From what we hear here at callmesquire, 2015 will be a massive year for the two apparel giants Adidas & Nike.
Adidas have definitely come out the gates strong with the Kanye West collaboration in their Adidas Originals division and we have just seen the release of the inaugural Yeezy: Season 1, stealing the attention of internet browsers over the past week.
The brand has taken this fight for dominance to another level by poaching some of the head designers from Nike themselves, in a bid to tackle their counterpart’s head on.
All of this coupled with the new commercial ‘Take It’, has put together a bold statement from the brand with the 3 stripes. The commercial paints Adidas in a more aggressive light and gives us the impression that a lot is bubbling under over in their camp.
We will definitely be tracking this tale of the juggernauts and suggest you do too. In the meantime, enjoy the likes of Leo Messi, Derrick Rose & Gareth Bale in their latest commercial.
By now I think we’re all aware that after being shut down by Nike, Kanye West was able to secure a deal with their closest rivals in the apparel market, Adidas. We’re not sure who benefits more from this collaboration between Kanye and the brand with the three stripes, but the two surely set the net ablaze this past week.
The long awaited Yeezy line from Kanye was unleashed on the world last Thursday evening with a guestlist that boasted the likes of industry giants such as Diddy, Anna Wintour & The Carters. All were treated to a production that was a combination of art & theatrics with the release of Kanye’s new single “Wolves” played for the very first time.
The line itself mimics Kanye’s own take on style with a ‘military x apocalypse’ feel to it. Models (Kylie Jenner included) did little to excite the crowd and the room was rocking a cold, morbid vibe prompting one particular journalist to say that Kanye hates to smile and neither do his clothes.
What grabbed our attention was the disconnect between the night and the brand Adidas. Apart from their name featuring in the article, there was little to associate the two. Adidas appear to have given Mr West free reign with his creativity in a strategic move to blow Nike out of the water.
We finally got to see the long-awaited Yeezy footwear and to be honest we were extremely underwhelmed. After much discussion we concur that aesthetically, the sneaker does nothing for us, yet we can’t shake the feeling that it will still take the world by storm, simply because Kanye is behind it.
Enough from us, take a look at this video to gauge for yourself what Yeezy: Season 1 means for you.
Last Sunday we witnessed one of the biggest sporting events in the world being hosted in the States and for production value, the Yanks know exactly how to put on a spectacle.
The New England Patriots won in a cracker of a game but we were more focused on some of the creative genius that graced our screens during the commercials.
Take a look at our top 5 Super Bowl ads from this year:
For obvious reasons, this ad grabbed us immediately. I mean look at how fresh that fruit is… hahaha! Charlotte McKinney is a sight for sore eyes and for the first 28 seconds we’re left wondering what on earth she could be selling, but quite frankly, we don’t care! This ad caused a major uproar, with screenings only taking place on the West coast of the USA. Carl Jr. which is the franchise that invested in this piece of creative caused a Super Bowl uproar yet again and we commend them for the talkability…and Charlotte McKinney.
This has all the makings of activation bliss. I wish I was in the room when the creative team cracked this brief. It’s simple… Product, intrigue, a massively branded reveal & one helluva party!
nomore.org went live with this PSA on game day. The concept is extremely straight forward yet the message lands strong and we like how efficient the ad is. Even though the concept is simple, at first the viewer is not quite sure where the ad goes and then they’re faced with the harsh reality of the commercial.
We have definitely seen this ad from Always before but like the direction they took. It would be interesting to understand the dynamics of the creative team that came up with this idea. 10 out of 10 to the agency for identifying an insight and using it well in their creative execution. This commercial does what the Dove Care ad was attempting to do at Super Bowl this year.
Last but not least we have Nationwide’s Mindy Kaling commercial that takes a light-hearted, comedic approach. It’s not groundbreaking nor is there a major hook that bowls us over (excuse the pun), but it sits well with us and is memorable.
That wraps it up for the Super Bowl of commercials this year and hopefully we see some cool creative stemming from these inspirational ads.
We are well underway with 2015, so cheers to all your dreams and goals. May you reach them and have fun doing it.
To know where you’re going, you’ve got to look at where you’ve come from so here’s a shortlist of a few peaks & pitfalls of 2014.
Sneakers
Never before have sneakers had this much of a spotlight shone on them. Leading the pack in 2014 was two bitter old rivals, Nike & Adidas. We saw the footwear giants go head to head with countless variations of the Airmax and the ZX Flux. Here at CallMeSquire we feel that Nike owned the game in a big way and 2015 will see the rest of the pack playing catchup.
Bucket Hats
From Schoolboy Q to Casper Nyovest, bucket hats made their way into pop culture in the year gone by and boy did we see it take off. In our opinion, this is one trend that will phase out fairly quickly but thanks for coming.
Selfie Sticks
To the individual who took a big chance on a small idea, we say ‘touche`’. The selfie stick was laughed off by most at first but we’re convinced this innovative device will see a lot more fame in 2015.
Bae
Stop it! This was just wrong and doesn’t deserve any explanation.
