Advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy has a lot of sub divisions. WK12, Attack, Tokyo Lab, The Kennedys and many others. It’s the company’s various research and development programs, working on disparate projects that may or may not have to do with their client list. Their latest division, Sharp/Stuff caught our attention. The unit is labeled as a “rapid release content shop that hacks current formats to create new forms.” It’s vague and wide open, which makes for unrestricted creative freedom. Their first project, American Dreamers is particularly interesting to us. It’s about discovering individuals doing positive work to better the lives of many. The outcome of this project will be published as a book, possibly a coffee table book reports Fast Co., and is due out in November.

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono purchased billboard spaces across the country including one in Times Square that read: “WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It).” One can only imagine what the cost was even at that time. Forty years later, an organization CAPITALISM IS OVER IF YOU WANT IT purchases billboard space in Pittsburgh with their slogan. Only this time, it cost the group $100 for the week. The billboard is run by The Waffle Shop, an experimental restaurant that serves what else? Waffles. But the format is extraordinarily unconventional, it produces and broadcasts a live-streaming talk show with its customers and is only open in the evening with hours from 8pm to 12am. But don’t go sending any marriage proposals, it’s doubtful that it’ll be accepted. Its purpose is an interchangeable device for story telling, thoughts and ideas. Thank you Celestine Maddy for the info.

After watching the :30 second Miss Dior spot directed by Sofia Coppola, we had to wonder whether an extended version exists. Possibly in a French cinema before a midnight screening of Breathless, or maybe on its official site. Given that the last commercial Coppola directed for the fragrance had a lengthier version, we suspect one will show up for this one as well. Though it appears that a thirty second spot seemed long enough for Dior, too much in fact. Shortly after the commercial was posted on Tatler (via Playlist post is back up), it was taken down. Of course we are dealing with the internet here and it has reappeared on YouTube. Watch now.

Mother London has been rolling out the “She is a thing of beauty” campaign for Stella Artois since July. Billboards, bus shelters posters and print ads have been spotted throughout the city. They recently added a commercial titled “Le Apartomatic” into the mix co-directed by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola. The commercial features everything you would expect from the duo, references to French pop culture, 60’s fashion and design, and sweet gadgets. More CQ than Hotel Chevalier it’s a campy and amusing ad.

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.