Ode to Target and More

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few months, organized thematically (Advertising, Outdoor Dining, and Fashion).

I. Advertising

A visitor from England (we'll call him John, because that's his name) told me that on his first trip to the U.S., his traveling companion -- we'll call him X -- became obsessed with the idea of buying a handgun. Never mind that X had never before seen a gun in real life, had no idea how to use one, had no firearms license and no earthly use for a firearm, and would of course be unable to bring it back home with him to the U.K.

None of that mattered -- X had his heart set on buying a gun. So X chose a likely-looking store, called "Target" (!), marched up to the customer service window with a totally mortified John in tow, and demanded to purchase a gun. The good people of Target kindly explained that they were not in the business of selling firearms. (Apparently they declined to offer any leads as to where X might be able to make such a purchase, and John was eventually able to distract his friend with other American-style amusements.)

Target has a lock on the billboards on the central block of Times Square south of 42nd Street, even though it does not yet have a toehold in Manhattan retail space. (There is a lovely Target store in Brooklyn, however, which is served by the Atlantic Avenue subway station, home to the 2/3/4/5/B/D/M/N/Q/R. There was also, for a brief but glorious period, a Target boat anchored on the Hudson piers which sold 15 or 16 items.)

The advertisements in Target's Times Square space change regularly, but the Target Beetle ad below is my favorite so far. Not only does it look like a car advertisement (even though Target does not sell cars), but it is also strategically positioned over a major subway entrance in an area (Times Square) that is constantly overrun with pedestrians. These Times Square advertisements are 100% branding (red and white concentric circles), as Target provides no address or directions to get to the nearest store or even its web site - and does not even display its name or declare its business. Ironically, if a pedestrian sees the ad and is seized by a sudden urge to travel to the nearest Target, it is very quick and easy (you can catch the 2, 3, N, Q, or R directly there) but only for those already in the know.

There was a wonderful issue of the New Yorker magazine devoted to Target's advertising. Target hired the regular New Yorker cartoonists to prepare red and white circle-themed full-page cartoons throughout the magazine, with no competing advertisements (and of course, no copy on the ads themselves). Along with doubtless millions of other people, I have saved that issue. It was clearly intended to be cool and sophisticated, and it worked.

The interesting thing about these branding advertisements is that, to my mind, they have a distinctly European flavor - as if Target were trying to tackle IKEA head-on. (Target is not the only American company to do this; consider Haagen-Dasz.) According to the company's web site, however, Target's first store opened in Roseville, Minnesota, in 1962.

Speaking of heart-warming advertisements (we were?), I like this one from Manhattan Storage a lot better than the movie it spoofs:

II. Outdoor Dining

Behind the scenes at a 9/11 memorial near Times Square -- I like this because it looks like a rock-climbing wall. This is my back-up location for a quick outdoor lunch. It is not Zagat-rated, but is still frequented by people in the know.

Obviously, the park shown below (which shall remain nameless to protect its identity) is the numero uno location for lunch, complete with flowers and honest-to-goodness tables and chairs. What bliss! What luxury! You just have to be eagle-eyed and a teensy bit ruthless to snag a table, although people are a little bit more restrained than they are on the subway when competing for scarce seats.


III. Fashion Trends

For our fashion-conscious readers, the "earrings" on this lovely young model are actually two-piece animal magnets (featured here - one fish, one frog). These will be all the rage in Paris this summer, just mark my words.