Normcore
This is by far the weirdest one from 2014. The world seemed to have progressed in such a way that being normal started to trend again. As a civilization, how messed up are we that we find it cool to be normal? Normcore may have had some popularity on the net for a short while last year but let’s be glad that we can put a lid on that before we found ourselves living out an episode of Seinfeld.
Hopefully we’re intelligent enough to sidestep some of these shocking fads and do more of the good stuff in 2015. The question is, are you someone who can spot the flop or will you fall for the next best “trend” to hit the streets?
We have just caught wind of this brand new TV Ad from the ever-popular Johnny Walker. It took 50 takes to nail this one-shot film but in our opinion it was all worth it. There must have been some grumpy folks on the set of this production but perfection takes time. If this is what we have to look forward to in 2015, we have our eye on you Mr Walker.
The Nike Lunar Force 1 has heritage that dates back to 1982 with the Air Force One range that hit basketball courts all around the states. Now even though we’re speaking of heritage, there’s no doubt that this sneaker was destined for the future. The concept of the shoe looks to marry the legend of the Air Force One with Nike’s Lunarlon technology to bring you nothing but comfort & the ultimate aesthetics.
If (like me) you were wondering what Lunarlon technology is, dont stress we got you covered:
“Lunarlon cushioning features a soft, yet resilient, foam core that is encased within a supportive foam carrier for lightweight, ultra-plush cushioning, springy response and support.
The innovative Lunarlon foam, invented by Nike, is 30 percent lighter than traditional Phylon and allows the force of impact to be more evenly distributed, which helps reduce painful pressure points on feet.” – http://help-en-us.nike.com/app
These have just been released to select stores in the US so my advice would be to watch http://www.superbalist.com closely. The Nike Lunar Force 1 will sell out quickly and you dont want to miss your chance to get at these.
It’s an exciting time in Durban for menswear as we see the opening of Space Man ZA in the Gateway Theatre of Shopping. As a guy in South Africa, we’re quite limited with the stores we get to dress ourselves at and a little bit of variety can go a long way. So thank you to the good folks at The Space for sparing us a thought and launching the new wing.
Not only does Space Man ZA fill a gap in the market but they do it well too. Sustainability is the buzz word in business and Space Man get’s it right by stocking local designers. The likes of Sergeant Pepper has an extensive range in the store with Shoelaced Clothing, Nevermind & ALC on the racks as well. Not only does the store stock clothing but you can also pick up some cool gifts like mens shaving kits, leather satchels and original panama hat’s. It’s got a slight Urban Outfitters feel to it with huge potential to get bigger and better.
You will be glad to hear that the clothes are reasonably priced and still provide the style you get from a Topshop & Cotton On. The Sergeant Pepper range is the premium brand in store and you can expect to add on a few rands for their items however, the quality and fit of the brand is unmatched.
The only flaw right now is the website that needs an upgrade. Im sure there are plans for a tab dedicated to the mens store as currently the Facebook page is doing the job. It would also be great to browse a digital catalogue and make some online purchases. Website aside, it was a good shopping experience and we’re eager to see this store gain traction amongst it’s target market.
There’s no doubt that Instagram is one of the greatest apps to take over our smartphones in this era of tech start-ups.
Here at Call Me Squire, we have put together a list of some profiles that you have to check out:
This dude’s creativity is just off the walls. He also has one of the most awesome dogs we have ever seen. You’re bound to chuckle when flipping through your feed and come across his masterpieces.
Caelo naturally has an eye for the stuff we find interesting, trendy & just overall cool. Keep an eye on this profile to stay ahead of the curve.
As you know, looking good and showing off your style and identity is highly important. Check out Chillinthreadz for some slick men’s streetwear.
Photographer Matt Doscher knows just how to capture moments with a lens. Follow this guy and if anything, he will provide some images to add good aesthetics to your IG feed.
This budding artist knows just how to spark your inner creativity with his creations. Have a look at Ty’s profile and we have no doubt you will enjoy looking at the world through his eyes.
We have another week under the belt with Call Me Squire living & breathing. Hopefully you have been enjoying what we’re serving up and keep coming back for more.
With that said, this week has been a lesson in last gasp efforts. We all feel the year drawing to a close and are all tempted to slip in to vac-mode a bit earlier than we should.
With the year winding down, it is now that we should be pushing harder than ever to wrap up, get the house in order and finish strong.
When we watch a 100m sprint, we’re accustomed to seeing athlete’s poke their heads forward as they cross the finish line. That’s because at the very end is where one can win or lose a race. A little extra effort and you end your race feeling fulfilled with your performance.
My challenge to you is that you take this mentality into rounding up 2014 for yourself. Whether it be your career, your personal life or that hobby you left hanging in the balance around August, now is the time to dot your I’s and cross your T’s.
So let’s knuckle down and push out our best in these last few weeks of the year. You’re guaranteed to have a better festive season and won’t have to carry any baggage in to the New Year. It’s time for you to poke your head out and win 2014’s gold medal.
Call Me Squire 
