February 17, 2012 (55 minutes ago)
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Here at gapingÂvoid CenÂtral, we love doing priÂvate comÂmisÂsions for indiÂviÂduals. But with all the corÂpoÂrate work going on it’s someÂtiÂmes hard to find the time to focus on it. Same with any other busiÂness, I suppose.
AnyÂway, something lanÂded on our plate recently which made me very happy.
When I attenÂded Ted GloÂbal last sumÂmer in EdinÂburgh, one of the peoÂple I ejoÂyed meeÂting the most was this English-Pakistani guy called MaaÂjid. He did a really good TED talk on how to fight reliÂgious extreÂmism, based on his own expeÂrience as a reforÂmed memÂber of radiÂcal IslaÂmist groups, himÂself (How radiÂcal? RadiÂcal enough to have spent time in EgypÂtian priÂson for it…).
Fast forÂward to the preÂsent, the other day he emails me out of the blue. TerriÂfic! He want to comÂmisÂsion a Valentine’s Day gift for his sweetheart. Nice!
So I went with something fun and colorÂful to brighÂten up a dark, English February, taking my insÂpiÂraÂtion, on his sugÂgesÂtion, from PakisÂtani bus art, which is crazy-amazing stuff.
He’s a lovely, graÂcious guy, MaaÂjid, and was a pleaÂsure to work with. Go check out the extremism-fighting orgaÂniÂsaÂtion, QuiÂlliam that he’s head of– inteÂresÂting stuff.
Rock on…
[ http://www.youtube.com/embed/EZwxKPv1CwA ]
[Maajid’s Ted talk on YouTube…]
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »February 17th, 2012 (55 minutes ago)
February 16, 2012
2 Comments
Our friends at BabÂson College have asked us to help out on their new camÂpaign, “RedeÂfine EntreÂpreÂneurshipâ€. [Catch the backsÂtory here, and watch the video here to get a rough idea etc etc.]
It’s a simÂple enough idea: If they can own a new idea of what entreÂpreÂneurship is, or at least, be a prime mover in the conÂverÂsaÂtion, then peoÂple will go to them to get a piece of the action. Good for the stuÂdents and faculty, good for the brand and good for the staÂkeholÂders. Exactly.
Of course, the meaÂning of the word has been redeÂfiÂned over and over many times already, from in its oriÂgins in the IndusÂtrial RevoÂluÂtion of yesÂterÂday, to SiliÂcon Valley today, to India and China and Africa tomoÂrrow. LanÂguage is orgaÂnic and fluid, after all, and to hope to come up with the all-encompassing, defiÂniÂtive worÂding for it, isn’t going to hapÂpen in our lifeÂtime. The word already has a million defiÂniÂtions, anyway.
But as I ponÂdeÂred this, more and more, I starÂted thinÂking that the really inteÂresÂting quesÂtion isn’t, “What is entreÂpreÂneurship?â€, but “Who is an entrepreneur?â€
As Reid HoffÂman decÂlaÂred in his wonÂderÂful new book, you can still think like an entreÂpreÂneur and hold a job down in a large comÂpany. In fact, it’s now pretty much essenÂtial for surÂviÂval that you do so.
So I quickly drew the t-shirt idea above: “YOU ARE AN ENTREPRENEURâ€.
The idea is not a “BIG STATEMENT†per se, but desigÂned more as a conÂverÂsaÂtion starter.
When peoÂple see the mesÂsage, the peoÂple who already see themÂselÂves an entreÂpreÂneurs will think, “Yeah, so, I know that already.â€
They’re not the peoÂple neeÂding to hear the it.
But the peoÂple who DON’T see themÂselÂves that way, THEY WILL  quesÂtion why someÂbody would think they’re entrepreneurs.
Which could start a lot of conÂverÂsaÂtions right from the get-go. ImaÂgine what your favoÂrite StarÂbucks barista would say about the t-shirt. Or that guy you know who works at The Gap. Or your college roomÂmate, Dan who works deep in the bowels of ZapÂpos’ call centers.
