the one and twenty
Memes, temes, and the rise of the machine in purely virtual habitats.
Fantastic spot, in both senses of the word, from Dentsu Creative X, for the Subaru brand:
Subaru Brand Movie—The Car Parts
Curiously, the press information to go with it [no longer online] draws upon the archetype of bland corporate bullshit:
To suit Subaru’s new brand statement, imaginary driving scenes were developed consisting entirely of Subaru (car) parts and composed into a film, all with the aim of creating a fresh visual impact using driving images that have never been seen before. The film expresses how Subaru is a brand that is relentlessly pursuing and creating “enjoyment” as its core value throughout a variety of driving situations, as well as working to achieve state-of-the-art technologies and car manufacturing excellence.
Death by press release. But anyways—apart from being visually stunning, I like how the machine world seems to be more alive than ever, but coopted, or naturalized, by digital tools and absorbed into our virtual habitats. (More on the rise of the machine in auto commercials you’ll find in my German language posts »Transformation Remix, oder: Maschinengeschichten« and »Maschinengeschichten (Update)« over at Werbeblogger [RIP].) As a “teme,” I think, cars have been fighting for their survival ever since the computer revolution and its new generation of temes came along: what’s still keeping them alive are memes connected to oil and greed.
If you have something valuable to add or some interesting point to discuss, I’ll be looking forward to meeting you at Mastodon!