RACE-ing

The new CSA

I was going to write about my Monumental Struggle documentary this morning, but HCR sent me on a related but different tack. The new CSA, Corporate States of America…which I ranted about a little bit on HCR’s page using NASCAR as an example. NASCAR has for a long time, been the place that AMERICAN corporations could buy space to display their logos. If you had a lot of money the race was yours…the Pepsi 400…or the car was yours, DeWalt was one that I actually did video work for when Matt Kenseth was their driver.

LOGO’s are everywhere. Now I liked doing work for DeWalt and Black & Decker. Their HQ was right here in Baltimore. B&D developed and patented the hand held drill in 1916. It was a revolutionary development in tools. You can see it on the left in this photo. The original is in the Baltimore Museum of Industry (which is where you now find Baltimore’s Industrial heritage)

These metal drills were made in Maryland plants until the 1970’s when they started to offshore their manufacturing. I made a history video for them around 2001 with a lot of details about the growth of the company. I’ve googled it and they’ve made it very fuzzy about that period of time in the 70’s and 80s when virtually all of their manufacturing went overseas. The plants here in MD were closed. Everything was imported. Now, they “manufacture” here in a new plant in SC from parts made in Mexico, China, etc. So they are coming back…but they totally destroyed a large & stable workforce here in MD, in the process.

B&D has acquired a lot of other brands, DeWalt, Craftsman and merged with Stanley…they still maintain Corporate HQ here in Towson, so there are a lot of white collar jobs, doing design, PR and running the company…just like Under Armour across town. They have 2 large management, design & PR campuses…but make very little here in the US.

Again their logos are everywhere, worn by everyone…and they do create a of of white collar jobs and spend a lot of money here. I’ve benefitted from them many times, doing events…one that included Kid Rock…but they don’t make products here. Considering their sneakers can cost $150 and more…how much of a profit margin do you need ? Steph Curry is a great player…but how much to endorse a shoe…???

Even when these folks are generous…and they can be…I can tell you it’s hard to get their attention for things that really need help…unless it helps them. Even then it can be an issue.

I was a victim of Kevin Plank’s “handlers” (he created Under Armour) because I dared to talk with him (I had conducted interviews with him) at a rehearsal…and then sent him a letter about a concept I had that was related to some of his talking points…which they intercepted…and they made it known to the production company I was working for that I was to “stay away from Kevin”. They didn’t appreciate the fact that I had mentioned that he was “stressed” at the rehearsal we were doing. I don’t think they wanted me to remind him that he was pissed off at his people for the script he had been given…and the lack of appropriate preparation for a big presentation. They were constantly changing things at the last minute…and it felt like a cheap circus. (we worked with a LOT of companies doing big events….the UA people were very seldom totally prepared to rehearse) They made very powerful, bone crushing videos…”Protect this House” with Ray Lewis and other sports stars but they had trouble bringing it all together at the moment of truth.

At the next event we were doing…he approached me to say hi…I wasn’t sure what to do. His minions really tried to blackball me…but the video director/supervisor I had worked with for years (I recorded his sons wedding….and I don’t do weddings) just said lay low…and stay away from Kevin. Our next gig was a surprise visit from Tom Brady to fire up the UA employees.

I did not get an autograph. But I did get a mini Mac that someone had thrown in the trash….

So, I’m trying to not work for the new CSA anymore…or the old CSA for that matter. Back to the theme…a few “powerful people” make a LOT of money, while the rest of us try and get by….I don’t buy $150 UA shoes…or wear their logo. Actually I just bought a Mickey Mouse and a Bud Lite T shirt at a second hand shop for $12.

2 items that I would not have bought and worn a month ago. Now I will. Proudly. We actually need a T-shirt with Mickey drinking Bud Lite in a dress along with his good pal Bugs Bunny…THAT will sell

Peace to all…more about documentaries next time.