Wiredrive Takes Manhattan: Modern Day Nostalgia by Claire Cottrell
We had the pleasure to be taken to what felt like one of New York’s best kept secrets. Drinks are created on the whim of the bartenders, excuse me I must give them due credit, the mixologists. There is something wonderful about this call back to earlier times. Caught up in the whirlwind that is now, [and New York City may well be one of the best examples of this] there is something pleasantly ironic about taking a few steps back.
What works so well is the emphasis on quality, customization and that element of surprise. The drinks are designed around a mood or that less tangible something. I feel wild. I feel tired. I feel adventurous. I feel sweet. I feel nostalgic etc etc. Ingredients are of the highest quality - handmade candied apricots, fresh squeezed blackberry juice, small batch spirits.
Our trip to New York City was primarily to attend the annual AICP show at the Museum of Modern Art. Every year, the AICP acknowledges the best and brightest creative talent in our industry. This year marks a definitive shift in perspective. The range of work was more impressive than ever. The communications were more personal than ever. Although primarily an American Association, the breadth of the content was seemingly more global than any body of awarded work I have seen in the past. Where our means of communication are now constantly evolving, the content of those communications is becoming seemingly more relevant. The Monster.com work from BBDO is a perfect example. There is something so fundamental about the notion of an amiable thick-legged monster literally turning the world from the depths below. The shared battle with Monday morning is on par, as is the intimate self-analysis of the poignant ‘Impossible Campaign’ for Adidas recognized by the Association’s Jury. HBO’s Voyeur project stood out similarly, as did Psyop’s stunning portrayal of the life of a dot for Guinness. And I must mention Honoree K.K. Barrett’s [Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette, Being John Malkovich] work for Zune and The Ballad of Tina Pink because imagination is universal.
Bringing it all back to the speakeasy to which we were privy, the way forward will most definitely be a combination of technology and humanity. Technology is not the end all - it is a tool that should not transcend our experiences; it will enhance them. Thank you to those taking advantage of the latest innovations. None of these creative communications would have been possible back in the day of the original speakeasies. Thank you New York for inspiring both to co-exist.
Photos from our trip to New York
The Art & Technique of the American Commercial
Little Branch
in the West Village
20 Seventh Avenue South
New York, NY 10011
212 929 4360
-Claire