Then, it became the buzzworthy fibre for outdoor apparel… although most technical brands soon opted for Tencel, instead.

More recently, we’re seeing a revival in the 100 year old tradition of using bamboo for bicycles and ski poles, and even laptop cases and bespoke sunglasses.

Bamboo is one of the strongest materials on the planet, with a higher tensile strength than steel. But it grows like a weed. It is a grass, after all.

So, we’re claiming it now. Tomorrow’s hipsters will be propped out in bamboo.

Okay, off to order my collapsible bamboo chopsticks now.

I present, in support of my sharp-and-pointy opinions, the following marketing face-off… wherein exhibit A represents a beautifully executed spot (as evidenced by my failure to watch said spot through without tearing up, no matter what the cycle of the moon is), juxtaposed against a similar piece which falls short, like the unfortunate-looking sibling of a superstar.

Ron Howard and his brother Clint.

Brad Pitt casts a long shadow for his quite nice-looking sibling.

Here’s the insight that made this Budweiser Flash Mob commercial such a bulls-eye.

At some point in life, we all realise that the big league has passed us by. The honourable ones are those who keep showing up, putting their hearts on the line, and playing as if the stakes are as serious as if they’d made it to the top. Recognising those decent, honest, ordinary people with some half-naked cheerleaders and a little moment in the spotlight? Profoundly satisfying to all of us ad agency folk not working on Madison Avenue, copywriters who haven’t hit the NY Times best-seller list with the half-a-novel-in-the-drawer, weekend warrior skiers who’ll never be on the cover of a magazine. That’s what the recreation league men’s hockey team is for us. But the truest power of the piece? No grating voice-over required. We got it. All by ourselves.

The Coke Zero version, which is trying to tell us that sometimes the impossible happens, misses the whole emotional point. And is like a drink of very flat cola. Blech.

Even brands that sometimes nail it, can make the mistake of saying too much, and trying too hard to communicate. (TRUST your audience, people. They’re not as stupid as you think.)

Consider Google’s US launch of Google+, versus the heavy-handed Shakespeare-infused version developed for across the pond. Double blech.

And I love Shakespeare.

If you disagree with me, feel free. Post your comments here. Just leave my (much-better looking) little brother out of it.

Avant que la terre devienne invivable suite à la quantité de pollution atmosphérique que nous avons créée et que nous disions adieu à nos sports d’hiver préférés, il y a quelques solutions pour apaiser cette situation dont le recyclage et la réutilisation des matériaux. C’est ce que l’équipe d’ Origin Montréal a fait lorsqu’il a été le temps de réaliser la conception d’un mur de bois dans son nouveau local.

Plutôt que de se tourner vers l’achat de bois neuf et usiné, nous avons fait une visite sur le site de kijiji.ca et avons lancé une demande. Cette demande consistait à trouver le plus de palettes de bois possibles. À notre grand étonnement, plusieurs personnes ont répondu à cet appel nous offrant même un service de livraison. Que pouvions nous demander de mieux surtout lorsque notre local se situe au 6e étage!

Bien sûr, la réalisation est un peu plus complexe que du bois acheté en magasin. Les palettes doivent d’abord être sciées pour garder seulement ce qui est souhaité; une sélection doit ensuite être faite car aucune planche n’est de la même hauteur. Une fois installées, le mur demande idéalement une couche d’huile. Bien sûr, nous vous épargnons les détails sur la poussière de bois que cela a créé!

Bref, il y a tellement de choses qui peuvent être faites pour essayer de réduire les coûts de production en design d’intérieur et qui “sauve” en même temps notre planète. En plus, le résultat final est unique et a un cachet qui n’aurait pu s’acheter en magasins grandes surfaces.

Comme vous le savez, le recyclage n’est pas une nouvelle idée. Cela fait plusieurs siècles que la réutilisation des matériaux est exploitée mais aujourd’hui plus que jamais, nous devons nous y tourner.

Merci à Guy Leblanc de chez GCR rénovation pour son aide.

The best marketing opportunities might be the scariest.

If you want to know what a commercial photographer can offer you, why not see what they can do in 72 hours of sub-optimal conditions with the pressure of a competitive screening at the end.

