Micah's Read of the Week, Vol. 88
Why all advertising looks the same, New York's new stadium deal, Manu the HOFer, Recipe Corner, and more.
Hello, and welcome to Micah’s Read of the Week.
This is a newsletter filled with things Micah Wiener finds interesting.
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All Advertising Looks the Same These Days. Blame the Moodboard
Art direction is a flat circle.
Here’s a fascinating look as to the structural reasons why so many brands seemingly share the same visual aesthetic.
Unlike graphic design, where client approval typically happens after work has been created, in art direction the order is flipped, with client sign-off required before any imagery has been made. This gap between sign-off and execution is where the moodboard comes in: art directors are expected to provide a variety of boards that break down every aspect of a shoot (from lighting to propping) as well as a shot list that will be strictly followed by a photographer. This pressure to provide final results in advance of production encourages art directors to only propose ideas that they can find existing photographic examples of, and to ultimately recreate these ideas on set.
The way in which images are selected and placed within the context of the moodboard is the driving force behind the aesthetic monotony seen in brand photography.
Art directors, tasked with sourcing imagery quickly and precisely, are increasingly turning to collective inspiration websites like Pinterest or Are.na to locate reference images. On these sites, by design, creatives are encouraged to bucket out imagery into thematically consistent folders to be shared and mined by other visitors. But by stripping imagery from its in-situ context, it becomes difficult to grasp the conceptual rationale behind their formal appearance.
Reference images are considered only by era, by subject, or by setting, rather than as a unified amalgamation of ideas and aesthetics. As a result, when designers are researching references for, say, a skincare shoot for a product that comes in glass bottles, they are more likely than ever to limit their research to aggregate boards that only trade in still life or glass bottles or beauty. When these borrowed images are further compiled into the form of art direction moodboards, they’re so ideologically flattened that it’s near impossible to use them as a brainstorming tool for new ideas—they become a rigid road map instead. While curation is undoubtedly an artform in its own right, to borrow critic Fran Leibowitz’s words: a sense of discovery is not equal to invention.
Interesting, right? The piece’s close contains some pretty good advice that can apply to just about anyone in any industry.
The internet can be an asset to research, but intentionality in sourcing shows wisdom and intellect; a solid concept with fewer examples is always better than an oft-trodden one with a plethora of precedents. Even more simply: trust your intuition. Chances are you’ve absorbed enough of the current visual climate by osmosis alone; what happens when you let what you’ve seen filter through the lens of your own memory, rather than working directly from a reference on a page? Ultimately, reference imagery should be used as a tool, not a product—leading to visual iteration, not limiting it.
Micah Recommends
Andrew Brandt’s Sunday Seven Newsletter
Brandt is a college professor, lawyer, and former NFL General Manager. His insights into the business of sports are unique and often insightful. This week he had some thoughts on a new publically-financed stadium proposal.
The Best Deal in the History of the Business of Sports
I have mentioned this before, but it needs to sink in; the state of New York is giving the Bills’ owners $850 million towards the cost of a new stadium. Owners Terry and Kim Pegula certainly have the resources to fund most, if not all of the stadium cost privately; but they have just made, in simplest terms, the best deal in the history of the business of sports.
A few years ago, Nevada forked over $750 million for a stadium, but that was to entice the Raiders to move there; this deal, to keep an existing team, tops that. Governor Kathy Hochul — allocating these resources to an NFL owner rather than to schools, libraries, public safety, etc. — does not want to be forever known for losing the Bills, but query: would the Bills really have taken their football and left had they not received this extraordinary sum? And gone where exactly? To Austin? St. Louis? Toronto? Really?? And I think Hochul needs better negotiators. Couldn’t the state of New York have negotiated say, half a billion rather than $850 million? The Bills will eventually be sold for a price north of $4 billion and the state of New York’s share of that will be $0.00. NFL owners socialize cost and privatize profit. What a business.
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back to the read…
Manu is a well-deserved first-ballot Hall of Famer
Four-time champion. Olympic Gold Medalist. Consumate beloved teammate. My favorite Spur ever.
Don’t you dare let anyone tell you otherwise. Congrats to Manu.
