themarquesman

[themarquesman]

Movie Posters. Are we looking at inspiration, iteration, or plagiarism?

My intention for this blog post was initially to explore typographic, colour, and composition trends by genre in movie poster design. I then wanted to cross-reference my findings with academic research on poster design from the University library to compare and contrast areas of alignment, and areas of difference.

The more I researched, the more I realized that the deeper story here is that there seems to me to be an unacceptable level of what appears to be completely deliberate design robbery happening in the world of movie poster design.

(A quick note on methodology - I have pulled inspiration from discussions on Reddit, posts on Twitter, as well as a range of websites from the sources listed at the end of this post. They all have different types of movie poster montages making different points. I would like to highlight that all the montages/collections of movie posters in this post have been sourced and put together by me by finding the individual posters one at a time, and then collating them into the various montages to ensure that they focus on the points I’m making. So, you’ll see similar montages in discussion forums, but none that are identical to mine. Where I have sourced a specific piece from Twitter, I have left the Twitter handles visible to show their source).

Back to the story…

We Graphic Designers are strange creatures. We’re constantly learning; constantly absorbing; constantly optimizing; testing which graphic variables work best in any given situation and carrying those learnings forward into the next project.

It’s inevitable that we get inspired by the world around us. Some of that process operates on a conscious, deliberate level. And some of how we get inspired happens on a subconscious level.

But what’s happening here has to be operating on a completely conscious, deliberate level.

This can’t be by chance…

It’s as if the one was taken into PhotoShop, and the other was meticulously built over the top of it to match it identically. Nor can this be by chance…

Look at how even the hues, color levels, and saturation curves are pretty much identical.

I wonder where this area of the industry is headed.

Liao, S., Arakawa, K. (2021) reiterates that the movie poster is a vital piece of the marketing puzzle. They say, ‘[The] Movie poster is the initial image of the film. People can intuitively predict the movie genre simply through the poster, and it plays an important role during the whole movie promotion period’. It’s the calling card of the project. It has to intrigue, hook and nudge towards a decision.

Liao, S., Arakawa, K. (2021) give us a look at potentially where this area of the graphic design industry is headed with with advent of Artificial intelligence. They explain, that the Artificial Intelligence StyleGAN (Style Generative Adversarial Network) is educated by being fed 10,000 executions of film key art. The AI randomizer then produces a range of designs for the human operator to choose from. Interactive Evolutionary Computation is then blended into the process to further refine the preferred options.

Below are 10 lessons that I believe we need to be briefing StyleGAN on…

1. Blue + Orange = Action!

Nothing says you’re in for 90 minutes of adrenaline like this ice-and-fire colour palette. Pairs strongly with serif, sans serif and decorative fonts alike.

2. Actually, Black & White + Flames = Action Too

Looking to ‘up the grit’ of your poster? Get into that Images Adjustment drop-down and pull the saturation out of that shot. Now, just add fire. And your poster is box office ready.

3. Add a 2nd layer to the visual story with reflections in glasses

This trick effortlessly crosses from one genre to another; from funny to scary and everywhere in between. Two pairs of glasses reflections feels like a lot for one poster, but sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

4. Legs In Foreground Must Always Be Slightly More Than Shoulder Width Apart, And must ALWAYS Be In High Heels.

As soon as you have legs in the foreground, you are instantly allowed to go more illustrative, and even cartoon-like with your typography. Though classic treatments work well too.

5. Nothing Says ‘Scary’ Quite Like A Giant Eye

There pretty much isn’t a single horror film out there that this wouldn’t work for.

6. Your Movie Is Set Near The Sea? Okay, You’re Gonna want a Silhouette in the Foreground, Coupled With Giant Ghost-like Heads Above The Horizon

Trust me. Works like a gem. It can stretch from drama into comedy; provided that the comedy is suitably soppy.

7. Romantic Comedy? Back-To-Back Has your Back

Extra points for cutouts on a white background. 8. Nothing Says “This Movie Is Intense” Like An Actor Who Doesn’t Even Need To Look Into The Camera To Make The Poster Work

Be sure to note, though – this ALWAYS has to be paired with dark, moody lighting.

9. Sunny Movie, Sunny Poster

Okay, Kill Bill isn’t exactly fun, but if you have a fun movie, you aren’t gonna go far wrong with a yellow poster and black graphics.

10. There’s Literally Only One Solution For Holiday Movies. This Is It!

Whatever you do, don’t mess with this formula. It’s a predominantly red and green color palette, with trimmings of gold – much like tinsel on a tree. Go for a two-font headline (one must be cursive or feel handwritten). Make sure the models are holding something – a snow globe, a candy cane, a little gift, a tree topper star, just SOMETHING. If they don’t have anything to hold, just get the couple to hold each other. That’ll work too. Oh! One last thing – it’s essential that the title has the word “Christmas” or “Holiday” in it.

With that, StyleGAN should be good to go!   All jokes aside, as Kadhim, A.(2021) says, the poster doesn’t have to tell the whole story. It just has to capture the essence of what the movie is about.

I will say, it’s a very hard-working design framework. I challenged myself to imagine that I had been set the brief to create the movie poster for ‘Sonic 2’. I looked at the various approach chapters outlined above to sketch some design thoughts against any that I thought would fit. Below are the results…

A) Back-To-Back Pose

B) Black & White X Orange Color Flames

C) Back Facing Camera

Sources:

Curtois, C (2019) Les affiches de Christophe Courtois https://afficheschristophecourtois.blogspot.com/

Liao, S., Arakawa, K. (2021) Interactive Poster Design System for Movies with StyleGAN. International Symposium on Intelligent Signal Processing and Communication Systems.

Kadhim, A.(2021) Science Fiction between Virtual Space Opera's Adventure and the Alienation of Future Cities in Movie Poster Design. Kufa University, Department of Art Education. Volume 20, No. 3: pp. 118-127

North, L., Tymulis, D. (2020) BoredPanda.com Twitter Thread Shows There’s 20 Types Of Movie Posters And Now We Can’t Unsee Them https://www.boredpanda.com/types-of-movie-posters/

@leesteffen on Twitter

@LudyChyntia on Twitter

North, L., Tymulis, D. (2020) BoredPanda.com Twitter Thread Shows There’s 20 Types Of Movie Posters And Now We Can’t Unsee Them https://www.boredpanda.com/types-of-movie-posters/

ScreenRant.com (2020) Movie Poster Trends that Need To Stop https://screenrant.com/movie-poster-trends-stop-more/

TheWrap.com (2022) Why Movie Posters All Look The Same https://www.thewrap.com/why-movie-posters-all-look-same-75846/

[themarquesman]

How Does Great Creative Work Happen?

When I ask myself fundamental questions like; why do I work in the way that I do? How do I develop solutions to creative problems? How does my work relate to other current activity in my field? The answers that jump to mind are all invariably to do with leadership and bringing creative results out of others.

