I remember when several years ago, watching tv with one of my male friends, he pointed out a commercial for something or other where the man was made to look like a dumbass and the woman, probably his wife or girlfriend, swept in to rescue him from his own idiocy, eyes rolling all along. My friend was irritated by this, and rightfully so. He said at the time that men (especially white men) were the only pc option left if you want to make someone look stupid for laughs. Since then, I've been incapable of NOT noticing whenever I see an example of "dumb man has to have wife buy cold medicine for him" advertising, and I get plenty irritated myself. But really, it's not that men are the new Victims, so much...It's that I'm so desensitized to offensive portrayals of women in advertising that I don't even notice it unless I make a conscious effort! So I appreciated Jean Kilbourn's comparison of the super-controversial penis ad with all of the other ads targeting women. Of COURSE people threw a fit about the objectification of the man...We're not used to seeing it. All those other ads just roll off our backs.
Over the past couple of years, I've also started to notice the pairing of average-looking guy with hot-looking woman in commercials, and unlike the glut of other hot-woman ads in magazines and on tv, this has been bothering me quite a bit. The message: Men's worth is not defined by their appearance, therefore we put average guys in the media. But women are still defined by their looks, therefore average guy still gets a super-hot wife or girlfriend. Women are never permitted to be "average." We take it for granted that it's their lot in life to make an extra effort to be physically desirable, and I NEVER see women on television that don't look like they've been grooming furiously. If you're not skinny, you'd damn well better get a good haircut, wax those legs and buy some designer-knockoff clothes.
The gist of the AFL-CIO stats is that women are now as dominant in the workforce as men (although apparently we still don't earn as much). We are now prime audience for advertisers. I find it interesting that in addition to being told to buy makeup, clothes, lingerie, perfume and shoes that will make men want us, we're also being targeted for luxury products. It's an indication that advertisers recognize the increased buying power of women, and that we no longer depend on a man's wealth to get our cars, vacations, homes. Our participation in the high-end workforce makes us independent. And that's why I find commercials like these so disturbing:
and
Are you kidding me? In the first ad, the woman is thrilled with her car supposedly because it proves to men that she's as good as they are -- but we can all see that she's really just thrilled to be such an unexpected turn-on to them. In the second ad, her sole motivator is her sexuality, that whore. Once again, women reduced to sex, but now in the guise of appealing to our independence and wealth.
The thing that's most depressing to me about all of this is the manipulation factor. Not only are women being manipulated furiously by the advertising world -- a topic that's gotten a lot of attention, esp. regarding teen girls and body image -- but we're also being taught TO be manipulative. How do girls get what they want? By batting their eyes, looking pretty and seducing. How do girls dominate other girls? By being the sexiest, the cattiest, drawing the most male attention. No wonder the little girls in the ads are so passive. There's no need to accomplish anything when you need only use your body to manipulate men and get what you want. It's damaging to women AND men, and makes for a shallow society. Teaches girls to be brats and boys to expect brattiness and treat girls with disdain.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Everybody Hurts
I am a feminist. I will say that I am always sympathetic to the earnest Man trying to understand Woman. Women baffle me at times and I am one. To say that men suffer too or that a man is objectified as well misses the larger issue to me. Human life always encompasses suffering, and comparing our wounds, while a temporary salve, or more often a nettlesome reopening of pain, changes nothing. Neither does preaching to the choir. What feminism is about, for me, is a method of analyzing power, how people sort themselves out, who gets to do what and who gets to have what.
If you believe that men love their children as much as women do, then you are a feminist.
If you believe that women and men should choose when to have children and when not, then you are a feminist. (I believe men should have reliable birth control too)
If you believe a person should be judged on their merits, then you are a feminist.
If you believe in peace, then you are a feminist.
If you believe in work life balance, then you are a feminist.
Being a good feminist, like all the secular humanist disciplines requires a lot of reading. I know I can’t keep up, but if you want to know more here are some resources you may not have already heard of: bitch mag (I love this one), Spread is a mag for sex workers written from a feminist perspective (kinda seemed on topic), and my personal favorite Feminist Thinker Katha Pollitt.
I tend to think that most people have a lazy, self-serving and money seeking bias more then they want to “keep the woman down.” So many of these sexist ads are an attempt to tap into that “young male market” or simply to sell sex because that’s the easy thing to do. Many other are simple male fantasy like that goof with the big lens that Mogi posted. The only way a guy looking like that got a woman who looks like that on that back of his motorcycle is by paying five hundred bucks an hour. I guess he thinks he is getting what he paid for, but I scoff at him and so do many others.
