[Photo via lookbook.nu]
As yall know, I am an alternative businessman with relevant opinions on how to set up a successful alternative business. If u come to my blog offices for a consulting session, I will teach u how to turn 10 Am Appy t-shirts and a permanent marker into a thriving alternative business.
Today’s Alt Biz Lesson is about product packaging. What yall need 2 realize is that product packaging represents your product. Sometimes even more than ur actual product. Even though ‘Am Appy’ is ‘just a t-shirt’, the way that the colourful product sits in a meaningful clear bag with names of relevant cities printed on it does a better job of branding. In this picture, you can see proud entry level alts who are proud of their recent purchases at the popular international boutique “The American Appy.” The opportunity to walk around the city with a branded bag gives the entrylevelers a chance to show other consumers what ‘people who look interesting and culturally connected’ are purchasing.
I know yall don’t realize this, but when u walk with this bag, u r a ‘walking billboard’, kind of like a bus with an advertisement, or one of those portable billboard thingies.
I guess what I’m trying 2 say is that yall need 2 b aware of the world around u.
Understand that product packaging can inspire consumers to rally behind ur product’s brand.
Should I use my Abercrombie bag as my backpack when I go back to High School to get my G.E.D.?
Should I be proud of my Forever21 bag?
Is it still authentic to brand yourself with The Gap?
I <3ed my macbook packaging so much that I use it on a daily basis as a purse/laptop bag so that people nvr 4get that I'm a Mac user.
When I grow up, I will only live in a city that has been listed on an Am Appy bag.
What’s yalls favourite bag 2 walk around with?
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31 Comments
The only bag I use is a triple-recycled organic cotton tote. Fuck all yall ppl destroying mother earths.
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//////////Reply by AspringAltbag
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 11:51 am
@Gregg G., Word, yote bags that align one’s personal brand with an artist (or maltsrtream grocer like Trader Joe’s) are an excellent way to add value to your personal brand while also being able to keep a beverage/[authentically thrifted] jacket/notebook of meaningful thoughts on hand at all times.
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hey yea what is the story behind forever 21’s religion bags??
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//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 3:47 pm
@sarah,
that verse says something about have everlasting life
so it goes with the whole forever 21 thing
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//////////Reply by alexis
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 7:02 pm
@anon,
youre way off. its (paraphrased) “whoever believes in me shall have everlasting life” its about advocating Christianity, not having everlasting youth.
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carles, will you plz make a tumblable .jpg of the amapp bag featuring its related “when i grow up” wish. thx.
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I got real nervous until I scrolled down and saw Chicago on that Am Appy bag
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//////////Reply by dane
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 11:49 am
@jacob, duh dude chicago has like five am apps
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//////////Reply by jacob
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
@dane, I know. I live right by the wicker park one. BUT WAS “CHICAGO” ON THE BAG??? I didn’t know. Minneapolis has an AmAppy. But they are not meaningful enough to be featured on the same bag as Montreal and Gay Paree
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//////////Reply by dane
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
@jacob, that is an old-school bag and those are the ~original~ am appy city locations whereas places like mpls and mke and atx and pdx and entrylevel cities like that just got stores are on the newer bags and those new shirts that just came out.
//////////Reply by sndfx
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 10:44 pm
@jacob, mtl > chicago anyday
//////////Reply by jacob
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
@dane, If they are giving out bag spots to bootleg cities that easily, DOVCHARNY and co are losing their edge.
N E ways, is AmAppy a little 2k5 or is it just me?
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//////////Reply by s0 anonymous
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
@jacob, not just u, i def think the relevance of am appy as a personal branding tool will decline greatly in 2k9, except of course 4 entry lvlrs who r ‘discovering it 4 the 1st time’
I h8 the mainstreamers at my school who think they r “interesting” and “cultural” with their Annie Warhol bags.
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//////////Reply by schizo
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 8:34 pm
@Jhon, oh jesus those piss me off to no end. peel slowly and suck my dick.
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And yet Seattle and Portland are missing. And since you know those are entries then they must buy alot of am appy.
