:: anyone who reads 56minus1 regularly knows I love sneakers and that I’m a Ray Lei (雪磊) fanboy. So, there was no way I wasn’t going to like this collaboration. I’m just surprised it took me so long to find these. See below for two excellent productions by Ray, an extraordinarily talented multimedia designer based in Beijing.

The first one was for Nike’s Innov8 (创意沙龙) campaign and, I think, in support of the brand’s 706 interactive / multimedia exhibit last year in Beijing’s 798 art district. The 706 exhibit showcased – in a way only Nike can shamelessly pull off – 100 of the company’s most innovative accomplishments in footwear and apparel design. Pretty cool actually.

The second one, titled Moon Landing Plan, was shown at the Nike Dunk art exhibition in Shanghai last March. See Ray’s blog for some photos from the event, link here. Ou Ning, who also showed work at the exhibition, did a post on it too, link here.

Both works are great, and further examples of brands successfully engaging China’s creative community. Bravo, well done.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai just outside the streetwear / skateboarding mini-mall of sorts that exists on Changle Rd. near Fumin Rd. Every time I see this bench I can’t help thinking NIKE + an alternative, ubiquitously used slang meaning of “SB.” Naughty of me, I know. Apologies for being so juvenile – I just spend way too much time on the Chinese Internet and around foul-mouthed local youth. Just to clarify though, SB in this case is (obviously) referring to NIKE’s skateboarding line, which is great in fact. Very un-SB’ish of NIKE.  // AjS

:: being involved with the world of marketing, I’m in a position to see brands make mistakes and miss opportunities all too often – and to be honest, it’s depressing (maybe I just care too much). Although, every once in a while, a brand takes you by surprise and does something brilliant; something so compelling and well done you are actually left feeling inspired (perhaps even inspired enough to buy its product). Today was one of those occasions.

The below video animation, titled Onwards, explores the simple pleasure of running free with a character making his way through a fanciful world of changing landscapes, challenges, and experiences. It’s is a superb collaboration between the talented British illustrator James Jarvis and Nike. The video is co-directed and animated by Richard Kenworthy with music from Caribou. I can’t imagine it being done any better. After watching it I genuinely wanted to go running in a pair of Nike running shoes. Who wouldn’t?

Jarvis’ take on the collaboration:

I had become interested in the idea of characters that were less referential and more iconic and abstract. I particularly wanted to do something with a potato-headed stick-man that I had been drawing at that time.

The film was inspired by certain personal experiences in running – a favorite run over Blanchland moor in Northumberland, being attacked by a crow in Singapore – and also by the transcendent, almost psychedelic experience of the simple act of running.

Rather than a marketing project initiated by Nike, the film was something proposed and produced by myself, and as such I hope represents a much more equal collaboration with a brand.

I very much look forward to when we consistently see this kind of brand / artist co-creation in China. To Nike’s credit, they have already staring doing this in China (some examples: 1, 2, 3). Local artists are talented and eager, and the market is ripe with opportunities for brands to engage with and sponsor Chinese creative communities. Enjoy the video. Bravo, well done.  // AjS  [via Wooster Collective and Josh Spear]

:: in the spirit of World Consumer Rights Day (March 15), I’ve been compelled to voice my consumer opinion on something that really pisses me off. And it’s not the typical case of foreign companies ripping off or insulting Chinese netizens, etc. This time, it’s the other way around. Here goes…

56minus1 is constantly spammed by this Web site: www.52jordan.com (52 in Chinese net-speak means “I love.” It’s a phonetic play on the Chinese phrase “I love,” which in Mandarin has a similar pronunciation as the numbers “5″ and “2.”)

Being the sucker (and Jordan fan) that I am, I recently gave in and clicked on one of the site’s links. I suggest you try it too, then come back.

OK, now that you are back, I’m sure you found the same dodgy site that I did: one that presents itself, atrociously, as a legit reseller of Nike Air Jordan, Air Force 1, and Air-Max series sneakers for only USD 85 or less (shipping included). Preposterous indeed, but, that’s what they say they are (sorta). From the site’s About Us section:

“We are a professional & reliable supplier of series of innovative, authentic & inexpensive Nike shoes with original box and retro card from China, such as Air-Jordan（1-23), Air-Max, Air-Force 1, etc.”

The site is riddled with suspect content. Google search any line of text from the articles presented in the News section to see that they have all been copied-and-pasted from random, unrelated third-party sites without any sort of citation. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oddly, the site is also mirrored (in full) at www.kissaj.com, www.gogoaj.com, and www.jordansport2.com.