Jean Kilbourn spoke very well on the subject of female passivity which I think is a bigger problem than fantasy sexy pictures in ads. And the Hip Hop video was hope inducing, I’m glad people are starting to address sexism and homophobia in that culture. I think some of this misogyny and harm in rap has to do with an attempt to divorce oneself from all responsibility except the rush of the moment and the stroking of number one. Kind of an inverse of earlier drug cultures. Plenty to analyze there.
The bottom line of all of this for me is that all of these things add up. Many small things added up to totalitarian governments and unfortunate war adventures throughout history. Iran before its revolution had a large progressive and cosmopolitan population. Progress for everyone requires that we become wiser, bigger hearted, and vigilant. I don’t think that there is a “really big conspiracy” but there are people who want to turn the clock back, they are organized, well funded and I oppose them. The debasement of women harms everyone and thwarts progressive change.
If you believe that men love their children as much as women do, then you are a feminist.
If you believe that women and men should choose when to have children and when not, then you are a feminist. (I believe men should have reliable birth control too)
If you believe a person should be judged on their merits, then you are a feminist.
If you believe in peace, then you are a feminist.
If you believe in work life balance, then you are a feminist.
Being a good feminist, like all the secular humanist disciplines requires a lot of reading. I know I can’t keep up, but if you want to know more here are some resources you may not have already heard of: bitch mag (I love this one), Spread is a mag for sex workers written from a feminist perspective (kinda seemed on topic), and my personal favorite Feminist Thinker Katha Pollitt.
I tend to think that most people have a lazy, self-serving and money seeking bias more then they want to “keep the woman down.” So many of these sexist ads are an attempt to tap into that “young male market” or simply to sell sex because that’s the easy thing to do. Many other are simple male fantasy like that goof with the big lens that Mogi posted. The only way a guy looking like that got a woman who looks like that on that back of his motorcycle is by paying five hundred bucks an hour. I guess he thinks he is getting what he paid for, but I scoff at him and so do many others.
Jean Kilbourn spoke very well on the subject of female passivity which I think is a bigger problem than fantasy sexy pictures in ads. And the Hip Hop video was hope inducing, I’m glad people are starting to address sexism and homophobia in that culture. I think some of this misogyny and harm in rap has to do with an attempt to divorce oneself from all responsibility except the rush of the moment and the stroking of number one. Kind of an inverse of earlier drug cultures. Plenty to analyze there.
The bottom line of all of this for me is that all of these things add up. Many small things added up to totalitarian governments and unfortunate war adventures throughout history. Iran before its revolution had a large progressive and cosmopolitan population. Progress for everyone requires that we become wiser, bigger hearted, and vigilant. I don’t think that there is a “really big conspiracy” but there are people who want to turn the clock back, they are organized, well funded and I oppose them. The debasement of women harms everyone and thwarts progressive change.
Ways of Seeing
After reviewing these materials I see that unfortunately, I've been a bit oblivious to most of the underlying messages here. I see things but I guess I wasn't always aware and consciously affected by the types of ads and portrayals shown in these examples. Subconsciously, well, I guess I am or was and will probably will continue to be, even if I try to work against it (I guess you have limited control over your subconscious). But perhaps I can start seeing things and interpreting them in multiple ways -so that I don't let things affect me without knowing what's going on. Finding new ways of seeing is a great skill, and for someone somewhat dense such as myself, I'd say an important one considering the field of design. Luckily, I haven't been put in the position of having to create something that may fall into one of the traps similar to the ones here, but society and gender has undeniably impacted the way I represent things in design and perceive the works of others. These were interesting clips, definitely eye-opening.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sex and Sexes in the Media
I guess in my last post I was focusing more on sex in general in the media, not really on how women are portrayed - but you can't really talk about one without the other. There is no question that women are objectified in the media, I think that is a fact. But as a woman, I don't feel discriminated against in my day to day life (except for the occasional cat-calling, which I don't worry about because those men are losers). I think women have some advantages over men and men have some advantages over women. For the most part I feel equal in this society and capable of doing anything I want to do (although the facts about salary are disturbing...) I realize we've come a long way and it wasn't always like this and in some cultures women have no rights at all. I also realize we have a way to go until things are completely equal.
When talking about sexes in the media I think we need to address men as well. I think there is a lot of pressure on men - to not show emotion, to be macho, to have big muscles (I feel like a lot of men are more obsessed with working out than women). Granted the problem isn't as big as the portrayal of women, but the images of men in advertising are either of complete goofballs or of sexy men of steel.
