Timbuk2 is a San Francisco company that makes bags — from backpacks to totes — but they got their start with messenger bags for the local cyclists. And, even though they are widely popular among office goers, they've stayed slightly snarky.

I recently ordered one and this is part of the confirmation email:

We suggest that you actually read it and like it because this is what you are getting and the Lucky One's address below is where we are going to send it. If you must be That Person, we can TRY our best to make changes or cancel your order. This is only if we have had enough coffee and our warehouse hasn't. ... Once your order makes it to our production line, we can't change it for you and if it's custom, we can't take it back. Not because we don't love you; but because we already have really, really nice custom made Messenger bags from Timbuk2. It's part of the uniform.

The bag, when it showed up, had a map printed on the packaging of downtown San Francisco — a waterproof map for cyclists with bike routes:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a lot of their orders aren't from cyclists; they're way too commonly spotted on the shoulders of someone heading to the office.

Which is what makes their whole attitude so smart. When the transition happened, and more and more professionals started buying their bags, they could have done the obvious and decided that they too should be professional.

But that would be boring.

And people wouldn't feel like they were buying something uniquely local.

So they, eventually, wouldn't be able to charge as much (their bags are a little on the expensive side). And, in the nature of these things, their quality would probably have gone down.

Instead they stayed kinda snarky and kept references to their roots as a local company that makes bags for bike messengers.

And that helps them stay "cool," and on the shoulders of office workers.

Noticed this on the New York Times homepage and was immediately intrigued because I recognized the name, Tufte:

There are two ways that I can go with this post.

I could write about how the information is laid out to be as accessible as possible. Seems a little unnecessary, though, as Tufte is an expert on the graphical presentation of data. Anything I had to add would be like trying to ice an already iced cake.

The other way I can go with this is to write about the approach of the ad itself, and the scarcity of information.

All we know about the type of service being offered is that it's about presenting data and information, or, apparently off topic, a sculpture show. There's no targeting to a specific sub-group — would a business person or a graphical designer be more interested? Also no explanation as to why it would even be worth the time to click on the ad, much less go to a course.

So how does this ad work?

Perhaps it relies on the strength of branding around Tufte's name. He's not trying to reach everyone, he's just trying to reach people who already know about him. Tufte's got enough reach that he doesn't need to stretch any further.

Alternatively, maybe he's relying on curiosity — it's a very unusual ad. Perhaps people click on it just to see where it goes.

Or perhaps it's a very poorly thought out ad which doesn't try to motivate anyone — just provides information.

It's the ad itself which is the solution &mdash the ad is a demonstration of what he has to share. Anyone who needs to know why they should come to hear him speak only needs to look at the ad.

Which I think is quite well done.