ABSOLUT BROOKLYN is a Limited Edition flavored Vodka created in collaboration with Spike Lee.
It is a blend of Red Apple and Ginger that captures the vibrancy and uniqueness of Brooklyn and the creativity it inspires.

“Brooklyn wins again.” – Jean Grae (and damn near everyone I know from the borough…)

You KNOW I’m happy about this one.

Happier to find out that the 750ml 1L bottle (their 4th in the “American City” collection” is in collaboration with Spike Lee.

Enthused at the fact that the homie Lemon provided this prose that will be located in the recipe flyer:

Sitting on the tenement stoops
Brownsville steps
crown heights flights
funky medina repetoire
5 star borough
tree lined blocks
somewhere in the world
Brooklyn’s in the house
and you know we won’t stop
spreading love
cause that’s our way

From the small morsels of information that I’ve read, it’ll be released in 2 months. All the brand buzzword banter that I hear on a daily basis about the importance of “community” and “culture” can be accomplished simply by doing it and committing. Thank you, Pernod-Ricard USA for giving this humble Brooklynite more fodder for my geocentric rants.

Catch me at the launch party.

SUITS!

Before Steve Jobs & Apple addressed the issue of clutter by announcing the advent of “app folders” at his Keynote for iPhone OS4, a lot (a lot meaning most) of my ADD-riddled homies were victim to a phenomenon that plagues most iPhone users: downloading apps left and right, but actually using very few of them (some none at all).

This is probably a result of users not finding utilities that are essential to their lifestyle; first-use irrelevance is a death sentence for these apps. My homie Louis Colon, who in a former life was the founder/owner of Laces Boutique and Kicksclusive Magazine, has looked to change that with his iPhone app called MySneakers (available in the App Store starting today). We’ve already seen sneaker magazines and blogs make their content available in the form of an iPhone app, which, for better or worse, provides the users with information that they need to stay in tune with every release date, rumors of collabs, and what designers are doing in Beaverton. Perfect timing as the industry begins shifting it’s product delivery strategies wholly towards the digital landscape.

My Sneakers 1.0 delivers release date information, store details, aggregates popular blog content, and a offers a robust look at an almost infinite amount of kicks (all the information one would need to influence purchase decision) in an easy-to-navigate user interface. It also allows users to post their discoveries to their respective Facebook or Twitter friends/followers. Not bad.

If you’re an iPhone/iPod Touch user reading this, and have an insatiable appetite for Mikes, Foams, Chucks, Uptowns, or whatever, I implore you be the early adopter that you think you are, and check out the application.

Last week, a few of my homies and I were talking about HBO’s “How To Make It In America”, specificly about how we would consult Cam, Ben, and René on their respective business ventures (if the show was real, of course) given the events that have transpired by the end of the first season.

In the real world, their brands- the scrappy, upstart denim line Crisp and brilliantly-named energy drink Rasta Monsta- would both be considered “challengers” (if considered at all) in their respective categories. To add some context, I think it’s fair to say that both the streetwear apparell and functional beverage industries are hyper-competitive, riddled with high barriers to entry, and, for lack of a better word, cluttered.

Nonetheless, below (click to enlarge!) is a very basic, straightforward analysis of both brands that I’d apply to clients during early project phases. Based on the exercise (which was solely based on my individual knowledge of the category’s landscapes along with what I’ve gathered from watching the show) I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, but it IS interesting how both Crisp and Rasta Monsta have unique traits that could benefit them in the long run.

I’ll say this much though: you’ll be surprised at the magic that a wrapped stepvan and free samples can make! (HA!)

HBO get at me!

While the rest of New York City was undergoing a phenomenal blizzard last week, HBO hosted a screening for hyped “How To Make It In America” in Chinatown.

[BTW, I had an opportunity to weigh in my thoughts on the show for AOL's new site, The BVX. Proceed when you have a chance.]

As a true reflection of downtown New York City’s “on to the next one” social scene that serves as the show’s crux (which usually brings you to the most random and obscure of venues and domiciles), the event was executed in an unmarked (there goes that word again) building on Eldridge Street, complete with weird lobby and manual elevator operator. The space was revealed to be a very quaint loft/gallery, adorned with art and a slew of people who look like they could easily been cast for the show.

I had to bounce before the screening began, but I’m sure it was the same show that I saw two weeks ago! HA!

Peace to Cornerstone/FADER for bringing that to life.

Earlier this week, the really good folks at 94×50 & NSW flexed their creative + marketing muscles and allowed me to partake in a very uniquely curated one-night experience.

It basically happened like this…. a delivery man showed up to my office with a mysterious paper bag (with the exception of my name etched in Sharpie, it was unmarked). I opened the bag, and removed its contents-  a miniature orange Nike box, suited for either a baby or  an adult with abnormally tiny feet. Inside the box was a burner (if you don’t know what that means, please watch The Wire), and a strip of paper with instructions to text my name to a random number. It texted me back with a time and address.

Now, there aren’t many brands that could pull of a Matrix-esque invitation process and keep the mystique (and expectations) high, but if there is one thing I know, it’s to never ever-ever-ever-ever-ever come here no more doubt Nike.

I showed up to said location, my expectations wide open, and there was a party bus waiting on the corner. Jumped on the bus, and saw a bunch of colleagues, friends, and influential people I hold in high regard on board. I sat down next to the homie Jonathan Mannion, and asked him what this was all about, to which he responded, “I have no idea”. If he didn’t know, it was safe to assume nobody did.

