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I love it
According to the book “Fast Food Nation” from 2001, 96% of American teenagers recognize Ronald McDonald, making him the most recognizable symbol in the food industry; in terms of popularity among fictional characters, he only ranks behind Santa Claus. If you noticed, the world’s largest fast-food chain has embarked on a major rebranding effort. The bright, aggressive yellow-and-red color scheme has been replaced by a more subdued yellow-green tone. In addition to green, natural materials like stone and wood are now being used in the design of these restaurants. The goal is to create an image of the brand as “more environmentally friendly” and its products as healthier. This rebranding process is already underway in Europe, and in Russia it began in 2010. Now it’s clear why the interior design of the new McDonald’s stores in our city was chosen specifically for this occasion—it’s a bold and unexpected move. McDonald’s and healthy food just don’t seem to go hand in hand… Apparently, the company itself has forgotten that it is a leader in the hamburger industry.

With love from NY
For example, we always thought that New Yorker was an American brand. But the first New Yorker clothing store opened not in the U.S., but in Germany in 1971. Since then, New Yorker has never looked back. Today, its streetwear stores are located in the most bustling shopping areas. These stores are filled with everyday casual clothes and young, price-conscious consumers. The excellent value for money is one of their main appeals. Honestly, the quality of the clothing isn’t exceptional, but it’s definitely affordable. As for what design will appear on the T-shirts—a skull or giant lips—and what colors the stripes on the jackets will be… well, that’s up to the customers at New Yorker stores—they don’t need any consultants to help them make decisions.



Tick-tock
In our opinion, Swatch watches are absolutely great. They always have original designs, and their prices are also quite reasonable—after all, these watches are of high quality, and that’s proven. No wonder one in four people around the world wears Swatch watches. However, Swiss Swatch watches didn’t become so popular at first. The main problem was that they ignored the youth market completely. In 1986, Nicholas Haik, one of the brand’s founders, decided to make Swatch watches a fashionable item that people could collect or change frequently. This strategy successfully attracted young consumers. It is said that the name “Swatch” comes from the phrase “Swiss Watch,” but Nicholas Haik claims that it actually originates from “Second Watch”—that is, watches designed for everyday use, as affordable accessories. No one could have predicted that Swatch would grow beyond being just a brand of watches and become an entire philosophy, a way of life… And all this happened in just 18 years—a remarkably short time for the watch industry in Switzerland.

All the stars
After a friend from “Pro-Otdykh” asked us, “Do you wear Converse sneakers and don’t know their amazing history?!”, we decided to share some facts about them. The production of the Converse All Stars series began in 1917. So Vladimir Mayakovsky and other Soviet hipsters back then could wear these sneakers when they traveled to the United States. Initially, Converse sneakers were not designed for fashion-conscious young people—they were originally created for basketball players. In the early 1920s, “basketball ambassador” Chuck Taylor promoted them vigorously by signing contracts with the company. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Converse sneakers also became popular among soldiers. A special A6 Flying series was developed specifically for the U.S. Air Force. It wasn’t until two decades after World War II that colorful Converse sneakers began to be produced, thanks to customer requests. Before that, only black models were available. The low-profile One Star sneakers were introduced in 1974. Although they were originally designed for basketball players, they quickly became popular among surfers and skaters as well. Kurt Cobain almost always wore Converse All Stars. He helped bring them back into fashion in the 1990s.



The expensive apple
In recent days, ExxonMobil and Apple have been competing on the stock market to become the most valuable companies. Of course, we support Apple—after all, it has greatly improved our lives with products like the iPod and iPad. By the way, Steve Jobs resigned as Apple’s CEO today. He wrote a letter to the company’s board of directors and the entire Apple community, saying: “I have always said that if the day comes when I can no longer fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO and meet everyone’s expectations, I will be the first to inform you. Unfortunately, that day has come. I am hereby announcing my resignation.” However, Steve Jobs will not leave the company entirely—he will now serve as Apple’s chairman of the board. Well, that’s how it is!