I wanted to research this deeper to better understand how is it that some people and teams consistently out-perform others? Very broadly speaking, my findings were that all the insights and best practices tend to fall into one of two categories: 1. Help others be the best they can be. And 2. Climate/create an environment that facilitates, encourages and incubates creative thought.

I heard a great podcast on leadership by Simon Sinek (2022). He told a story about an extraordinarily positive interaction that he had with a barista, Noah, in a coffee shop of the Four Seasons when he was staying in Las Vegas. Noah was outgoing, energetic and warm. Sinek had never had such a great interaction with a barista and was intrigued. He asked why Noah enjoyed his job so much. Without hesitation Noah enthused about the management team. He said how he constantly felt supported. Managers were always looking to offer training, help in any way, and make sure he was okay. So far, so predictable, right? Well, the twist in the story is that Noah went on to say that he also worked at Caesar’s Palace. But that he’s a totally different person there. He just keeps his head down. He stays quiet to avoid trouble, and draws his pay check at the end of the month. When Sinek asked why, Noah replied that he felt that the leadership was constantly looking to find fault with the team. They were demanding and ungrateful.

What struck me about Sinek’s story is that Noah was an outgoing rock star over-achiever in one environment, and an introverted head-down bare-minimum contributor in another environment.

Leaders all too quickly complains about the team. What I’m going to do moving forwards is really focus on what I’m doing to impact climate. Build on the good stuff, and evolve the areas that can do with improvement.

Carmeli, A., Gelbard, R., Reiter-Palmon, R. (2013) demonstrate ‘Knowledge sharing is crucial because it enables people to capitalize on existing knowledge bases residing within and outside the organization, thus enhancing their capacity to come up with creative solutions’. The research goes on to show that ‘leader supportive behaviors facilitate knowledge sharing and employee creative problem- solving capacity, thereby enhancing creative performance’. There’s the 2 broad categories right there. 1. Provide knowledge to others (helping others be the best they can be, pass on skills) and 2. Supportive behavior (climate/create a positive environment).

I’ve distilled down the leadership insights provided by Amer, W. (2017) in the article he wrote for Strategic Finance magazine. I’ve populated the two broader categories with my distillations of Amer’s insights.

1. HELP OTHERS BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE.

• Use evaluation tools Figure out where the gaps are in people’s game, and match those needs with training.

• Ask and listen Don’t assume you know what others need to advance. Ask them, and take it in.

• Check in regularly It doesn’t need to be overly formal, but be inquisitive. What are people enjoying most about their role? What are their biggest challenges.

• Offer training Internal or external. Hard skills or soft skills. Identify knowledge/skill gaps, and fill them. As the saying goes, the rising tide raises all the boats.

2. CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT FACILITATES, ENCOURAGES AND INCUBATES CREATIVE THOUGHT.

• Absorb negativity Negativity is dangerous. And contagious. Find a way to turn negativity into positive energy.

• Productivity is more important than burning the candle at both ends There’s no prizes for working long hours. Doing so as a pattern can actually hugely impair performance and effectiveness.

• Have a “no egos” policy Everyone should be encouraged to realize that everyone has things that they need to teach, and other things that they need to learn.

• Make room for mistakes Mistakes are a by-product of progress. And experience is a great teacher. When something goes wrong, use it as an opportunity to encourage and figure out what needs to be done differently next time.

After all is said and done, everyone is roughly under the same constraints. There’s never enough time; there’s never enough budget; the clients don’t really get it. But some teams consistently out-perform others. Leaders all too often never consider that the problem could be with them! As Simon Sinek was saying in his podcast, he finally diagnosed the one common denominator in all the failed relationships in his life – he paused for a moment, and then said “it’s me!”.

What I’m realizing with new clarity is that if my team is struggling or failing, it’s actually down to me. I’ve either fallen short in the area of bridge knowledge gaps – providing training/help where needed. Or I’ve fallen down in the arena of creating the right climate – making space for people to be vulnerable; tomake mistakes; to put their hand up and say “I don’t actually know how to do this” or “can someone please help me? I’m struggling”.

If we respond well at these junctures, we’ll end up with Noah at the Four Seasons. If we respond poorly, we’ll end up with Noah from Caesar’s Palace.

Sources:

Amer, W. (2017) The Art Of Creative Leadership. Strategic Finance. pp. 21–22

Carmeli, A., Gelbard, R., Reiter-Palmon, R. (2013) Leadership, Creative Problem-Solving Capacity, And Creative Performance: The Importance of Knowledge Sharing. Vol. 52, No. 1. Pp. 95–122

Sinek, S (2022) What is Leadership? Podcast. How To Be A Great Leader & Game Theory.

[themarquesman]

Why Do Some Celebrity Colabs Work and Some Don’t?

As a graphic designer/art director obviously my primarily role is to create visual solutions for things. But, I’m often also involved pull into brainstorms focused on exploring who would be the right celebrity, or influencer, or micro-influencer to amplify the volume and increase the reach of a campaign.

Some of these collaborations have worked brilliantly. Some have been okay. And some have been a complete waste of money. I see this to be true in the wider context of popular culture. This gets me thinking, what is it about the ones that work that sets them apart? Why is it that that they ‘feel’ right? What is it about the colabs that don’t work that sets them apart? What is it about them that felt wrong? How can the process be considered more deliberately?

Santos, A.L., et al (2019) explore a series of conceptual partnership constructs that are relevant in the arena of celebrity partnerships as well. The research charts the evolution of brand collaborations from the early fifties all the way up to the time of the research in 2019. Below are the frameworks mapped out in the research, arranged in chronological order.

1. The Source Credibility Model, developed by Hovland and Weiss in 1951 The concept of celebrity partnership was birthed with the thought was that the credibility of the celebrity could influence the beliefs and/or attitudes of the target audience towards the product or service that the celebrity was endorsing.

2. The Attractiveness Model, developed by Baker and Churchill in 1977 As the promotional ecosystem developed and TV and printed publications became increasingly accessible, the colab model progressed to take into consideration and leverage the ‘attractiveness’ of the celebrity. The thought being, the more appealing the celebrity, the more appealing the product would be to the target audience.

3. The Product Match-up Hypothesis, Kamins 1989 The theory suggested that a celebrity endorser's physical beauty may only actually improve fortunes for the brand/product if the features of that brand/product "match-up" with the celebrity who was involved in promoting it.

4. The Meaning Transfer Model, McCracken, 1989 The Theory then advanced to consider the collective ‘meaning’ of a celebrity’s roles, campaigns and personal achievements. The thought was that this credibility/trustworthiness would be transferred to the brand or campaign that the celebrity gets behind.

