Today we walked across this new graffiti tag on Broadway at Bleeker Street “Not so cool kids <3 Origami.”
New Yorkers may have seen the work of Not So Cool Kids around town before (or on their youtube channel) , which can range from sprayed tags to small posters to stenciled sayings like this one. They also seem to have some beef with Mark Ecko’s brand of tagging (tagging for a brands that is), as stated in the comments section…
Graffiti bombing video. NYC. New York. Not So Cool Kids spread peace and love and creativity on the streets avoiding the shylocks and miserable people. We love all the people who dress real fly and can draw pretty stick figures and who think Marc Ecko is a cultural exploitation artist suburban hip hop poser. Kind of like the Roman empire in the 2nd century. Satire X punk. Nothing but circuses and bread. But Ecko carries around a copy of subway art for protection from the DOWNTOWN 81 crowd AS HE SCRATCHES OFF THE AUTHENTIC NYC
Yet, some random posts seem to hint that Not So Cool Kids has a connection with Marc Jacobs… perhaps a collaboration for his 2009 collection? On other video sites, the above screed starts: “Marc Jacobs is a fashion god. He is to fashion what graffiti is to New York City. Irreplaceable.” In fact, the emoticon, the origami… very Japanese… very Marc Jacob’s 2007. His latest collection is a mélange of influences including Kimonos and bold colors.
Of course, this is far from the first time a brand has tapped the cultural “underground” for marketing purposes. But given their anti-Ecko sentiments, it’s an eyebrow-raising thought. Would this sort of buzz campaign make the Marc Jacobs brand more authentic in their glow, but risk their own authenticity?
There is a fine line between collaboration and exploitation. The former requires a common interest at stake. In this case, the punk satire vibe of the Not So Cool Kids meshes well with Marc Jacobs identity. There isn’t the disconnect of, say, Gwen Stefani and HP or Maria Sharipova and Canon. It’s also not in-your-face advertising, if it is advertising: Not So Cool Kids could just be brand enthusiasts, or a creation of Jacobs himself. Let’s presume it is, though: This kind of collaboration targets the subcortex, selling a feeling, an emotional concept, a lifestyle… not clothes. But it seems that would only succeed if the connection (Marc Jacobs X Not So Cool Kids) can make sense to consumers on that subconscious level. Perhaps that is the mark of true authenticity.
