Sweat Under Gear teams up with other Vancouver Talent!

VANCOUVER’S GOT TALENT

DJ Nick Bertossi | Sweat Under Gear | Big Roger Events

by G. Todd Brisbin

Vancouver BC CANADA June 20th, 2009 -This little corner of the world of ours has managed to provide some of the most talented and well respected people on the planet. Not only is Vancouver one of the most beautiful places to live, we’ve got talent to spare in the likes of local up and coming DJ Nick Bertossi, a new men’s underwear line by Sweat Under Gear and promoter Big Roger’s Events.

You may ask, how does this all work together? Recently I sat down with DJ Nick Bertossi who just completed a Sweat Under Gear fashion shoot and talked about him and his upcoming gig as the opening DJ for Brett Henrichsen (LA) for the Global Pride Nations Pride Party on Saturday August 1st at Mint Nightclub (9pm to 3am).

Nick grew up on Vancouver Island in a beautiful historic town called Ladysmith. Moving to the big little city (Vancouver) about five years ago he was able to embrace who he really was and started living his life as a gay man. His interest in DJing is recent. Four years ago on a foray into Montreal’s notorious club scene, Nick found himself at the world renowned Stereo on Ste. Catherine’s street amidst the gigantic throng of party goers all out to hear Victor Calderone during the infamous Black & Blue Festival.

“It blew my mind.” Nick tells me, “When I got home [to Vancouver] I immediately downloaded a little mixing program and started practicing. It inspired me.”

Fortunately for Nick, who was on a budget at the time, he had some incredibly generous friends who took him under their wing, bought a bunch of equipment and setup a dj booth in their loft for him to really practice on. Through this encouragement and opportunity Nick was able to hone his skills in a relatively short time as he started spinning at small local happenings soon after.

Sunil Sinha, co-owner of Big Roger Events, recalls how Bertossi was their first local DJ to play at their events which started New Year’s Eve of 2007/08.

“We love Nick.” Sunil states, “It’s our mandate at Big Roger Events to promote local Vancouver talent. We pair them with big names from out of town to give them the opportunity to play for bigger crowds.”

Talon Thompson from Sweat Under Gear literally blushed over the phone when I asked how Nick’s underwear shoot went the other day. “He was incredible. Very professional and uber hot.” Yes, uber.

Nick’s charm and sex appeal are hard not to notice, what I didn’t expect was his approachability and hint of back country shyness. I couldn’t help but like him. He’s got a good heart and a utopian vision of clubs and promoters all working together.

“If we all pooled our resources,” he muses, “then we could make create an incredible experience and everybody would win.”

Bertossi has been spinning quite successfully for the past three years with a residency with Jesse Creed at 816 (aka the World) and guest spots for local clubs and events like Celebrities, GMF, Winterpride, NUOVO and GLOBAL Pride. With Pride weekend looming on the horizon, Nick will be opening for powerhouse and Masterbeat DJ Brett Henrichsen (LA) for Global Pride’s NATIONS party. Asked what he though of Brett Henrichsen and the party he stated, “I’m looking forward to it and Brett is so hot, can’t wait to meet him.” I see puppy love on the horizon, hot sexy puppy love. Their chemistry will be one for the books and an evening of music not to miss.

Nick’s Personal Top 5 - (I didn’t realize he was so dark…)

1. NIN - Ruiner

2. Tool - Cold & Ugly

3. Led Zeppelin - Brony-ar Stomp

4. Megadeath - Wake Up Dead

5. Slayer - Madatory Suicide

Nick’s Club Top 5 - (for shaking your butt)

1. Deux - Sun Rising Up (Peter Bailley 2009 Remix)

2. Byron Stingley - You Turn Me (Carlos Fauvrelle Remix)

3. Jung Kidd - Now You’re Gone (Original Club Mix)

4. Madonna - Heartbeat (Sanno Solavas Bootleg Edit)

5. Robyn - With Every Heartbeat (Brand Remix)

How men's underwear conquered the nation

Who doesn't need clothes? As a prime necessity or just to complement the unnecessary style fringe, clothes are inevitably needed to manipulate our excessive mushrooming waistline or to cover as little as possible when we dance on bar tables.

Farmers to socialites to company workers all wear fashion, be it as under garments, sleeping gowns, casual attire, uniforms, office wear, evening dress or couture piece. With the large population in Indonesia, it's unquestionable that the garment business has a really big opportunity to rise and rule.

Behind the monstrous shopping malls and high pompadour hairstyles of Jakarta fashionistas, the growth of mass product fashion sales in Indonesia is aggravatingly happening with a unique approach to its marketing. This is the story of men's underwear brand that proves the power of "same wavelength" communication is essential for "the best brand". Forget intimidating high fashion images, fashion shows, lottery prizes or special discounts on products. To rule the global retail market from Sabang to Merauke, first be prepared to think like Mother Theresa.

Sitting on a quiet afternoon, I had wonderful chat with this witty, smart, "no retreat" fashion marketing expert lady who'd been marketing men's underwear all over Indonesia, and who'd earned number-one sales nation-wide. The marketing promotions approach used in small towns and rural areas is the complete opposite to the approach used in big cities. With Indonesia's diverse cultures, garment marketers have special techniques to find "slots" to market their products in regions where not many advertisers are capable of succeeding.

The first step of their success is simply putting their brand everywhere the eye can see. And no, don't think it's going to be endless tax papers from the government they'll be paying. What they do is just deal with public transportation skippers, traditional market mafias and small fashion house owners.

In small provinces, fashion awareness dominates the look of public transportation, from becak to angkot, where they efficiently parade brands around town. All marketers need to do is maintain good relations with public transportation chiefs, so that they can cover vehicle and replace its upholstery with their product advertisements. This cuts so many more costs than paying government taxes to put up a single billboard.

Of course, it is also worthwhile hiring a hot heart-throb celebrity to be the brand's model. For most women there this is great since they love riding in becak when feel like they're sitting in the lap of their idol, with his photo printed on the seat.

It's also surprisingly effective to give free gifts of sembako, such as rice, cooking oil, sugar or instant noodles, for every product purchase (instead of discount coupons, membership cards etc). Come to think of it, discounts will lighten the load on most buyer's wallets, but offering sembako will definitely attract the target market's wives to buy - just for the heck getting the bonus to feed the family. Who would have thought buying dad's underwear would benefit the children too?

As well as what you can see, underwear marketing is also about what you hear. You can put aside the budget for an expensive radio ad for something else. Shopping areas from malls to traditional markets often have their own internal radio used for announcement services or just for fun song requests and dedications between shop owners. This program is used to give away underwear as free gifts to whoever makes request and dedicates songs. Sounds weird, but this kind of brand marketing is memorable in that underwear can turn people's fun into something inexplicably funny.

And this is the last juicy part, as in borderlands there are many prostitution houses, some sex-related products become "sponsors" in the sex business. When truck drivers or stressed out salesmen from town to town just wanted to "release their energy" with the "working girls" they paid for a package which includes a condom and a stamina pil (such as Viagra). Recently, underwear has been included in the package. When I asked why they even consider supporting these businesses, the marketing lady said, "Well, if other brands provide power and safety while they play, we give them a clean slate with clean underwear to wear to face their reality of family again." Wicked!

The art of promotion sometimes is like spirituality: What you give will be multiply in what you get. If you care for your market's needs even to the slightest degree, they will eventually worship you enough to buy anything from you. Your business can also conquer the nation without using advertising agencies - all you need is some tender love and care.