5. The TEARS Model, Shimp (2003) With the explosion and omnipresence of the internet, an attempt was made to integrate all of the above mechanisms. Shimp (2003) saw this as a five-dimensioned model: Trustworthiness (T), Expertise (E), Attractiveness (A), Respect (R), Similarity (S).

Albert, N., Ambroise, L., Valette-Florence, P. (2017) warns ‘some studies also note the limited impacts of attractiveness or credibility on consumer attitudes (Goldsmith et al., 2000) and stress that these models are not universally applicable to all products.’ In other words, a pretty face and magnetic personality won’t necessarily guarantee a successful brand/celebrity collaboration. Furthermore, Albert, N., Ambroise, L., Valette-Florence, P. (2017) reiterates that no formula/framework is entirely infallible.

In today’s global economy, the other very important factor to consider is collaborating across borders and cultures. Chua, R., Morris, M., Mor, S. (2012) point out that there is real upside in cross-cultural collaboration. They say ‘Innovative products and deals are developed when such conversations bring together disparate ideas that have never previously been connected.’ However, they too warn that ‘with cultural differences, tensions can arise… …due to misunderstood references, misconstrued humor, and so forth’.

Santos, A.L., et al (2019) offer a most salient warning – ‘having a celebrity endorsing a brand may result in high rewards or high risks; the latter may occur if celebrities are overexposed or are linked to public controversy.’

Having considered all the views in the research – personally, I think that the most successful collaborations are the ones where there is a genuine transaction of value between the celebrity and the brand/product. Each side of the collaboration brings something of genuine value that the other side lacks. The very nature of such a transaction will be attention-worthy and therefore earn public interest. Take this 2021 collaboration, “The Flip” between will.i.am and Mercedes Benz below, for example…

Here, Mercedes Benz borrows from the creativity, energy, street cred and attention of will.i.am and his vast global audience. In turn, will.i.am receives top tier accolade and center stage in a brand synonymous with financial success, leadership and business credibility.

Another successful value exchange collaboration, in my opinion, was this 2022 partnership below between Katy Perry and the ‘Just Eat’ brand, a food ordering and delivery system that connects restaurants and locals around them…

Here, Just Eat is ushered into the center of popular culture conversation borrowing from Katy Perry’s immense fame, reach and likeability. Katy Perry, an idol to girls all over the world, gets to positively impact the food conversation. She associates in a very positive way with a subject that can be complicated for her vast audience and makes it approachable.

Anyways, research notwithstanding, I believe possibly the greatest warning of all about how wrong colabs can go is delivered to us by history itself.

This is what it looks like when it goes painfully wrong… Ronaldo X Facial Fitness Bar (Yes. Unfortunately, you read that exactly right.)

Okay, wow. Whatever he got paid it wasn’t enough. Epic fail. On every level. If you can face the pain of watching this video again. Look at how he doesn’t actually even use the product AT ALL in the commercial! People are cruel. In this instance, they were quite right, but cruel all the same. Check at the comments below the video…

Jackie Chan X Woolworths (Sounds bad already, right? Well, keep a bucket close by, and click play.)

All you can hope is that a good number of people got fired over this. Just no value exchange at all. Complete lack of harmony. Inauthentic. Just painful.

Ozzy Osbourne X Butter (I can't believe it's not better)

Bearing in mind, this dude once chewed the head off a bat on stage. Now he’s mumbling his way through a budget-starved commercial making cupcakes. Not a good look for anyone involved in this.

With all of the above being said, if everyone involved fully “gets it”, then a collaboration, within a collaboration, within a collaboration, within a collaboration is actually possible. To my knowledge, it’s only ever happened once. It was this piece of magic below between Ryan Reynolds, Samsung TV, Aviation Gin and Netflix (promoting Reynolds’s movie, 6 Underground). #Respect

With all of the above being said, if everyone involved fully “gets it”, then a collaboration, within a collaboration, within a collaboration, within a collaboration is actually possible. To my knowledge, it’s only ever happened once. It was this piece of magic below between Ryan Reynolds, Samsung TV, Aviation Gin and Netflix (promoting Reynolds’s movie, 6 Underground). #Respect

Sources:

Albert, N., Ambroise, L., Valette-Florence, P. (2017) Consumer, brand, celebrity: Which congruency produces effective celebrity endorsements? Journal of Business Research. Vol 81. Pp. 96-106

Chua, R., Morris, M., Mor, S. (2012) Collaborating across cultures: Cultural metacognition and affect-based trust in creative collaboration. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Vol 118. pp. 116–131

Complex.com (2018) The 25 Weirdest and Worst Celebrity Product Endorsements, Available at: https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/weirdest-and-worst-celebrity-endorsements/ Accessed: 3rd December, 2022

Santos, A.L., Barros, F., Azevedo, A. (2019), Matching-up celebrities’ brands with products and social causes, Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 242-255. https://doi-org.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/10.1108/JPBM-03-2017-1439

[themarquesman]

Understanding Why People Buy

[One caveat before diving in here: I understand that the issue of gender is both sensitive and personal. Where I am using the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ in this post, I am referring to hypothetical people who have chosen the pronouns ‘he/him/his’ and ‘she/her/hers’ respectively, regardless of their assigned sex at birth.] When I reflect on why I work in the way that I do; how I develop solutions to creative problems, and how my work relates to other current activity in the world of advertising and marketing – I realize that a significant portion of the answers to these questions lies in understanding consumers. What drives them to act? What turns a ‘person browsing’ into a ‘person shopping’?

According to Adcock, P. (2022) it’s all about emotion. His findings show that rational reasoning is far slower than emotional reactions. According to him, the emotional parts of the brain process sensory input five times faster than rational thought, and the persuasiveness ratio of emotion to reason is a massive 24:1.

And it’s worth it to brands and retailers to get this right. Bues, M. et al (2017) highlight that ‘50–60% of all purchase decisions in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry are made in-store.’

The insights around why people buy will ultimately manifest as graphic design choices in the marketing communication pieces created for brands across whichever consumer touchpoints – be those online, or in the real world.

I wonder if a shopper is browsing in Boots for nail polish, for example, is actually looking for fifteen or so minutes of ‘me-time’. I wonder if the emotional driver has to do with creativity? Mixing and matching colours provides bite-sized, guilt-free self-indulgence perhaps? Either way, I feel that the mini excursion into the nail aisle has to be an escape from the daily grind on some level. If it was just about utility, the person would just buy the nail polish in a few clicks online and be done with it.

If it’s all about escape, then why don’t we design the aisle like a mini holiday? Or mini day spa?

Conversely, the Danzinger, P. (2003) research shows that ‘Men like to shop with products lined up for comparison, but women want to dream and fantasize.’

