18th May - Advertising

This week we looked at the idea of art being part of an advertising system where it is seen as just another object of value, where it is the artist's skill that is being bought and sold, also I found it interesting how an artist might not be able to create the art they want when they are a part of that system.

We watched John Carpenter's film They Live (1988) which was really interesting and eye-opening to me, I never realised just how many advertisements we see everyday and how they are part of our lives and also how we take them for granted. Set in 1980's America it explores the culture of greed, consumption and the undertones in adverts that tell us to obey. I think it also explores a fear in society of being controlled. In the film it shows that the wealthy people are actually aliens, hidden with subliminal messages and the media, who are the ones doing the controlling.

A great example of this use of advertising that I found which has made an impact on me was actually in the film Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell (2003). The film has been called a 144 minute long advert and there is a reason: product placement. The man James Bond has greatly influenced society. He is a connoisseur, he is charming, handsome, highly intelligent, heterosexual, a good leader and is loyal to his country. Also he demonstrates a wide range of very impressive skills like being able to fight, free-run, shoot guns, etc. These qualities of his give him a Midas Touch, only everything he touches turns to 'sold'. Whatever Bond owns, people want which not only explains it making a US $4 billion but also it explains why after the success of Aston Martin in James Bond, global brands will pay $3 billion for product placement. Only some of the brands seen in Casino Royale were: Omega Seamaster, Land Rover, Heinekin, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson. All these brands however were only seen for a few seconds each or for only one shot, so paying so much money for only a few seconds of viewing seems kind of ridiculous. Even Richard Branson himself appears for a few seconds in the film at Virgin Airlines going through metal detectors.

I found this use of advertising really interesting because it is part of an art medium that is viewed everyday, everybody watches films and especially a contemporary action movie like Casino Royale. This film in particular, because of its fame for fine products, helped me to see that adverts really are what we live in and they have become so common their messages have become subliminal. Their goal is to make you recognise them and remember them and to tell you to buy. The statement that it is pretty much a 144 minute long advert links directly to the idea of art becoming just about money. After all, James Bond wouldn't be as successful now if it wasn't then.