February 2022
Shhh... propaganda, secrets, puzzles and crypto
Marketing is a powerful tool, even for organizations whose raison d’être is secrecy. In this month’s Camden newsletter we cover the CIA, MI6 (home of James Bond), the mysterious world of cryptocurrencies, and Soviet movie poster designers.
MUST-READS
Licence to hire
"We've come a long way since I applied by simply mailing a letter marked 'CIA, Washington, DC.'" – CIA director Gina Haspel
One of Camden’s specialized services is HR marketing and employer brands. With a labour shortage affecting many industries, attracting the right staff (and retaining them) has become key for corporate profitability. But... what about spy agencies? Last year the CIA revealed a new logo and talked up its efforts to attract operatives from more diverse backgrounds.
Back in the USSR
One hundred years ago the Russia we know today was part of a communist federation called the Soviet Union. Graphic artists employed by the state to promote revolutionary ideals produced an explosion of avant-garde design, including the spectacular movie posters showcased in a new book from Taschen.
"Bitcoin might be the best brand created in the last 100 years."
That quote is from Mike Novogratz, the CEO of tech-focused financial services firm Galaxy Digital. A recent survey suggests that Bitcoin and other blockchain-backed products and services are indeed among the fastest-growing brands in the United States. We can expect to see crypto.com added to next year’s list after the firm’s US$700M sponsorship of the LA Lakers home arena was unveiled on Christmas Day.
SEIZE THE DAY
ABCDesign!
To kick off a series of network-wide workshops over the coming year, designers from Camden’s four offices have been reinterpreting the alphabet’s twenty-six letters in the most creative ways possible. No client brief! No limitations!
Follow the alphabet’s development on Camden’s social channels. Once it’s finished we’ll be creating 26 NFTs to be auctioned for the benefit of a non-profit organization.
BY THE NUMBERS
5
The number of letters players have to guess in the word puzzle Wordle. Created as a pandemic distraction for his partner by Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle, the free online game has taken the English-speaking world by storm, with daily Wordle players increasing from just 90 in November to well over 2 million at press time.
Source
EARWORTHY
Casting the real 007
As noted above, the CIA isn’t the world’s only spy agency looking to update its employer brand. The Economist recently conducted a surprisingly revealing interview with Richard Moore, who heads MI6, the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence service. It turns out that Daniel Craig doesn’t fit the profile of the spies they hire...