This isn’t to say that the experience isn’t an emotionally driven exercise for men. I believe it is an emotionally driven exercise. But rather than the visit to Boots being the fifteen minute ‘getaway’ for women, the emotional driver for men feels to me to be something like ‘conquest’. They want to beat the system; get the best possible deal; get exactly the right size of exactly the right product for the best possible price.

So, what if we were to play in to that? If men shop differently, let’s design them a better overall journey through the decision cycle. Let’s make it more entertaining and more fulfilling so that there’s a reason to come in store. Let’s make the draw of the store out-weigh the convenience of clicking at home. Danzinger, P. (2003) believes that retailers need to shift from “selling things” to “selling experiences” – ‘The future focus in consumer behavior will be about buying the experience, so manufacturers and marketers must think beyond the features and benefits of the product they are selling, to how that product supports or enhances an experience.’

Based on this research, I believe that women want to walk out of the store refreshed (ideally having been pampered and/or made to feel special in some way). And I believe that men want to walk out a winner (ideally with some sort of recognition, or gamification-style reward for their product and deal-hunting prowess).

This gets me thinking maybe the way we design instore experiences needs a make-over from the ground up.

What if the aisles relating to women’s products looked like this?…

I suggest we play right into the give-me-fifteen-minutes-of-pampering-and-escape mindset. With a series of pamper stations that can be booked for 15 minute slots. As someone checks in to a pamper slot they are assigned a personal shopper. The personal shopper can run around for them with their basket while they take the weight off their feet and get a hand massage.

I propose that the women’s aisle has a “Patient Partner” area. This area should have magazines and a TV with a choice of sports and news channels.

What if the areas relating to men’s products looked like this?...

Rather than personal shoppers, I propose the men’s areas have ‘Torture-Test-Wing-Men’. These bearded sages will be friendly without being ‘salesy’ and will be on hand to give as little or as much support as shoppers cross-reference and sample to their hearts’ content.

Also, as opposed to aisles, I think these stations should be arranged in quantity and proximity similar to the configurations of the high-tables in a pub. These areas would be inviting and easy to approach. The whole experience would dramatize the ability to touch, feel and smell the products. Something that obviously cannot be part of the online shopping ritual.

Danzinger, P. (2003) points out ‘As our world goes more cyber, consumers will feel the need to surround themselves with things that will bring them back to reality.’

I think there will always be a place for the bricks-and-mortar shopping experience. I just think that there is some ways to go between where we are now, and truly understanding why people buy, and creating environments that are sympathetic to those agendas.

Sources:

Adcock, P. (2022) How Emotions Influence Purchasing Behaviour. Website article. Available at: https://www.adcocksolutions.com/post/how-emotions-influence-purchasing-behaviour Accessed on: 6th December, 2022

Bues, M., Steiner, M., Stafflage, M. Krafft, M. (2017) How Mobile In-Store Advertising Influences Purchase Intention: Value Drivers and Mediating Effects from a Consumer Perspective. Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 34. No. 2. pp: 157–174

Danzinger, P. (2003) Why People Buy Things They Don’t Need. Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behaviour, Dearborn Trade Publishing. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/herts/detail.action?docID=226219.

[themarquesman]

Is Audio The Upcoming Ability That Graphic Designers and Art Directors Need To Cultivate?

I believe that the answer to this question is a resounding “yes!”.

As a Graphic Designer my job is to create content for print, TV, social media, retail and live brand experiences. The content I’m creating is designed to trigger a response. I’m looking to inspire people to buy something, join something, quit something or do something. Audio has the ability to lend content additional emotional resonance, and recall. It also helps to give an additional push in the rigfht direction towards helping a consumer take action.

Herget, A., Breves, P., Schramm, H. (2022) argue that advertising is all about summoning emotions to influence consumer behavior as it relates to the brand, product and/or service being advertised. They are of the opinion that music isn't just important. In their view, it's “the single most stimulating component of advertising” (Hecker, 1984, p. 3).

I don’t know that I would agree with the statement that audio (or music) is “the single most stimulating component of advertising”. In fact, I would disagree with that statement. In my mind, the visual would be the most stimulating component of advertising. Print/static advertising, and even online advertising has proven time and again to inspire action for consumers without any audio.

Although, with that being said, I completely agree with power of audio to amplify and lift a piece of brand communication.

The question then becomes what sort of audio is the right treatment?

My personal approach to audio is to look for different solutions to consider in two catagories harmony and juxtaposition.

The Terskikh, M. (2019) research contains a beautiful example of each.

Juxtaposition Example: “I’ll be home for Christmas” Terskikh, M. (2019) tells the story of an M&C Saatchi social video that was created to promote the FIA Foundation's "Don't Text And Drive" campaign. The piece utalised the track "I'll be home for Christmas", originally penned by Kim Gannon back in 1943.

Terskikh, M. (2019) points out that during WW2 the words “I will be home for Christmas, even if only in my dreams” carried an entirely different connotation. So, a song that was originally written to empathise with military personnel was now being used in a road safety ad campaign.

Terskikh, M. (2019) tells us that in the ad ‘A girl texts her father, who is driving home according to the plot of the video. [Their] Messaging leads to a fatal outcome: a man gets into an accident and then dies.’ The warm, soothing sound of the song amplifies the shock value of the end of the ad where the Dad is killed while trying to text and drive.

Harmony Example: “Time To Say Goodbye” Terskikh, M. (2019) tells the story of a commercial created to promote IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). The organization exists to help endangered species. In this case the focus was on helping to save the whales. The track that plays throughout is “Time to say Goodbye”, sung by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. The visual is comprised of beautiful footage of whales swimming with their their young, beautifully interacting and accessionally breeching the srface of the water. The commercial ends with text on the screen that reads, “Time to say Goodbye: Norway and Japan are whaling again.” Here, the harmony between the visual and the audio is heart-wrenching. Only at the end of the ad do we realize that what we have been watching in the form of this beautiful display by the whales, was actually their farewell to us as the viewers.

To me, the most powerful piece of audio/visual harmony – where the audio amplified the story of the visual and vice versa, was this 2013 Budweiser Super Bowl commercial…

FeaturedBestVideos (2013).  Official Super Bowl Commercials ( Budweiser - The Clydesdales). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiJqzdOr4Ok Accessed December 15th.

In this piece we see a farmer raise a horse from birth. We sense the passage of time, and the emotional connection growing between the farmer and the horse. Eventually, the time comes for the horse to graduate to its new home at the Budweiser stables. Some time passes, and we cut to the farmer who has travelled to New York to watch the Budweiser Clydesdales in a parade. We see the disappointment on the farmer’s face when the horse appears not to recognize him. We cut again to empty streets after the parade. The horse is running through the city to find the farmer. They unite warmly. Cut to logo. While the narrative is touching, the audio pushes it to tears worthy. Most people can’t recall an ad they saw last week. I remember this one from 10 years ago.

