The allegory of the cave is one of Plato's most renowned pieces of work. It was meant to bring to light the knowledge that all humans are averse to change and that we, as human beings, are comfortable living a known, shallow life. He was trying to symbolise a man's tendency to walk the known path of life rather than lead a more challenging life in which he would be more likely to find the "real truth".
The hypothetical cave is set up in a way so that it's inhabitants are constantly looking at the shadows, cast from the fire, that is situated behind them. They have no freedom to move or alter what they see, leading them to believe that these shadows, this environment is "the real truth". However, somewhere down the line, one prisoner begins to doubt this mundane existence. In response to his inquisitiveness he breaks the chains that bind him and escapes the cave to venture into the unknown (to him) world.
To begin with, he struggles to adapt to the newfound sunlight, which his eyes are untrained to deal with. But once he got used to the foreign elements that halted his progress, he began his search for the truth. For a new reality. During his journey, his thoughts are cast back to the prisoners whom he shared the dark cave with. He decided to return to the cave and share his discovery with all his former companions.
However, he was not met with a great deal of astonishment, neither did he intrigue his old friends. Instead, when he told them that the cave was in fact an 'imaginary' reality, he was met with both disbelief and disregard. The now philosopher was deemed a pariah, one who should be cast from the cave in order to preserve its belief system. The "cavelings" had become used to and dependant on the morals and views of their predecessors.
This short, thought-provoking anecdote emphasises the blind following of false truths. People are content to live by the rules and ideas of the people around and 'above' them. Happy to remain in their comfortable bubble of make-believe, rather than lead a more challenging life. One that would eventually lead to greater truths.
On a more positive note, Plato's story is predominantly centred around the man who questioned the reality in which he had been placed. Plato used this character to explain how once in a while somebody, a philosopher, will question the boundaries of their existence. He will wonder why things are as they are and determine for himself how things should be.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
The Simulacrum
French sociologist Jean Baudrillard believed, and concluded, that the definite boundary between art and reality has completely diminished. The reason for this; both have collapsed into the universal simulacrum.
The simulacrum comes into existence when the distinction between a representation and the real thing breaks down. Moving from a reflection of the basic reality, through to an image that bears no relation to any reality whatsoever.
An artist named Henri Jacobs did a piece, called "Surface Research", which, emphasises on the effect and practice of the Simulacrum.
For you visual types, here is just one of his representations.
Self portrait iconoclasm by stabbing
To see other examples of this project just clink on the link below.
http://surfaceresearch-hj.blogspot.co.uk/2011_03_01_archive.html
The Divine Irreference of Images
To make it easier i have split Baudrillard's conclusions of the simulacrum and simulation into four different examples.
Illness - There are to sides to simulation; to dissimulate is to pretend not to have what one truly has. To simulate is, as expected, to do the exact opposite. To pretend to have what one does not actually have. Simulation, however, is not as simple as just pretending.
"Whoever fakes an illness can simply stay in bed and make everyone believe he is ill. Whoever simulates illness produces in himself some of the symptoms" (Littre).
To pretend is to hold on to a sense of reality, but simulation threatens the difference between the real and the imaginary. (The placebo effect is a good example of this in everyday life). Baudrillard believes that this simulation of symptoms means medicine loses its meaning because it only treats "real" illnesses and illness can no longer be taken as a fact of nature.
Psychoanalysis - Psychiatrists say they can not be deceived by simulation, for there is a particular order in the succession of symptoms of which the simulator is ignorant. But the debate remains, what can medicine do with the duplication of illness in a discourse that is no longer either true or false?
Military - Traditionally, the military punishes any simulators, according to a standard principle of identification. They make no distinction, and no attempt to distinguish, between a good simulator and a "real" homosexual or "madman". With a naive attitude of, "if he is this good at acting crazy, it's because he is". By submerging the principle of truth they regard, in this sense, all crazy people to be simulating or visa-versa.
Religion - All of this finally returns to religion and the simulacrum of divinity.
"I forbade that there be any simulacra in the temples because divinity that animates nature can never be represented".
In essence, it can be represented, but with every multiplication of an icon in simulacra, does it not lose its meaning? Iconoclasts feared this exact outcome. The power and divinity of "God" being portrayed in the visible, machinery of icons. They could live with the idea of distorted truth. But their despair came from the idea that the image did not conceal anything at all. Is God not just his own Simulacrum?
Western faith believed a sign could refer to a depth of meaning, that it can be exchanged for meaning - the best example being God himself. If god can be reduced to a series of signs that constitute faith then the whole system become weightless. A gigantic simulacrum!
