The Brand Man Speaks

Playboy brand coming to South Beach, Miami linking with Sagamore Hotel

Playboy, the male oriented iconic sexual fantasy brand from the 60s, has been struggling to survive on revenue from its magazine alone these days given strong competition from the internet and a changed culture in America.

So, it may be surprising to learn that the "bunny" brand is trying to team up with lux hotel Sagamore in famed South Beach Miami to get back into the hotel business.

Years ago Playboy was a fixture around the globe with hotels and lounges extending the magazine into three dimensions. As a kid I remember how cool it seemed to know someone who had access to a Playboy "key" to gain admittance to one of the famed locales to see the bunnies up close and personal. It was the era when the old James Bond character and his bed hopping swinging lifestyle was the envy of most men.

The brand has suffered as culture changed and competition increased.

The Sagamore Hotel, known as the "Art Hotel" in South Beach for its prized art collection, boutique size and more low key orientation than its grand neighbors such as the Delano and Shore Club, is unable to pay its mortgage. The recession has hit lux hotels around the US including in popular South Beach hard. Once rooms were easily fetching $400 or more a day. This past year many lux hotels in this market were lucky to get $200 and were losing lots of money.

It is reported that to "save" the Sagamore, a hotel I found very comfortable and highly enjoyable when I stayed there 7 years ago, the owners and loan holders are talking with Playboy about a brand merger. There would not be a casino, like Playboy would like to have and is associated with at the Palms in Vegas, but it would have all the rest of the Playboy trimmings, bunnies included.

Can the Playboy brand work in South Beach and at the Sagamore? I actually think yes. I think the retro nature of the Playboy brand albeit an updated one (culturally) which is more PC has a strong appeal and would attract audiences who come to South Beach to party hard and to see and be seen. The Sagamore was overshadowed by so many higher profile hotels in the area....new ones opening every year...(the W South Beach is the "it" hotel of the moment and booked) that it seemed lost among the frey. The Playboy association would give it new life.

Thus, I feel the Playboy brand is NOT dead just in need of a bit of retooling but its 60s/70s feel is consistent with other retro things happening in this country to a time of yore perceived to be more care-free and stable than today.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Art Basel Miami 2007: Satellite Fairs

I have just returned from the Art Basel Fair and this is my final post on this year's activities with specific focus on the smaller art fairs.

Among the throngs of South Beach tourists (in shorts and T-shirts) who stroll the trendy hotel row of Collins Avenue from 15th to 19th Streets (home to the Delano, Raleigh, National, Shore Club and Sagamore) serious and not so serious art collectors found smaller more intimate art fair offerings beyond Art Basel Miami.

They included Aqua, Flow, Bridge, Art Now and Red Dot which all occupy space in less well known hotels in this part of “SoBe”. I toured Bridge and Red Dot in the Catalina and South Seas hotels, respectively based on the positive feedback from credible colleagues.

Both Bridge and Red Dot offered an exciting array of work that unlike the other major fairs included very affordable art, (works for sale beginning in the hundreds of dollars vs. hundreds of thousands). The environment was also younger and hipper as trendy club music played in the hotel lobbies and swirled into the small gallery spaces set up in individual hotel rooms on the hotels’ first and second floors. Most dealers seemed pleased with both turn out and sales at these smaller venues indicating there was a flurry of traffic on Saturday afternoon that was not expected.

Art Basel Miami 2007 part 2; industry experts weigh in.

Some more feedback on Art Basel Miami 2007

Wonderkind museum curator Theo Lotz gives his impression of Art Basel Miami 2007.

I feel there is a certain "big box" shopping experience at these big fairs.  In this environment it's difficult to have intimate or personal experiences with the work, or with the gallery dealers. Only the noisiest of both can have any hope drawing attention.  That said, however, this is a great place to see a lot new work in a short amount of time.

My feeling is that most serious collectors already have relationships with the galleries they work with and they come to Miami more to party, and be part of the scene, than to negotiate new purchases.

---------Theo Lotz, Curator UCF Museum of Art

Visited Design Miami today a satellite event in the very hip Miami Design district. The show featured a number of historically important furniture designers' work in the open interior villa like architecture of the Moore building. It was announced this morning that the management company that owns Art Basel has purchased a 50% interest in Design Miami from founder real estate developer Craig Robbins and plans to expand the whole ball of wax world-wide...China next?

Art Basel Miami 2007: Bigger crowds, more art less interesting-by Eli

Art Basel Miami 2007 and its nearly 20 satellite art shows has brought a huge number of art collectors and "to be seen" lookyloos to South Beach and the Wynwood Art District of Miami city proper.

The opening afternoon and evening for so-called VIPs at Art Basel made it look like everyone who wanted to found a way into the once low-key pre-opening event. Honestly, it looked like thousands were in attendance with lots of rich people not accustomed to waiting in line for anything, waiting in line to valet their Bentleys, get into the venue (at one point the line was well out the door and into the street), get a drink, see art--if that's what they really came for.

Art Basel seemed far less traditional and less staid than last year making some of the satellite shows seem tame by comparison. The old grand dame got a major shot of botox perhaps?

Not nearly the number of red dots around the show as was seen last year after day one but the general feeling is there will be good activity but not the frenzy experienced last year.

