Want some furniture? Trade a talent…
Har Mar Superstar explains/pimps the Blu Dot Swap Meet. from Blu Dot on Vimeo.
Blu Dot, the now iconic Minneapolis-based modern furniture company (whose wares we’ve been purchasing for years to furnish our homes), has just announced an interesting idea.
Do you want a new piece of furniture? Trade ‘em for it.
Today, you can visit Blu-Dot’s site and participate in their “Swap Meet“. If there is a couch or end table you’ve been eyeing, place a bid between now and March 11th, 2011, that you think might be a fair trade for that particular item. Thus far, we’ve seen individuals offer BBQ dinners, original watercolors, and even graphic design services in exchange for furniture.
While NoWare Media has been secretly privy to this campaign for a few weeks (we supported Blu Dot with some audio assistance and music composition for the above promotional video), we think something really compelling is going on.
In some ways, this approach reminds us of Radiohead’s 2007 release strategy for “In Rainbows” wherein music fans were able to either download the record for free or “donate” whatever amount they thought was appropriate. Famously, the free downloads created quite a bit of publicity, while deluxe packaging options and a subsequent tour generated a sizable incomce.
Yet outside of the similar novelty between these two systems, Blu Dot’s approach offers real value-exchange between parties instead of a simple product discount. When you think about it, this is what human beings and communities have done for millennia.
Your friends help you move. Your neighbor assists with a yard project. The village raises your barn. In short, we’ve been trading for centuries. As life becomes inevitably more complex, shared expertise, skill, and production has been essential for the development of modern society.
In many ways, post-Great Recession, we’re encouraged to see this notion returning. Money hasn’t been necessarily flowing back into the coffers, and we think this just might be a viable option for many sectors of our lives as we collectively work to rebuild and re-invigorate our schools, communities, and country in light of pending “austerity cuts” which are looming around almost every corner.
We’re not sure what to trade yet for that new Bonnie Sofa, but we’re grateful someone has given us the opportunity to try.
Well done Blu Dot. A hearty thank you from all of us…
Younicornme
We made the music for this promotional video for local marketing agency Mono. They made a really fun iPhone app called Younicornme. Enjoy.
Real Good Chair
The Challenge: Seamlessly replace a (too) popular song performed by the young guitar player at 7:18 with an original composition that adds energy to the outro of this promotional video. How did we do?
You have managed to find NoWare. We are a music based creative house located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
