The Importance of Art in Advertising

Guest Blog by: Ricardo Burks

 

“We first see with our eyes and our brain processes imagery before we read type.”

 

-Avery Sohn

 

Art is finicky. It can be the most exhilarating thing or it could miss the mark for someone entirely. That being said art holds value in our daily lives. Without art, the Earth would just be meh. Cringing jokes out of the way, art does give meaning to life. Imagine a world without colors. What would a summer look like without a major blockbuster at the cinema? Better yet, what would life look like without the great artist whose ideas became real? Da Vinci’s schematics for the flying machine is a prime example. 

 

Granted it might have not made it off the ground, but he did create an idea that would be extended and molded until it became a real life contraption.

However art when it comes to advertising is seen as this negative thing to some folks. Some folks tend to believe that when it comes to advertising, art is forced to become this impure idea that diminishes the value of the art. Industry professionals have a different take on the notion. Deborah Racono, an art director and advertising professor at Temple University, said that art serves as an “inspiration to advertising”. This is abundantly clear when professionals are asked to list some of their favorite artists. Classics like Claude Monet and Van Gogh are brought up but also switch hitters like Ray and Charles Eames who are architects at heart. Even if these artists were contacted to draw up an ad, it would still be tasteful as art and advertising share a special dance.

 

The Artist Waltz

Advertising is about sharing an idea to the world so you can make a sale. With that in mind, a client has to choose the right artist for the job so that it can still be pure. That is what’s really going to stick in people’s heads. The artist has to then make sure that they communicate the ideas well and build a strong case for your vision and why it works. It needs to be strategic. It needs to hit all of the communication objects and there has to be a reason why the designer chose a certain color and not just because they don’t like that shade of purple.

Yet, we all know a good piece of creative when we see it. Despite being subjective, sales and the emotions an audience feels when viewing a piece of art, whether it be a timeless piece or the Tide ad commercials, are key indicators are how successful a piece can be. One professional mentioned that even if an ad doesn’t sell directly translate to sales, the ad can still be successful if it was a clever piece of creative. As long as the creative leaves a lasting emotional connection, it may influence the later purchasing decisions of the consumer due to it always being in the back of your head.

Advertisements can definitely be considered art. The goal of it is to share our ideas to do something. If that isn’t art, I don’t know what is.