Look at how powerful this piece of audio/visual juxtaposition below is…

Knobbly Productions (2020). Nerf War is Hell. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zayUqREhFVg&t=29s Accessed on: December 15th 2022

In reality it’s a clip of a Dad shooting sponge Nerf gun darts at his kid. But with the footage slowed down, and the dramatic audio over the top (If you’re as old as me, you may remember it is the closing audio of the war movie, Platoon) it becomes a dramatically intense scene, where you feel compelled to look away.

I believe the power of audio needs to be carefully considered wherever it can be delivered.

Creating an in-store installation for cross-training sneakers? Why not do a series of audio/sound-showers at the sneaker wall that will mentally take shoppers out into the forest along side a stream and waterfall?

Creating the graphics and look and feel for a tech event? Consider the playlist in the venue.

As creatives, we are creating ‘whole experiences’ for people. I believe that giving audio the same level of respect and consideration that we do to the visual side of what we produce will amplify our results exponentially.

As Herget, A., Breves, P., Schramm, H. (2022) say, ‘The results indicate that advertisers are well advised to select music to fit the commercial’s reference points as closely as possible, to intensify the music’s efficiency. Terskikh, M. (2019) adds ‘music as a type of art certainly attracts attention and contributes to an increase in the aesthetic potential of the advertising message.’ Most certainly feels like a skill worth concentrating on.

Sources:

FeaturedBestVideos (2013).  Official Super Bowl Commercials ( Budweiser - The Clydesdales). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiJqzdOr4Ok Accessed December 15th

Herget, A., Breves, P., Schramm, H. (2022) The influence of different levels of musical fit on the efficiency of audio-visual advertising. Musicae Scientiae. Vol 26, No. 1. Pp. 3-23

Knobbly Productions (2020). Nerf War is Hell. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zayUqREhFVg&t=29s Accessed on: December 15th 2022

Terskikh, M. (2019) Audio intertextuality in modern advertising text. Dostoevsky Omsk State University. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20196900119

[themarquesman]

Colour and Consumer Behaviour

Ber, N (2018) reminds us that Greek Philosopher, Aristotle's placed the sense of "sight" at the top of the senses hierarchy. Behind sight he listed hearing second, then smell, followed by taste, and finally, touch.

While there may be hotly contested debate over the accuracy of Aristotle’s sequencing, one thing that is universally agreed is the fact that we, as humans, are visual beings. Sight ranks as importantly for us as hearing is to bats; the sense of smell is to dogs, or taste is to sharks. (Though some argue sharks’ sensing of blood is closer to smell that taste. I digress!).

The point I’m making about being dominantly visual beings is that if I challenge myself to picture an apple in my mind, boom! There it is! But when I challenge myself to recall the smell of an apple, it’s a trickier path to an answer.

So, what does that mean to the world of Graphic Design? In a word, “everything”.

As Spence, S, Velasco, C. (2018) puts it, ‘color can be an important, controllable marketing variable for managing image standardization because a product’s color can function not only as an immediate identifier of its brand but also its quality and price.’

Let's pause there for a second. That’s a huge amount of information – (a) product identification, (b) quality and (c) price – all transacted to the consumer through that highly diagnostic stimulant, color.

The colour green for example, in the dairy section represents Low Fat Milk; in the meats section it’s dominant on much chicken packaging (presumably to nod towards mental images of chickens roaming free in rolling green fields; in the soft drinks aisle it’s the brand beacon for Sprite.

As Gil S, Le Bigot L (2014) says, ‘Colors carry information that goes far beyond esthetics, owing to their emotionally meaningful associations. They can therefore transcend their physical nature and take on a psychological meaning.’

And when I consider the findings of Spence, S, Velasco, C. (2018) which propose ‘that colour drives 62-90% of all consumer purchasing decisions.’ It becomes a hugely important consideration in the function of design.

How do these truths influence the way I work? How do they help solve creative problems? Well, on the one hand it provides some very helpful compass bearings when approaching graphic design briefs. If I’m working on a toothpaste brief, probably stay away from yellow. Working on beef packaging? I might want to try a foundational colour combination of red and black. An organic product? Let’s look at those greens, etc.

Spence, S, Velasco, C. (2018) suggests that these associations are in all likelihood conditioned into us over time, as our brain connects specific colors with corresponding sensory triggers (like specific flavors, tastes or smells.

However, the Spence, S, Velasco, C. (2018) findings also encourage caution when designing across borders and/or cultures. It's broadly thought that the reason Cadbury's has forever struggled to get traction in Japan is that the color purple is directly associated with death in Japanese culture.

Below is an interesting lift from the Spence, S, Velasco, C. (2018) research.

Now for a piece of the research that I don’t wholeheartedly agree with…

Spence, S, Velasco, C. (2018) warns against using unusual packaging colors. they argue that when colors don't align with categories 'correctly' it delivers a sensory misconnect. This, in their opinion, can cause confusion in the minds of the target audience, and ultimately frustration. This, they argue, can do real harm to the brand.

While I understand where this argument is coming from, I do think the opportunity is there for a brand to become a runaway success by challenging the category norms. Take for example, the mountain-spring water brand “Liquid Death”.

Jet black tall-boy style can with gold graphics for their sparkling water, and white can with gold graphics for their still offering.

The first time I saw these, I thought they were a European beer brand that had been mistakenly unpacked onto the shelves in the water aisle. They have chosen to challenge every single category design norm. Beautiful rolling lake? Nope. A rolling severed head; Clean, fresh wateraisle typography? Er, try thrash metal gothic; A gentle, feel-good brand line? Like “Live Young” or something similar perhaps? Wrong again – try “Murder Your Thirst”. And consumers can’t get enough of it. The fact that they are off-pattern and counter-culture has pulled Gen Z pester-power into the water category. A torture usually reserved for the candy and crisps arena.

That got me thinking about applying the ‘Liquid Death’ treatment to a random regular household product to see what it’ll do. Results are below...

I think there’s something to be said for this category busting design approach!

In closing, the Spence, S, Velasco, C. (2018) research looks to the future. They believe that up until now assumptions surrounding color and what colors relate to in terms of category, products and even flavors has been pretty set in stone. They do however recognize that this is likely to evolve as greater cross-cultural influences metamorphosize and shift the meanings of colors. Now, THAT I agree with.

I think we are going to be seeing more establishment and reinforcement of category norms, and if Liquid Death is anything to go by, we’ll also be seeing a rise of outlaw brands rising up to challenge them.

The new horizons never looked so colorful.

Sources:

Baer, N. (2018) Theories of Media, Keywords Glossary, The University of Chicago. https://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/taste.htm

Gil S, Le Bigot L (2014) Seeing Life through Positive-Tinted Glasses: Color–Meaning Associations. PLoS ONE 9(8): e104291.

