Forever 27 Club

Musicians usually included in the 27 Club (Source: Beersting )

There are a lot of mysteries which are part of the complicated music world, and one of those is the 27 Club. What is it? Let me explain you.

I am sure that at least one time in your life you have listened Smells Like Teen Spirit and heard about the Kurt Cobain's sad suicide by gunshot, or Rehab by Amy Winehouse and her alcohol addiction.

Well, both of them are part of this famous group called the "27 Club". But, when did this group start and why?

Although artists like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin also died at 27 it was not until the death of Kurt Cobain when his mother sentenced in an interview in The Daily World: "Now he’s gone and joined that stupid club. I told him not to join that stupid club.” (Source: Wikipedia ) when the people began to call this group of musicians "27 Club". Some experts as Charles R. Cross say that "The number of musicians who died at 27 is truly remarkable by any standard. [Although] humans die regularly at all ages, there is a statistical spike for musicians who die at 27"(source: Wikipedia)

Here appears again the mystery of the great world of music, why at age 27?

L-R] Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain (Source: BeerSting)

The next question is: Who belongs to this curious group?

There are many artists who belongs to this group and there are many reasons why these artists died, there is only  one common factor: they all died at 27.

Some of them are:

• Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones)
• Jimi Hendrix
• Janis Joplin 
• Jim Morrison (The Doors)

The mystery remains unsolved, in fact only raises more questions, one of them is: Who will be next?

Loreto Sesma Gotor.
Journalism.

New York Fashion Week

Every year the art of fashion is commemorated on two events known worldwide and eagerly awaited, the New York Fashion Week. These shows are held Twice a year. The Fashion Week fall shows are held the preceding winter (February) and the spring shows are held the preceding late summer (September).

The New York Fashion Week has its origins in 1933 and was created by the Council of Fashion Designers but was later acquired by IMG, a lifestyle and sports marketing and management firm in 2001.

Since its origins the New York Fashion week has been an excellent opportunity for American (and a few international) designers to show their new collections to the world. The Fashion Shows during this year are a game of lightning, music and colours. The Fashion Week shows, are invitation-only and each fashion designer is responsible for the guest list. These shows are accompanied by events and parties held by the different firms and sponsors of the worldwide event.

The New york Fashion week took place at at Bryant Park in tents until September 2010 when they moved to the Lincoln Center venue. This September, the Fashion Week schedule  of shows has taken place from the 4th to the 11th of September with many famous fashion designers showing their newest collections. 

Finally, the Fashion Week does not only take place in New York but this event is also famous for its shows in Miami, Australia, Istanbul, Australia and Berlin. However, the original and the best one is definitely the one that takes place in the capital of the world nowadays, New York City.

Source: Creative Commons Search

Carmen Salaverri

Advertising and PR

Bing & Jay Z

Which is the function of advertising? In my opinion, to help brands sell their products. Today I have brought a case in which an advertising company designs a strategy to help (as I have said before) two companies. Well, specifying, a company and an artist: Bing and Jay Z. We have two different necessities.

On one hand Bing’s. This Microsoft company  had a big competitor: Google. They discovered that young people used Google search engine and senior people used Bing’s. Their objective was to attract young consumers to their new Bing Maps.

On the other hand Jay Z’s. Jay Z is a famous rapper between young people. He was going to publish his autobiography and he needed a marketing campaign. As he was already known by a lot of people, success was guaranteed. 

In order to create a unique experience for Jay Z’s young fans and to encourage them to use Bing, Droga5, a creative advertising agency, did something awesome. Let’s watch this video: 

Campaign video. Source [Vimeo]

Yes! Droga5 did it! It mixed this two necessities. Every single page of Jay Z’s autobiography was published in the places where his stories took place: a hotel, streets,… and in imaginable places: in Gucci clothes!

Fans could read the book free before the release in US and they converted the campaign in a game for the consumers using Bing Maps (it’s like Google Street View). Everyday they published clues in social networks and radio to get to know where those pages were. In total, there were over 400 clues! The official website (currently unavailable), allowed fans to assemble the book online.

Jay Z’s followers in Facebook raise one million, the book was considered a bestseller, campaign was very mediatic and admired by other famous people.

For Bing, necessity was supplied: they had 11.7% more visits in only one month and was one of the most visited sites in the world.

Personally is one of the best campaigns I have seen. What do you think? Write me a tweet!