Living in the wake of the withering signified
"The public does not want to know what Napoleon III said to William of Prussia. It wants to know whether he wore beige trousers and whether he smoked a cigar."
- Pope John Paul I
For a month in early spring the Photographer's Gallery near Leicester Square was host to The Bill Brandt room. The press handout described it as a 'walk in magazine': a three dimensional version of The Face.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
10 David Ogilvy Quotes
1. “The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife.”
4. “I have a theory that the best ads come from personal experience. Some of the good ones I have done have really come out of the real experience of my life, and somehow this has come over as true and valid and persuasive.”
2. “The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.”
3. “Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.”
4. “I have a theory that the best ads come from personal experience. Some of the good ones I have done have really come out of the real experience of my life, and somehow this has come over as true and valid and persuasive.”
5. “I don’t know the rules of grammar… If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think. We try to write in the vernacular.”
6. “Good copy can’t be written with tongue in cheek, written just for a living. You’ve got to believe in the product.”
7. “If you ever have the good fortune to create a great advertising campaign, you will soon see another agency steal it. This is irritating, but don’t let it worry you; nobody has ever built a brand by imitating somebody else’s advertising.”
8. “First, make yourself a reputation for being a creative genius. Second, surround yourself with partners who are better than you are. Third, leave them to go get on with it.”
9. “Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.”
10. “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar. “
Illustration in Advertising I
Tim Marrs
"With an illustration career spanning over 10 years, Marrs is a BA graduate of Humberside University and Master of Arts ( MA) post grad of Central Saint Martins, London. His work has continued to evolve, develop and inspire. Producing a frenzied Mix of drawings, photography, screen printing and photoshop techniques, his work sports a hand made and dynamic look, but yet considered and has a mix of influences from American pop culture, pulp fiction novels, pop art to polish film posters.
Marrs's broad and flexible style has also attracted a wide variety of commissions in advertising, publishing and Graphic design with worldwide clients including, Nike, Brand Jordan, Asics NYC marathon, Reebok, kswiss, Ogilvy and Mather, Saatchi and Saatchi, Geffen records, Publicis & Hal Riney and orion publishing to name but few. His technique is one of the most influential styles in modern illustration and is now starting to get the recognition it deserves."
- His own blog profile.
Tim's work has a very unique and personal quality to it. As you can see to the left, he managed to get his illustrations on a variety of Pepsi products.
Personally, i am not a fan of his work, but i can appreciate the talent and i am very interested in the stages he went through to becoming a more commercial based illustrator.
I have emailed him a small questionnaire and hope to get a response for my blog ASAP.
Marrs's broad and flexible style has also attracted a wide variety of commissions in advertising, publishing and Graphic design with worldwide clients including, Nike, Brand Jordan, Asics NYC marathon, Reebok, kswiss, Ogilvy and Mather, Saatchi and Saatchi, Geffen records, Publicis & Hal Riney and orion publishing to name but few. His technique is one of the most influential styles in modern illustration and is now starting to get the recognition it deserves."
- His own blog profile.
Tim's work has a very unique and personal quality to it. As you can see to the left, he managed to get his illustrations on a variety of Pepsi products.
Personally, i am not a fan of his work, but i can appreciate the talent and i am very interested in the stages he went through to becoming a more commercial based illustrator.
I have emailed him a small questionnaire and hope to get a response for my blog ASAP.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Friday, 3 February 2012
Artist Case Study
Gabriel Moreno
Illustrator, engraver and painter based in Madrid, graduated of Fine Arts in the University of Sevilla in 98. Since then he worked in different design studios and ad agencies in Andalusia. In 2004 he moves to Madrid. In June 2007 he begins to show his portfolio and after being selected amongst the 20 new talents of illustration, by the London based magazine Computer Arts, he begins his successful career as an illustrator.
At present he has worked with virtually every major national agency, and is starting with his first commissions and international expansion. He has worked with numerous national and international publications, last August by the cover of the North American publishing Los Angeles Times Magazine.
At present he has worked with virtually every major national agency, and is starting with his first commissions and international expansion. He has worked with numerous national and international publications, last August by the cover of the North American publishing Los Angeles Times Magazine.
