We first learned about Braddock, PA, through Caledonia Curry’s (Swoon) work on the streets and in an abandoned church of the town. A project which she started in 2008 with friends under the title Points of Interest. Little did we know the press that was associated with Braddock, mainly through its mayor, John Fetterman. A behemoth of a figure that has been reinvigorating and revitalizing its image. Fetterman has appeared in magazines, newspapers, The Colbert Report, and most recently, CBS Sunday Morning over the weekend, putting a spotlight on the forgotten town. His public image has caught the attention of Levi’s. Continuing its Go Forth campaign, the company launched an eleven part series “documenting the new pioneers of Braddock, PA” and investing a million dollars into the town. The first episode “The Seeds of Change” directed by Aaron Rose is now live. It will be interesting to see what becomes of all this media attention, with a town that is without a restaurant, supermarket or even a hospital, it will take a lot to lift Braddock back to its glory days.

Music videos are all fun and good and great promotional vehicles for artists and directors alike. But what really pay the bills are commercials. Founded in 1996 by Mike Mills and Roman Coppola, The Directors Bureau is a multidisciplinary production company that represents an incredible list of directors including M Blash, Sofia Coppola, Romain Gavras, Geoff McFetridge, Shynola, Aaron Rose, and others. The music videos that come from this group usually make headlines, most recently Romain Gavras’s video for M.I.A. However, when it comes to television adverts, the creators take a back seat while the brand takes precedence. This is where The Director’s Bureau’s archives come in handy, showcasing the directors’ advert portfolios with clients ranging from Cheetos to YSL. Sometimes it’s a welcome like Sofia Coppola’s “Miss Dior Cherie” while other times unexpected, like Aaron Roses’s Clorox commercial. Regardless of your stance on art versus advertising, it’s interesting to see both sides, after all, not everyone can be Ian Mackaye.

Mike Mills takes a break from working on his second full length feature, “Beginners,” to direct a comical advert with Wieden and Kennedy for Old Spice. Though the art direction and look may appear to be familiar, it’s the treatment of the commercial that is different from anything we’ve seen before from Mills. Have a look at the absurdity, “Matterhorn” and “Quad.”

Advertorial is a common practice in the publishing world. Now with the web, advertisers and publishers have more ways to produce content with the ultimate goal of selling a product. Dwell recently released its second video with founder Lara Deam in which she selects a series of color palettes from the Ralph Lauren Paint collection. It’s an interesting idea, we just wish it could have been done better. If any Dwell readers or employees are reading this, we’re not hating, we just want something more we can sink our teeth into, this won’t diminish our enthusiasm for the magazine.

Is that Recession dot com? No it’s Recess Is On dot com, a campaign by the Morgans Hotel Group consisting of a collection of interviews and live performances with bands at various hotels. Vincent Moon, the founder of The Take-Away Shows was brought in to direct several of the videos, shot with his signature, hand-held, atmospheric, and of-the-moment style. The first three bands in the series include Au Revoir Simone, Curumin and Semi Precious Weapons performing at the Hudson and Royalton hotels. Six other videos are on the way. This is the first part in Morgans’s Recess campaign with fashion and art to follow later this year.

The Museum of Modern Art in Brooklyn? Well, yes and no. In an unprecedented move by MoMA’s new marketing advisory committee, the museum is going underground, by taking over all the available ad space in the Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street stations. MoMA reproduced many well known pieces from its collection including works by Pablo Picasso, Cindy Sherman, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe, and others.