I can’t possibly add anything to this. Thanks to JKY for forwarding it.
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From: “Culture Jammers Network”
To: “Culture Jammers Network”
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 3:56 PM
Subject: communique 6: Blackspot Sneaker has Arrived
Jammers,
Naomi Klein threw cold water on the idea, and there was a widespread lefty revolt against it. “Why is Adbusters launching a brand and selling a sneaker?” they cried. Why indeed. Because there are times when actions speak louder then words. At some point we have to acknowledge that just talking a good game is not enough. We may have changed a few minds with our rhetoric, but we haven’t changed the world – yet.
We dared to think outside the activist box. And we came up with an ass-kicking shoe: Classic design. Organic hemp. Fair labor. Hand drawn anti-logo. And a red toe tip for kicking Phil’s ass. It’s all part of a radical new strategy for cleaning up sweatshops and dirty CEOs — and just maybe, transforming capitalism itself.
Go to and experience The Blackspot Anticorporation. Read the mission statement and take a peek at the actual shoe. Then, order your pair and become a shareholder in the cooperative. Your member number will allow you to cast votes on the design of future prototypes, factory options, and how to spend any profits.
The Blackspot is an unfolding experiment in bottom-up capitalism. It’s an idea with huge potential. We hope you will come on board and help pull it off. This may turn out to be one of the biggest, most important, precedent setting Jams of our generation.
If you don’t need new sneakers right now, help uncool Nike and reassert consumer sovereignty over corporations by painting a symbolic red dot on the toe of the pair you’re currently wearing.
And check out Phil Knight’s latest mindfuck at http://adbusters.org
Just undo it.
Kalle Lasn
CEO, The Blackspot Anticorporation