Center Camp, Burning Man 07, originally uploaded by BURИBLUE.

It’s ironic that an event centered around “radical self-expression and anti-consumerism” is actually a very large and successful brand. In fact, in its 22nd year, Burning Man has built the kind of loyalist consumer base that could rival any iPhone upgrade launch.

Now before all you Black Rock true believers start beating us with virtual hookah pipes, this commentary is not intended to disparage the sanctity of “the burn.” If you want to go into the desert, build a city, make art, bike naked, trade bracelets, get baked and commune with the Lizard King, that’s cool. (And please send pictures.)

Meanwhile, let’s consider the properties of a successful brand. A brand can be a product, service, a person, or in this case, an event. When the brand consistently delivers on its unique promise, an emotional connection is formed with the consumer. The consumer identifies with attributes of the brand that reflect aspects of himself.

You see where we’re going here. Bud = mainstream, Americana, sports. Burning Man = counterculture, nonconformity, ‘shrooms. Told you it was ironic.

While Burning Man has become a business out of self-sustaining necessity, make no mistake, it’s a business. Black Rock City LLC, the organizing entity behind the festival, supports a full-time paid staff, has an office in San Fran and handles an annual budget of over $10 million. But that should be obvious to anyone not on a permanent acid trip. Even an anti-establishment experiment has to pay government land use fees.

“Hey, doesn’t Burning Man eschew all forms of marketing by its very being,” you ask? Guess it depends on what you call marketing but if you count web, print design, PR, blogs, direct mail and nontraditional, then um, no. Not to mention Word of Mouth. We’re talking two decades of burners spreading the “it changed my life” gospel.

Currently, there’s 287,346 related images on Flickr.

And that’s where Burning Man achieves true uber brand status. Come August 25th, over 48,000 brand advocates will once again shell out several hundred bucks for the unique experience of camping around a flaming… logo.

Yeah, that’s right, we said it. That big man-shaped structure towering over the playa is a logo.

Just check the trademark.

Thanks to all who attended an Evening of Excruciating Awkwardness hosted by NORTH and 52ltd. The 100 + crowd enjoyed fine beer and wine, hors d’oeuvres by Tavola and a lively debate about client/creative tension moderated by Linda Jeo Zerba of Deputy Consulting and featuring: John Hart, CMO of Ann Sacks and Kallista brands, Scott Biniak, Associate Director of Advertising/Nike APHQ, Steve Sandstrom, Creative Director and Partner at Sandstrom Partners and Mark Ray, ECD at NORTH.

For those that missed it, top line conclusions (as we recall them):

For creatives:

Always be hungry, always be in new-business mode (even with an established client), always think ahead for your clients.

Sometimes there is a better idea. If you think there’s only one creative solution to a business problem you might want to look at a different career.

It makes for a bad meeting if the emphasis seems to be on “selling.” Offer to share a great opportunity that will solve for the client’s need. Then make a robust, watertight case for that opportunity focused on the client’s goal.

For clients:

The worst meetings are those in which the key decision maker is not present (although they may seem like good meetings at the time.)

Be disciplined up front. Don’t use the creative presentation as the jumping off point for a discussion about strategy. Ensure everyone client side is in agreement before engaging the agency.

Clients need to be smart about their stuff – know the business goals, plans for growth, the customer inside and out… and know all those things better than the agency.

Don’t assume creatives are producing something for their own self-expression. Most often they have the client’s goals in mind.

For both:

The best relationships are those in which there is trust – a “safe” environment in which to have a frank exchange of views about the work.

Remember that this is a business but there is something magical that happens when you make art, and sometimes that magic can transfer into something commercial.

The best work speaks to a universal human truth to which everyone can relate.

See? Something good usually comes out of those extremely awkward situations.

Even if it’s just a free meal and a bit of information that can help you later on down the line.

Photos by Chris Teso

The nurse pushed Brett Favre to his usual spot by the window, and locked the wheels of his chair. She pulled a soft blanket over his legs, gave a kind whisper before leaving: “Have a good day, Gunslinger.” Brett responded with a slow, trembling nod.

The day crawled by. Shadows cast by the card tables and IV hangers lengthened and rotated slowly around the off-white room. Brett watched the street through the window, the movements of the outside world scored by rattling coughs and the tinny voice of the television.

In the evening, his nurse returned with pudding. Brett ate slightly more than half the cup, dribbled none. “That’s my Mississippi Miracle,” the nurse said, and patted his stubbly cheek. Brett’s hands stirred in his lap. “Look, he’s celebrating,” the nurse said, and all the staff within earshot stopped their work to watch.

Quaking and slow, but with the conviction of a bridge rising to abide a passing ship, Brett’s arms lifted to the sky. He clenched his spotted fists. “Touchdown!”

Brett’s voice was thin and soft.

“So I says to Bubba Franks, I says…”