Saturday, January 13, 2007

Totally Zugging

In between sulking about the Clermont Lounge and the absence of Tat, I discovered something brilliant today at work. As I was flipping through this month's GQ, (the one with a very old looking George Clooney on the cover) I discovered an ad for the new Mini called "ZIG. ZAG. ZUG." . It is a tiny little pull out book ad, a brand book if you will, and assuming it was again from the masterminds in Boulder, I read it front to end.



The writing is so simple yet so perfect. The ad is actually from a California-based advertising agency called Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and this evening, I am so inspired. The booklet entitled the "Book of ZUG" neatly summarizes remarkability, while introducing Mini Cooper's new vehicle.

ZUG [zUHg] - adjective, verb, noun.
1. To be unlike others.
2. To do something different.
3. A place in Switzerland.

On the page edge, they've also printed statements that further define, ZUG... on this page:

"ZUG is unapologetically unapologetic."



What's also clever is a word like ZUG is pretty uncommon. It is a town in Switzerland. Do a Google search for "zug -switzerland" and Mini Cooper will be able to easily track how/if the word begins to enter our everyday language.

While the word "ZUG" probably won't become part of my lexicon, the definitions provided in the book will. Here are more quotes from the ad booklet. Each is a gem.

ZUG.
We live in a world of mass-produced sameness.
Originality has fallen prey to predictability.
the status quo has become the status quo.
And even the copies have been copied.

Which is why some of us ZUG.

ZUG follows unconventional wisdom.

ZUG is the belief that there is still so much to be discovered. It is the feeling that we are the first, last and best version of ourselves that there will ever be.

ZUG likes when something weird happens.

ZUG is about moving confidently in our own direction, with no apologies. And ZUG is about going that way in style.

ZUG will try anything once.

(Here's the part where they loop in their vehicle.)

The Mini Clubman is ZUG.

It looks odd. It runs on irregular. It is the brown sheep of the family. It may not be right for you. Then again, you may not be right for it.

(Instead of the mainstream, they say it is "Fringestream".)

The Road of ZUG.
ZUG isn't necessarily good or bad. It just is. It's the oddball member of an already slightly eccentric family.

ZUG makes it up as it goes.

Maybe you're ZUG.
Maybe you're not. In the end it doesn't matter much, because there's plenty of room on the road for everybody.

ZUG says you can sleep later.

So now Mini Coopers offers their standard MINI as ZIG. The convertible Mini as ZAG. and the new Clubman as ZUG.


Love, love, love this piece. Totally inspired! I cant wait until I finally have a job.

Loves,
mer