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October Hotflash: Lotions, Logos and Prison

Wünderwoman — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:51:57 +0000

March Hotflash: Spring Fling Edition

Wünderwoman — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:51:24 +0000

Fuelhaus Integrated Brands: Hotflash March 2

More from the US Open of Surfing!

Josh — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:10:48 +0000

Another perfect day to be in Huntington Beach for the US Open of Surfing! Crystal clear weather, big events, and plenty of entertainment in the event village.

Huntington Beach was packed with people beachin' it up for the event!

Viewers & media had their choice of watching from the pier or from the beach line...I chose a little of both.

Is this the next rage? Single wheel pivoting "skates"?

Nike 6.0 surf gear was looking awesome!

Decked out in more Nike gear...looking good!

Overview of the Converse skateboard park! (with the event village and HB pier in the background)

One of the skaters carving around the "capsule" section of the Converse park.

One competitor looking upon the other as the competition heats up.

Some of us couldn't take the heat...

...and others had more important things to ride than waves.

Sand volleyball anyone?

Bright fluorescent colors are definitely the hot thing in action sports right now.

On the opposite side of the pier, plenty of amateur surfers grabbed their boards and caught some waves of their own.

Actions Sports lifestyle culture is always full of interesting cues towards the next wave of apparel fashion, cutting edge marketing efforts, and some of the most exciting sports imagery in the world. Wow, what a weekend…thanks for tuning in!

2010 US Open of Surfing

Josh — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:05:54 +0000

Huntington Beach has been bustling this past week for the 2010 US Open of Surfing. With incentives from the likes of Nike, Hurley, and Converse, surfing’s best have been battling it out to collect the coveted first place cash prizes.

Hawaii's Carissa Moore on her way to first place in the Women's division, and a cash prize of $50,000. Oh yeah, she's only 17 years old!

It's always great to see the Pros of the event spending time talking with their fans up close and in person.

This event was more like a giant beach festival, with plenty of booths for the attendees to have a blast. "Feed the Geico Gecko" anyone?

There was no shortage of interesting product displays. Pictured here is Casio's "G-Shock" watch line in a gigantic rock-like display case.

It's inspiring to see brands reaching out for social and environmental causes. Hurley's booth was dedicated to raising environmental awareness and informing about their efforts in a creative way.

There was something crazy going on around every corner of the event. This random skateboarder was jumping off of the roof of a building, and drawing an excited crowd in the process.

I saw some interesting tattoos for sure. Wizards, flaming skulls, elaborate pieces of art, and some that looked like prison tattoos. This guy was more than willing to show off his ink for a photo opportunity.

If you weren't quite ready to commit to some serious ink, you could always drop in one of the booths and get a brand logo temporarily sprayed on you. Not a bad marketing idea!

The weather was perfect and everyone was having a good time hanging out at the beach to soak up some rays.

Hundreds of people lined the beach and the pier to watch some of the best surfers in the world shred some waves.

Stay tuned tomorrow for surf & skateboard action, and a further look behind the scenes of one of the largest surfing events in the world!

X Games Continues!

Josh — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:55:29 +0000

X Games events continued to unfold today, as riders battled it out to make the preliminary cuts before the final competitions this weekend. The courses are different every year, and many of the competitors have been saying this year’s courses are the most unique to date!

An overview of the enormous cement "Park" course where riders flip, spin, and catch air off of vertical transitions and over gaps!

There is definitely no lack of creativity on the "Street" course. Here, a skateboarder does a grind on a gigantic "broken tea cup!"

BMX rider Dennis Enarson does a "180 Barspin" down the stairs and over a handrail. (Photo credit: Cody York / ESPN)

BMX rider Scotty Cranmer launches a "Flair" between the vertical transitions of the Park course. A "Flair" is the name for a 180 degree rotation in the midst of a backflip. (Photo Credit: Cody York / ESPN)

Back in "X Games Village," fans can safely flip upside down and catch some air, just like their favorite athletes!

X Games fans backflipping safely!

Behind the Scenes of X Games 16!

Josh — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:57:45 +0000

ESPN’s 16th annual X Games are underway! Preliminary events took place today and everything is over the top: from the specialty designed sport courses, to the “X Games Village” (an area designated for event sponsors to set up booths and engage with X Games attendees).

Professional skateboarder and MTV star, Ryan Sheckler, during Skateboard Street Prelims.

A massive sign greets thousands of eager attendees at the entrance of "X Games Village," an area where brands can engage withe their target market consumers.

Pictured above are "Foam Pits" allowing aspiring skateboarders to test their balance out with little to no risk of injury.

The U.S. NAVY booth had no problem drawing passersby for their "Pull Up Challenge" and a ride on a hydraulic interactive "rollercoaser."

The NAVY hydraulic interactive "rollercoaster" in action!

AXE Body Spray is know for their cutting edge television commercials, and they put the same ingenuity into their booth design. Attendees can play games to win coupons, T-shirts, and have their photo taken with the "AXE girls" swooning over their fresh new AXE scent.

Over the next few days we will be taking a closer look at the cutting edge marketing of youth culture brands and the X Games sports events…so keep checking back!

Sustainablility: Do it. Report it. Save the World.

Wünderwoman — Sat, 22 May 2010 17:16:00 +0000

Well, the shift is complete. Sustainability has officially shifted from buzzworthy trend to shape-shifting megatrend.

But what does this mean?

According to a May article in the Harvard Business Review, companies who choose not to make sustainability a priority risk missing a corporate megatrend equivalent of the information technology revolution.

That’s a freakin’ BIG deal.

American Public Media’s Kai Ryssdal recently interviewed Dan Esty about the importance of corporate sustainability in a recent NPR Marketplace segment (Click here to listen to it).

Esty notes that sustainable business strategies are a key component of future success and that those that don’t get it right risk failure.

Unfortunately, many companies are working without a strategic plan to develop initiatives that align with the broader strategies of the company.

If you’re one of those companies…don’t worry…start reading!

Dan Esty’s May Harvard Business Review article, " target="_blank"> " target="_blank">The Sustainability Imperative, co-authored by David A Lubin, is a great place to begin. It draws in-depth parallels with other familiar megatrends and provides valuable insight on implementing sustainability strategies.

If you’re the type that learns by seeing things in action, check out the Qualcomm 2009 Corporate Sustainability report. Sustainability has always been an integral part of Qualcomm’s business model. They’re an industry leader in monitoring, measuring and reporting their environmental initiatives.

Think about it this way: when one company can save 17.8 million gallons of water in a year, you begin to see the impact that sustainability can have on the world.

***Fuelhaus designed the online and pdf versions of the Qualcomm Sustainability Report mentioned in this blog post.

Fuelhaus at the X Games

Wünderwoman — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:48:39 +0000

Tune in for the real deal.

Fuelhaus designer, Josh Suhre is also a well-travelled BMX rider. From July 29 through August 1, he’ll be at the X Games in Los Angeles, working with ESPN photographer Cody York and hanging out with the riders. While he’s there, he’s going to blog behind the scenes for the ‘haus, providing commentary and photography of everything cool at the games.

We’re excited, because Fuelhaus is all about building authentic brands. Real brands don’t happen in a studio. They happen live…in the environments where people use them, abuse them and love them. We can’t wait to see what’s happening in the action sports market.

Mark your calendar and get ready for a crazy ride!

Pictured above: (Left) Josh, our fearless designer, sporting one of his many BMX injuries. (Right) One of his awesome photos, taken on a late night falafel run in Barcelona, Spain.