{"id":411,"date":"2016-03-19T14:59:45","date_gmt":"2016-03-19T14:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/twofold.fuelthemes.net\/?p=411"},"modified":"2016-03-19T14:59:45","modified_gmt":"2016-03-19T14:59:45","slug":"guardian-strip-vibe-consultant-is-a-hilarious-send-up-of-media-industry-wankery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alex-fuchs.com\/en\/guardian-strip-vibe-consultant-is-a-hilarious-send-up-of-media-industry-wankery\/","title":{"rendered":"Guardian strip Vibe Consultant is a hilarious send-up of media industry wankery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lampooning media industry bullshit like a brightly coloured Nathan Barley, the Vibe Consultant<\/em> comic strip by Kyle Platts is a hilarious and at times, troublingly real look<\/strong> into the oft-ludicrous world of reach.<\/span><\/p>\n

The strip was commissioned by\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0to appear on the back page of its monthly\u00a0Guardian Guide<\/em>, and sees the Vibe Consultant<\/strong> battle the rocky terrain of body perfection, street-food start-ups and \u201cnegative thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI totally took that as a compliment,\u201d laughs Pentagram New York<\/strong><\/span> partner Emily Oberman. \u201cEveryone moans about Pentagram because we have been trucking along doing the best work we can over many, many years and either we succeed or we fail, but at least we try.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny to read all the things that get said about Pentagram. Some of it\u2019s accurate and some of it\u2019s so off the mark it\u2019s crazy. And whatever people might think, at its core Pentagram is \u2013 and always has been \u2013 about doing good work. That is basically the business plan. The fact that we have been successful<\/strong> is as much a positive statement<\/span> about the world of design as it is about the world of Pentagram.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"blog__\"
Photo\u00a0\u00a9 Pentagram New York<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

IT IS NOT LIKE JOINING SOME BIG CORPORATION<\/span><\/p>\n

Team Oberman can be found on the lower ground floor of the New York office, right next to that of Michael Bierut, the longest-serving US partner. But the partners all sit together, in a line of desks that stretches down the left-hand side of the office\u2019s first floor. From the waiting area, visitors come face-to-face with perhaps the most concentrated stretch<\/strong><\/span> of graphic design talent to be found anywhere in the world. It is an unusual arrangement, and while Michael and Emily can call straight down to their teams, other partners have to go upstairs to the upper floor to discuss their projects\u2019 progress.<\/p>\n

This building though was never designed to be a studio \u2013 it started life as a bank, became a clothing store and later a nightclub called MK, which Michael Bierut<\/strong><\/em> recalls as being themed around the idea of an illicit house party of a louche South American playboy who\u2019s magnate father was away. Michael, it must be said, has an extraordinarily detailed knowledge of the New York nightclub scene of the 1980s and 90s.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The first time Luke was interviewed as a potential partner he was actually turned\u00a0down \u2013 \u201cI was too nervous or too needy\u201d \u2013 but he was accepted second time around,\u00a0fresh off his huge success redesigning New York magazine \u201cI was funnier and I\u00a0think that really matters<\/strong>\u201d. Now he describes the interaction between the partners\u00a0when they all get together as “a little chaotic, a little dysfunctional.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lampooning media industry bullshit like a brightly coloured Nathan Barley, the Vibe Consultant comic strip by Kyle Platts is a hilarious and at times, troublingly real look into the oft-ludicrous world of reach. The strip was commissioned by\u00a0The Guardian\u00a0to appear on the back page of its monthly\u00a0Guardian Guide, and sees the Vibe Consultant battle the\u2026 <\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[17,22,35,36],"class_list":["post-411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion","tag-blacklivesmatter","tag-kyle-thompson","tag-vito-schnabel","tag-wood-and-beige"],"yoast_head":"\nGuardian strip Vibe Consultant is a hilarious send-up of media industry wankery - Alex Fuchs | Photographer<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n