Spence, C., Velasco, C., (2018) On the multiple effects of packaging colour on consumer behaviour and product experience in the ‘food and beverage’ and ‘home and personal care’ categories, Food Quality and Preference.

[themarquesman]

Street Art. Tolerate? Celebrate? Eradicate?

Fifty years or so ago, in its early ‘caterpillar’ days, street art was barely more than a criminal act that created visual litter. In time, street art would metamorphosize through the cocoon of tolerance. Eventually, it would emerge as the vibrant butterfly of the art world, occupying galleries and some of the most important, powerful and prestigious collections in the world. You can love it, or hate it; what you can’t do is ignore it.

What has always intrigued me is the love/hate relationship between street art and capitalism. It’s like a constant, hurtful, dysfunctional quarrel that continuously defies logic. The artists often rage against the economy, government and all forms of authority, yet somehow end up “selling out” to Nike, Gucci, or whoever is the highest paying bidder.

Banksy sets auction record with £18.5m sale of shredded Painting. Screenshot from Author’s Device. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/oct/14/banksy-auction-record-shredded-painting-love-is-in-the-bin   Accessed: 15th October 2022 

The Gonçalves, K., Milani, T. M., (2022) research paper contains the extraordinary story (depicted above) from 2018 when a Banksy's piece titled "Girl With Balloon" went under the hammer in a Sotheby's auction and sold at the record price of $1,4 million. As the bidding closed Banksy initiated a shredding device that he had previously hidden into the frame of the piece. The painting was shredded live as the art world watched on in horror. It was meant to be a stunt to highlight the absurdity of economic excess. The irony is, the half-destroyed piece was re-named "Love Is In The Bin" and was resold (at Sotheby's again) for $25,4 million! Go figure.

So, an act of destruction that was trying to undermine the established system of commercial art by hurting the value of the piece ended up making it eighteen times more valuable. It was like trying to extinguish a fire by dousing it with gasoline.

The reality is, the canvases of the street are open for business. And brands are ready with their wallets.

Gonçalves, K., Milani, T. M., (2022) calls this ‘ “Post-Graffiti” in his criticism of the gallerization of graffiti. In this way, graffiti and street art essentially become coopted and institutionalized by those outside the subcultures.’ But, on the other hand, Queiroz, R. (2020) insists that stopping people in their tracks is what the game of advertising is all about. In his opinion if you can create a campaign that looks more like art rather than naked capitalist "buy now" signs you're onto a winning formula. Queiroz, R. (2020) points out that street art can be as effective, if not more effective than billboards.

Queiroz, R. (2020) suggests that the demand for this form of advertising has risen in tandem with the expansion and increased adoption of Instagram.

Take this interactive street art ad below that dispenses free dog leashes encouraging people to “unleash the holiday spirit”. To me it’s 100% street art, and I believe it’s also 100% commercial advertising. And it’s absolutely been created to snap and share with others.

Queiroz, R. (2022) Unleash the holiday spirit. Available at: https://oohtoday.com/dash-twos-complete-guide-to-mural-advertising-costs-legal-more/  Accessed: November 3rd, 2022

The deeper I dig into this research, the more I am convinced of street art’s potential to play a vibrant and vital role in the energizing of cities and brand communication alike. I feel street art has had (and continues to have) a huge influence on graphic design. Things like, roughed-up typography that gives designs a skate/street feel; the graphic style of semiotics that are created with that quintessentially street art stencil feel to them; the layering of ‘sprayed’ textures, to name a few.

I believe that borrowing from the world of street art is to borrow from the energy, angst and rebellion locked up in it.

I was inspired to take a book sitting on my desk and re-design the cover pulling from the graphic design cues of street art. Results below.

Hoffman, B. (2020) Advertising for Skeptics. Type A Group.

My view is that street art has the potential to do real and lasting good in a community. If that is funded by a commercial, or governmental entity, so what? So be it. As long as the piece harmonizes with the environment, and improves it, like the Desigual store below, I believe it’ll be embraced by the community.

Feng, M. (2022). 37 Best Places To See Stunning Street Art In NYC. Available at: https://www.marcofeng.com/usa/best-places-to-see-street-art-in-nyc Accessed: September 20th, 2022

I love the way that Visconti, L., Sherry Jr, J. F., Borghini, S., Anderson, L. (2010) talk about the difference between ‘spaces’ and ‘places’. They describe ‘spaces’ as being vacant, derelict, cold and even foreboding. They remind us of how we talk about ‘outer space’. Which, after all, is a hostile and uninhabitable environment. Yet, conversely, ‘places’ feel inviting, warm and approachable. There’s a reason the expression is ‘there’s no place like home’, it simply wouldn’t work if the expression was ‘there’s no space like home’.

They make the case for the fact that street art can be a very effective catalyst in turning spaces into places. It can be where the community, local government, artists and funding meet – to turn what was a cold space into an inviting place.

I feel that if a piece captures the imagination and character of a place, it will be protected by the community and stand the test of time. Take the Eiffel Tower, for example. It was essentially intended to be a temporary installation. But it captured the hearts and imaginations of Parisians and so there it stands today – over 100 years later.

I challenged myself to take a book from my shelf and reimagine it with a street art makeover. Below is the result.

Sources: Feng, M. (2022). 37 Best Places To See Stunning Street Art In NYC. Available at: https://www.marcofeng.com/usa/best-places-to-see-street-art-in-nyc Accessed: September 20th, 2022 Gonçalves, K., Milani, T. M., (2022) Street art/art in the street – semiotics, politics, economy, Social Semiotics, Volume 32, No. 4, pp425-443 DOI: 10.1080/10350330.2022.2114724 Queiroz, R. (2022). Dash Two’s Complete Guide to Mural Advertising: Costs, Legal & More. OOHToday. Available at: https://oohtoday.com/dash-twos-complete-guide-to-mural-advertising-costs-legal-more/ Accessed: September 20th, 2022

Visconti, L., Sherry Jr, J. F., Borghini, S., Anderson, L. (2010) Street Art, Sweet Art? Reclaiming the “Public” in Public Place. Journal of Consumer Research , Vol. 37, No. 3 (October 2010), pp. 511-529 Published by: Oxford University Press https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/652731

[themarquesman]

The Art of AI and Human Collaboration

In the film ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ the AI network, Skynet, awakens to itself at 2:14am on August 29th, 1997. It’s learning curve is exponential, and (spoiler alert) it takes both time travel and Arnold Schwarzenegger to fix things!

Fast-forward 30 years, and some of the stuff of yesteryear’s science fiction is now the substance of real-life consideration. Particularly in the realms of creativity, design and image creation AI has real presence, and demands attention.

What is/should be the role of AI in Graphic Design? In Marketing? In advertising? If someone uses AI to create something, who is the creator? Is it the human who inputs the variables? Or is it the AI that has produced the design, image, or illustration? These are not questions that are coming, these are questions that are here.

