Creative Collabs Round-up: C.R. Stecyk III for Curated by Arkitip, Palladium’s Exploration Campaign with Johnny Knoxville, Burton’s Vapor with Paul Smith, Hit and Run for Levi’s Curve ID

From Curated by Arkitip, featuring the artwork of C.R. Stecyk III.

In our latest creative collaboration round-up story, we feature 4 new campaigns that use unique concepts of art history, culture, exploration, and design to increase marketing and brand awareness for various brands.

Curated by Arkitip, C.R. Stecyk III
This concept by the extremely cool, yet somewhat underground art magazine Arkitip is an ongoing campaign whereby the magazine works with various artists and the Apple-centric brand InCase to curate interesting new designs and releases. Their latest features surf and skate photography legend, C.R. Stecyk III, who was also know for creating the moodie black and white shots of original skaters such as Jay Adams and the Z-Boys.

The Curated by Arkitip with C.R. Stecyk III features the iconic imagery and colors of the early days of moderns skate and surf culture including a picture of Jay Adams, available in a MacBook Sleeve and iPhone 3GS Snap Cases.

Jay Adams Mac Sleeve by Curated by Arkitip by C.R. Stecyk III.

This collaboration is interesting because it works in 3 or more ways: Promoting the magazine Arkitip and creating content including a beautiful short documentary video tracing what inspires the artist, bringing inspiration through design by a famous photographer to the magazine and tech brand InCase, and creating a limited-edition purchase option for consumers representing graffiti art typified by skateboarding in it’s early days -which brings with it a sense of heritage and art and sports cultural history.

C. R. Stecyk III from Arkitip, Inc. on Vimeo.

Palladium Present Detroit Lives with Johnny Knoxville.

Palladium’s “Detroit Lives” Exploration Campaign and Johnny Knoxville
Palladium has been on a roll ever since they launched their exploration marketing series. Actually, they’ve been on a roll since 1920 when Palladium was founded to make aircraft tires for the aviation industry.

In 1947, with the demand for tires dried up after World War II, they combined their canvas and rubber traits to boots, and at the time, outfitted the legendary French Foreign Legion. If anything Palladium has a rich cultural history and their exploration campaigns featuring ads, photos, mini-documentaries of people exploring fringe areas and cultures within various cities, has been a remarkable way of creating excitement for the brand. As we say in our Label Networks youth culture presentations, “discovery is a motivating factor” when it comes to attracting today’s new generation of consumers. Palladium’s been able to do this through their exploration series which has featured such creative ideas as oddly placed small oil rigs in Los Angeles backyards, or the pirate radio scene on the Thames River and other parts of London.

At Project last week, Palladium announced the launch of their trailer for their latest exploration for Palladium boots called “Detroit Lives” featuring Johnny Knoxville. The idea is to re-examine the city of Detroit, walking with Palladium boots on of course, through the DIY paradise and raw spaces of Detroit where young people have created little communities. As Palladium puts it, through the campaign you can start to see the “rebuilding of their city from the inside out. A burgeoning class of young people are inspiring each other by using the cities %uFFFDdisadvantages%uFFFD as opportunities.”

%uFFFDDetroit Lives%uFFFD premieres on August 31st. Trailer is available now at http://www.palladiumboots.com/exploration/detroit

Burton Vapor with Paul Smith.

Paul Smith Designs Burton Snowboards
In their 4th collaboration with designer Paul Smith, Burton Snowboards is now using the design aspects of Paul Smith beyond their apparel with this season’s collaboration launch into hardgoods with their popular Vapor board. The Vapor by Burton is one of their most high-tech boards for 2011, using engineering cues from NASA to create a light, responsive board.

Paul Smith’s signature stripes, colors, and graphics add an additional benefit to this techy board, as well as boosting its collectability quotation at around 1,000 Euros per board. It’s one of those things that you may rather have hanging on your wall as an art piece than actually getting banged-up from a tree run. Either way, it’s a marketing and p.r. campaign that’s working for both brands not to mention another attempt for Burton to crossover into lifestyle via collaborations with high-end designers.

Hit and Run for Levi’s Curve ID
Not all asses are created equal and Levi Strauss has stepped-up to officially exploit this fact with the upcoming launch of their new denim fits for women called the Curve ID jeans. Based on measuring 60,000 women’s butts around the world, they’ve narrowed down this collection to the Slight Curve, Demi Curve, and Bold Curve. The concept according to Levi’s design team is to celebrate the curves of a woman’s body and focus on shape versus size. The collection will be available in 14 different finishes.

To kick-off the launch taking place in Bryant Park in New York City August 27th, they’re bringing in the DIY silkscreening T-shirt crew, Hit and Run, famous for adding an exciting live installation and hipster element to any event, and a limited-edition take-away of a one-of-a-kind T-shirt. The gig? Bring in a secondhand item in exchange for a free new pair of Levi’s and custom-made Hit and Run T-shirt.

On hand also will be legendary fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh documenting the campaign.