Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Hermés, House Industries, and Geestalten

Two years ago I was in Las Vegas, a city I truly loath but felt compelled to vacation in over Thanksgiving. Out of the 5 days I was there there are 3 things that stand out as wonderful. A trip to the Grand Canyon via Helicopter, Cirque Du Sole, and a pair of Hermés shoes that I tried on after shopping for a Hermés scarf for Kristy.

That pair of Hermés loafers is quite possibly the best thing that has ever touched my feet, and if I were a bit more free with my money I would have bought them. I just couldn’t justify dropping $2500.00 on a pair of suede loafers that I know would be scuffed and bruised with in a year. The reason I mention the shoes is two fold.

First off one of my favorite type foundries in the world, “House Industries” has produced some amazing merchandising, typography for Maison Hermès. Alphabetic Equestrian for the storefront in Tokyo, Japan. If you happen to be in Tokyo, the display is up through January 17th. (by the way my birthday is the 19th, and I wear a size 13 shoe. the loafers are tan suede, if you car to purchase them for me)

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The second part of this is one of my favorite book publishers, Gestalten, has dropped an interview with House Industries Ken Barber. If you are a designer, typographer, artist, or someone that is simply interested in art and design, this is a great video to watch. The video is beautifully shot and edited, and filled with insight from an industry leader.

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David&Goliath Saw a Woman In Half at McCarren Airport.

Advertising Agency: David&Goliath have created a very clever advertisement for the Lance Burton magic show at the Monte Carlo Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. Placed at the baggage carousels in McCarran airport, a lone box circles endlessly 24 hours a day. It is in a location that has a captive audience as they wait for their luggage to be delivered to them. What is so unique about this? Well the fact that the box has a woman’s legs sticking out of the end of it. This is such a simple idea, with a humorous and arresting visual. It is impossible to not look at this, and you have to admit, it is very clever.

Vegas has always been extremely competitive for patrons when it comes to the entertainment sector. In tough economic times even more so, and this is such an effective way to get people to take notice and remember. I’d be interested in seeing numbers on how many people saw this and actually bought tickets to the show. It would have been great to have some call to action associated with this. A web site where people could upload photos of themselves with the box, a way to mention seeing it when you buy your tickets, or go to the show, anything to see how many people actually responded to this by making a purchase. It’s still a great advertisement though.

Midlife Crisis, or Just Plain Fun? Just Plain Fun I Think.

SCL_logoOK, many people are going to read this and think that I am having a mid-life crisis. In many ways this might be true, but this is not one of those events. I’m going to be in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks, and a friend of mine told me that I should check out the Supercar Life website. Yes the company name is stupid as all hell, but the concept is pretty cool. Especially if you like to drive, want to go fast, and know that it’s going to be a while before you can afford your own Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, or Porsche Turbo 997.

Here is the deal, Supercar Life offers a number of packages with price tags that run from 200 bucks to 5 grand depending on the level of instruction, and the amount of time at the track. While I would love to take the Stage One class, it is only being offered on November 14th and I won’t be in Vegas on that day. The Stage one class offers extensive driving instruction, a full day at the Las Vegas motor speedway, and the chance to drive any or all of the cars that the company owns. It also sets you up for the next two classes, which culminates with Stage Three. Stage Three is a two day course that teaches advanced technical skills. It is a concentrated course that focuses on developing maximum driving potential in track driving and section training. And yes I’d love to do it, but at a cost of almost 9 grand for all three Stage classes, it aint gonna happen any time soon.

I am thinking about going for this thing they call the  “Power Hour” (someone really needs to talk to them about the names they use, but this probably appeals to a large segment of their target audience). The Power Hour is designed for anyone who has the desire to drive a high performance car at speeds they were designed for under the controlled conditions of a race track. The price point for this package is right. You get an hour of some pretty big thrills for $200.00! I put this in the same camp as going sky diving, hang gliding, etc. In addition, I don’t gamble, and this is probably cheaper than hitting the tables, it is something I can cross off of my bucket list, and it is probably as much or more fun than a $200.00 concert/show.

You get to select one of their elite cars, after you receive driving instruction from a professional driver, afterward you get  on the track and follow one of their pro drivers for multiple laps. The best things is that, Supercar Life offers these programs on a variety of days and times throughout the month (more importantly, while I’ll be in Vegas).

Now here is he question. Which car should I choose? Or better yet, which one will my 6 foot 4 inch frame fit into? I’m thinking the Porsche 997 turbo. I’ve driven a 911 and I know I can fit into that, but man the idea of driving the Ferrari F430 just gives me goose bumps.

porsche