Yesterday I read an essay about football, money and investors. One interesting thing caught my eye will flicking through the pages. It’s a website called myfootballclub. The idea behind it is as simple as intriguing: You pay £ 35 to become a member of the myfootballclub trust. From the money of all members the trust then buys 51% or more in shares of a football club. The members via the trust then have the opportunity to decide about transfers and outfitter and influence the team formation. Just like Roman only in very, very small and very, very democratic.
Now since today Keith and me share a share of our very own football club, Ebbsfleet United FC. That’s the club the myfootballclub trust bought 75% of in shares. Until last year the club was known as Gravesend & Northfleet FC and is situated in the town of Northfleet. It’s home is the Stonebridge Roas stadium with a capacity of 5,011 people.
So what do think of the idea behind giving fans the opportunity to buy shares in a club? Somehow I know that it’s difficult to give power to people probably having absolutely no clue about football. But then, on the other hand, I like the democratic philosophy behind it. The club can choose if he likes to be bought and the system, because there is only one share per person, is absolutely democratic. The guardian has a slightly different opinion and in terms of transparency I have to agree. You pay per year to be a member of the trust but what happens with the money and shares if the trust is being liquidated? What do you think?
Until the first critical voices appear on the stage, Keith and me will enjoy the feeling of joint-owning a football club. It’s a bit like being Roman Abramovich. Only without the five houses, private airplanes and supermodel girlfriends. And yes, it’s a womens’ top he is wearing. Crazy Russians…
This entry was written by , posted on Januar 23, 2008 at 8:53 pm, filed under Hooray. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Just a part of one of the things that’s inside. It’s a cover. Front and back. Nice?
This entry was written by , posted on at 4:46 pm, filed under Design. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
I use the tube twice a day. Sometimes more often. That means I sit a lot on benches waiting for it. Consequently that means that I am bored a lot (as long as I don’t have anything to read with me). Bored people, probably one of the last target groups of billboards in underground stations. Anyway they got me and I saw this:
A billboard for (together with Budvar) on of the best beers in the world, Pilsner Urquell. The headline is a mindless link to a fundamental sentence in the German Constitution: Human dignity is inviolable. Well, some agency, that name I don’t know, though it would be a clever thing to change that sentence to:
“The beer’s dignity is inviolable”.
Oh, really? Interesting. But what the hell is this sentence supposed to mean? That the beer is untouchable and I am better off no buying it because that would result in the beer losing it’s dignity? Come on, whatever agency, this is on of the best beers in the world. I really like it. I would buy it. But your poster absolutely ruins the opinion I have about Pilsner Urquell. What do you want to achieve? Well I will tell you. Staropramen is close to outrun Pilsner Urquell when it comes to my favourites now. Because instead of publishing mindless pieces of ads they don’t do any billboards.
One more thing in terms of art direction. Black is not always a safe decision. It’s a boring. Furthermore don’t you find it disturbing that both claim and logo are not aligned to the bottle or at least the headline? Additionally I find it quite interesting what you do with the arrangement of logo and claim, as well. What do you think would be the right proportion and the right alignment of the claim to the logo? I will give a hint. It’s not the one you’ve chosen. Definitely not. It looks rubbish.You’ve definitely violated the dignity of this beer. Shame on you.
This entry was written by , posted on Januar 21, 2008 at 3:56 pm, filed under Advertising. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Over the last days, weeks and month I got pretty lazy when it comes to blogging. But as I “SPAMmed” too many people with the unimportant name-finding process of my shitty little blog instead of writing something that is worth reading…I decided to go on and try to find something that is worth writing.
Unfortunately right now I am pretty bored by everything that has to do with advertising and brands. Maybe because I am back in Germany and German brands are simply boring. Sorry to say that, you may disagree, then show me some exciting brands and we can talk. The only stuff that comes to my mind is horrible art direction I see everyday on the tube and mindless pieces of crap that 99,5% of all that billboards are. So instead, until I find something brandy or addy worth thinking about, I will spend this blog’s kilobyte on writing about experience from London and about nice people.
Today it’s just a nice thing, a riddle. Someone of you will get a parcel from me. I have sent it because I like you very much and over the last months we did not really have the possibility to get to know each other better and spend time. But I believe that day will come. Until then the little parcel below is on it’s way to you. I hope it will keep you warm and smiling.
It’s on its way, but who’s is it?
Actually it was cheaper than I thought it would be.
Will post another hint later.
This entry was written by , posted on at 2:19 pm, filed under Think. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Some time ago I read a book, not brilliantly written but with an interesting idea. It’s called “How Tom Cruise stole my life” by Guillaume de la Croix (unfortunately there are only a French and German version). Basically it’s about a man who one day wakes up only to realize that another person is living the life that originally was his. This person is Tom Cruise who (in reverse) actually should live the life of Guillaume. Having the cruelty of this crime in mind Guillaume starts to fight for Tom Cruise’s (his) life and sues him. How the story turns out in the end you better read yourself.
Anyway yesterday I came across some old VICE magazines about photography and I saw the picture of a man. His name is Ed Zipco. He seems to be pretty cool but the prick is making one big mistake. He is living the life that clearly was arranged to be mine.
This entry was written by , posted on Januar 11, 2008 at 12:05 pm, filed under Think. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
This one is not about advertising or brands. It’s about a very pure and touching feeling that starts somewhere around your belly and from there invades through your vains even the smallest part of your body to leave goose bumps on your skin. It’s a combination of what you know and somebody else is saying. Ironically it’s a feeling I had yesterday while reading a sports magazine. Even more ironically my girlfriend laughed about me only to have goose bumps, as well, a minute later.
Well this story was about being honest and true and never losing your roots. It was about the oldest players in European football and above them all one glancing star, shining brighter than other players for two decades now. By the end of his career he will be the most successful club football player of all times. Though he is a defender. He’s wearing the jersey with the number 3 what definitely will both be HIS forever, as his vice-president Adriano Galliani stated in a way that probably can only touch men but sometimes even a woman:
“The jersey with the number 3 won’t be given away to any other player in the future. Only if his sons Christian or Daniel make it to the first squad the 3 will be given to them. This number belongs to the Maldinis, it’s solely a matter of their family.”
What an honour. But Paolo Maldini deserves it more than any other player.
This entry was written by , posted on Januar 9, 2008 at 10:45 am, filed under Play. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Haven’t gone through “preparing pictures and upoad them” hell but to give you a glimpse of my last day at Wieden+Kennedy here is a short video. Maybe you’ll like it. Maybe not. Maybe one day pigs can fly. Anyway sit down, lean back and shut up while incredibly talented Ben Tubby is taking over the imaginary mic. Respect to the company building the best chairs in the world. Navy or rocker, word to emeco.
This entry was written by , posted on Januar 7, 2008 at 6:07 pm, filed under Wieden+Kennedy. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.