Some 6 years ago I was part of a little company called Wilfred Michael, and we used the // with our company intials. //wm. It was cool. Even though most people thought it was dorky.
But then a couple months later U2 came out with their HTDAAB album, and voila, suddenly slashes were mainstream. Alas, they made millions and my slashes soon got slashed.
However, it was for the best that Wilfred and Michael parted ways, as both went on to more fitting corporate lives.
However, the fruit of their synergy remains, namely in the form of an Ode to the Olive. Straight from the wayback machine’s archives, I present the unedited, not-yet-updated-with-pesto version.
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The Olive has become a metaphor for //wm, in that it embodies and explores many of the ideas that we seek to develop in each and every project that we undertake.
The olive is timeless – it has been grown and enjoyed in a myriad of ways for centuries.
The olive is also incredibly versatile – you’ll find different colors, shapes, and tastes used in many different applications.
Some people enjoy olives stuffed with delicious herbs and cheeses;
Some enjoy olives in salads, a tangy topping sliced up among the crisp tomatoes and raw spinach leaves;
Others prefer them as side dishes with rich meals, grouped in fancy china and dished up with specially formed silver forks, or sizzled with onions and mushrooms on a juicy steak;
Still others enjoy them casually, hand tossed over layers of cheese and sausage on pizza;
And who could forget the olive as the finial in your martini, adding flavor as it is stirred gracefully into your drink?
One single plant produces a food that is delicious whether eaten raw, cooked, or as “pure, extra virgin” olive oil, a healthy and incredibly tasty foundation for a plethora of cooking applications.
And there is even some discussion over which food class to place it in – is it a fruit, is it a vegetable, or is it simply in a class all its own?
Not to be outdone by the fruit of its labor, however, the olive plant has claimed its place in historical lore as well.
The olive branch has been featured in kings palaces, as a prequel to gold at Olympiads of yester-century, on center stage with some of the greatest literary works of all time, and even used by God in direct communication with man.
It is considered one of the hardiest plants in the world, tough and rugged, able to withstand the harsh conditions of baking Mediterranean sunshine;
Yet its simple beauty has been wreathed to crown the heads of champions, rulers, and goddesses, and has been immortalized by artists throughout the ages.
What other member of the flora kingdom can claim such versatility and fame, for both itself and its assets?
A symbol of peace, of victory, of strength and of beauty, of exquisite taste, healthy, vivacious living, and mysterious, understated fun…is it any wonder why we would choose to pattern our company after such a successful example?