Tag Archive for 'Peace branding'

War is Over – A Clarification




Good Morning SuperForest,

Jackson here.

I owe you all an apology. Yesterday I posted the “War is Over (Via NASCAR & Coors Light!)” post as if I had found it online and was simply passing it along, where in fact I created it myself, and put it up as if it were real.

This is why…

For me, there is nothing more exciting and amazing than the transmission of ideas. Ideas are our main currency here at SF, and we try to find the best, brightest, shiniest ideas and pass them along to you, so that you can form your own ideas, and we can all grow together.

Yesterday I made a mis-step. I was not thinking that many would think that the ad was real. I incorrectly assumed that people knew about John & Yoko’s worldwide campaign for Peace, which is what the whole thing was based on.

Here’s the story: In December of 1969, John and Yoko purchased ad space on billboards in more than eleven cities worldwide. The cities included New York, Tokyo, Rome, Athens, Amsterdam, London and Toronto. The billboards simply read: “War is Over! If You Want It. Happy Christmas from John & Yoko.”

I look to John Lennon a great deal for inspiration and guidance, and in reflecting on his ethos of Peace branding I thought: “Well, it’s fine and good for a bearded, anti-establishment hippie to buy ads for Peace and promote it. But how powerful would it be if major corporations also took a stand for Peace?” And why wouldn’t they?

Then I thought how fun it would be to subvert the whole “Red state/Blue state, Us/Them” mentality by having the ads come from companies that one would assume to be “Pro-war.”

Now, I have no idea what Coors Light and NASCAR think about war and Peace. (Hopefully they are interested in Peace because it makes sound economic sense.) I chose them because in my mind they served as good examples of “Red state corporations.”

The very idea of “Red and Blue corporations” is too big to get into in this post.

The issue here is that I should have presented my idea in the context of: “Wouldn’t it be amazing if this happened? Wouldn’t this be extraordinary to see?” Instead, I succumbed to my impish desire to prank and provoke. (And I forgot that most of our lovely readers we probably born after 1969.)

This is a matter of trust. When you read something on SuperForest, I want you to know that it can be trusted, that WE can be trusted.

What I find wonderful about SuperForest is our transparency, meaning that what we do and what we say are in line. We have no need to hide in the shadows, we can dance in the sun.

Love to All,

-Jackson

The Peace Alphabet thus Far!

Here’s all of the Peace Alphabet so far. (In alphabetical order.)


Hope you’re liking these. I’m sure enjoying drawing them!

Love,

Jackson

War Makes Dollars. Peace Makes Sense.

Good Morning All!!!

SuperForester Andrew and I were having a conversation the other day about World War 4.
My opinion is that WW4 is being fought right now.

“Wait! Wait!” you’re saying. “What was World War 3?”

Well, since the Vietnam war, the U.S. has been involved with a great number of minor wars around the world. These collectively can be referred to as World War 3.

World War 4 is going on right now, and it is my favorite war yet as it doesn’t have to involve any violence.

To me, World War 4 is a war of ideas. You have ideas leaning towards further violence, and ideas leaning toward pacifism and sustainable behavior.

This war is being fought with branding. Who can create the stickiest brand? War, or Peace?

War as a brand has been successful for a long time. But today we find ourselves at a very interesting idea-crossing: Our former “enemies” are now worth much more to us, in a purely economic sense, alive rather than dead. So it stands to reason that our current enemies could feasibly become our economic partners in the near future.

The old way of thinking was: Sell arms.

Arms can be used to fight wars, and if you’re in the business of moving product (i.e. weapons) then wars are essential to your continued growth.

As long as people are fighting, you can sell arms to both sides and you and your shareholders will make money.

The new way of thinking that is just poking its head above ground is this: Keep people alive for as long as you can, and sell them goods, services, and experiences for the duration.

Arms gets you big money in the short term.
Peace (vacations, growth, collaboration,) gets you less money up front, but far more money in the long term.

Interesting.

The higher ups are beginning to realize that they can improve their bottom line with a platform of extended Peace.

I mean, if someone is going to live to a hundred and fifty, imagine how many pairs of pants they’ll have to buy! How many vacations they’ll take! Great news if you’re in the business of selling pants or packaging vacations.

Terrible news if you’re in the business of blowing humans up.

There is so much money to be made in extending life and amusing humanity that it’s not even funny.

So World War Four is a Soft Revolution. No violence, just ideas.

Who has the best ideas wins.

War, violence, and aggression are old ways of thinking.

We’d never be so glib as to say that war never solved anything, or that no good has ever come of war.
My point is that since the invention of nuclear weapons, War is an artifact.

One goes, we all go.

(Who’d have thought that the Bomb would be the great equalizer? The ultimate peacemaker?)

So, here we are in 2008. I can sit here at my desk and chat with my friends all over the globe, people who 60 years ago, would’ve been my enemies.

Now I have no enemies, only collaborators and friends.

What a wonderful place to be!

Join us in the Soft Revolution. All that I ask is that you use your head, ask questions, and be peaceful in thought and action.

We here at SuperForest will always be on the side of Thought.

Our tools are humor, enthusiasm, and diplomacy. That’s all we need.

Peace as a brand is sexy in a way war never ever can be.

Be excellent to each other.

Love to All,

Jackson

"W" is for Peace.

"E" is for Peace.

"F" is for Peace.

"G" is for Peace.

A reference to one of my favorite artists, Michaelangelo B.

I recently recommended to SuperForester Christine Irving Stone’s historical biography “The Agony and the Ecstasy.”
I highly recommend it. It’s an incredible read and a great introduction to both Michaelangelo’s life and Italy during the Renaissance.

I’ve probably read it twenty times. It’s that good.

Regarding “G” is for Peace. Obviously this is a nod to some very famous Christian iconography. I chose it both because I love Christian iconography, and because that famous hand was just begging for a revisit, Peace-wise.

I could do many, many “G” is for Peace pieces, each with a different “G
In the end, I thought that this would have the most graphic impact, and why fight it? Heck, I’m a lover, not a fighter.

A big nod and special thanks to all of the wonderful religions this planet is currently hosting, or has ever hosted.
All are welcome in the SuperForest.

Love to All,

Jackson

"O" is for Peace.

Some of these come so easy…

Inspired by Niki’s wonderful post below. Perhaps he can be even hipper.

Special thanks to Justin Goode Photography for the Obama pic.

"B" is for Peace!

The whole alphabet, one letter at a time, out of order.

What do you like better: “Peace Alphabet”, or “The A-to-Z’s of Peace.”

I leave it up to you.

Love,

Jack