I often see this kind of stuff on the Chinese Internet (in Chinese language) and think nothing of it because it targets Chinese consumers who are familiar with such scams and either know better or simply don’t mind not getting the real thing, etc. (However, I still don’t think any Chinese consumer would pay RMB 600 for knock-offs). But, I worry that those outside of China may not know better. Maybe they would. Sigh…

I wanted to learn more about this operation, so I added the Web site’s posted MSN instant messaging contact information () to my MSN account. This, and an email address, was the only contact information made available. Below is a slightly edited and translated transcript of the IM conversation I had with the “customer service” staff at www.52jordan.com. Interesting and bizarre. You draw your own conclusions, but, in doing so, please share in this post’s comment sections. The full Chinese (and Italian!) transcript of the original conversation can be found here.

56minus1: Hello? Anyone here?

52jordan.com: Yes, what can I help you with?

56minus1: Hi, I saw your 52jordan.com site, not bad! The problem is, my English is not so good so I can’t understand. Do you have a Chinese version?

52jordan.com: No. We only sell to foreigners / foreign markets. Sorry.

56minus1: I’m a foreigner, it’s just that my English sucks.

52jordan.com: Where are you from?

56minus1: Italy.

52jordan.com: What’s your phone number, I’ll give you a call. We have staff here that can speak Italian.

56minus1: I can’t talk on the phone now because I am at work and my boss will hear me. Hahahaha. I collect Jordan sneakers, but they are very hard to find!

52jordan.com: That’s OK, we’ll call you back after you get off work.

56minus1: I just want to learn more about how to buy the shoes because I can’t read the Web site on my own. They are so cheap, such a good price! How can they be so cheap? Are they fake? Are they “shanzhai’d” versions?

52jordan.com: Haha. Send me your postal address in Italy and then I will tell you how to purchase from the site.

56minus1: My postal address? I just want to know if they are real Jordans or not.

52jordan.com: Sorry, I must first confirm your postal address in Italy before answering your question.

56minus1: Okay, Fine. My address in Italy is . [56minus1 editorial note: this is the address of AC Milan's stadium.]

52jordan.com: I am sorry, my Chinese is bad, can you tell me what “shanzhai’d” means?

56minus1: It just means fake, as in not authentic. They are so cheap on the Web site, so I’m curious to know if they are legit Nikes or what? I don’t get it.

52jordan.com: I’m sorry, let me have my colleague talk to you in Italian. My Chinese is not so good.

56minus1: Okay. But I think your Chinese is good enough to answer my simple question. Before switching over to your colleague, can you first answer me? I don’t care if they or fake or not, I will still buy them, I just want to know what I am actually buying.

52jordan.com: Ho potuto fare nulla per voi. Scarpe sono vere. È acquistare scarpe. (Italian, clearly via Google Translate, meaning: What can I do for you? The shoes are real. Do you want to buy?)

56minus1: Scarpe sono vere? (Italian, also via Google Translate, meaning: The shoes are real?) Really?

52jordan.com: Dove sei persone? (English: Where are you?)

56minus1: Milano, Italy. It seems your Italian is not so good either. How about we just use Chinese?

52jordan.com: Look, if you want to know about the shoes, just buy a pair and you’ll know, no? I think answering your question directly is pointless. What’s most important is that you first buy a pair and judge for yourself.

56minus1: Hmmm :-( If they are fake, I think the price should be cheaper. If they are real, it’s a great price and I may buy multiple pairs. So are they real or are they fake?

52jordan.com: They are real. Will you please give me your phone number so I can call you. We are very professional and will provide you the best service. I’m sorry, but we are closing up shop now. Please send me your phone number. We have 24 hours service.

56minus1: What? 24 hours service? How can you have 24 hours service and tell me you are “closing up shop?” Are the shoes really real?

52jordan.com: Sorry, we are all getting off work now. We’ll call you later if you give us your number. Don’t worry, we will take care of your service needs. Or, if you have more questions, we can chat again tomorrow.

56minus1: ?

52jordan.com: contact status changed to offline

// AjS

:: …first came the original, Huili / Warrior (回力), priced between RMB 30 – 65…

…then came the, also original, Feiyue (飞跃) sneaker, priced between RMB 30 – 65…

…now there is The People’s Shoes (人民牌), a modern, higher-quality and more comfortable, hybrid version of the above two, by Anton Brandt (who, by the way, is cool enough to donate a portion of the brand’s profits to The Starfish Project, a Cambodia-based humanitarian organization), priced at USD 42 (RMB 285)…

…similarly, there is also OSPOP. (One Small Point of Pride.)’s Skywolf sneaker line by Ben Walters, priced at USD 76 (RMB 520)…

…which is essentially an indie-hipster remix version of Tianlang’s (天狼, literally “Skywolf”) classic revolutionary-flavored Chinese military / migrant worker “liberation shoes” (解放鞋), and also the timeless Chinese electrical workers’ “boot,” priced between RMB 10 – 35…

…and of course, let us not forget about the recent return of traditional Chinese “cloth shoes” (布鞋) to the modern fashion scene, priced between RMB 10 – 30…

…and last but not least, my favorite, a shanzhai’d NIKE version of “liberation shoes,” by a young man who actually wears them during military training exercises, priceless.  // AjS