art and advertising - debate

[Amir]

I was thinking about showing fine art in print advertisements. Leave copyright aside for a moment, do you think it’s a good idea? Do you have any experience with such designs? Which products, in your opinion, give the best match to work of art, and which works of art (classic? modern? any other style?) are most fitting to be used in ads? Which values that a work of art carries are most important or suitable for advertising?

[PrintDriver]

Adobe thinks it's a good idea. They use Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' on the Illustrator box. Or they used to.

Personally, I think it's gotten a little cliched to use the classics as any kind of 'comparison' advertising. They use it a lot in the trade mags when trying to sell printers or inks. The seem hooked on Michelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci.

Is this an essay question?

PrintDriver is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[morea]

I'm sure I won't be much help on this. As far as values of fine art that are important in advertising, tradition and quality spring to mind.

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[Amir]

The query stems from an academic study. The results, based on a content analysis of hundreds of ads, show - in general - that classical art (especially Renaissance) is presented more frequently than other genres, but in generalfine art israrely used (about one out of fifty ads, sometimes even less).


I would like to hear your opinion as professional designers: do you think that art, in general, can carry a commercial mesage? Do you believe thatRenaissance paintings and sculptures would do the job better than other classical (Baroque, Romanticism) and modern (abstract, Dada) styles?


BTW - my study, including tables and expamlar slides, willappearnext year in Visual Communication Quarertly, if you like to read it...

[PrintDriver]

This is only a guess but I think the Renaissance art is much more recognizeable to the general public than, say, DuChamp's 'Chocolate Grinder'. You see quite a bit of spoofing on Dali's 'Persistance of Memory' but none of his other works. Most Modern Art only an art student would recognize and appreciate. Advertising needs instant recognition and long term association from only a very short exposure time. If the general public 'doesn't get it' the commercial message is lost.

PrintDriver is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[Amir]

you gave interesting insights into the world of designers and art directors. Do you find the American consumer significantly different (with regards to the potential influence of using fine inads)from consumers in other countries? Do you believe that showing fine art in advertising is a good tactic onlywith certain products?