AU has been trying to up its cool points with a “AU mobile meets Mobile Fashion” campaign since last Fall ( AU is a mobile service carrier, along with Docomo and Softbank as the biggies).

Ever since it became legal to keep one’s phone number and switch between carriers (known as MNP), competition between the companies has been fierce. AU started out on top thanks to a brad service area until everyone realized the phones were big and ugly.

In comes the AU project under the another work*s label, with street brands and mid-high brands creating phone straps and holders whidch were inspired by the phone models themselves.

AU held its second event in Harajuku last Monday at Jingumae Casa, this time collaborating with actual artists and industrial designers such as big-name NENDO and the digital arts magazine +81.

NENDOs Victorian black and white “cage” speakers use Bluetooth to cast music one has stored in their AU phone with the Lismo program (small complaint: Lismo, an itunes wannabe, runs ONLY on a Japanese OS for anyone who has an English OS). There was also the antlers outlet frame which keep your phone safe while its charging up.

Live for Sweets presented another way to charge your phone in style.

The best part was the collaboration with +81 which asked a group of artists to decorate a phone in their respective signature styles. I was torn between Kiyoshi Kuroda`s with the butterflies and flowers titled The Red Dark and The Golden Dark, or the calligraphy by OHGUSHI titled Rhythm 1 & 2. Beautiful! (Notice the phones in the corner of the canvases)

By the by, I myself am an AU customer who was thinking about switching to Softbank for their worldwide service models—but I am seriously thinking twice if I can get my hands one of these beauties!

anotherwork-s.com