“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is
the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is
a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is
as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” - Albert Einsten
Title: Nike Football - Leave Nothing Director: Michael Mann Year Released: 2007 Type: Advertisement
A lot of new commercials came out the opening Sunday of the NFL regular season. Some were funny, some were interesting and some were just flat out works of art. Below is one of my favorite, it's a Nike ad staring Shawn Merriman of the Chargers and Steven Jackson of the Rams and directed by Michael Mann and produced by Nike in cooperation with advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy. The transitions are amazing, along with the with camera view that is locked on each player. As other people and objects pass in front of the camera it breaks my gaze as it is stuck on Merriman/Jackson, which makes my eyes fight to stay focused on the Merriman/Jackson. Not only do the background, opponent and weather change, but so do Merriman and Jackson's uniforms. While the visual images are amazing, it is the audio that really makes this video special. The sound of the hits is intense, but it is the building music in the background (The Kiss from the movie "The Last of The Mohicans") is what makes this short video seem epic.
But the real question is, why make a commercial that seems so much like a piece of art? This isn't the only commercial that is like this (see the Bravia ad). You will notice that music seems to play a large role in these artistically minded commercials. Maybe advertising companies are trying to tell us something about the influence of music. But the question still remains, is it worth is financially (as that is the bottom line for companies like Nike and Sony) for these companies to produce such artfully done commercials? What effects to these sorts of ads have on you? Although I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, when I found out that a friend of mine had recently bought a Bravia television, I was excited for some reason... maybe such artistic and classy commercials make us feel artistic and classy when we associate ourselves with these products and companies, or something more, or maybe something less. Either way, I'm enjoying this new trend in advertising.
I could have posted at least a dozen "artful" commercials, but I decided to just go with the one which I described above... what are your favorite "artful" commercials? Post your favorites links in the comment section below.
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If you dig this commerical (or this "genre" of work) check out Eric Tu's website: erictu.com
It is very neat to see more artistic expression in advertising - I think it is refreshing. Commercials, or any form of advertising, will always have an agenda to influence the consumer, but I agree that this blend of art and commercialism is much more appealing and engaging.
This is a commercial that catches my eye, which also seems to exemplify commercial art. Similar to the form of the football commercial, I like it that the style does not come off as pretentious. It feels very welcoming to me, as if to say that anyone can appreciate it and find it to be meaningful.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lW_9SYaWAQg
"high art" written by Drew de Jonge , October 12, 2007
Well done... thanks Matt! I agree with Steve that there is definitely a sense of elitism in art today. It seems to me that "high art" has always been more of a culture than actual art. "low art", to me, always seems to be art that is accessible to everyone. Am I off base?
As far as these commercials, it seems that advertisers are starting to realize the value of artistic expression in commercials more so than in the past. Is it possible that they are trying to make you feel part of a more distinguished high art culture, or are they bridging the gap of high art and bringing it to the masses? I'm not sure...anyone else?
I think you're onto something with the high/low art idea Steve. I need to think about that a bit more. Anyone else care to weigh in on the high vs. low art dichotomy?
I agree, Matt, that there is something fascinating and even a bit mezmerizing about the Nike football ad. So much so that I googled the add to find out what the song was so I could buy it from itunes. I think part of the issue is that we tend to have a dichotomy between high art/low art that is false. It tends to be elitist.
Beauty in football written by caroline desmond , October 10, 2007
I think blurring the lines between commercialism and art shows how we as a culture are progessing. Can it go back to the argument of right-brained/left-brained or Type A/Type B personalities? It seems like we are beginning to understand that a blend is a good balance. I love the commercial. It even makes "artist people" want to watch football.
The first time I saw this video I was with some friends and we thought it was a commercial for a video game and could not figure out if it was digitally made or actually video of the football players. I'd say it's a work of art (but I have 0 artistic genes in me.)
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This is a commercial that catches my eye, which also seems to exemplify commercial art. Similar to the form of the football commercial, I like it that the style does not come off as pretentious. It feels very welcoming to me, as if to say that anyone can appreciate it and find it to be meaningful.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lW_9SYaWAQg