That’s how Robin O’Neill saw the Deep Winter opportunity, when she “manned” up to compete in the Whistler Blackcomb-produced photo challenge last year, as the first female photographer invited to take part.

“It’s a great marketing opportunity if you take it as that and you’re willing to put a lot of work into it and can take the pressure to shoot in three days. Commercial clients want some guarantee if they pay you a day rate that you can deliver, so it’s a hard and fast way of showing you can execute what is demanded of you, in a way that a portfolio can’t necessarily prove.

“The format really allows a client to see what you can do. No one is telling you what to do, so you end up better positioned to get work that’s more about your approach and your unique style. People can see where you shine.”

Have confidence to own your own style.

Of course, that all depends on having the confidence to tell your story, your way. O’Neill placed second last year with a fresh and bold show, that was not only more documentary-esque than is usually seen, but was the first ever to feature dedicated mountain women. She followed that standing ovation with a winning mountain bike show to take top prize in Deep Summer, and not willing to rest on her laurels, returned for Deep Winter 2012 with her sights set on winning.

“It was good, this time, to be a competitor, and not just a chick. But I needed to win.

“The risk definitely scared the crap out of me and the shows are huge undertakings. Three in a row demands a lot of energy and lot of energy from the people around me. I was nervous for sure, but I’m always nervous. That just makes me reach more.”

Do your homework.
Preparation didn’t just mean storyboarding out a show in advance, thinking up outside-the-box angles and perspectives or scouting locations. For O’Neill’s winning show, the preparation phase involved drinking a lot of tea.

“I do prepare and storyboard, but I always find the characters to be the most important. A lot of the pre-show work for this piece went into researching and finding longtime Whistler locals and mountaineers who have character and have contributed to the soul of winter. I wasn’t scouting for locations. There’s not much point in winter. I was looking for interesting characters. And yes, that included lots of chats over tea and biscuits. A lot of them had to be talked in to doing it. But that’s what I enjoy – that connection I can get through photography.”

The connection between photographer and subject translated to the audience experience.

“I thought it was cool, with such a young crowd, that that documentary-esque style I have seemed to work.”

Great content practically shares itself.

Despite it’s slightly unusual take on Deep Winter action (O’Neill gave 70+ year old Whistler Lifers equal billing as action sports athletes Matty Richard, James Heim and Eric Hjorleifson), Robin’s slideshow received 25,000 views on vimeo in the 2 weeks following its upload. “Isn’t that crazy?” she says.

“Since the only place I put it is on facebook and I only have 300 friends. Other people must be passing it along.”

It’s unlikely that many of the images from Robin’s show will see a second life.

“A lot of the photos simply aren’t marketable because of the weather conditions. No one would shoot in a lot of the conditions we’re dealing with. It’s really the process and learning how to perform and the relationships that I’ve built that have been really rewarding.”

That’s the ROI. And the fact that her phone hasn’t stopped ringing with new assignments and clients.

Watch Robin’s show, here.

Robin O’Neill – Deep Winter 2012 Winning Slideshow from Robin O’Neill on Vimeo.

La plus belle opportunité peut aussi être la plus effrayante.

Si vous désirez savoir ce qu’un photographe commercial a dans le ventre, pourquoi ne l’inviter à vous montrer ce qu’il peut faire en 72 heures dans des conditions moins qu’optimales avec à la clé une présentation compétitive.

C’est de cette façon que Robin O’Neill entrevoyait le défi Deep Winter avant qu’elle ne fasse « un homme d’elle-même » en participant à la compétition photographique de Whistler Blackcomb l’an dernier, en tant que première femme artiste de l’événement.

« C’est une superbe vitrine de marketing si vous le prenez comme tel et que vous êtes prêt à investir beaucoup d’efforts et à subir trois jours de photo sous pression. Les clients commerciaux veulent des garanties que vous êtes capables de livrer quand ils vous paient un tarif journalier, c’est donc une façon rapide et exigeante de montrer que vous êtes capable de réaliser ce qu’on vous demande, d’une façon que votre portfolio ne peut pas nécessairement faire.

« Ce format permet vraiment à un client de voir ce que vous savez faire. Comme personne ne vous dit quoi faire, vous êtes mieux positionné pour montrer quelle et votre approche et votre style. Les gens peuvent voir vos forces ».

