I agree with a lot of what you just said BUT you kind of missed the point. I for one am not always on the search for 'the new new'
For example Baker has barely changed their art direction since the early 2000s, they are still as relevant as ever?
The baker Ams video they put out has been perhaps the best clip this year?
Every shop I have been into in the last 15 years has had a baker logo board on the wall.
What I was saying a company loses its identity (rendering it stale, not necessarily unpopular) when they change their art direction and team. Polar was an exciting Euro company. I just think them adding a hesh aussie is another example of them losing what once made them special.
you're right about Baker, they are a good example of a company somehow managing to get the best from both worlds. they arguably might make for an exception though, rather than the rule - the 'all-star' type of team coupled with Reynolds' legacy as well as being based in Cali definitely gives them some kind of universal street cred that is hard for anyone else to compete with, among both the die-hard fans who actually get the gist of the history behind the brand and have been following them from the start, and the constantly repopulated generations of mid-to-late teens who fixate over the 'punk' logo (which is just as bland as it is strong and efficient - pair that up with the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' saying, and you get the idea behind its longevity).
were we to compare Baker with, say, anything Crail (which has similar legendary skater-owned and -ran origins, plus they were just brought up in this thread too), i'd say those points i just mentioned are exactly what sets them apart in terms of popularity ; in comparison, say, the Girl logo (albeit originally just as bold, strong and essentially accessible as the Baker logo) doesn't seem to age nearly as well, in terms of popularity among the younger generations, plus the (again, originally solid and outstanding) general imagery of Girl and Chocolate has notoriously been getting diluted with every new modernization of the team rosters etc... basically Crail appears to be less successful as 'updating themselves' throughout the years as Baker. which, in a way, goes back to what i was bringing up in my former post earlier.
and then again, of course, bang-for-your-buck logic-wise, quality of the wood has to be the nail in the coffin for Crail seemingly failing to retain its popularity. even those of us who would like to keep giving Girl decks a chance all the while not really giving a shit what their current team or public image might be (or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the more artless kids who just like the logos and recent videos and would be inclined to give the products a try) are bound to be turned down by the experience with the terrible wood. mind you, this is coming from someone who skated nothing but Girl decks for years back in the early 2000's (probably had 15 in a row at some point) before they moved the production to China, and, ironically enough, never even liked Baker in the slightest (as much as i like the skaters and respect skater-ran enterprises, i was actually siding with those complaining about the shitty influence the brand was bound to have on the next generation of kids, back when it first came out and caused quite the amount of controversy). now, in all fairness, i got to go through two Crail decks last year... the first one was actually pretty amazing. (the second one, on the other hand...). looking forward to trying whatever comes out of the new woodshop they are supposedly moving on to now.
i get what you're trying to say about Polar but i don't think adding a 'hesh aussie' to the team will distract from the original image of the company, i'm failing to understand your worries because Polar has been sponsoring dudes from all over the world forever. really, is there anything that makes french dudes like Kevin Rodrigues & Paul Grund or US skaters such as Aaron Herrington less exotic than Hesh Aussie ? it's like from as soon as the early years of Polar, half the team was never Swedish. i mean, from a purist's perspective, essentially, you are right, but when your company is growing, you've got to adapt to a worldwide demand and spontaneously start working with people from all over the world, what are you supposed to do ? did you feel a similar way when Jimmy Lannon first got on Magenta too ? (again, would be understandable)
were we to ever worry about Polar's future, personally my biggest concern would be investors knocking on Pontus' door only to then suddenly take full control of the company which is exactly what happened to Cliche back in the days, thing is Pontus was actually skating for Cliche back when that happened and the whole event is exactly what made Pontus quit. seeing as he's been through that, i really don't think he would ever let the same thing happen to his own brand - plus he's a control maniac - before he really feels over the brand which i don't see happening anytime soon. and by that time, more exciting euro companies will be around i'm sure.
Topic: what happened to Jacob Ovgrens art on Polar? (Read 10604 times)