I am going to evaluate this image above in order to show how I look at his work:
This illustration is a great demonstration of every aspect I mentioned about his work in the previous paragraph. The drawing itself is so precise and realistic whereas the content is a lot more complex. The composition once again incorporates more than one image. They are also brought together to form one stunning drawing by the elaborate flows of hair like substance. In this context, this structure goes from representing feathers up to flesh as it moves up the page. The way it links all of the subjects is so effective and the detail of the “hair” itself is so intricate.
This drawing, like most of Gabriel’s, has an intriguing composition that makes every inch as interesting as the next. This particular piece has had no commercial concentration and is simply an illustration from a 2009 exhibition in which he wanted to display his work in order to go further than just commercial drawings. This means I can look at it as a drawing rather than a message or attempt to persuade me or appeal to my better nature. Being an avid sketcher myself, I can empathise with the effort and skill that has gone into producing such an interesting illustration. The high levels of contrast give it such an impact and the sharpness of each edge, shade and detail makes it so easy to look at. This is one of my favourite pieces of his work due to its monumental depth of tone.
Gabriel Moreno is a proven success in the illustration industry as you can see from his illustrious selection of clients and by the sheer quality of his work. The fact his illustrations are used by so many commercial enterprises is what makes him so relevant to this task. However, the reason I chose him in particular is because he combines fantasy and surrealism with a high level of realism. His illustrations are beautifully drawn and have a photographic quality to them. He still maintains a sense of magic and mystery with the way he designs them. He manages to create a montage effect as he has more than one view and image in each of his drawings. His compositions have to be one of his best assets, as every illustration becomes one powerful piece of art.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Lynx 2012 Campaign
Lynx launches The Final Edition with year-long £5.6 million marketing campaign
Lynx is launching the advertising campaign for new fragrance 2012: The Final Edition on Friday, with the new range supported by a year-long £5.6 million marketing campaign across TV, digital, OOH and PR.
The range, which comprises a bodyspray and shower gel, has been given a dark, gothic black and gold pack design inspired by the Mayan calendar, which is set to end its final cycle on the 21st December 2012 - when Mayans believe the world will end.
The advert sees a young male building a wooden boat in preparation for the end of the world, but it is a crowd of beautiful women who join him aboard, not two of every animal. It was created by Ponce Buenos Aires and adapted for Europe by BBH. PR for the campaign will be handled by Mischief.
Kieran Danaher, Lynx brand manager at Unilever UK, said: “Following the phenomenal success of Lynx Excite this year, we believe that Lynx 2012 – The Final Edition can really take things to the next level.
“As a brand we continually strive to innovate and push boundaries with creative marketing campaigns, and the launch of Lynx 2012 – The Final Edition is set to do just that and more. We’ve got some very exciting activity lined up for this project, so watch this space.”
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Sweeties II
1. The advert is effective in a way that it conveys all the messages it needs to. It is not the most memorable advert in the world but the added humour does make it slightly more appealing. The reference to working like a machine works as im sure the majority of adults watching it would be able to relate to that. Thus relate to the need for a break. Thus relate to the need for a kitkat.
2. I like the way it plays on the word "machine" and then conveys it in such an interesting way (man powered ball machine). I also like the simplicity of it. No unnecessary, flashy noise. Just a simple message that works well with their famous tagline.
3. Once again there is not much to dislike about this ad apart from its tedious repetition and slightly annoying popping sound.
4. I believe the target audience is for the more aged population. Between 20 and 60. Working adults. The advert stresses the frustration of working so hard and that they deserve a break. They can relate to this. "Machines" links in with labour and the workplace also reiterating the stress of work. From an art directors point of you the location has an impact too. It enables the ad to target the more sporty types who may need a break from their exercise and a kit kat is the perfect snack.
5. Once again it was the economic situation that troubled most people in 2009. We were at the true depths of the recession and jobs were being lost everyday. Working hard was at the forefront of everybody's lives. This taps into that feeling and communicates with them. Small things like the death of michael jackson that was linked to him working so hard also backed up this ad.
2. I like the way it plays on the word "machine" and then conveys it in such an interesting way (man powered ball machine). I also like the simplicity of it. No unnecessary, flashy noise. Just a simple message that works well with their famous tagline.
3. Once again there is not much to dislike about this ad apart from its tedious repetition and slightly annoying popping sound.
4. I believe the target audience is for the more aged population. Between 20 and 60. Working adults. The advert stresses the frustration of working so hard and that they deserve a break. They can relate to this. "Machines" links in with labour and the workplace also reiterating the stress of work. From an art directors point of you the location has an impact too. It enables the ad to target the more sporty types who may need a break from their exercise and a kit kat is the perfect snack.
