Art’s vital importance in communicating “unusual” corporate values

It is the 12^th time.
The 12^th time that I made a motif for a award winning company.
The award is the Danish Industry Initiative Award 2009.
The company is the Fittings Specialist in Fredericia, Denmark.
It was a couple of months ago.
As always I initiate the job by talking to the CEO. His name is Finn Roy, and he thoroughly informed me about products, organisation, etc.
We managed to drink three cups of coffee.
The chemistry between us was right.

Now you must see the robot, Finn Roy said.
The robot???
First I thought of Gyro Gearloose' Little Helper in the Disney Comic series Donald Duck by Disney and then of Lego Robots by Lego in Denmark.

I recently heard about robots that could create 3D prints - but these have just been invented and they are not yet tested properly.
Then there are CNC robots that I have seen in different companies.
But.
It was none of the above.
I was without a clue.

In plain English the robot collects items from stock for delivery.
Technically speaking the robot was a LOGIA WMS - an internal logistics- and warehouse management robot, which was integrated in Concorde C5 - the administrative computer system.

You might wonder that The Fittings Specialist can handle 35.000 items.
The robot is the secret.
It collects fittings from 88.000 boxes on two rows of shelves in a height of 7 meters (23 feet).
The robot rushes along among the 88.000 boxes - up and down, back and forth- all day with 25 miles per hour.
Without sweating.
The robot is computerized and it optimizes itself all the time. Among other things it places items with a high frequency together.
It doesn't use its full capacity - it runs at nearly only half power (60%).
The Fittings Specialist is increasing the number of item numbers due to world wide expansion.



The motif, which was granted to The Fittings Specialist - winner of Danish Industry's InitiativeAwardCompetition. To the left tubes with fittings. In the middle the fairy tale about Robert Robot and to the right Robert Robot himself. Robert Robot is constructed from fittings in the Fittings Specialist's catalog.

Through my talks with the CEO, by attending the presentation and listening to Finn Roy, John Damkjær, chairman of Danish Industry Region and Uffe Steiner, the mayor of Fredericia and not least by talking to the staff and guests, I had sure a feeling, that this was something special.
Why - I know a lot of companies - why is this particular company something special.
I wondered.
And I wondered.
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Oh!!!!
I see!!!!
They use - consciously or unconsciously - a very special set of corporate values.
I'll use ART to make this fact visible to the staff, to management, to customers, to suppliers, to the surrounding organizations, to the surrounding society, to......
I constructed 6 keywords that matched the special set of corporate values.
Here are the keywords:

Interplay/Decency - Interplay among colleagues, customers, suppliers and others - in a decent way...
Meticulosity - Means care, precision, solicitude, be careful. Quality at all levels...
Respecting Recharging - Employees have the right and an obligation to recharge...
Changeability/IT-Readiness - The company as a whole needs to be ready for change...
Think Globally - In the near future the company intend to approach international markets so employees must think globally.
Strict Financially Management/Strict Equity Control - Strict financial management ends up in strict equity control.

Inspired by these keywords I have designed 6 artworks, size: 132,1 x 132,1 cm (52 x 52") primarily for a permanent exhibition in the headquarters, but as well for promoting the special corporate values in general:



Interplay/Decency
An employee in the Fittings Specialist communicates on a daily basis with management, colleagues, customers, suppliers, people in different fields of service etc. etc.
All communication and any agreement, deal etc. is based on decency.



Meticulosity
Means care, precision, solicitude, be careful.
Every process in the company needs to live up to the highest standards concerning quality.
Meticulosity or Meticulousness even means
Extremely careful and precise or extremely or excessively concerned with details.

Respecting Recharging
Employees have the right and an obligation to recharge.
As a ground rule we do not do overtime.
It's important that our most valuable resource is fit at any time during work time. This can only be accomplished by insisting on that the employees have a fruitful leisure time, a fruitful family life etc.



Changeability/IT-Readiness
There is a rapid change in how to operate a company.
The company as a whole needs to be ready for change, the employees need to be ready, customers need to be ready and even suppliers need to be ready.
Especially the field of Information Technology (IT) sees changes every day. New opportunities.
It's important to be constantly aware of what happens in the IT field.



Think Globally
In the near future we intend to approach international markets so we must think globally. We can reach every spot in the world by the internet.
We can offer our products and we can accept orders via phone or internet.
Hereafter the main issue is to observe developments in logistic possibilities.
Improving your English is another issue.



Strict Financially Management/Strict Equity Control
Strict financial management ends up in strict equity control.
This is extremely important in our company as we want to increase our number of items and want to approach international markets.
The value motifs and the adjacent texts were presented to the CEO: Bulls Eye, he said.