Ayez confiance en votre style.

Évidemment, tout dépend de votre niveau de confiance à exprimer votre histoire, de votre façon. Robin a fini deuxième l’an passé avec une présentation rafraichissante et audacieuse, qui non seulement était plus « documentariste » que ce qu’on voit habituellement, c’était aussi la première à être entièrement dédiée aux femmes des montagnes. Après cette ovation debout, elle a remporté le grand prix de la présentation vélo de montagne du Deep Summer, et ne voulant pas se reposer sur ses lauriers, elle a décidé de se lancer dans Deep Winter 2012 avec la ferme intention de gagner.

« J’ai apprécié cette fois être une compétitrice et pas juste une fille. Mais je devais aussi absolument gagner. Le risque me donnait la trouille et les présentations sont aussi de grosses commandes. Trois à la file demande beaucoup d’énergie de moi et de mon entourage. J’étais très nerveuse, mais je suis toujours nerveuse. Ça m’oblige à me dépasser ».

Soyez préparé.
Une bonne préparation ne s’est pas limitée à faire un découpage technique, pensez à des angles innovateurs ou faire de la recherche d’emplacements. Pour sa présentation gagnante, Robin s’est préparée en buvant beaucoup de thé.

« Je suis toujours bien armée et je pense à mon découpage technique, mais le plus important est de définir les personnages. Une grande partie du travail préparatoire a consisté à trouver des locaux et des gens de montagne de longue date qui ont façonné l’esprit hivernal de Whistler. Je n’ai pas cherché des lieux. Ça ne vaut pas la peine en hiver. Je recherchais des personnalités intéressantes, ce qui veut dire beaucoup de conversations en buvant une tasse de thé et en grignotant des biscuits. Il m’a fallu en convaincre plusieurs. Mais c’est ce que j’aime faire : établir un contact à travers la photo ».

Cette relation entre la photographe et ses sujets a touché l’auditoire.

« J’ai trouvé ça cool qu’avec des spectateurs aussi jeunes, mon style quasi documentaire a réussi à fonctionner ».

Un bon contenu se partage presque tout seul.

Malgré son angle un peu différent au Deep Winter (elle a accordé autant d’importance à des natifs de Whistler de plus de 70 ans qu’aux athlètes de sports d’action Matty Richard, James Heim et Eric Hjorleifson), la présentation photo de Robin a été visionnée 25 000 fois sur vimeo lors de 2 semaines qui ont suivi sont téléchargement.

« C’est un peu fou, dit-elle, surtout que Facebook est le seul endroit où je l’ai diffusé et que je n’ai que 300 amis. Les gens doivent se l’échanger ».

Il est peu probable que les photos de Robin aient une seconde vie.

« Une grande majorité des images ne sont pas utilisables à cause des conditions météo. Personne ne ferait un shoot dans les conditions qu’on se retrouve. Mais c’est le processus, apprendre à performer et établir des rapports que je trouve le plus gratifiant ».

Voilà le vrai retour sur l’investissement. En plus du fait que son téléphone n’a pas arrêté de sonné pour de nouveaux contrats avec de nouveaux clients.

Pour voir la présentation de Robin :

Robin O’Neill – Deep Winter 2012 Winning Slideshow from Robin O’Neill on Vimeo.

Thanks to photographer Patrick Hui and digital designer Marc-Oliver for the dishing up the caption gold. (And no, we don’t want to see Tippie adopt this look, either.)

Next up, we pose the question, “When is a door not a door?” It’s very Magritte…

Our Interactive Director directed his eye for the absurd on this, The Door to Nowhere, during a recent trip to Jay Peak and Newport. We thought it warranted a caption. (And we will pick a winner for last week’s shot of the Debut of the DH Speed Suit, too, as soon as we deal with the Russians who got all  hack-happy on our website yesterday.)

The City of Trail is getting buzz, not because it’s home to the largest zinc smelter in the world and prices are up, but because of a new ski movie that’s going viral.