I do wish the media's focus on perfection in women would change. I believe it leads to problems, especially in young women, with self image and self esteem. There are a few campaigns that are fighting it, like Dove's Real Beauty campaign but they are few and far between.
I know that the media influences our way of thinking, but I also think that models (men and women) are not real life and I don't expect people in real life to look like the people on tv/ads. I also don't think models are going away anytime soon - face it, pretty people in the media attract attention and they're fun to look at. With all of that said, I think the way "pretty" people are shown could change. I hadn't thought much about the postures and subtleties of the way women are portrayed before Amy talked about it in class, but portraying women in a strong way in the media would be a subtle change that would start to shift people's perceptions. (The woman in this ad looks like she's about to be gang raped? An example that's not so subtle...)
I think that advertisers will continue to objectify women, it's been going on for centuries. But we as designers (and as the most important people in the world, as Ed would say) do have a lot of responsibility with the images we portray in the media. I guess it's something we just need to be aware of and make conscious decisions about.
When talking about sexes in the media I think we need to address men as well. I think there is a lot of pressure on men - to not show emotion, to be macho, to have big muscles (I feel like a lot of men are more obsessed with working out than women). Granted the problem isn't as big as the portrayal of women, but the images of men in advertising are either of complete goofballs or of sexy men of steel.
I do wish the media's focus on perfection in women would change. I believe it leads to problems, especially in young women, with self image and self esteem. There are a few campaigns that are fighting it, like Dove's Real Beauty campaign but they are few and far between.
I know that the media influences our way of thinking, but I also think that models (men and women) are not real life and I don't expect people in real life to look like the people on tv/ads. I also don't think models are going away anytime soon - face it, pretty people in the media attract attention and they're fun to look at. With all of that said, I think the way "pretty" people are shown could change. I hadn't thought much about the postures and subtleties of the way women are portrayed before Amy talked about it in class, but portraying women in a strong way in the media would be a subtle change that would start to shift people's perceptions. (The woman in this ad looks like she's about to be gang raped? An example that's not so subtle...)
I think that advertisers will continue to objectify women, it's been going on for centuries. But we as designers (and as the most important people in the world, as Ed would say) do have a lot of responsibility with the images we portray in the media. I guess it's something we just need to be aware of and make conscious decisions about.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Clarity on the Sex Topic
This a preemptive entry on the topic of sex in the media and the objectification of the sexes. I say sexes because I believe that both sexes are objectified in their own way. It appeared that the discussion was starting to get a bit heated Thursday, so I wanted to offer some thoughts before Amy makes her post.
First, I do agree that women are objectified with the use of traditional roles and gratuitous sex. I also do agree that that the ads we see featuring rail thin, 5' 10", 110lbs models do send an unrealistic message to young girls. The result is these girls going on fad diets and developing eating eating disorders in order to live up to an impossible standard.
I also believe that society objectifies men in ways that if not put in the proper perspective, they will do damage to future generations of young boys. While advertising uses sex and body image to sell to women, that same industry uses strength and athleticism to sell to the male population. Even with the talent and physical attributes, the odds of making it in professional sports are extremely slim. Sports ads continually peddle unrealistic messages that this shoe will make you jump higher or this sports drink will make you run faster. We have young male athletes (and also young women) starting to abuse steroids and performance enhancing substances at earlier and earlier ages in order to stay competitive and live up to the image of their sport's idols.
The question posed is what do we do about it? I'm not suggesting we ban these ads, and I hope that I'm in agreement here. I'm also not in favor of trying to bring down the fashion or sports industries. While the media does contribute to the problem, I think it's important not to be so quick to lay all the blame at their feet. Parents need to be more involved with their children and explain to them that what they see in print or on television is not real. These same arguments were made against rap music, claiming that it idolized violence and the gangster lifestyle. Perhaps they have a point, but I don't think the answer is censorship or angry boycotts.
I think the best we can do is have debates like this, and try to change the hearts and minds of people. There are always going to be ads, television programs, and other forms of media that use gratuitous sex, violence, and objectification in order to sell and promote. Someone is bound to get offended at some of it and that's the price we pay for living in a free society. We value free expression and like it or not, advertising is free expression. I believe Amy's point is to think deeply about what we see in the media and be aware of it in our culture. I think that's a reasonable approach we can all agree on regardless of where you stand on the issue.
