Battle of the Brands
Courtesy of The Royal

David Gensler can do more than anyone we've ever met. He has worked across a wide range of disciplines including industrial design, environments, graphics, writing, photography, film, fashion, footwear and creative direction on countless ad campaigns. He does it all and does it all very well.

Gensler co-founded and served as CEO for NativeDBG, a re-launched version of his über-hip firm, HumanBrand. Gensler was also Chief Branding Officer for the entire family of ROC brands. He recently left this position to work on his own growing family of brands. Gensler speaks with The Royal about all things design and highlights emerging talents putting everyone else to shame.

Can you give us any details on the explosive rise of Human Brand? Besides a killer product, how did you take your vision all the way to the top, being sought after by entertainment mammoths like Def Jam and Rocafella?

We never intended to move toward the entertainment industry, it really happened by accident. Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge shared office space in our building. We did a few projects with her and then I met Marvet Britto of the Britto Agency. We worked together for quite some time. She taught me a lot about the business and she made a lot of critical introductions. We then worked hard to push each project and pay extra attention to the client's needs. It sounds really egocentric, but we really took things beyond what the industry was accustomed to. Our reputation grew and doors opened. The amount of work we put in was unbelievable. I have a knack for finding really amazing people to work for me; they bleed to build Human Brand.

Human Brand was a leader in helping companies appeal to the “urban” market. How has this market matured and developed? Is there still such a thing?

The “urban” thing was a happy accident. We just wanted to deliver really progressive innovative solutions to brands in need, but you get inside particular circles, gravity just takes over. The growth was very organic and rapid.

The urban market has yet to mature. It will take another five years to determine who should be here and who should not. Right now it is way too saturated. As far as the existence of an “urban” market, I believe that the media and technology have spread the lifestyle so far and diluted the core market so much that only small pockets of the core urban market remain. I coined the term ‘Mash Culture' just so I could stop saying the word “urban” every five minutes. I think the term “urban” killed the “urban market.” Kids no longer care that about brands mentioned in rap lyrics, that is actually the kiss of death for a brand. Over-exposure always ends up deadly.

Do you feel this “mash culture” is good for the individual elements it's drawing from? Certainly this heterogeneous mixture will eventually lose all its desired associations, think of what Avril Lavine and Good Charlotte have done to the image of punk in the youth market's eyes.

Mash Culture is more than just another term, it's a natural response to an over-saturated marketplace. Consumers once again want to be individuals so they borrow, steal and then manipulate sections of existing trends, behaviors, and lifestyles in an attempt to create something that is their own. Now this trend has been around forever but technology has fueled its widespread growth.

So Human Brand starts making its mark on the visual world, CEOs start seeing the potential of your mash culture marketing and Rocafella decides to stop contracting you and just buy you out. What were your initial reactions to the offer? Is this buy-out strategy normal, or is nothing about hip-hop brands typical?

It did not happen exactly like that. We were doing a strategic project for Lyor Cohen and Def Jam. It was an exploration into the brand potential of Jay Z. At this time we were also investigating forming a closer relationship directly with Def Jam and that is when I developed the idea to start Native. Then Damon Dash and Kareem Burke became aware of our work. We met, hit it off and decided to launch Native under the ROC umbrella of companies.

It happened really fast and, like most things in Hip Hop, too fast in hind sight.

Your work at Native was a huge departure from the cliché hip-hop image, in particular, the La Familia line. How was it received? Was it effective?

We wanted to use our leading market position to help expand the borders of “urban based” brands. The campaign was very well received, especially by retailers and the sales force who were happy to see a new, more mature image. The image helped push the lifestyle beyond the normal stereotypes.

Talk a little bit about your much-publicized departure from Native. What made you leave the job so many young designers dream of obtaining?

In most business mergers, especially unconventional ones, things do not always work out. I have a very different management style and vision than Damon and that was the main fuel. I also did not enjoy constantly finding myself getting mixed up in politics and drama. His words from day one were “you're the doctor, you're here to fix things.” But it is hard to fix things when so many people do not see the problems, let alone the potential. I ended up running around in circles. I have to constantly move forward. I do not care what it costs or what the risks are. I am not about to sit back and just cash checks. I'm a really bad number two in a company and I learned that the hard way. I have nothing negative to say about my partners or the entire Native experience. I wish them well to this day.

In times of economic recession, advertising budgets are usually first to feel the hit. Has this current recession affected your work?

Actually, quite the opposite. When things get bad, I get really busy. People have begun to realize that innovation really does fuel business growth and brand growth. In a slump, CEO's realize that they need to launch innovative programs to push things forward. This goes for any of the areas I focus on, strategy, advertising, products, architecture, fashion. They all pick up in bad economies.

What marketing campaigns, designs or brands do you think are really effective today? What brands are the strongest and why?

I like many brands for different reasons. Puma makes great products. Spyker Cars create amazing design driven products. My good friend, Jason Bass of JB Classics, makes some amazing shoes. His dedication to his original vision is inspiring. Karim Rashid's stuff is always motivating me. His new shoe line is so hot it is going to change the game: Italian-made street kicks, amazing! I appreciate Alpa Camera's extreme quality. Morgan cars, I need a Morgan, have a great heritage resurrected with great design. Visionaire magazine brand is incredible. I am a junky for Visionaire. I want to work with them. I like the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force, totally crazy. DC Shoes have a big future. I love it when brands are brave enough to try something and if they fail, they get up and keep moving forward. That is what makes Nike so strong.

