Blackspot Sneakers

I like brands. Some of them quite a lot. I love the stories behind them, especially if they’re about people having a good idea then knuckling down and working hard and smart to make it a reality. I work in advertising because I love the challenge of getting people to engage and fall in love with brands.



I like trainers too. That’s a picture of my floor, where I keep some of my shoes that I wear every day. I can see a £110 pair of Nikes there, which might have been made by poorly treated workers. Sorry.
(But yuh, I would still buy another expensive pair of Nike sneakers if I really liked them.)

Enter the Blackspot Unswoosher



It’s made by the guys from adbusters – they think megacorporate brands and the way they advertise is evil. I can see where they’re coming from. Anyway they have made trainers.
It’s a great idea – they’re made from sustainable fair trade bits of recycled tyres for you to go kick megacorporate ass in. It’s a useful bit of footwear, a visible symbol of the anti-consumerism movement, a boon to the environment and you’re also supporting their cause – buying a pair gives you a voting share in the Blackspot Anticorporation. They’re so different, and beautiful in an ugly way because they have such a great single-minded idea behind them.
The bottom line is that I really want a pair – but do they want me? The guy who spent 2 days last week working out a strategy to sell people more (megacorporate brand) crisps while entertaining them?