The old saying goes ‘if you want to get ahead and get noticed, then get a hat’.

Sounds absurd, but the hat is one of the greatest marketing inventions of all time. The hat has always been a statement of personality, status and individuality. Is it mere coincidence that the tallest of hats are worn by very different people than the smallest of hats? My favourite, the flat cap is surely the most unassuming and apologetic hat of all.

Hats give us that ‘added extra’.

That’s why actors love them. Would Day-Lewis look as menacing without the stovepipe? Pacino as spaced-out without the Beanie in Serpico or indeed Clouseau as foolish without the trilby. In fact the hat can only be topped for opulence by one other garment, the cape. More on the cape coming soon.

In fact some hats go beyond branding. The semiotics behind the pirate hat, the witch or the crown could probably be understood in most countries around the world. Sometime hats are terrifying. Hugo Boss designed one of the most stylish uniforms/hats of all time for the SS. James Brown the editor of GQ (not the Godfather of Soul) lost his job over it, by putting Rommel into the top 200 stylish people of all time. Not the most intelligent of actions but the hat without the horrific connotations is pretty stylish, especially the lofty heights of the erect peak.

Hats are cult too, Doyles Deerstalker, the Easy Rider crash helmet, Alex’s Bowler from A Clockwork Orange, Cat in the Hat, all of YMCA, Odd Job and Ned Kelly…

America loves hats. They created a nation of the faceless with the baseball cap. First introduced in 1860 by the Brooklyn Excelsiors, it now remains a convenient place to hide behind or simply a substitute for hair. In fact the baseball hat that became the truckers hat (mini billboard on foam) is the slut of all hats and can be pimped by any brand, logo or emblem. The NYC baseballs hat has to be one the most recognized brands in the world today. Up there with the usual suspects, fast food brands, Coca-Cola, Ferrari and the Swoosh.

The hipsters and dandies are keeping the creativity of the hat alive today. The straw Panama, the Trilby, the Pork Pie placed on the back of the head, Flat Caps, and the Bowler are still seen sported with needle partings, oversized glasses and mo combos. A hat in this instance is pure flamboyance. Just as the Topper in its day and surely the Porsche/codpiece of all hats, the Stetson.

I love hats, but it’s no secret that some people are ‘hat people’. Usually, beautiful people. Gangsters looked great in hats. It made them bigger and more peacock-like. Like the forces, hats implied status and showed progression. A commis chef hats mirrors that of the army cadet. A General the pomp of the Head Chef. Have you noticed that the only people who wear beanies are good looking? Depp, Brand, Cobain… Surely the best thing finally about hats is that they are occasional by nature. We can blame wearing them on the sun, the rain, the snow, fashion, festivals, Halloween, parties, weddings, the races, Xmas or the odd mid life crisis… And when we don’t quite pull them off we can do precisely that. Back into the dressing up box until we find a new reason, new season, new set of friends or newfound confidence to don it once again.

Recently I bought a 1981 car that to my delight housed a tape deck.

Cassettes are truly cool. The indestructible translucent plastic, the frailty of the spool, the undeniable hiss and of course the technological back flip – the ‘auto-reverse’.

My son also looked bemused. It reminded me of when he saw his first VHS player was whilst visiting his grandparents. The front loading machine with the Fisher Price-esque tapes were a constant source of intrigue. ‘You have to wait while it rewinds, that’s cool’. Thank God Betamax never took off. Video cabinets would require their own conservatory.

Cassettes are ingrained in our memory. For me, parties at my mum and dad where people came around with cassettes (or was it keys?). A pile of E-coloured BASF tapes each with the words ‘Various’ scribbled on in Bic. I remember fondly the Maxell ads where the David Byrne suited model gets hit by a tsunami of sound. And surely the tape was the first to introduce breaking the laws of piracy en-masse. The record/play manoeuvre whilst trying to tape the latest Modern Romance hit without the intervention of Steve Wright was truly an art. Like trying to catch water with one hand with a push button tap. Reactions of steel required.

C90, C30 or C120 (always snapped) was the first decision, then the brand. I was always a TDK man, Germanic, efficient. The hard man of all tapes. I always went for Chrome – which pre-laser disc or CD was as good as it got. So, to the coolest eject ever, the mini-gatefold and the illegal download pioneer – we salute you.

Came across this yesterday… Thought it really summed up the way we work!

Anatomy of a great idea

As part of its ongoing growth and investment programme, independent integrated agency BD Network today announces the acquisition of the UK’s leading creative mobile agency, We Love Mobile.

The move reflects a growing demand for mobile marketing and services, prompted by the dramatic global rise in smart-phone sales and consumer appetite for mobile internet and applications.

The acquisition is a natural continuation and strengthening of BD Network’s already pioneering work in mobile, which includes “Orange Wednesdays” and Fanta’s Free Credit campaign.

We Love Mobile brings with it a nine-strong team of mobile specialists and will continue to manage its own clients. This year projects have included work for John Lewis, BBC and EMI.

Cementing the agency’s long-standing relationship with We Love Mobile, the deal will further enhance BD Network’s ability to deliver fully integrated, creative solutions. The new company will offer mobile strategy, design and marketing services as a separate business unit under the BD Network umbrella, with We Love Mobile founders Simon Liss, Si Crowhurst and Ben Scott-Robinson remaining as Managing Director, Business Development Director and Creative Director respectively.

The team has already secured significant projects for existing BD Network customers, including Peugeot and Molson Coors – details of which will be announced later in the year.

Allan McLaughlin, Group Managing Director of BD Network commented:

“With growing demand for mobile marketing and services, there is significant potential in offering specialist mobile expertise across our client base and the acquisition is a natural continuation of our ground-breaking work in mobile.”

Simon Liss, Managing Director of We Love Mobile said:

“Coming at mobile from a creative and consumer-centric perspective has been what sets We Love Mobile apart, and this fits perfectly with BD Network’s own approach. They are independent, creative and insightful, and are the perfect partners for supporting our continued growth.”

Download full press release