5. Once again it was the economic situation that troubled most people in 2009. We were at the true depths of the recession and jobs were being lost everyday. Working hard was at the forefront of everybody's lives. This taps into that feeling and communicates with them. Small things like the death of michael jackson that was linked to him working so hard also backed up this ad.
Sweeties I
1. I think this advert was one of the most effective ads of the last decade. I remember everybody asking one another if they had seen it yet. Brilliant! Once you had watched it, it was just so memorable. The fact Chloe and Myles picked it 5 years on just proves that.
2. Personally, i like the music. It makes you sit there and air drum on your sofa. The fact its such a serious gorilla makes you smile at its abnormality. The thing i like most about it is the surreality of it. A gorilla on drums playing to phil collins and a milk chocolate bar. No relevance, and thats the magic of it.
3. There is not much to dislike about this advert. I suppose my one complaint is that there is not more of it.
4. Dairy milk is aimed at the chocolate loving kids to the traditional "glass and a half full" geriatrics. The coolness of a gorilla on drums appeals to the younger generation. The humour of it all appeals to the older generation. Then the use of phil collins track and the previous two points all contribute to communication to the population in between the extremes.
5. The gorilla is perfect for what they were trying to convey. It was stepping away from the traditional ads in order to improve the populations view and almost refresh their reputation. It also appealed to all those animal loving people out there.
6. The producers of the advert wanted to get the feeling of pure JOY across. This links in with the current society very well. As we were just plummeting into a hard recession. News stories were of protests and the only positive thing was the unveiling of the iphone in january that year. Therefore a little bit of light in a dark place was their aim. And they succeeded.
2. Personally, i like the music. It makes you sit there and air drum on your sofa. The fact its such a serious gorilla makes you smile at its abnormality. The thing i like most about it is the surreality of it. A gorilla on drums playing to phil collins and a milk chocolate bar. No relevance, and thats the magic of it.
3. There is not much to dislike about this advert. I suppose my one complaint is that there is not more of it.
4. Dairy milk is aimed at the chocolate loving kids to the traditional "glass and a half full" geriatrics. The coolness of a gorilla on drums appeals to the younger generation. The humour of it all appeals to the older generation. Then the use of phil collins track and the previous two points all contribute to communication to the population in between the extremes.
5. The gorilla is perfect for what they were trying to convey. It was stepping away from the traditional ads in order to improve the populations view and almost refresh their reputation. It also appealed to all those animal loving people out there.
6. The producers of the advert wanted to get the feeling of pure JOY across. This links in with the current society very well. As we were just plummeting into a hard recession. News stories were of protests and the only positive thing was the unveiling of the iphone in january that year. Therefore a little bit of light in a dark place was their aim. And they succeeded.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Marks in time IV
Marks and Spencer aims their brand towards people with prospects of living in luxury but in a realistic fashion due to their great value. Parents are specifically targeted for quality clothes for them and their children as well as top of the range food for all the family at an economical cost. In essence they are targeting families via their mothers. (Like Iceland…with class).
Overall, I believe the target audience would be that of a sensible nature. Well educated, well brought up and aspiring for a more luxurious lifestyle with their family values held high. This view is a combination of both, my schemas of the M&S brand and my deduction after scouring their ads and websites. Marks in time III
The 2007 Marks and Spencer Autumn TV ad was a montage of various classy women travelling on board “The orient express”.
The orient express prides itself in its image. Their services are seen to be iconic and the journey itself is assumed to be a unique experience for the traveler. The name has become synonymous with intrigue and luxury travel. This is due to its superior standards and image. The Orient Express Takes many routes but is mostly associated with the beautiful European cities it stops at. Such as Paris and the like.
This whole persona that the express train has developed over time is the ideal location for M&S. It shares similar attributes to those of the Marks and Spencer’s brand itself. M&S are trying to maintain their five core principles (as listed in my last post). Quality, service, and trust are all represented by the ad location. The fashionable clothes themselves emphasize innovation. The strongest implication of all, throughout the advert, is one of true class. The clothes, the brand, the women and the train all portray a clear message of panache. This is to communicate their message to their specific (or not so specific) target audience. This ad is obviously appealing to the young female, moving through to the more mature women. All of which are inspired to live in a world of luxury and quality. The Orient Express just adds to this inspiration as well as showing independence as these women travel around Europe as friends.
