Week 1: Two Cultures

I believe I am a product of the "third culture" being a sociology student at UCLA. While it is technically a north campus major, to me, it is the perfect blend of science and art. We think about abstract concepts in technical ways, using statistics and measurements when necessary. We take the concrete - the way people behave - and pick it apart and look for the underlying, intangible forces that drive their actions.

http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com

I deal with the middle ground between art and technology in a professional sense because I am currently an intern at an agency and showroom. For many, an agency is a foreign concept, but the most basic explanation of it is that it is the business side of brands that helps them grow and market their company. This particular agency only represents four brands, which are technically classified as lifestyle brands. They seek to create a way of living that the consumer can attain or be a part of by purchasing the product they sell. For example, one brand we represent sells bicycles, but also aims to embody the "Venice lifestyle" where ease, style, adventure collide. To the customer, not only are they purchasing a bicycle, but a ticket to this lifestyle.

http://www.indian-summer.co

The lifestyle aspect of a brand is largely established by and dependent on their social media presence. Because of the undeniable influence and growth of technology in today's sales and marketing, a huge part of what I do at with this agency is managing the social media outlets of these brands. One quote my boss looks to operate by is "a good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself." It is a balancing act to find how to utilize technology to reach optimal number/type of consumers, while also using art to create beautiful and enticing advertisements and curate a vision that represents the brand in a particular light.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

The showroom that I work at, where four brands coexist in one space. 

http://www.staywildmagazine.com

Sources
Bohm, D. "On Creativity." JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013.
Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.

Brockman, John. The Third Culture. N.p.: n.p., 1995. Print.

Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures: And a Second Look. N.p.: n.p., 1963. Print.