Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

Awakening by Alex Fishgoyt is a breathtaking and awe inspiring piece of artwork.  Frankly, it’s much more than that.  It is an experience that dramatically engages the viewer.  Fishgoyt artfully invites you to enter his world and to believe in the dream.  Once the viewer dares to enter and explore he challenges you to join him on the journey.

At first glance the journey seems inviting, exciting and as you move deeper into it you begin notice that it is unpredictable, scary and maybe even dangerous.  Fishgoyt creatively illuminates your journey with hope as you cross a bridge over the vast and mysterious ocean to a brilliant white city.  Or how about a long journey down a shadowy back alley where even a small faint light gives encouragement to the inquisitive traveler?

Awakening is filled with many possibilities.  First, you must be willing to get on the ship where there is no turning back.  This is a ship headed toward a gigantic wave.  Will this vessel capsize or will it break on through to the other side and transport us to our Awakening?

The woman is the fulfillment of the journey: a journey that is rich, fertile, beautiful and fulfilling – all that the dreamer is.  She completes the cycle of life.  Welcome to the journey of Awakening – a pathway filled with many awakenings.

Awakening – I was so excited to receive this huge package from FedEx today.  A big Thank You to Vladimir Kush and Karyn Anderson of the Kush Fine Art Gallery for turning me onto Fishgoyt’s amazing surrealism!  Also I greatly appreciate Alex signing and personalizing his work with an inspiring note to me on the back of the painting.

If you are interested in finding out more info on the awesome works of Alex Fishgoyt please contact Karyn Anderson 775 – 997-87 ZeroZero – Don’t forget to mention Sebastian’s blog for a discount.

Stay Luminous

Sebastian St. George

SACRED GIFT by Vladimir Kush

Sacred Gift – Last week my friend Skip and I were in Las Vegas.  We had an incredibly relaxing week thanks to the Qua Spa at Caesars Palace.  We were just getting ready to Leave Las Vegas, but, unlike Nicolas Cage in the film Leaving Las Vegas LOL, when Kush Fine Art Gallery consultant Karyn Anderson called.  “Vladimir Kush is painting down at the Caesars Palace Kush Fine Art Gallery, come on down.”

Many of you have seen my blog Meet the new Salvador Dali and were touched by the incredibly luminous and inspirational art of Vladimir Kush.  I figured I might not have another chance to meet this master fine artist.  So, I twisted Skip’s arm a little and said, “Hey we gotta go see my favorite artist!”  Talk about a golden opportunity!  Actually to me it was more like a Sacred Gift.

Sebastian St. George and Vladimir Kush

Sacred Gift – Vladimir’s art has truly inspired me, so much so that I have become an avid patron of his work.  I found him to be a delightful and playful person; just like his paintings.  One of the things I love most about Vladimir’s work is that it is intuitive, expansive and touches on many subjects much like Luminous ROC.  I love the fact that Vladimir likes to paint about anything, as I love to write about anything.

Vladimir and Sebastian in front of Awakenings

It’s funny one of Vladimir’s friends came up and mentioned that he thought Vladimir and I were brothers.  We bonded and had a great time talking allegory, hidden signs and symbols, Polynesian mythology and the metaphorical journey of his work.

Vladimir has fun embellishing "City by The Sea"

Vladimir and I are standing in front of his painting “City by the Sea.”  He called it “The Squid” as he was embellishing one of the 88 numbered giclee prints.  The inspiration for the painting came to him as he was flying into San Francisco.  The painting reminds me of James Cameron’s “The Abyss.”  It’s spectacular to me in every way.

I felt very fortunate for the opportunity to watch him paint the final details of his new huge panoramic painting “Awakenings.”  To be able to spend some time with Vladimir Kush and talk with him, to me, that was a Sacred Gift.

If you are interested in finding out more about Vladimir’s art work you can contact Karyn Anderson at the Las Vegas Kush Fine Art Gallery:  Karyn@vladimirkush.com  or cell 775-997-8700  Mention Sebastian, she’ll take care of you.  Karyn Rocks!

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind
is a faithful servant. We have created a society
that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
— Albert Einstein

The blackberries are coming!  Many of you know about My Organic Garden and have seen pictures of it or heard me tweet about it on Twitter or talk about it on Facebook.  If you read my blog (please see hyperlink above) you may remember my infamous gazania eating bandit: Larry The Squirrel.  What Larry doesn’t know about, and he’s not gonna find out anything about, is my incredible berry patch.

Over two years ago my friend Skip and I bought an Organic Duarte Blackberry starter.  It was one stem in a can about eight to twelve inches high.  We really weren’t sure it was going to take, but, what the heck.  We put it in the ground and watered it routinely.  Boy were we surprised!  This bush took off like a shot!  Now it’s over six feet high and about twenty feet long. We’ve had to cut it back about five or six times this year as it’s been in continual expansion mode.

