When it started in 1994, Dagadu was still running a non-formal business, gathering and working together. Dagadu was born from a group of 25 UGM Architecture students to respond to an invitation from their lecturer, Ir. Ra. Wondoamiseno to fill one of the booths at Malioboro Mall. Wondoamiseno himself was the architect who helped design the mai, in addition to the UNY Sportorium and Yogyakarta Gramedia Bookstore. At first they threw as much money as they could, until finally after 2 years of running, the name Dagadu became famous. It was only in 1996 that Dagadu became a limited liability company.
Arief's important role has started since the beginning. After becoming a limited liability company, he was appointed as President Director in 1996-2000. In the next period in 2000-2005 he became a commissioner. But from 2005 to 2019 he was again appointed as managing director. After that he returned to become a commissioner (along with 2 other people) until now. Currently, Dagadu is managed professionally, alias not by the previous founders. Through all these positions, Arief understands and carries out the vision of an art culture-based business in an interesting and consistent manner for 28 years. Dagadu has been a pioneer in the creative economy business that deserves an award.
Arief and his early 20 colleagues at Dagadu have never been separated from the same interest. They embody the dynamics between the past and the present. The fields of tourism, traditional culture, urban areas and appreciation of graphic design (art) are important nodes when looking at the role of Arief and friends. His meetings with a number of cultural artists at the beginning of Dagadu's establishment became an important stimulant. Meeting with seasoned graphic designers such as Ong Harry Wahyu, Buldanul Khuri and graphic artist/art critic Suwarno Wisetrotomo is a momentum to give a new flavor in the field of design. Especially during his college days, Arief himself joined Bentang Publisher as part of the Graphic Design division.
"Souvenir" is their keyword. This word becomes an output when you see Yogyakarta. Their role in promoting the integration of cultural values, history, philosophy, to the estate economy is seen as an extraordinary input. "Buildings" named culture or local wisdom become the backbone to move and move, to be romantic, as well as critical. They collaborate between art and market in a unique way. Hence, they have an interesting marketing motto, "Cool in the eyes of consumers. Good in the eyes of critics".
According to Arief, Dagadu's T-shirts are indeed objects of remembrance that don't only function as T-shirts. It has become an alternative for the t-shirt business that was previously present or is currently actively expanding in the community. Unlike the other existing souvenirs, the non-manufacturer image, the aesthetic on trivial themes, the playful style make Dagadu appear "alone". Cultural artifacts, the field of language studies, lifestyle, and the typical views of the Yogya people are recorded or documented as well as being shared entertainment. Because of his various marketing breakthroughs, it's not wrong for Dagadu, who now occupies Yogyatourium on Jalan Gedongkuning, to receive an award from Marketing Magazine for The Best In Social Marketing and The Best in Experiential Marketing categories on November 23, 2010.
This effort clearly concocted many goals. One of them is as an effort to promote the impression that products in the form of t-shirts do not always become meaningless functional objects. The Dagadu T-shirt, according to Arief, is not only a vehicle for tourism (for city guests), but also a nostalgic sign for many people who have experienced life or only spent one night in Jogja (including city residents). Especially for students who have studied in this Student City, it is clear that the memory of this shirt is very attached. It's not wrong if the motto "Always close to Djogja's alma mater" also makes t-shirts a strong medium of local identity.
Many Indonesians are familiar with the DAGADU T-shirt. T-shirts with the breath of a play on logic, meaning, and words and jokes in the style of Jogja for more than 2 decades have become a national, local identity. Thousands of designs or millions of t-shirt items have been successfully marketed. But maybe not many know who is the important actor behind it. If you trace what it was like and how it was run so that the Jogja-style t-shirt business was successful, Ahmad Noor Arief's name needs to be mentioned. Of course without forgetting the role of his comrades in arms, Arief and Dagadu have adorned the recesses of the memories of teenagers in the 90s until now.
Arief is originally from Jogja. Until now his life is lived in his own city. The man who was born in Kotagede, January 8, 1969 is studying at SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Yogyakarta. Then studied at UGM Architecture from 1987-1995. For 2 semesters he studied at Visual Communication Design FSR ISI Yogyakarta in the same year when he entered Architecture. His education has also influenced his hobbies and work in exploring the world of creative industries.
Another important story is when facing the problem of counterfeiting. Since the first 2 years, Dagadu has been plagued by this problem. The emergence of the name Dagadu made Jogja flooded with counterfeit products. Jogja experienced an "explosion" of fake Dagadu T-shirts in the mid-90s to the 2000s. You could say this is a poignant story of the creative economy sector at that time. "This is one of the things that also contributed to the immediate legalization of our business, namely to become PT. Aseli Dagadu Djokdja," said Arief. But in the case of counterfeiting, Arief has his own reasons and methods. This might be an important lesson for creators today.
With the formation of a business to become a limited liability company, in fact legal methods and routes are taken. However, according to the Advisory Board for the 2008 Indonesian Graphic Designers Association (adgi), "Because of the massive counterfeiting at that time, it was difficult for us to make demands, because it was better to take the route of persuasion first." Dagadu finally carried out a creative campaign by making t-shirts, one of which read "Embarrassed to Ask, Lost on the Way" and other creative measures. The persuasion approach was taken from 1998-2013.
Not enough apparently it was done. As time went on, along with the emergence of creative economy trends and attention to Intellectual Property Rights, Dagadu was often used as a benchmark for creative actors at that time. This also helps neutralize counterfeiting. The rest is that Indonesian creators need success stories, so Dagadu is still taking legal steps to overcome them. Regarding this momentum, Dagadu creatively carried out a "new tradition", namely by coming up with the idea Arief's own individual role is important to note. One of the administrators of the "Living Kotagede Cultural Museum" (2003-2006) did not merely run himself as an entrepreneur to seek as much profit as possible. It could be that if that is done, criticism about cultural exploitation will lead to it. For this reason, Arief obediently and firmly makes his city an inspiration, without leaving a critical and contextual attitude. The general chairman of the Yogyakarta branch of the Indonesian Sport Bicycle Association (ISSI) in 2015 has dedicated himself not only to playing a role in the business world, but also to convey cultural values and breaths in every movement and business.
This thought is accumulated that actually life is full of problems. Arief realized that in running a business one cannot ignore what happened in Yogyakarta. "There are more and more problems in Jogja, so now it's even more difficult to find which theme to choose for t-shirt designs," he said.
He thanked the many colleagues who have been working in their respective fields. He also sometimes has difficulty in taking a stand when negative things happen in his own city. For this reason, he often conducts discussions with many parties. Because for members of the DIY Cultural Council (2020-2022) it is necessary to constantly echo the concept of knitting togetherness to solve problems in society.
"I think increasing opportunities for collaboration to balance competition is far more useful. If there is a clit event, for example, it is a sign that we are still eager to beat each other, not move forward together," he concluded. So it is not surprising that Dagadu's t-shirt business his, Arief moves to invite us to respect many things. ***