Arthur wrote (fwd):
> Subject: The Search for Authenticity
>
>
> http://www.tvo.org/TVOOrg/Images/tvoresources/D4048485-E9DF-A5DE-7467FF5EFB1CCD44.jpg
>
> http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/
The William Gibson interview that I mentioned in a recent post here was
preceded by an interview with (I missed his name) what I took to be a
marketing/branding guy who asserted that "authenticity" as the holy
grail of contemporary marketing.
He cited the Volkswagen Beetle as an example of a successful capture
of authenticity. But he meant the VW model introduced 15 years or so
ago that sorta looks like the original, iconic VW Model 1 sedan.
I suspect this is a lovely example of what the academics (on the TVO
program) and Andrew Potter (in his book) are talking about. I was at
one point a wizard VW mechanic. I could still, I think, recount
verbally every step, every bolt and screw, bearing and key, cover and
gasket, in the right order in rebuilding a VW air-cooled engine. For
me, the "new" VW was a hilarious sight gag, a corporate culture hack,
a sort of mass-produced, funny-once conceptual art happening.
And this spurious "authenticity" lies at the heart of making the
people of the world feel better about themselves. Oy.
- Mike
--
Michael Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada .~.
/V\
[email protected] /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/ ^^-^^
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