First, I do agree that women are objectified with the use of traditional roles and gratuitous sex. I also do agree that that the ads we see featuring rail thin, 5' 10", 110lbs models do send an unrealistic message to young girls. The result is these girls going on fad diets and developing eating eating disorders in order to live up to an impossible standard.
I also believe that society objectifies men in ways that if not put in the proper perspective, they will do damage to future generations of young boys. While advertising uses sex and body image to sell to women, that same industry uses strength and athleticism to sell to the male population. Even with the talent and physical attributes, the odds of making it in professional sports are extremely slim. Sports ads continually peddle unrealistic messages that this shoe will make you jump higher or this sports drink will make you run faster. We have young male athletes (and also young women) starting to abuse steroids and performance enhancing substances at earlier and earlier ages in order to stay competitive and live up to the image of their sport's idols.
The question posed is what do we do about it? I'm not suggesting we ban these ads, and I hope that I'm in agreement here. I'm also not in favor of trying to bring down the fashion or sports industries. While the media does contribute to the problem, I think it's important not to be so quick to lay all the blame at their feet. Parents need to be more involved with their children and explain to them that what they see in print or on television is not real. These same arguments were made against rap music, claiming that it idolized violence and the gangster lifestyle. Perhaps they have a point, but I don't think the answer is censorship or angry boycotts.
I think the best we can do is have debates like this, and try to change the hearts and minds of people. There are always going to be ads, television programs, and other forms of media that use gratuitous sex, violence, and objectification in order to sell and promote. Someone is bound to get offended at some of it and that's the price we pay for living in a free society. We value free expression and like it or not, advertising is free expression. I believe Amy's point is to think deeply about what we see in the media and be aware of it in our culture. I think that's a reasonable approach we can all agree on regardless of where you stand on the issue.
Friday, November 21, 2008
for you to consider
Hi All,
I know I may have sounded a little heated during class and for that I apologize. However, I don’t apologize for urging you to be thoughtful purveyors of language and image.
Here’s a video that is an edited portion of Jean Kilbourn’s lecture from "Killing Us Softly." She is internationally recognized for her work in alcohol and tobacco advertising and the image of women in advertising.
Here's another video I'd like you to watch, it's a trailer for a longer documentary called, "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes." It's put out by the Media Education Foundation.
Read this report put together by the Department for Professional Employees of the AFL:CIO. The sources for the report are quite varied and reliable.
Professional Women: Vital Statistics
Do you have examples to contribute?
Beyond the obvious, what's the relationship and effect of these items? How does this affect you as a professional?
I know I may have sounded a little heated during class and for that I apologize. However, I don’t apologize for urging you to be thoughtful purveyors of language and image.
Here’s a video that is an edited portion of Jean Kilbourn’s lecture from "Killing Us Softly." She is internationally recognized for her work in alcohol and tobacco advertising and the image of women in advertising.
Here's another video I'd like you to watch, it's a trailer for a longer documentary called, "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes." It's put out by the Media Education Foundation.
Read this report put together by the Department for Professional Employees of the AFL:CIO. The sources for the report are quite varied and reliable.
Professional Women: Vital Statistics
Do you have examples to contribute?
Beyond the obvious, what's the relationship and effect of these items? How does this affect you as a professional?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Triple Threat
I may give in the power of the triple poster. More to show tonight of my process on this, I keep thinking I get further away. I am working slowly on the type - something monolithic.
Sex Cont.
I tend to agree with both Carolyn and Michelle. I recently saw a television program on VH1 that had a top 101 sexiest celebrity bodies list. It seemed like there were just as many men on the list as women, so in that respect I agree with Carolyn that men are being objectified in advertising, movies, and television more and more. Perhaps still not as much as women, but the times are changing. I remember seeing a commercial for Macy's that featured Martha Stewart and a host of other women ogling over some male model type who was apparently hired as a new spokesman for Macy's. Then, at the commercial's end it featured Donald Trump sarcastically saying, "so very shallow". On the other hand I also recall seeing a commercial for Patron Tequila. Three men sitting at a bar table obviously in a heated conversation. You can't hear the conversation, but at the end of the commercial, their waitress delivers their drinks to their table and bends down to show ample cleavage. Then three dialogue bubbles appear over each of their heads reading, "real" "real" "fake". The word, "fake" changes to "real" as all three men nod excitedly in agreement. Obviously they were commenting on the whether or not her breast were natural. Both commercials used sex to sell, but I didn't think they crossed the line. I suppose different people are affected at different levels. Oh, and Michelle your right. Men are portrayed as bumbling idiots. It seems like that's a pattern for not just commercials, but also sitcoms and other television programs. "Everybody Loves Raymond" is a good example. Ray's the dumb-ass who's always getting into trouble, while his wife, Deborah, is portrayed as the smart and sophisticated one who's always calling him out on his buffoonish antics.