The bus took about 20 of us to Tompkins Park, where Bobbito (random!) was in the middle of the playground, along with a bag of DD hot chocolate. After greeting everyone, he kicked off the evening with anecdotes on his career, and the role that the Air Force One played throughout. (Light bulb!) I know a lot of self-proclaimed and industry-recognized sneaker/cultural anthropologists/historians, but I’ve never encountered someone who is as genuine about his affinity for sneakers, their underlying stories, and their cultural relevance, as this man. As a marketer in a volatile industry (and consumer) landscape, it’s an anomaly to witness someone who lives way beyond advocacy to the extent that he does- he’s now the validator for the brand, a conduit for its ongoing relevance.

Bobbito @ Tompkins Park from suitsiswatching on Vimeo.

After his monologue, we boarded the bus again somewhat reassured enlightened, and were off to destination #2. After about 10 minutes, we pulled up in front of an unmarked building (for a brand that owns the world’s most iconic logo, it sure has a fixation with unmarked sh*t), boarded an elevator, took it to the 6th (or 3rd- I can’t remember) floor, and walked down the hall into a studio…where Clark Kent was waiting for us. In the same vain as Bobbito, he kept the evening’s program going by offering his unique perspective on Ones. He also broke down his next collaboration with the brand, and per his request, I won’t go into it. But it’s ill. Like super dope ill.

After about 30 minutes in the studio, we got on the bus again for what would be our last stop of the evening- Crif Dogs/PDT in the Village. I’d never been, but I heard about it, and I was pretty hungry. So I OD’ed. At the end of the night, they gave us each a pair of the buttas.

The above slideshow has all the evidence. (I had no idea what I was getting into, so all I had to boot was my iPhone. It was pretty dark throughout, so apologies for the less-than-spectacular imagery- you can check Yoshi’s pics and account of the evening here…)

In retrospect, it was very well-presented, and impressive shot in the arm to the unique culture that was bred, and still lives, here. Peace to Heron, Kristen, Will, Will P., Jonathan Mannion, Va$htie, Chad, Scott, Yoshi, Susana, Bradley C., Chris Vidal, Paul Rivera, and shouts to NSW x 94×50 – you guys really bodied that, and illustrated a sensibility and passion that usually gets lost within the process.

A close colleague of mine (whose image I’ve cropped out in respect of his privacy)was putting together names for an upcoming seeding (using the word “influencer” to describe myself is too vain. plus you all already know. ha!) initiative his agency is executing, and he IMed me to let me know.

One can only wish, right? lol…

For those who are reading that don’t fully understand the context of the above microconvo, click here for Mr. Kirshenbaum’s stats.

SUITS!

Salsa in the 70s. Punk & Hip-Hop in the 80s.

New York City is undeniably responsible for spawning the modern world’s most definitive art forms. The aforementioned movements (for all intents and purposes we won’t refer to them as simply genres of music) were all byproducts of social expression in its most pure form, became organically popular, than through engineered ubiquity reached critical mass. Such was the cycle all beginning with the most simple of ideas. (Note: no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t edit the post to wreak any less of “V For Vendetta”. My bad.)

And that’s the heritage of this city. At least until recently.

In this information-starved, everyone’s-quick-to-assign-titles-to-themselves-because-nobody’s-looking landscape that we live in, something got lost. Ideas have been reduced to mere chatter because there’s too many being spread around without discerning taste. Collectively, a lot of media + marketing professionals in New York have forgotten what matters, only seeking out what’s “now”, regardless of its origin. Too many “tastemakers”, not enough people to adhere and fill the void.

Where has that left us? Micro is seemingly becoming the new macro, and “local has inherently become the new global” (according to world-class trend forecaster Marian Salzman).

That being said, I’ve been paying more attention to the “un-obvious obvious”- the contributions of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances- and have come to the conclusion that it’s a good time to be here. In New York City. Unless you’re in the Bronx.

(Just kidding.)

For the first time in a long time, individual efforts are becoming more fluid and running parallel with each other, and the right people are crossing paths more often- all signs of a (dare I say it) cultural boom that will define a generation of Millenials looking to set standards and reconcile them with traditional standards of success. All of the people in the image above are more than colleagues of mine; they’ve made sacrifices so that they can contribute to culture, and I know this because I know them and peep game. You should as well, because they are the ones- in my humble opinion- who have stepped it another level, meditated like a Buddhist, and will continue giving everyone proof that these are the times to value being here.

Over the next few months, their efforts will be chronicled here in efforts to shed light what. it. is…

SUITS!

(Sickamore, Mel D. Cole, Maluca, The Kid Daytona, Uproot Andy & Geko Jones, GFCNY, Zandile Blay, 13th Witness, Sherlen Archibold, Willis The Barber, Kenji Summers, Outasight, William Yan, RTNC, ArtekNYC, LV The Stylist)

…seen this week around the city. That Nike ad sports some spellbinding copy.

(who said brands are having trouble emotionally connecting?)

SUITS!

I’ve been hearing good things about the development of this soon-to-be-released iPhone application. A lot of the MySneakers App. details are still under wraps, according to creator and sneaker aficionado Louis Colon, but should be out soon For now, visit MySneakersApp.com to look at the pretty creative.

I personally a fan of the grassroots strategy here, especially since all the hipsters entering the station will take notice and probably blog about it.

More to come soon…

SUITS!