Marks in time II
“My first memory of Marks & Spencer is as a young boy - being taken by my parents as a treat, it was a very special place to visit, almost temple-like”
- Steven Sharp
For the last 125 Years M&S has gone from a small market stall in Leeds to the first British company to make over 1 billion pounds in pre-tax profit. Throughout this phenomenal growth they have tried to maintain their five core principles (as shown in previous post).
The Advert Represents these all:
The Advert Represents these all:
Trust – The whole ad is fronted by the 70’s icon and supermodel, Twiggy. Her face has represented M&S for years and is a trusted personality. The content of the ad, showing the early penny bazaars all the way through to this current day, this gives a sense of history, knowledge and experience to the viewer. The context of which the modern business is based can only serve to enhance the consumer’s trust for it. The way they show that they have gone beyond the call of duty. Their levels of social responsibility are way above some of their rival’s. The fact the ad shows the way they care for our environment makes them appear even more trustworthy.
Innovation – The whole ad shows how over the last 125 years m&s have offered so much to the British public and business itself. The emphasis is on the word ‘change’. Twiggy often tells the viewer how they changed this or were the first to do that. This shows how they still strife on innovation and are constantly coming up with new and improved solutions. (Like the suits you could tumble dry).
Quality – At no point in the ad do they explicitly refer to the quality of their products until claiming they give “the best possible food”*. However, it is implied throughout the ad. They have a strong enough reputation to not have to worry too much about expressing their superior quality. But to reiterate its importance within the company is still a strong factor as you can tell from the add. The way they introduced sell-by dates on perishable goods shows you they only offered what met their high standards. Twiggy also refers to how they got “proper fitted in the boob department”. This implies that their underwear is second to none when it comes to quality. Which is backed up by their incredible sales of women’s underwear in Britain.
Value – The add shows how the company started as a penny bazaar, which already shows that they had foundations of offering true value for money. This is then backed up by the following quote, which follows on from the one in the previous paragragh*. Twiggy explains how they offer the best possible products for the best possible prices. This comment almost defines the term value as if it were from a dictionary. This blunt quote just reassures the viewer that the value for money is always being pushed as far as they can “possibly” go.
Service – I would say service is the main principle that they have addressed in this celebratory advert. The whole ad shows what a service Marks and Spencer has done for us Brits over the last 125 years. From great food to constantly improving clothing ranges as well as some more skeptical claims such as the liberation of women. Which, I’m sure, they played a huge part in.
Innovation – The whole ad shows how over the last 125 years m&s have offered so much to the British public and business itself. The emphasis is on the word ‘change’. Twiggy often tells the viewer how they changed this or were the first to do that. This shows how they still strife on innovation and are constantly coming up with new and improved solutions. (Like the suits you could tumble dry).
Quality – At no point in the ad do they explicitly refer to the quality of their products until claiming they give “the best possible food”*. However, it is implied throughout the ad. They have a strong enough reputation to not have to worry too much about expressing their superior quality. But to reiterate its importance within the company is still a strong factor as you can tell from the add. The way they introduced sell-by dates on perishable goods shows you they only offered what met their high standards. Twiggy also refers to how they got “proper fitted in the boob department”. This implies that their underwear is second to none when it comes to quality. Which is backed up by their incredible sales of women’s underwear in Britain.
Value – The add shows how the company started as a penny bazaar, which already shows that they had foundations of offering true value for money. This is then backed up by the following quote, which follows on from the one in the previous paragragh*. Twiggy explains how they offer the best possible products for the best possible prices. This comment almost defines the term value as if it were from a dictionary. This blunt quote just reassures the viewer that the value for money is always being pushed as far as they can “possibly” go.
Service – I would say service is the main principle that they have addressed in this celebratory advert. The whole ad shows what a service Marks and Spencer has done for us Brits over the last 125 years. From great food to constantly improving clothing ranges as well as some more skeptical claims such as the liberation of women. Which, I’m sure, they played a huge part in.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
This ad is a recent gem from the VW team again. The loveable character and humorous idea make the ad one of the best of 2011.
However it is the use of darth vader that appeals to my context based research. This choice coincides with the lifestyles of the sort of audience they are reaching out to.
Most middle aged men grew up with star wars and can therefore relate to this childhood dream to have "the force".
However it is the use of darth vader that appeals to my context based research. This choice coincides with the lifestyles of the sort of audience they are reaching out to.
Most middle aged men grew up with star wars and can therefore relate to this childhood dream to have "the force".
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
WonderBra Advert
This shows how they have researched and tapped into modern culture in order to create an amusing and related billboard ad.
Nice work. Clever copy. Evident context.
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