The employees were introduced to the special corporate values in a folder in English and a meeting with me.
In order to underline and distribute the value motifs much more than usual I have designed a Fittings Specialist e-shop in which the company, employees etc.
can buy posters, postcards and merchandise like T-shirts, shoes, mugs, mouse pads etc. - all of them based on the 6 motifs.
You can see the contents of the e-shop at www.zazzle.com/fittings. The e-shop is based on the concept "Manufacturing on Demand", which means, that the products are manufactured and shipped AFTER ordering. No stock needed, you can buy only one piece, if you like.
Fittings Specialist's e-shop is run by a team of computer nerds in PaloAlto, CA in USA. Nerds that I have worked together with for some time.
They are crazy.
The most crazy thing they have introduced so far - as nothing is impossible - is an agreement with US- Postal, meaning that I as a PRO-Contributor to Zazzle can design US-Postal stamps for any company I like.


Sincerely,
Asbjorn Lonvig, Artist
"Lille Fejringhus"
43 Fejringhusvej
8722 Hedensted
Denmark

Reading out loud my fairy tales - signing "9 Bernhards" posters - showing www.LONVIG-by-MINYMO.com

New kids' clothing brand LONVIG by MINYMO - Autumn 2008 Collection

In Aarhus, Denmark at Café Slabberas on 6 September 2008.

Today my destination was Aarhus. At Café Slabberas, 26 Frederiksgade in Aarhus at 10 a.m.

It was early in the morning.

I was preparing myself for the event.

My wife rushed into the gallery where I was - she had heard some "voices".

Calm down, calm down - it is nothing but me practicing - reading out loud the fairy tale "Lucca and Sam in the Zoo...".

After a couple of rehearsals I was confident.

At Café Slabberas I was welcomed by beautiful ladies.

A computer with fast internet was ready.

Everything was ready.

Depending on what happened, I had 3 possibilities.

Reading out loud, signing the mini poster "9 Bernhards" and showing www.LONVIG-by-MINYMO.com on the internet.

Signing of mini poster "9 Bernhards" was a hit. This was what I spent most of the time doing this 6 September 2008 in Aarhus.

I contacted the parents, wrote the name of their child down at the left and signed down to the right.

This was the perfect way to enter a conversation, and when I told that the new kids' clothing brand LONVIG by MINYMO was based on my fairy tales and fairy tale character - a very positive contact was established. And I probably talked, and talked, and talked...

For a start the computer was used - but it was not necessary to pass the message.

I talked to a Chinese, I talked to a German, I talked to one from Greenland and one from my home city Hedensted. I talked to one from Frederikshavn and a lot from Aarhus. Among the people from Aarhus there was one from a kindergarten.

I asked all of them to take a closer look at the wonderful kids' clothing in the LONVIG by MINYMO line.

I asked them to go home and read out loud my fairy tales on the web site.

I asked them to take a closer look at the web site with its book shop, shoe shop, poster shops, clock shop, fairy tale theatre, jigsaw puzzle games etc.

For a star I talked to people entering the second floor.

Later I went down into the outdoor Café Slabberas to ensure that all visitors got a poster for their children.

I talked to a granddad - he was an IT nerd - I showed the fairy tale theatre to him. This granddad had 3 grand kids and there is no doubt that he soon has built fairy tale theatres for them.

A young lady, she was called Karin, she owned a poster store at Sct. Clemens Torv not far away. She loved Bernhard. I have sent an e-mail to her and we will see what happens.

Only one "9 Bernhards" mini poster was left at closing time. At 4 p.m.

The last poster was dedicated Tristan and his parents. But they did not show up.

I'll see to that Tristan gets his poster.

I had talked to people since 10 a.m. - interrupted only by a wonderful brunch, which Café Slabberas served.

And then an unknown number of espressos and café americanos during the day.

I was tired but very happy, that my message was passed so very easily.

When you do such things - and especially if you are a little aggressive - you might have a negative response from some.

Not one responded negatively - everybody was happy and thanked me for doing it...

Super!

Sincerely,

Asbjorn Lonvig

Lille Fejringhus

43 Fejringhusvej

8722 Hedensted

Denmark

+45 7589 0477

lonvig@mail.dk

And now I am very excited to hear the response from the 58 image projector show with Beatles music on church organ which started on 29 August 2008.

It has been shown every night at 9 p.m. during the Aarhus Festival. The Aarhus Festival ends 7 September 2008.

Click on icon to download in high resolution

Synergetic Effects

I am an International commercial counselor writing on behalf of the World of Art Award* winning artist, designer and fairy tale writer Asbjorn Lonvig.

Lonvig has a very unique background as an IBM trained software engineer and is world renowned for his determined use of IT and Internet in art, design and writing.

Lonvig works in simple shapes and bright colours, and his artist statement is:
“Colourful Simplicity in Art as in Life.” He is dedicated to use his art, design and fairy tale characters commercially, in close cooperation with skilful designers from various businesses who are experts within their fields.