Or think about the fourÂteen peoÂple you now have on the payÂroll, and how you’re going to conÂvince them to think of their time with you as more than just a paycheck.
Aren’t they ALL entreÂpreÂneurs? Shouldn’t they feel that way? And if not, isn’t that a problem?
I think it is.
I mean, we’re talÂking about actual flesh-and-blood liveÂlihoods here, surely that’s something worth giving thought to?
T-shirt-as-conversation-starter is far more inteÂresÂting that T-shirt-as-advertisement, don’t you think?
AnyÂway, that’s my first salvo. I hope you like
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »February 16th, 2012
February 15, 2012
2 Comments
[This carÂtoon was sent out earÂlier today in the newsÂletÂter. You can buy the print here etc.]
This carÂtoon actually began life out in 2007, as an idea for a wine label design.
Something humorous-aspirational. Fun and witty, without being too downÂmarÂket etc etc.
Though it never got as far as proÂducÂtion, it broke the ice with a few major superÂmarÂket buyers, so it earÂned its keep in the end, many, many times over.
The idea was and is always, how can you extend the meaÂning of your proÂduct… make it more inteÂresÂting. A label, a free prize inside, whatever.…
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »February 15th, 2012
February 15, 2012
2 Comments
I had a problem…
I was creaÂtiÂvely “stuck†on a carÂtoon I wanÂted to get drawn, one about “ProÂducÂtive StuÂpiÂdity†that I was doing for our client, BabÂson College.
So I deciÂded to “open source†the proÂblem to my budÂdies over on GooÂgle Plus, to see if their input could help me.
If you read the back n’ forth, you can see, I got a lot of input. Thanks, Everybody!
It ended up in me draÂwing a good half dozen new carÂtoons on the subÂject. The one above was my favorite.
I’m glad I did it this way, I think the final result was much betÂter for it.
Thanks to BabÂson PreÂsiÂdent, Len SchÂleÂsinÂger for agreeing to let us try this approach, it was fun!
Rock on.
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »February 15th, 2012
February 13, 2012
215 Comments
Daily Email Promo from
GapingÂvoid on
Vimeo.
Hola, Jason here (CEO of gapingÂvoid etc etc)… For all you gapingÂvoid newÂbies, you may not know that we publish a daily email every TuesÂday – SaturÂday. It always conÂtains one of Hugh’s carÂtoons with a little narraÂtive and someÂtiÂmes an excÂluÂsive deal on gapingÂvoid goodies.
We’ve been plaÂying around with aniÂmaÂtion and the one above is a little eight-second promo that we want to use to call attenÂtion to the daily email. Although it works great as is, we’d like to add some copy to it, and so, FearÂless ReaÂders, we are going to have a little comÂpeÂtiÂtion for the best copy as judÂged by us.
Here is how we are going to do it:
Simply sugÂgest the copy to go with it, in twelve words or less.Â
In other words, we need 12 words to go with the video, to explain what the story is.
The winÂner will get a free fraÂmed cube greÂnade of her chooÂsing, sigÂned and inscÂriÂbed by Hugh (a $200 value) and if you have a blog or site, we’ll link back to it AND give you a menÂtion on the actual video, etc.
NorÂmally, this is the kind of things we’d do ourÂselÂves, but what the heck, someÂtiÂmes “open source†is more fun for everybody.
Thanks, and looÂking forward!
       Jason Korman
Posted in Uncategorized | 215 Comments »February 13th, 2012
February 13, 2012
3 Comments
[A screenshot from the video: a RacksÂpace banÂner, in my handwÂriÂting etc.]
I love this RacksÂpace video. No thesÂpian voiÂceoÂver. No pomÂpous top-down mesÂsage yak yak yak about how great they are.
In this video, they’re not saying it, they’re SHOWING it.