The fairs are full of Europeans enjoying the weak dollar as well as a strong turn out from South America. Second hand smoke is more readily available than parking spaces near any of the venues. Many galleries from Europe with a very heavy emphasis of dealers from Germany especially Berlin.

South Beach becomes party central: Art Basel Miami year 6 begins next week-by Eli

Continuing an effort I started last year I will be providing on-site commentary on what is billed as the "world's biggest party for art collectors": Art Basel Miami 2007.

You don't know about Art Basel Miami? Blogger Face Hunter  (who writes for MySpace fashion) says this event was original started as a cool place for art loving New Yorkers to go to get out of the freezing cold in December, (Yes, it is snowing in New York City today!) and now is an event bringing people from all over the world to Miami for a 3-5 days.

This year there are more satellite art shows than ever as more and more galleries and artists vie for the millions of dollars that will be spent in Miami next week. This event brings a huge concentration of wealthy individuals from around the world.....some celebrities...but mostly highly successful individuals with names most Americans have never heard.

One would expect a huge influx of art buyers from Europe and Russia given the weak dollar, the strong Euro and the vast number of Russian Billionaires (yes Billionaires) that have been created in the past few years.

Private Jet company NetJets (story details here)  says it is sending more planes to Miami for Art Basel than were used to ferry the rich and famous to any Super Bowl ever. That says alot about the amount of power brokers going to sunny South Beach for a few days. Hope the super-trendy enclave doesn't sink!

The most notable new art venue this year is Art Miami which will join the namesake event Art Basel and Pulse, Flow, Design Miami, Scope, Photography Miami among others.

Stay tuned for the show.

Watching out for you everyday.

Eli

Art Basel Miami 15 Seconds says it all-by Eli

I know I already wrote a "final" view of Art Basel...but I saw this 15 second video on youtube of one of the exhibits at Art Basel Miami in the convention center. It's a show stopper. Depending on how you view it, it could be "great art" or the "emperor's new clothes". You decide. The Art Basel Experience

Eli

PS if you can't figure out what's going on, email me and I will let you in on the story.

Art Basel Miami Final View-By Eli

I have completed my visit to Art Basel Miami and several other related art events/fairs. Having been here from the beginning five years ago, it is not surprising that the event has in my opinion become way too big. Variety is important but there comes a point beyond critical mass that one becomes overloaded viewing "art" and dealing with hordes of people (too many of whom think they are all so important).

Volume also does not mean the event is better in terms of quality. Much of the new offerings like "NADA" is just that Nada...nothing and worth passing. The work shown there was unbelievably awful and amateurish as was the presentation and the gallery owners...sure this is the NEW gallery dealers alliance...but just the same..not worth your time.

CIFO was interesting as was PULSE which I thought was more exciting than the main Art Basel event at the Convention Center..written about the other day....MAC the video art center was a complete disappointment...including the fact that Porsche SUVs that were offered as "complimentary" shuttle services to MAC (in south Miami) from CIFO in downtown were so unreliable driving one's own car or taking a taxi would have been better...a black eye for PORSCHE in my mind...

Interesting to note that PORSCHE, BMW and AUDI all vied for attention at this event each aligning themselves with an art festival to get exposure to the rich and famous (and those who have money but are dying to be famous but alas are NOT!).

It appears a lot of money was spent on art...even if it was mediocre stuff....but hopefully folks came out for more than a social event and found their exposure to fine art was educational, stimulating, enlightening..etc..as art is a very important part of the world in which we live.

Oh, and yes, I did see two works I would love to buy...but can't afford....unless something miraculous happens...

Watching out for you everyday. Please visit us at the portnoy group brand architecture to learn how BRANDING can dramatically improve your business.

Eli

Art Basel Miami Update 1-by Eli

Yesterday's opening at the Convention Center was a zoo....since everyone can get an invitation or "special" VIP card...and if they didn't have one, friends passed them along to those waiting outside to "borrow" for entry. When I first attended this Art Fair five years ago opening day was enjoyable and manageable. As this Fair became an event to been seen and to see the beautiful rich of the world many have flocked here...this year in record numbers....to be a part of this "in" scene of the moment.

A shift in gallery choices at the Convention Center offered views of some very interesting and less "staple" work presented in the past. HOWEVER...

a visit to PULSE...a competing art event in Miami's apparel and design district...was far more exciting and felt more "real" and alive than the scene at the Convention Center. A number of important galleries have left the Art Basel event for Pulse from what I can see openly citing the arrogant, snobby nature of the original becoming a turnoff to many.

I will note that I did see quite a few multi million dollar sales at the Convention center...and quite a few five figure sales at Pulse...Art work at Pulse is far more affordable...as long as $5000 and up is considered "affordable".

Art Diva on the beach at 12th Street featuring video and digital installations is worth a view..a much more low-key scene.

Did enjoy the Thanksgiving Day Parade style performance art event featuring artists' designs of large balloons that were "marched" down South Beach around 2pm today.

More to come....

Eli

Art Basel Miami: World class Art Fair OR the World's richest folks winter party?-By Eli

Just a quick note. Currently observing the 5th Annual Art Basel Miami Beach. This is probably one of the largest yearly gatherings in the world of the rich and famous....supposedly to view and buy some of the world's most enduring, exciting, new and provocative as well as dull fine art.....later this week I will review this event (which I have attended four times over the past five years).....from a marketer's perspective, (that is if I can remain articulate after all the partying going on here!).

Eli