The tremendous synergetic effects that his art generates, is exactly what sparks Lonvig's greatest desire! A great example is the kids clothing brand
LONVIG by MINYMO.

Are you up for the challenge to create LONVIG by [YOUR COMPANY]?

Please see selection of images!

Sincerely,

Flemming Martin, MSc.

International Commercial Counselors

Praestehaven 4

DK-8722 Hedensted

Denmark

+45 2666 3330

FlemmingMartin@InternationalCommercialCounselors.com

*) The World of Art Award:

The World of Art Award (WAA) is granted to artists, galleries and museums that are pursuing "best practices" in art and culture. This competition seeks to attract artists, galleries, museums who are redefining standards of art excellence challenging existing trends and tendencies

in art and culture.

100 % organicl kids' fairy tale inspired clothing now in the stores in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Germany...

New organic kids' clothing brand LONVIG by MINYMO,

based on Danish fairy tale writer and illustrator Asbjorn Lonvig's

fairy tales and fairy tale characters, is now in stores and internet stores. Size 74 to 110.

The autumn 2008 line introduces the fairy tale character Bernhard, a whimsical monkey.

See more about it on www.LONVIG-by-MINYMO.com.

Among other things you can read and download the fairy tales.

See where you can buy the kids' clothing - in stores or internet stores - click here.

If you are a store, an internet store or an agent please contact LONVIG by MINYMO (Export Manager Jesper Maansson's e-mail address) for authorization to sell the brand.

Below you can see photos of wonderful kids in the amazing kids' clothing:

LONVIG by MINYMO

A new kids' clothing brand was launched at the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair this spring.
The brand is based on Asbjorn Lonvig's fairy tales. The name of the brand is LONVIG by MINYMO. MINYMO is an existing very successful brand in kids' clothing.
LONVIG by MINYMO is a high quality ecological kids' clothing brand.

This collection is built on the fairy tale character Bernhard form the fairy tale "Sam and Lucca in the Zoo...". Bernhard is a monkey.
You can read more about this new concept on www.lonvig-by-minymo.com. You even can read the fairy tales and download your own book.

Logo 2008 launched to Hans Christian Andersen Festival Plays

Every year Asbjorn Lonvig designs a new logo to Hans Chrsitian Andersen Festival Plays. This year the Musical is based on the fairy tale "The Tinderbox".

The logo is an interpretation of "The Tinderbox".
Click on the logo and see a lager image.

Storytelling Art Event....

Vejle is a City in Denmark.
Vejle has a soccer team.
This soccer team is called Vejle Boldklub.
Vejle Boldklub has had many famous soccer players over the years.
In order to pass on the great history of Vejle Boldklub to sponsors, the fan club, the crowd, the public a new initiative has been started.
This new initiative is called Vejle Boldklub Storytelling.
Each and every time the Vejle soccer team plays at home there are 2 exhibitions of 15 plates each in the 2 VIP lounges. The exihibition shows newspaper pages and pages from the club annual telling a story on a particular tema.
A brand new wonderful stadion was opened on 20. March 2008 by famous soccer player Allan Simonsen. Originally he was from Vejle, but now he lives in Barcelona, Spain, where he celebrated huge achievements with his team Barcelona FC on the renowned and huge stadium in Barcelona - Nuo Camp.
If you are a tourist in Barcelona, and you tell people in Barcelona, you are from Denmark, they spontanously say SIMONSEN.
On the opening day the tema of Vejle Boldklub Storytelling was of course Allan Simonsen.
He looked at the exhibition and he obviously enjoyed it.
You can see these exhibitions on the internet as well.
The web address is www.vejle-boldklub-storytelling.dk.
The web site uses Zmags simplified e-publishing software to present the newspaper pages and the club annual pages.

In the hall of this brand new stadium in Vejle, there is a sculpture by Asbjorn Lonvig. The sculpture is in red - it is the club color - and it symbolizes the two main sources of the storytelling. There is a newspaper bike with samples of the newpaper Vejle Amts Folkeblad and there is a sach truck with samples of the club annual.
The slogan of the storytelling is written on the sculpture:...with NO PAST - you have no future (in Danish: ...uden FORTID - ingen fremtid).
Click on the sculpture image to see a larger image.

In the hall there is a portrait of the tema soccer player as well. It is placed at the entrance on an aisle. This portrait is 91,5 x 91,5 cm, print on canvas, one of a kind and it is done by Asbjorn Lonvig. The portrait is for announcing the tema and after the Storytelling Art Event the portrait is placed in a "Wall of Fame". You can download the portrait at no charge at www.vejle-boldklub-storytelling.dk).
Click on the portrait image to see a larger image.
After the Art Event the plates are stored in the archives of the Vejle Boldklub Museum.


Vejle Boldklub Storytelling is a non-profit initiative made by the newspaper Vejle Amts Folkeblad, Vejle Boldklub, Vejle Boldklub Museum and the Vejlelibraries.