What are they shoÂwing? Well, that’s for us to figure out, all by ourselves.
Isn’t marÂkeÂting much nicer, when peoÂple treat each other like grownups?
[DiscÂloÂsure: RacksÂpace is a gapingÂvoid client. And a damn good one, I might add. Check out our work here etc.]
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Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »February 13th, 2012
February 13, 2012
3 Comments
Good corÂpoÂrate social media is REALLY, REALLY hard… WAY harÂder than it looks. A few peoÂple like my good friend, Brian Solis, make it look easy, but they’re the excepÂtion, BY FAR.
My preÂdicÂtion for social media in 2012, is that A LOT of peoÂple will finally figure that out, the hard way.
So be careÂful what you wish for etc.
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »February 13th, 2012
February 10, 2012
1 Comment
[OriÂgiÂnally sent out in today’s newsÂletÂter etc. Buy the print here etc etc.]
Like I said on TwitÂter earÂlier today, the peoÂple who REALLY taught me “How To†do anything worthwhile, didn’t write a big ol’ list of insÂtrucÂtions, didn’t hold my hand, they just led by example.
The great BriÂtish adverÂtiÂsing man, Dave Trott once did that for me, back in the day…
THIS is what REAL leaÂdership means. THIS is what REAL insÂpiÂraÂtion means.
And you’d betÂter get used to it. Because in the world we now live in, there are no more jobs. There are no more bosÂses. There are only clients and cusÂtoÂmers from now on.
The emploÂyees who don’t get that, are dead in the water. And so are the “bosÂses†who still like to be treaÂted as “bosÂsesâ€. Good ridÂdance to them all.
So… go read Dave Trott’s stuff. Find out who he is. Go learn from a MASTER. Do it. Rock on.
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »February 10th, 2012
February 9, 2012
4 Comments
Thanks to Chris for senÂding me this photo, via TwitÂter.
The gapingÂvoid ValenÂtine print he ordeÂred, just as he was opeÂning the box. A delighÂted cusÂtoÂmer, so it seems. Hurrah!
I love getÂting stuff like this from peoÂple, and not just because “Social Proof is the new marÂkeÂting†yada, yada, yada.
As artists and/or marÂkeÂters and/or busiÂness peoÂple, it’s not enough to just think about the money and the ROI. We need to know that we “conÂnecÂtedâ€, somehow. Deeply so, sometimes.
Or else we just become very dull, making very dull stuff for very dull peoÂple, living very dull lives.
Which except for the occaÂsioÂnal faceÂless corÂpoÂraÂtion, is not much of a susÂtaiÂnaÂble busiÂness model.
E.M. Forster’s very famous advice to aspiÂring authors had a mere two words: “Only connect.â€
Exactly. In both art and business.
Only conÂnect.
Think about it.
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »February 9th, 2012
February 9, 2012
3 Comments
I love this. A gapingÂvoid greeÂting card, newly prinÂted, the finest inks on on the finest card stock yada, yada, yada.
No, we’re not selling them anyÂtime soon. We sent them out to everyÂbody who ordeÂred one of our “Love Prints†in time for Valentine’s Day etc etc.
How do you make something ubiÂquiÂtous seem valuaÂble to peoÂple? A nice greeÂting card, for examÂple? Something that you norÂmally can find in any shopÂping mall for the price of a cup of coffee?
By making it scarce. Exactly. SpeÂcial. Exactly. By making it NOT avaiÂlaÂble in any shopÂping mall, by making it NOT for sale, at any price (within reaÂson). Exactly.
Early on, Jason (my busiÂness partÂner these last eight years) and I figuÂred out that gapingÂvoid would proÂbably NEVER BE big and mainsÂtream, a-la DilÂbert or Doonesbury.
So there was NO POINT doing the same marÂkeÂting as DilÂbert or DooÂnesÂbury. Or anyÂbody else, for that matter.
Like ol’ Steve said, think different.
You?
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »February 9th, 2012
