NYT Article on Brand Underground

The NYT Magazine ran a fascinating article entitled "The Brand Underground" on July 30th. You can access it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/magazine/30brand.html?_r=1&oref=login

Basically, the author talks about a growing group of young and incredibly hip people (neither description applies to me any more) who are managing to turn their lifestyle of just being young and hip into a business. But believe me, these aren't the Paris Hilton's of the world. No, Rob Walker looks at three specific "brands" (primarily expressed through t-shirt sales) that have been created by people that most certainly did not come from a background of wealth and privilege.

These individuals are similar to the one's Malcolm Gladwell describes in his book "The Tipping Point," as mavens. These are essentially the mavens of cool and their indie, counter-culture t-shirts and accessories are sought after by those who want to remain clearly and emphatically out of the main stream. Walker explores the troubles these individuals have in staying out of the main stream, especially as they go through the process of finding manufacturers and getting their wares into stores (or opening their own).

Also of note is the idea that ". . .the primary goal that binds togehter all the disparate entities of the new brand underground is independence: the Next Big Thing will be a million small things." This sounds an awful lot like Chris Anderson's "The Long Tail" theory...

Perhaps the most important point, from my perspective, is the idea that ". . . instead of dreaming up ideas to attach to products, they are starting with ideas and then dreaming up the products to express them." Essentially, these kids are immersed in the highest form of "engagism," which I identify as creation. In other words, as we get more and more involved in a particular type of content or activity, we feel the urge to create something of our own. That's exactly what these "mavens of cool" are up to.

You can read about this idea of engagism / creation at http://www.engagism.com/5engagism.html Just search on the word "create"