Humping Bunnies
I am all for pushing the boundary! I think people (in general) are waaaay too sensitive about…everything. Okay, so the sexy lady on TV is an object; so what? The job of advertisers is to sell—sex sells. And I’m not going to lie, I probably bought the slutty lady’s perfume because they sold me… and I’m a woman. I agree with Carolyn that it goes both ways. Has anyone ever noticed that men on TV commercials are portrayed as absolute idiots? It’s always the guy who screws up and then tries to fix the problem but ends up getting into more trouble. As far as kids being exposed to racy things on television, where are the parents to step up and turn the tube off? Why don’t we blame them instead of blaming the commercials and television shows? I think people are only as under/over exposed as they chose to be.
Sexy Times
Ah yes, sex. Way to keep us on our toes Mogi!
Sex sells, we all know that. Extreme feminists and religious fanatics tend to take it all a little seriously (sorry if I offended anyone) but I think we should take it all in stride. Men these days seem to be objectified almost as much as women. With the sexual revolution and all that jazz, America seems to be a little more easy going about it all. Not as much as Europeans (nice movie clip Mogi, if you watch the singer long enough you see boobie) but still, we're loosening up. (I'm always amazed what they can show on TV in Europe - I guess that shows what a sheltered American I am).
Some of these are hilarious (sex + humor) http://www.funny-commercials.net/Sexy_Commercials/ and some are just completely ridiculous (the Go Daddy one? Come on...) I can see that if I had little kids, I would definitely not want these on the air.
Too much to explain...
Like the Something Special one? Hilarious but geez!
I think America has reached a happy medium, but I guess the boundaries will always be pushed.
Sex sells, we all know that. Extreme feminists and religious fanatics tend to take it all a little seriously (sorry if I offended anyone) but I think we should take it all in stride. Men these days seem to be objectified almost as much as women. With the sexual revolution and all that jazz, America seems to be a little more easy going about it all. Not as much as Europeans (nice movie clip Mogi, if you watch the singer long enough you see boobie) but still, we're loosening up. (I'm always amazed what they can show on TV in Europe - I guess that shows what a sheltered American I am).
Some of these are hilarious (sex + humor) http://www.funny-commercials.net/Sexy_Commercials/ and some are just completely ridiculous (the Go Daddy one? Come on...) I can see that if I had little kids, I would definitely not want these on the air.
Too much to explain...
Like the Something Special one? Hilarious but geez!
I think America has reached a happy medium, but I guess the boundaries will always be pushed.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sex for sale
I think it's a great point that sex + humor is what's generally safer. For products sold to women, sex can be used without humor pretty reliably, but it's a different type of sex: The "I want to look that delicious to men" type, which is manipulative in a whole other way. But for ads that are successful for things other than Herbal Essences ("a truly organic experience," wink-wink, nudge-nudge) and and Victoria's Secret, the successful/harmless sex campaigns I can think of all use humor. I'm thinking especially of the Axe body spray campaign that features an array of dorky guys with hot women drawn to them like flies. Or there was once a commercial for some energy drink that was a musical routine on the theme of the drink being just what you need the morning after your shameful one-night-stand.
But by and large, outside of the world of music, I don't really see too much that would be considered edgy in mainstream media here in the U.S. Maybe there are too many watchdog groups out there making sure that our children aren't corrupted by the sight of boobs at too early an age. Look at the frenzy following the Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson thing. If that wasn't an example of puritanism in action, I don't know what is.
But by and large, outside of the world of music, I don't really see too much that would be considered edgy in mainstream media here in the U.S. Maybe there are too many watchdog groups out there making sure that our children aren't corrupted by the sight of boobs at too early an age. Look at the frenzy following the Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson thing. If that wasn't an example of puritanism in action, I don't know what is.
