A Walk With Franz Kafka
Ariel and I were in Prague for some meetings. Like many places in Europe, the Czech Republic is ancient and uncommonly beautiful.
When I travel there are two things that I study closely. First the people, their dress, styles, grooming, behavior tell me so much.
At Monkey And Snake we make it a point to carefully study lifestyle choices, buying habits and the retail environment wherever we go. This is why consulting is such a large part of our business.
The next thing and perhaps as important in understanding a culture is the architecture. Homes, government buildings and monuments tell you a lot of the things that a people’s outward appearance leave unspoken, mainly history.
Prague is full of history, obviously. But the thing about this city, for me is that the architecture is overwhelming. The Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rocco influences are evident yet blended beautifully. It’s different from Paris in that the architecture stands in such a stark contrast to everything but the ‘medieval Czechoslovakian night’. The look from one structure is unpredictable and unlike the next. And the people almost disappear against such a grand and diverse backdrop.
The air and the feel here is, well…eerie. The streets are convoluted and defy our GPS maps. A short walk down a quiet street can take you back a few hundred years. I now understand why of all places Franz Kafka chose this place to live and to write.
So I leave this place reluctantly. There are things for me here. I can feel it. Late one night I got up and walked for some time around the city. I stood against a wall looking down the cobblestone street. I could feel the ghosts of many ages whisking past me. I was by myself but not alone. I have to come back here.
“Prague never lets you go. This dear little mother has sharp claws”
-Franz Kafka
Shooting a Scion Commercial for Singapore
The thing about working with extremely creative people is that work does not feel like… work.
China’s Specialized
China, the “kingdom of bicycles” has over 500 millions of them, but most are very humble machines. Monkey&Snake is working to change that…
How to sell China in China?
How to sell China in China? A Finnish company has been exactly doing this with the help of Monkey&Snake.
Iittala is a Finnish design company specializing in houseware objects made on the principle of “modern Scandinavian design”.
Born in California.
For the last two years, Monkey & Snake has been successfully introducing Taylor Brothers Farms brand to the Hong Kong and Chinese market. This fall, with the help of Yat Hing Trading, a talented and dynamic local distributor, the world’s best organic prunes and prune products will be on the shelves of the best food [...]
Moving mountains.
We move ideas like others do nails, boric acid or construction equipment. But unlike those, ideas have no volume or weight, but they can displace mountains faster. Ideas are the fuel of modern society, they are an essential part of human development and progress. Ideas are much more than mere commodities. One cannot box an [...]
What we do, where we do.
It is simple, we are where it is important to be. Our office is Shanghai gives us an unique outlook to one of the most dynamic markets in the world.
We are becoming citizens of the world, finding clients, talents and resources.
It’s not about how it used to be but about how it’s going to be.
Designing in California, printing in Germany and shipping to Japan is part of our daily life. That’s what we are.
The question is will you join us to the party?
If this isn’t the Twilight Zone, It must be Poland
As I have mentioned before, we wear many hats here at Monkey and Snake. Ariel and I were in Poland consulting a client and observing their manufacturing facilities.
On our first day here, I noticed that there was black smoke billowing from the windows of many houses. I asked our host what was going on. He said that those people were burning pieces of tires to warm their homes and cook their meals.
Bragging rights
Yes, we do love to brag but after two years we have accomplished our goals. To be one of the most creative agency, to bring in new clients and gain a foothold in Asia. We have been all over Asia in 2010, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Nagano, and more to come. The future is Asian and Monkey&Snake is part of it!