Sentro’s appeal
The fashion events organized by Volvo and Mercedes-Benz in Moscow, as well as the fashion show on the Neva River, proved that Centro shoes are always in demand. Actually, we have no objections to them at all—it’s just sometimes annoying to see three or four girls wearing exactly the same pair of shoes in one day… If you happen to be one of those girls from Tolyatti… But the Centro brand has gained recognition not only among Tolyatti residents who value affordable clothing but also among top designers. The fact that Centro shoes appear on major fashion runways makes them inherently fashionable. For several years now, famous designers like Slava and Yegor Zaytsev have chosen Centro shoes for their shows. According to the designers, these shoes always reflect the latest fashion trends and offer a wide range of styles and colors. What’s more, they are so versatile that you can wear different pairs depending on your mood, the occasion, or just because you feel like it. Calling them “shoes for one use” would be too harsh… But every time you visit a Centro store, you’re sure to find something worth buying—we certainly wouldn’t regret spending money there!



Coffee?..
The name “Starbucks” comes from the surname of one of the characters in Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick” (Starbuck). The company’s logo features a picture of a siren with her chest and navel exposed. This image symbolizes that Starbucks coffee is sourced from all corners of the world. You can still see the original Starbucks logo at its first store in Seattle. The interior design of Starbucks stores always follows certain rules: the entrance door faces east or south, never north. Customers should enjoy natural light, but it shouldn’t be too bright. The music played in Starbucks stores is the same across the entire chain—no matter where you are, you’ll hear the same songs at the same time. Each store also has a unique interior design and atmosphere. Oh, if only Starbucks would open up in our city… What dreams!

The spirit of Italy
On August 15th, the popular “Terranova” store opened. They promised “new experiences, a new atmosphere, and much more… A completely new format of the store that will surprise you!” But so far, it hasn’t managed to impress us too much. We preferred the old location and layout of the store—the space is just a bit limited now. The selection of clothing is also somewhat disappointing either because everything was sold out on the opening day or because the main stock hasn’t arrived yet. Well, let’s wait a little longer—maybe Terranova in its new format will really catch our attention and enrich our wardrobes. The interior design is quite nice, and the prices remain affordable. Moreover, the company’s slogan “Spirito Italiano” truly reflects the brand’s essence: the clothing from Terranova is as vibrant, extravagant, and appealing as Italy itself.



We spent two weeks on a yacht
We know! These lines from a chewing gum advertisement have really stuck in our heads… and they give us the urge to vomit. But did you know that Orbit chewing gum was originally developed for soldiers? Yes, its existence is directly linked to World War II. After the United States joined the war, the country’s production capabilities were redirected towards military needs. Wrigley Company, which was already a leading manufacturer of chewing gum at the time, also began producing chewing gum exclusively for the military. Famous brands like Juicy Fruit, Wrigley’s Spearmint, and Doublemint were all created for soldiers. Civilian consumers had to do without them—there was a shortage of raw materials in the country, so Wrigley Company couldn’t produce enough products to meet everyone’s needs. Of course, they didn’t want to compromise quality by increasing production volumes. So they came up with a creative solution: they created another brand—Orbit. Production of Orbit stopped immediately after the war ended, in 1946. At that time, it was assumed that it would never be revived (or at least not until the next world war). However, the brand was brought back in the 1970s. By then, its negative reputation had faded into forgetfulness. The Orbit brand was reintroduced first in Germany in 1976, and then in the United Kingdom a year later. Naturally, only high-quality ingredients were used in the production of new Orbit chewing gum. It quickly became one of the most popular brands in both Western and Eastern Europe. And in 2001, Orbit returned to the United States… Now we’re forced to sing “We spent two weeks on a yacht, and all that time, you kept chewing gum…”

Of course, this is far from everything we wanted to write about—or everything that’s currently popular. But when someone asks us the tricky question “Where did Converse sneakers come from?”, we can answer confidently without avoiding it or blushing.

Aliya Bulatova
Ekaterina Shloma