The first auctioneers to ever put an algorithmically produced piece of art up for bidding was Christie's of New York.

Generative Adversarial Network (2018) Edmond de Belamy, from La Famille de Belamy, Christies.com, Accessed August 2nd, 2022

Christie’s (2018) reported on its website that no human had been involved in the creation of the piece. They went on to say that when it went up for auction it had initially been expected to sell for around $40,000.00. The piece finally sold for a whopping $432,500.00 – over ten times the expected price. AI had certainly made its mark – complete with all its parentheses and algebra characters. (Look at how the AI signed its painting).

All of this forces to me think, how this will directly impact me? How will I leverage AI in the way that I work? How will I use it to develop solutions to creative problems?

As I dig deeper into my research on this subject, I see that there are broadly two camps. People are either running towards AI as a tool to be leveraged, or they are running away from it as some sort of threat.

The image library giants Shutterstock and Getty Images have each taken their place at the opposite ends of this spectrum. Shutterstock is embracing AI, while Getty is steering well clear of it. Jain, A (2022) highlights that the real concern in this space surrounds copyright. Shutterstock seem confident, but Getty fear that Shutterstock's stance may already be illegal.

According to Ali M (2020), Elon Musk, the outspoken proponent of tech, views an over-reliance on AI as a very real threat to our existence as a species. Prof Hawking (2013) agrees. He believes AI-capable machines may be the beginning of the end of the world, and could erradicate humankind a lot faster than a nuclear threat (Cellan-Jones, 2014). Bill Gates also believes that we should proceed with caution regarding AI (Rawlinson, 2015). He believes that once they have a sense of sight, consciousness and the ability to move independently, we're in trouble.

Cheng M. (2022) borrows from Sawyer (one of the USA's most prominent Psychologists) arguing that creativity has been the very thing that, up until now, has set humans apart. No other creation has yet had the ability to innovate and create at the same level of intelligence as humans.

Clearly, this is a broad, and increasingly delicate and urgent subject with far-reaching nuances and implications.

Ali M (2020) helpfully breaks down the paradigm into 3 broad classes of AI:

Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) Here a learning algorithm executes a single specific task. Think facial recognition systems, chatbots and chess machines.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI ) This is artificial intelligence that is capable of problem-solving on par with humans. Things like self-driving cars, IBM's Watson and smart Assistants (like Siri and Alexa)

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) This is about capability well beyond that of humans. There are no examples, because we aren't there yet. (Thankfully!)

One thing that is clear is that AI is here. And AI is learning fast. My own opinion, based on my research, is that for the moment there is consensus that human creativity is still superior, but the gap seems to be narrowing rapidly.

Ali, M (2020) believes many human behavioral and biological processes that these digital natives (machines/AI) imitate as part of their development are replicated by these digital technologies. Some scientists refer to this stage of machine intelligence as the "cockroach" stage. Studies have looked into the prospect of robots developing into being self-sufficient and autonomous enough to make their own choices. (Markoff, 2009)

Ali M (2020) goes on to highlight how According to tests, the human mind is capable of determining the different kinds of inquiries, all of the potential replies, and giving the correct response. This is a challenge that an AI mind has yet to conquer. A similar binary system is used by both AI and humans to process information. Computers may use zeros and ones to process data, but humans use the power of their brains to transmit information in a binary language of on and off signals (Markoff, 2009).

For now, at least, us humans have the edge.

I decided to experiment on midjourney.com – an AI site that generates instant art (well, within 60 seconds or so). You simply type the command “/imagine” and then follow that with a prompt, or series of prompts.

All of the art in the gallery above has been generated in by AI.

I initially entered a couple of very simple prompts – “soldier” and “flying truck” respectively. Below are the illustrations that were generated by the AI in less than a minute.

I then tried throwing a more complex brief at the algorithm. Below are the prompts I entered as well as the results. Again, (worryingly!) generated in next to no time at all.

I believe paid users of Midjourney.com can then select one of the 4 images and enter new inputs and iterations to refine the creation further and output it in chosen dimensions at whichever chosen resolution.

It certainly does feel like this is impossible to ignore.

Clearly, I'm a MidJourney novice. Below is what someone who knows what they are doing can achieve. Beautiful work by (AI and...) @jed.ai.master

@jed.ai.master on Instagram Accessed: 10 December, 2022

All in all, I believe that integration and collaboration are the way forward, rather than denial and avoidance.

Although in conclusion, I must agree with Ali M (2020) when he writes ‘we need to raise this ethical question: Why is there a need for man to build thinking machines when the human brain is equipped enough to think much faster and better than machines, more logically and consciously?’

I guess time will tell.

Sources:

Ali, M. (2018) The Human Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence: Issues and Challenges in Computer Assisted Language Learning. International Journal of English Linguistics, Volume 8, No. 5; Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education

Cheng, M. (2022) The Creativity of Artificial Intelligence in Art. Proceedings, Volume 81, no. 1: 110.

@jed.ai.master on Instagram

Shutterstock vs Getty quote: Jain, A (2020) https://analyticsindiamag.com/shutterstock-vs-getty-two-different-approaches-to-tackling-the-ai-threat/

[themarquesman]

Laser-Personalized Targeting vs Mass Brand Awareness

There are two macro themes that seem to be ever-present in every marketing, advertising and graphic design challenge – how to build brand communication that resonates with the masses, and how to reach, and resonate with, consumers on an individual level.

This gets me thinking about the tension between these two objectives. How do I work in the way that I do in relation to these goals?

How do I design and create content that is going to have wide appeal, while being cognizant of, and sensitive to the macro trend of personalization?

When I consider a billboard in Times Square, New York or an ad in a tube carriage on the London underground, for me this communication represents top-dollar spend on the part of the brand, product or service. But I think to myself, is it money well-spent? Is it just expensive wallpaper in the background of busy lives? Or does it provide valuable awareness that will later influence purchase considerations?

‘Pisa Photography’ (2013), Lights and Ads of Times Square in the city night. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-city-jun-12-lights-145296544 (Accessed September 6th, 2022)

As Hoffman (2020) puts it, ‘the advertising industry has been fixated on two themes: the creative side of the business has been preoccupied with "storytelling," and the media side has been hooked on "personalization."' His view is that these two agendas are arch rivals. He argues that storytelling is about wide, universal narratives that everyone can relate to, whereas personalization is about narrow communication targeted at the individual.

Hoffman (2020) laments that we have lost all awareness of the relationship between marketing and the fundamentals of human communication because we have become so mired in our own solitary feedback loop. He argues that you cannot support storytelling while opposing mass media.

Valentinetti, D., Flores Muñoz, F. (2021) have a contrasting view. They believe that both storytelling and personalization can, and should, co-exist. They see 'wide' media as things like broadcast and out-of-home advertising – often associated with brand building. They see 'narrow' media as specifically targeted communication, particularly in the digital/social arena – often associated with the sales of a product/service.