The blackberries are coming!  The blackberries are coming! Wow look at them in these pictures!  There must be over a million of them!  OK maybe that’s exaggerating a tiny bit, but, there are a lot of berries!  Frankly, I’m very excited as this will be our second harvest.

I know what you’re thinking, why the hell is Sebastian blogging about Blackberries?  This is supposed to be a blog about Tech, Social Media, Branding and Marketing only. LOL Luminous ROC has become more about all things Luminous and especially topics and categories that I am passionate about.  I am especially passionate about health, diet, exercise, eating right and organic gardening.

To maintain top performance in the Marketing and Branding world one needs to be healthy. Blackberries are very high in antioxidants.  There have been many articles written about value of berries and their miraculous ability to aid in the prevention of disease and the effects of oxidative stress to the cells.

And they taste great!  Shhh just promise me you won’t tell Larry The Squirrel!

How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?  Still to this day I’m constantly asked this question.  I guess it’s because I still drive a 2011 squeeze green Fiesta.  I now drive the American version but I truly loved and miss the European version.  Honestly, I would love to have a Zetec!  If you have a chance, check them out, they really are amazing!

Exciting news!  I am very happy to say I just received along with my Executive Producer, Parris Harris, a 2011 Telly Award for our work in the Ford Fiesta Movement.  This award is for the video: How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?

This my second Telly Award for producing and directing a commercial style marketing and branding video / commercial.  My first Telly Award I won in 2009 for a Budweiser Spec Commercial.

What’s a Telly Award?  “The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web” – Telly Award website.

How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?  I am very happy to say this video plays in every Ford dealership throughout North America.  Anytime you walk into a Ford dealership to check and/or purchase a Fiesta there is a kiosk that plays a few videos and one of them is: How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?

A big Thank You to the Brand Manager for the Ford Fiesta, Sam DeLaGarza and the Head of social media at Ford Motor Company, Scott Monty.  These gentlemen were very generous and dedicated to working with all of us Ford Fiesta Agents to make the Ford Fiesta Movement one of the most successful automotive marketing and branding campaigns ever!

A super big Thank You to my Executive Producer, Parris Harris.  Parris is the sole reason I got involved with the Ford Motor Company and the Ford Fiesta Movement.  I’ll never forget the morning of my birthday, a few years back, Parris woke me up at 7am on a Sunday morning.  He said that the Ford Motor Company has this amazing market campaign that they were asking him to be involved in and that he needed my marketing and branding skills.

Parris thought we could be an amazing team.  Parris’ vision couldn’t have been more right on.  Together we were one of the most successful Agent Teams in Chapter 1.  I gotta be honest with you, it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in the name of marketing and branding.  I think we helped to sell a lot of Ford Fiestas.  The amazing thing is Parris and I never once said buy a Ford Fiesta.  People just saw us having a good time with the Fiesta as we produced numerous Ford Fiesta Fashion Shows & Events.

Sebastian St. George and Parris Harris

Parris and I also created Ford Fiesta Fashion Week.  It was amazing experience and I will blog on that later.

I really appreciate being the only Agent to be involved in all aspects of the 14 month program from Chapter 1, Twitter Expert Program and Chapter 2.  It was a lot of hard work.  By the way, I really miss my European Fiesta.

The Essence of Branding and Rule #1 of Marketing – when you have a logo that people recognize and that’s successful – You don’t change it – That is the essence of branding!  Actually it’s a state of branding that many companies would do anything to have and honestly, very very few ever achieve.

Being branded takes many years and tens of millions of dollars to accomplish, if not more, but most importantly, once you are branded in the marketplace – it’s what separates you from the competition.  Especially from the knock off artists and others who are trying to ride on your coattails.

Case in point, you can walk down the aisle of any grocery store anywhere in the world and when you see a red 12 ounce can with white script lettering you instantly know it’s Coke.  Or if you see a dark blue can you instantly know it’s Pepsi.

The same goes for many top tier brands; Ford, Prada, Gucci, DKNY, etc etc.

I find it shockingly stupid and absurd that the current GAP management would consider changing it’s logo.  I could understand if the company was in deep financial trouble or on the verge of bankruptcy.

I believe there comes a point in a brand’s success or, as I like to call it, “character arc” or “progression” where the public is so vested in the brand, its success and instant visibility are assured.  The brand is always their choice.   Maintaining that vested commitment and recognition is the CEO’s and upper management’s sole purpose.  This is what I mean when I talk about “the custodian of the brand.”

That is, deliver what the buyer – who ultimately pays their check by buying the goods and services – wants.  Meaning: “if it’s not broke…. don’t fix it.”

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Welcome to my new Blog – Luminous ROC!  Expect the unexpected.  My new blog will be about all things social media and will cover a wide range of topics from marketing, branding, advertising, film production, fashion, automotive – basically anything that motivates and stimulates a passionate response from me.

Sit back, enjoy and feel free to leave me your thoughts, comments if my blogs motivate you to do so!  Thanks!