JP Auclair’s urban skiing segment was posted 2 weeks ago on several ski mag forums, and the contagion factor was as rapid an Ebola fever pandemic. The fact that the segment has generated more than half a million hits on vimeo was enough to make it prime-time newsworthy, especially given the eagerness of Trail’s mayor to claim it as a local success story. (The story runs at 11:43.)

Our takeaway from this well-deserved success for the hard-working crew and athletes behind All.I.Can?

JP Auclair Street Segment (from All.I.Can.) from Sherpas Cinema on Vimeo.

1. 90 awesome seconds of a ski film will do more for the image of a town than a city-convened Image Committee will achieve in three years.

2. Social success is now driving mainstream media headlines.

3. Dave Mossop’s mustache WON Movember.

But seriously, we’ve seen evidence of this appetite for authentic story, character and playfulness, (as distinct from contrived and highly managed messaging), with several of our winter campaigns, from the Tourism Whistler Sabbatical Project, to Whistler Blackcomb’s Embedded, to Jay Peak’s winter launch of the Pump House.

The campaigns, anchored in digital storytelling and playful experience, have generated massive uptake in consumer engagement, and spilled over into headlines in the New York Times and widespread online sharing. (All we were missing were the mustaches.)

Would you ski a run called DOA? from Tourism Whistler on Vimeo.

Bottom line on how to make prime time headlines? Do good work, that speaks truly to your core constituents. Hit share.

Whistler’s home town girl Ali Milner shows that you can be true to your classic style and training, and be perfectly at ease jamming with a hip hop superstar. And that combination adds up to: Awesome.

Bilingual fluency in French and English is an asset, excellent written and verbal communication skills are a must. The successful candidate may choose either of Origin’s Whistler or Montreal offices as his or her home-base.

Must be eligible to work in Canada.

A full job description is available here BusDev_Marketing

Interested applicants can send their resume and salary expectations to jobs@origindesign.ca.

We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this position; however only those who are considered for an interview will be contacted. No calls please.

Mike Douglas, aka “the Godfather,” is the ski industry’s rennaissance man. He just keeps remaking himself. From pro athlete to ski design innovator to event engineer to webisode producer for Salomon Freeski TV, these days Douglas is increasingly inspired to make film–festival quality shorts from his Whistler digital studio, Switchback Entertainment, like the 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown finalist, Like, or his recent 15 minute short, The Freedom Chair.

LiKE from Switchback Entertainment on Vimeo.

The Freedom Chair – Official Trailer from Switchback Entertainment on Vimeo.

He’s also going deep as part of Whistler Blackcomb’s annual celebration of the season opening, embedding himself on the peak to watch winter arrive.

We chatted with Mike about what’s changing in the world of ski films and what’s fueling his stoke these days.

Why the ski–porn path is diverging in the woods:

This year, Freeskier posted 55 trailers for ski films. There’s definitely been a shift and it started 4-5 years ago. More than anything, what’s responsible is a change in the technology. Good cameras got way cheaper, more accessible and anything to do with video production has gone up in quality. So it’s opened up the world to a lot more people. When it was TGR, MSP, Level 1 and Poor Boyz spitting out ski porn every year, you didn’t get sick of it, because there were only 4 films. When there’s suddenly 20-30, you need to stand out, and you can do that either through technology, which Matchstick has, or through creativity, and that’s been the thing that has changed the game.

Is there a standard path for a filmmaker?

I went about it completely in reverse. I was producing web content and had a solid, consistent product. And 2 years ago, Telluride Film Festival, who had been watching the show, reached out to me and said, ‘have you ever thought about submitting something to the show?’ Uh, no. ‘You should.’ Well, how would I do that? So we played one of the episodes in the film festival and it totally opened my eyes, there’s so much rad stuff to see. I was like, this is so cool, I want to do more.

Are there opportunities for brands to reach the film festival audience?

Without a doubt. Last year, we were more on the festival radar and we screened at ten different festivals. This year, instead of producing 20 episodes for Salomon Freeski TV, we are producing 15 shows, with a view to putting together 3 shows with largest edits for the film festivals. Our goal is to hit fifty festivals this year. I did a little sales pitch to the guys at Salomon and said, we could totally reach the hardcore outdoor demographic through this venue. So I’ve been busting my butt all summer to make short films instead of webisodes, which is harder than I thought it would be. But it’s super inspiring.