Valentinetti, D., Flores Muñoz, F. (2021) highlight Big Data's power in all of this. The ability to track every message, every text, every image, every email, every attachment, with sniper-like accuracy is a power that can be leveraged for both 'wide' and 'narrow' brand endeavors. Essentially, they argue that this ability for brands to optimize and personalize makes for more relevant and engaging experiences.

This intersection of agendas is central to my field of study because it provides lenses through which we can consider efficacy. How effective was the design of an ad, or piece of brand communication? Did it create awareness? Did it move someone towards a purchase?

In terms of how I develop solutions to creative problems, I certainly experience the tension between these objectives.

But I’m not convinced that these agendas are at odds with one another. Here’s what I mean…

Several years ago, I had the privilege of working for Shaun McIlrath. He was, and still is, the Global CCO at Iris Worldwide. He shared with me his ‘Consumer Consideration Funnel’ which I’ve sketched out as best as I can remember it below. His opinion was that all brand communication, and graphic design should be considered through the filter of where the piece sits in the consideration funnel.

The intent is that content at the top of the funnel is wide, mass communication that exists to ‘yell’. Its strategic function at the top of the funnel is ‘awareness’. In Hoffman’s vocabulary, this is where ‘storytelling’ would happen. I feel that it’s absolutely fine (and even necessary) for themes to be broad and universal.

McIlrath believes that the function of any piece of design or creative communication is to move someone down the funnel towards a purchase. The ‘yell’ content will typically exist away from personal devices on canvases such as billboards and TV ads.

As people are moved down the consideration funnel, they are targeted in the digital communication arena, where messages can be accurately tailored, and brands can far more effectively ‘sell’ in a way that is most resonant and relevant to the consumer.

I would consider the Aerie billboard in the image above in Times Square to be performing a ‘yell’ role for the brand. It clearly isn’t personalized to anyone viewing it, but it is creating brand awareness.

This research got me thinking, Aerie could decide to get way narrower with their messaging, and a lot more laser-focused in their targeting online. On Facebook, for example, they have access to each individual’s metadata. Arguably, they could ‘sell’ more effectively by targeting females, aged 18-25 years old, considering their interests, friends, where they live, their birthday, etc. They could tailor copy and swap the images out with culturally and age relevant models.

Tangential to this research but potentially of creative interest would be for Aerie to have considered overlaying a lens of time-and-weather-sensitive content. If I look at the shot of the Aerie billboard in Times Square closely, I see that it was pouring with rain at the time that the photograph was taken. It’s also pitch-black nighttime in New York. Wouldn’t it have be better if they had imagery and messaging that was able to be swapped out for night and day relevance as well as good and bad weather sensitive? I think so.

Sources:

Hoffman, B. (2022) Storytelling Or Personalization – Pick One. The Ad Contrarian.

Valentinetti, D., Flores Muñoz, F. (2021) Internet of things: Emerging impacts on digital reporting, Journal of Business Research, Volume 131, pp. 549-562

[themarquesman]

Reflecting on reflecting. The journey to the start line.

The concept of becoming a self-reflective practitioner feels somewhat daunting.

Rather than just getting on with the creative task at hand, the discipline of reflection seems to continually prompt the question “why?”. It also seems to call for an internal running commentary to accompany any progress being made.

However, it immediately seemed less daunting to me when I realized that internal commentary has been happening all along. I’m sometimes tuned out to it, or I have the volume turned down on that inner voice in my head. Or I simply take it for granted. But it’s always been there. Always asking “why?” and pushing, navigating towards a solution.

Through my career in advertising, I’ve held roles in Design, Art Direction and Copywriting. In each of those disciplines, and at all levels of responsibility, I’ve always been fascinated by two things. The first being the extraordinary power of creativity to move and mobilize people – to join something, quit something, sign something, oppose something or get behind something. The second thing that has never ceased to intrigue me is how “off-pattern” or counter-culture work always seems to get disproportionate share of attention in the market.

Like this masterstroke from Balenciaga that captured the imagination of the world. The clothes cross over beautifully into the animated world. The vibrant colors of the collection and the colorful Simpsons characters' personalities made for an attention-grabbing collaboration that was impossible to ignore.

BalenciagaSA (2021) The Simpsons | Balenciaga, YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZHESOq-Gkw (Accessed: October 26, 2022). 

Or how Reddit won the advertising Super Bowl with their 5 second Big Game ad. It looked like a glitch in the broadcast. This message popped up for a second before disappearing, forcing the viewer to rewind and pause to read the ad to see what it was. Touchdown.

Reddit super bowl commercial (2021) YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtR1kB9RXVo (Accessed: October 26, 2022). 

Or how Ryan Reynolds pokes fun at established norms in all brands and campaigns that he’s involved with. Always with creative class. Note the perfectly orchestrated color palettes.

AviationGin (2021) Ryan Reynolds' vasectomy, YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtRl9HZGZEE (Accessed: October 26, 2022). 

As ad agency, BBH puts it “when the world zigs, zag.”

For me, that’s what effective work is all about. If there isn’t a tension of some kind in the work, there’s bound to be no attention of any kind paid to it.

There’s a great book by Sam Conniff titled “Be More Pirate” that really gets under the skin of approaching today’s creative and business challenges in an off-pattern, counter-culture way. Conniff provides an inspiring and insightful look into the Golden Age of Piracy. Conniff spells out how the odds were hugely stacked against the pirates in every way, and how the order of the day favored the upper-class minority. Rather than try and win by playing by the rules, the pirates not only broke the rules, they completely rewrote them. They created their own code built on the meaningful principles of accountability, equality and freedom.

Be More Pirate. Available at: https://www.bemorepirate.com/buy (Accessed: October 26, 2022). 

The pirates were immensely effective, not because they had scale, but because they could collaborate efficiently. They were feared and revered far and wide. Their stories were told and retold the world over – because they didn’t conform. They went against the grain. They not only challenged the status quo, they dismantled it, and installed their own ‘new normal’.

Here’s to being deliberate in thinking different, and crossing new horizons!

­­­Sources:

AviationGin (2021) Ryan Reynolds' vasectomy, YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtRl9HZGZEE (Accessed: October 26, 2022). 

BalenciagaSA (2021) The Simpsons | Balenciaga, YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZHESOq-Gkw (Accessed: October 26, 2022). 

Buy now (no date) Be More Pirate. Available at: https://www.bemorepirate.com/buy (Accessed: October 26, 2022). 

Catmul, E. (2014) Creativity, Inc: Overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration. New York: Random House.

Reddit super bowl commercial (2021) YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtR1kB9RXVo (Accessed: October 26, 2022).