As a prominent figure in the design/advertising world, do you feel designers will one day become celebrities? Will design one day be like conceptual art, only possessing value through its association with the designer who created it? Would you ever want to be P. Diddy-famous?

You mean I am not P. Diddy-famous? Great, I wish someone would have told me that in the beginning of this interview! As for designers being famous, I think the public's interest will continue to increase. As people continue to “design” their lifestyles, they will become more interested in those responsible with the creation of the things and experiences that fill their worlds. I can see the day in the very near future when designers have Hollywood-style agents. Have you ever gone to a Karim Rashid party? They are filled with cute design groupies. Some designers are already at a certain “fame” level and it drives the value of their projects.

It would seem that your biggest asset is your ability to stay fresh. Where do you look for your inspiration and information?

I am a serious book collector. I have thousands and thousands of books and even more magazines. I am a big fan of first-hand experience. I do not like just reading something and incorporating it into my thought process. Right now, I am inspired by automotive design and fashion design and their relationship, the differences and similarities. I am also inspired by traditional crafts, especially Japanese crafts. The dedication of a person's life to sword making or papermaking is unbelievable to me and the fact that the country recognizes them as living treasures is amazing.

What are the next big trends?

More craft, more desire to own something original, one of a kind. Less “styling” and more “engineering.” I see a lot of collisions happening and markets coming together. The whole urban thing is quietly floating away or more correctly, “taking its place.” Places like CAA (Creative Artists Agency) are helping lay a new foundation for innovative brand growth. Brands are moving away from utilizing traditional advertising agencies to provide core brand growth. Brands no longer care where the innovation comes from, as long as the source is stable. In-house models will also dominate the landscape in five years, companies taking their brands back into their own hands.

How would you describe your personal style of design and management?

Extremely aggressive, sometimes too aggressive. I want to win at all cost and it can really pull a lot out of you. I will not stop until I get what I want. It has gotten me into trouble before. Once you turn me on, it is impossible to turn me off until the job is done. I get this from my mother. So I have been taking great efforts to move slower. I am in a phase where simplicity is driving me. My job is to make people want things. I am convinced that the answer exists in three main areas – scale, frequency and originality. I think everything falls into one or more of those three categories. Sometimes we look too hard to see things.

What's next for the David Gensler?

Jason Bass (of JB Classics) and I formed KDU as a type of LVMH of design/pop culture. The first project/brand will be called Keystone, a collectible toy company. We have really put a tremendous amount of time into pushing the envelope of this market. We are going to explore radical materials and methods of manufacturing. Jason and I are also working on two cartoon brands.

I am consulting with clients all over the world and doing quite a bit of lecturing. There are a few big projects in development that I can't talk about until they launch, but they are really exciting, great clients really committed to change and progress. A good deal of energy is being invested in SVSV and GhOST. SVSV, or Serum vs. Venom, is a modern luxury brand based on today's ideals of luxury. It is designed to be rooted in collaboration and fueled by opposition and constant flux. I choose luxury because it is constant throughout history and I am amazed at how young consumers gravitate towards brands like Gucci and Hermes that no longer have any direct relevancy in their lives or cultures.

GhOST is an “information brand,” inspired by Visionaire and Gas Book. GhOST is artifact driven, visual discourse, a challenge to brands to reach deeper and think harder. I'm working on two major photo projects. One involves studying the density and stratification of people in urban environments and the second involves investigating the duality of personal identity.

I am also busy enjoying the summer with my wife Lauri and trying to spend more time with friends. I wish someone would put some large mouth bass in New York City or tell me where I can find some near by. I miss fishing since I moved here.

Dave's Top Picks: I am extremely fortunate to be able to work with some of the best designers on Earth. The individuals on the following pages represent the best of the best.

They constantly continue to push boundaries and inspire my own thought process. It is an honor to call them friends.

Jason Bass - “Jason is a modern cobbler. JB Classics is the most original kicks brand to come along in quite some time. He is my partner in a few new ventures... We are launching KDU / Keystone Design Union, a kind of LVMH for youth culture and design. He is also an amazing illustrator and toy designer. Long Live KDU!”

Eneone - “Thomas and Ben are the two most talent designers I have ever met. They are crazy technical and truly artistic at the same time. They incorporate illustration, graffiti, amazing 3D and a deep knowledge of web design and programming. I think we might team up and do some interesting projects soon. I am extremely excited to work with them again. Thomas designed the cover for this issue of The Royal.”

Alan Dye - “Alan has a gentle touch like Barry Manilow... but he also has a dark evil side like Tom Jones. Girls throw panties at Alan... then he wears them. All kidding aside, Alan is a dope designer. He has big agency experience coming from Landor and then Ogilvy. Now he is focusing on building the Kate Spade brand.”

Chuck Anderson: “The kid is 19... self taught and better than you. Deal with it.”