Iñigo Taibo

Advertising and PR

The achilles heel of Pelé

Everybody knows that when it comes to sports, USA has a lot of individual cases to be showed as an example. From Michael Jordan in the Chicago Bulls to the most successful swimmer of all times; Michael Phelps not forgetting Muhammad Ali and his amazing boxing skills. On the other side of the coin, there are athletes that didn't succeed. It's the case of Lance Armstrong due to his doping issues, the same as Justin Gatling. However, all theses cases, good ones and not so good one, are widely known by everyone.

For that reason, we're going to analyze a relevant case that not so much people have ever been informed about. That case has a huge name: Pelé. For the last years of his successful career, he decided to play for New York Cosmos, in order to get soccer a more powerful sport in the States.

Pelé making a flip in the air while he kicks the ball (september1968). Source: Creative Commons Search

The expectations placed in the 3 times World Cup winner with Brazil were high. He thought of retiring. Therefore, Clive Toye; manager of the New York Cosmos, had other plans for him. After several years of attempting to sign him, he achieve itin 1975. Toye had Pelé as the perfect missionary of soccer to the country. Although he was the most known player all over the world, there he was a stranger, people didn't even know how to pronounce his name accurately. That was the main objective: to get soccer to be 'trending topic'.

It was a tremendous step for the brazilian player, not only in his career ambitions but in his life outside the pitch. He didn't knew the language, he had to take his children away from their schools and their roots to go to a different country. A completely start over. Nevertheless, O' Rei remained positive about it, finally he could walk in the street without being recognized. Unfortunately, he also had to deal with his whole country treating him as a national traitor.

Pelé playing for New York Cosmos. Source: Creative Commons Search

When he signed, he wasn't in good shape, that's why his yield was poor. He predicted 15 goals, and unbelievably he only scored 5. From the 1225 goals he scored in his entire career, only 5 were for New York Cosmos in the League Games. In fact, he didn't play too much games for that team, because of his injuries. It's widely know that he has a physically gifted athlete. However, surprisingly, in his years in USA he had injuries and he wasn't in a good shape. Probably because soccer wasn't the most important thing is his life, as it was when we played for Santos in Brazil.

Although he managed to fill stadiums with his performances, he never could compete with basketball, football, hockey, baseball... The truth is that he failed. Nowadays, the most important soccer championship is The Major League Soccer (MLS), which doesn't overshadow other ones such as NBA, NFL or NHL. It's not a competitive league, indeed players who aren't in their best time anymore or those who are aging go to play there. David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard or Rafa Márquez are a few example of that. The challenge is still unachieved, the question is: will somebody be able to put soccer in the USA's spotlight? Doubtless, Pelé is still one of the best players in history, but this challenge overcame him.

Tomás Orihuela

Journalism

Barack and "How to kill a Mockingbird"

On the 5th of april 2012, Barack Obama, the actual president of the USA made a tribute to the very known american film “How to kill a Mockingbird”. This film which its one of the best american films in history, was really important in the 1960s (the years we are talking about in this blog) because it was a shout for respecting the black people rights, it broadcasted a message of tolerance, and it was an anti-racist defense statement, an statement full of courage which travelled around the world. It was a beginning in the history of cinema, a new cinema was starting, a cinema which respected color people, and treated them as equals.

Ton Robinson an adro-american man, in court. Being judged for raping a white woman.  Next to him , Finch, his lawyer. Source: Creative Commons Search

Flinch children with Robinson's family. Together as a sign of respect and tolerance.  Source: Creative Commons Search 

Now on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the releasement of the film, Barack Obama, the first black president of the united states, wanted to recognize all the importance that this film had have in americans life. Barack made a private pass and invited a group of people, among those were students of Washington-Lee High School of Virginia and familiars of the film main character. The film, which was retransmitted on channel USA network for every american citizen, was visualized by those special guests in the theater of the White House.    

The special thing of these visualization was the contribution of the president, making an introduction to the film before it started. Every american could watch Obama talking about the film, about the importance of “how to kill a mockingbird” for history and the message it transmites.   

Barack Obama, the actual president of the USA, an also  afro-american. He is the first color president of America. Source: Biography.com

This film which was shot in the 1962 talked about Atticus Finch a lawyer in a small town which defends Tom Robinson, an Afro- American man, accused unjustly of having raped a white woman. Scout, Finch's daughter, who stills being a girl, also has to confront the racism of its neighbors and realize that the justice not always triumphs over the prejudices and the fear. 

Paula Ezcurra
Audiovisual Communication