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<3 helveticas yall
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more xmas posts
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yeah mexico city
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//////////Reply by xavier
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
@hagrid,
word up
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//////////Reply by Stépahane
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
@xavier, mexi alts are way more important than alt bros in Portland or Seatle, we should be proud about that.
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hey yall iz it still ok to walk around with the urban outfitters bags?
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//////////Reply by InnyVinny
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
@internt, I heard they don’t like the gheys so I vote no.
^ soooooo not ghey
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The GapAlt only has one leg!
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//////////Reply by A$TRO
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
@Anonz, do u think she removed her other leg to create a more unique personal brand? One legg’d GAP shoppr > Two Legs + Khakis
“1 leg gud, 2 legs bad yall”
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the am appy bag makes me realize, while being the best city in canada it is still not alt to live in toronto.
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well, this certainly makes up for that TVOTR post.
good job.
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Boise is getting an Am Appy. C yall there.
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//////////Reply by m.l.
//////////Posted January 5th, 2009 at 12:21 am
@Clapback,
omg i hope that is a lie. Srsly, grew up in boise (pronounced boy-C, not boiiii-Z y’all) and fashion there sux. Just got an urban like last yr and everyone is way behind on the trendz. Never going back//no one gets me there/their/they’re.
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Vancouver is the most ALT cause i live there.
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sitting at the airport, eating chilis, reading ur blog.
<3 u
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y showoff where u’ve been shopping….thats too mainstreamed out! people who try to hard are depressing…..
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is that girl in the middle the same one as the girl on the left of this
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//////////Reply by authentic
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
@authentic,
this: http://thecobrasnake.com/partyphotos/greece/images/IMG_2656.jpg
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teach me how to set up an altBusiness like this :
http://bp1.blogger.com/_jxHHpdN1pT0/SGUVOjoInoI/AAAAAAAADAo/GJGDr5_mebQ/s1600-h/Soldes.jpg
(read “SALES” on the floor)
this kid is the absolute altBro
he HAZ the yellow+blue+red plastic wayfarers
he HAZ the black Apple macbook which he uses to admin his CMPNY LTD. + accountancy LTD. + check his gMail in the streets (from his shoppers worldwide)
he HAZ the last quicksilver X etnies X terryRichardson collaboration skateboard
he HAZ the last lego X holga collaboration camera
he EATZ Sodebo triangle sandwiches so that he does not waste time at the restaurant and devotes his life to his altBusiness
he UZEZ organic & recyclable material for his billboards so that he doesNot kill our planet
just want to be the next BILL GATES
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vancouver is so ghey every1 here shops at the north face and mtn eqpmnt coop and wears cargo pants and uses umbrellas when it snows. GHEY.
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I lived in like 5 of thoz citys.
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//////////Reply by Jlehr
//////////Posted December 23rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
@bball,
So have I and they all sucked!!! Live in Cali or just kill yourself!
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usa = nyc + chi + lax
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aldi bags are pretty alt. the foiley ones keep my pbr cold
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oh man. apple boxes as an alternative to bags? don’t you think that’s kind of obnoxious? sheesh!
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FREITAG BAGS MAN!!!!
THIS IS HOT EURO SHIT!!!!!!
FREITAG.CH
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WHERE’S PROVIDENCE?
i know we’re on the (ugly) city print baby rib cutoff t
RI TIL U DIE
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These bitches are so entry level, they still have the tags on their brand new Urban clothes. I am scared to see how much they will overuse AA.
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just got amer app in Shanghai. chinese people won’t buy it though because no one wears plain colored ish (seriously impossible to find white v-necks even though they make all of them). still not on the fucking bag though and it pwns seoul.
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//////////Reply by anonny
//////////Posted December 26th, 2008 at 12:49 am
@heatwolves, haaaz AZN rivalries. tokyo pwns all of asia.
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What’s yalls favourite bag 2 walk around with?
– Ball bag.
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hia sir i am fashion desigioner sud
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i walk around with my favorite tote bag that i drew some random shity stars on :)) i love my bag *kisses it*
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