The Art of Advertising

Is Advertising Art? I think so. The following are five examples of ads that I think blur the line between art and advertising:

1. This ad for Amnesty International is art because it creatively expresses an idea and engenders an emotional reaction from the audience. Yes, it is advertising Amnesty International's efforts to support human rights, but it does so in a way that relies on the audience's ability to feel and to reason and to interpret the message. (This commercial was done by TBWA Poland.)

2. This commercial for the Sony Bravia TV is art because it personifies the ability of the Bravia TV screen to show the brilliance and movement of color through bouncy balls. A bit unconventional, but it makes you think AND it shows you how beautiful all those little moving balls of color can be. (This commercial was done by Fallon London.)

3. This poster for Gratitude Cafe (a vegetarian restaurant) is art because it takes something so common in our society and completely turns it on its head (no pun intended). The use of simplicity presents the message elegantly, with the descriptor of the type of restaurant paying it off.

4. I absolutely LOVE this non-traditional PSA. The ad itself doesn't really hit you until you see it in its intended context. Like other forms of art, without context the art has no real meaning. That's why sometimes when you're in a museum you might have trouble understanding the value of a piece of art because you don't have the knowledge of the artist's background, the conditions under which it was made, the emotion or concept behind it. Art AND Advertising is meaningless if the audience cannot understand the message or idea behind it.

5. This ad installment for Purity Organic reminds me of some modern art installments I've seen at the Dallas Museum of Art. It may not engender a guttural reaction from an audience but it presents a very important message - that the things we drink don't always have the best ingredients in them. This is art because it is a clever and innovative way to present a message. (This guerilla work was done by McCann Erickson)

Overall, I am the first to admit that the word "art" describes a large array of things. Not all ads are good art. Not all art is even good. But it is art none the less.