(Barkley Voice) “Ginobiliiiiiii!!!”
Recipe Corner
Baked Hummus
Here’s an easy appetizer that would look fancy at a Masters watch party.
3 cups store-bought hummus or Speedy Homemade Hummus (see related recipe)
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons store-bought or homemade harissa (see related recipe)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons (1 ounce) pine nuts, toasted (may substitute slivered almonds)
Flatbreads, for serving
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
Spoon the hummus into a 2-quart baking dish. Mix in half the chickpeas and smooth out the top.
In a bowl, toss the remaining chickpeas with the cherry tomatoes, harissa, oil, salt and pepper until everything is evenly coated. Pour the mixture on top of the hummus.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have burst and become soft and slightly burnished on top. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and serve warm with flatbreads.
Salmon all’Arrabbiata
I am planning to make this quick salmon dish for dinner tonight. Will share the results (if I remember to take pictures).
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 salmon fillets, skin removed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons each: salt, black pepper
1 teaspoon each: dried oregano, dried sage, sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chili, or red chili flakes, more to taste
1 anchovy, in oil
3 tablespoons double-concentrate tomato paste
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 2/3 cups crushed tomatoes
3.5 ounces spinach
1.5 ounces grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
crushed red pepper flakes, for serving
Get all the prep done before you start cooking: finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel, season both sides with 1 tsp salt and black pepper.
Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add salmon and sear, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Reduce heat to low. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Stir in anchovy, red chili, the remaining salt and pepper, oregano, sage and paprika. Add tomato paste, stir to incorporate, about 1 minute. Deglaze with chicken broth, simmer for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon while scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Pour in crushed tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes.
Add spinach and simmer until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in grated Parmesan and transfer salmon back to the skillet. Allow to cook for 3 more minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through. If needed, thin with additional broth.
Serve topped with red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley.
Kale Caesar Salad With Lemony Breadcrumbs
Gotta have something green, right?
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup panko
½ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, divided
1 large bunch curly kale (about 1 lb.), ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into 1" pieces
2 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 oil-packed anchovy fillets
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, ¼ tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook panko, stirring often but being careful not to crush, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Carefully stir in half of the lemon zest and set aside.
Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle 2 Tbsp. oil over. Massage kale with your hands until dark green and very soft, about 3 minutes.
Using the flat side of a chef’s knife, smash anchovy fillets on a cutting board to a coarse paste; transfer paste to a medium bowl. Whisk in lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ½ oz. Parmesan, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt. Gradually stream in remaining ¼ cup oil, whisking constantly until dressing is smooth and creamy.
Add half of dressing to bowl with kale and toss to evenly coat. Taste and add more dressing by the tablespoonful until salad is well-dressed. Taste salad and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Mound salad onto a platter or divide among plates. Drizzle any remaining dressing over and top with more Parmesan, reserved panko, and remaining lemon zest.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Panna Cotta
It’s always panna cotta szn around here.
250 milliliters (1 cup) whole milk
200 milliliters (3/4 cup) heavy cream
100 grams (3.5 oz) dark chocolate 70%, chopped
100 grams (3.5 oz) smooth peanut butter
50 grams (1.7 oz) sugar
1 tablespoon strong espresso
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 gelatine sheet
200 milliliters (3/4 cup) heavy cream 35%
100 grams (3.5 oz) mascarpone
2 heaped tbsp icing sugar
Soak the gelatine sheet in a bowl cold water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the milk, cream, peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, espresso and sugar into a saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, without bringing it to a boil, stirring frequently for around 3 minutes until chocolate is dissolved. Remove from heat. Squeeze all water out of gelatine and add to the mixture, stir until gelatin has dissolved. Pour the mixture into small bowls or cups. Transfer to the fridge, leave to set for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Before serving, add cream, mascarpone and sugar to a bowl. Blend on low speed until light and fluffy. Serve the panna cotta with a dollop of whipped mascarpone. Decorate with chocolate or toasted peanuts, or both. Enjoy!
Did Micah practice yoga this week?
Yes. 45 minutes Sunday at the Black Swan Yoga with John.
That’s 12 in-person weekend classes in 13 weeks this year. Namaste.
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