us, and Google.

quote:

it is becoming less about positioning products and more about globally moving up. because ultimately thats really the only sustainable way to live, make money.

I thought the only sustainable way to live was to make sure the one behind you could also make a living. You visit too many advertising agencies, don't you?

quote:

Originally posted by agent2508:
Brands (and consumerism in general) are just a secularised form of religious belief, ... for the first time in human history the human race's major belief system is based from top to bottom on deliberate lies.

Um, Religion isn't a deliberate lie? It certainly requires the same suspension of disbelief as consumerism/advertising.

No, religion isn't necessarily a deliberate lie. In fact, there are very few examples of religions which their own hierarchies do not take seriously. The difference is that if a religion is true then it is in principle capable of explaining and giving meaning to the world. Obviously brands cannot do this, and those responsible know it perfectly well.

Sorry to come to this thread so late, but I only just finished the book.

I know a lot about the guys who own Strawberry Frog, though god knows I wish I didn't.

At the time they formed their agency, there was a craze for naming Amsterdam advertising agencies after colours or animals, or both.

So in short order we had agencies called Strawberry Frog, Blueberry Frog, Purple Cow, Lemon Scented Tea, and Fish Can't Sing.

To name but a few...

It got more than a bit silly, which is why I changed the name of my agency from Purple Cow to something more boringly corporate.

I promise you there is nothing Blue Ant or Bigend-like about Strawberry Frog, or those that work there. Three of my personnel are former Frogs, and by all accounts it's a miserable place to work.

If there is one Amsterdam agency that is like Blue Ant, it would be 180. http://www.180bvcom. And not just because they market the world's second biggest selling sports shoe.

Has anyone here seen the film, "The Corporation." ? Go to the corporation.com to find out more. I agree with Bill Hicks. Anyone involved in marketing or advertising should kill themselves immediately, you are all satan's little helpers and instigators of Hell.

No, I'm not joking.