Ads

Alright. Hold up. Can we talk about ads for a minute?

As someone who paints, draws, is in the business school, is kind of a socialist, is definitely a feminist, and calls herself a fashionista, advertising provokes contradictory feelings. I want to go into marketing and advertising (maybe) because of the strategy aspect; using imagery and visuals to provoke feelings that will then make you do something (spend yo money) sounds like an intellectual challenge I’m up for. But… is wanting to make people want to buy something moral? It is a form of manipulation and propaganda… right?

Je ne sais pas.

Mais, I have respect for people responsible for the images you see in the media today. Yes, most of them are fucked up for perpetuating stereotypes and causing insecurities but to me, they are still a form of art and extremely beautiful and, sometimes, even genius.

Like Tom Ford. Tom Ford is a goddamn visionary. He is one of the most talented designers ever but due to his lack of connections, he lied, cheated, and clawed his way to the top of the fashion industry. Known for a classic and minimalistic aesthetic, his ads are amongst the most controversial ever. Yet, there is something about them…

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. This is an actual ad. There is a raw beauty to it; somehow, Tom Ford managed to make a woman with a bottle of perfume covering her vagina classy, not vulgar. Yet, it objectifies women and portrays the stereotypical thin, white woman we see all too often in the media. So, what is it about that image that I (and other people) find beautiful? Is it the angle? Is the audacity that went into the conception and creation of this ad? Je ne sais pas.

And Apple. Oh my goodness, Apple. If there ever was a company that epitomized marketing genius, it is Apple. I remember taking a basic marketing class and reading Purple Cow by Seth Godin, the modern bible of marketing. Apple popped up more times than any company and was used as an example for… well, every good marketing strategy. Remember the ad below? And all those just like it? How could anyone forget?

Goodness gracious, the glorious minimalism of it. The sheer genius of not having that much text on a poster. <3

And Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus. Let that sink in. A company created the phenomenon modern Christmas is centered around through a marketing strategy and compelling and artistic visuals.

The art used in advertising… I’m not sure if I’m impressed or repulsed. It’s beautiful. But what purpose does it serve?