Monday, November 17, 2008
No sex mentioned in this post
'Mates-
I need to pick a third film to help round out my movie series. I'm doing movies that Clint Eastwood directed but also starred in. I'm using "The Outlaw Josie Wales" and "Million Dollar Baby". I was using "Unforgiven" as my third, but that jumbled up the genres and tilted the whole thing towards westerns. He also directed/starred in:
Firefox
Sudden Impact
Heartbreak Ridge
The Rookie
Absolute Power
Space Cowboys
Any thoughts or advice on a third film? Much appreciated-
I need to pick a third film to help round out my movie series. I'm doing movies that Clint Eastwood directed but also starred in. I'm using "The Outlaw Josie Wales" and "Million Dollar Baby". I was using "Unforgiven" as my third, but that jumbled up the genres and tilted the whole thing towards westerns. He also directed/starred in:
Firefox
Sudden Impact
Heartbreak Ridge
The Rookie
Absolute Power
Space Cowboys
Any thoughts or advice on a third film? Much appreciated-
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Risky and frisky
After reading a particularly grim Kate Millett book back in the day (1980something?) -- I turned the TV to this newfangled MTV and saw a sluttish woman writhing on a gondola proclaiming she was “like a virgin.” I laughed so hard at this I fell out of bed and knew that the Madonna-Whore complex was being reassessed in new ways and that the conversation about it had changed forever.
Women were packaging their powerful sexuality – profiting and gaining stardom. The woman was the captain of her ship at last and what harm is in it if it’s all just for fun. AIDs put an end to the sex party for everyone and sex has gotten more, not less complicated as the years have worn on.
I should not have to rehash why sexual objectification especially of women is well, evil. But it is a complicated sin in that, like money, we do all like sex. If you are thinking about it in terms of “harm to culture” then anything that strips a woman of her personhood and turns her into a sex object that exists only for your pleasure, then you have committed objectification. Some critiques of racy ads are a little humorless, but it is the price for vigilance. If you are thinking in terms of harm to a client just know that people are watching this and they are not quiet people.
Sex with humor and no harm I think is great and most people will appreciate it.
Women were packaging their powerful sexuality – profiting and gaining stardom. The woman was the captain of her ship at last and what harm is in it if it’s all just for fun. AIDs put an end to the sex party for everyone and sex has gotten more, not less complicated as the years have worn on.
I should not have to rehash why sexual objectification especially of women is well, evil. But it is a complicated sin in that, like money, we do all like sex. If you are thinking about it in terms of “harm to culture” then anything that strips a woman of her personhood and turns her into a sex object that exists only for your pleasure, then you have committed objectification. Some critiques of racy ads are a little humorless, but it is the price for vigilance. If you are thinking in terms of harm to a client just know that people are watching this and they are not quiet people.
Sex with humor and no harm I think is great and most people will appreciate it.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The birds and the bees
It still upset people almost 40 years later. Chelsea Girls, designed by Grand Vizier of Illustration Alan Aldridge, is creative, edgy and definitely represents peace of art. Since the client for the poster was Andy Warhol, there was no worry will it upset or insult someone, that was the purpose of the design at the first place.
I don’t want to talk about Alan Aldridge, who’s design is pushed till and over the extreme. What I am interested in is: Where is, or is it possible to define, the point where using of sex want be pushed over the edge, insulting audience and harming the client. Definitely, there are cultural obstacles that have to be taken in to the consideration. Usage of sex is looser in Europe than in America, but don’t even think about of using it at Middle East.
.
“Focus” and “Blaupunkt” are using sex in mixture with humor, so that humor becomes dominant element, and something that will make message memorable. Or it is better to say, cleverness of the commercials will stay with us much longer than the message that is not funny. There are a lot of claver ads out there, but the one that uses humor are for sure the most successful.
On other hand, the massages sent by “Focus” and “Blaupumkt” are not decoded till the end (clever, isn’t it?). Is “Blaupunkt” selling just the car speakers or "the advantage" that will come with them? And what is required for “the perfect image”, digital camera, something else (you know what) or perhaps it takes both.
How hard is to sell this? With my "perfect" English skills, I’ll say to client something like this (since I am trying to sell sex, using deep voice is strongly recommended): “The basic concept for “Blaupunkt” car speakers will be Brown Bear and Pink Rabbit (since the target audience is straight). They will making it, in the beat of music, on the back shelf of the car”. No, no, no… this one is better: “Why don’t we use male in his late 20’s with erected camera?” What? Who?
I think my meeting with client will end like this: Client (trying to be smart): “Why don’t we play safe and go with boobies, boobies have the POWER, they can sell”. Hmm..., how stupid I am. I’ve always thought she has the “golden” voice.
.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Print vs. Online
I too work at an academic institution and we have the same debates over print v. web. True, the web should be a information-driven, but compelling entry, but I can't underestimate how many students always want to follow-up with something in print. The grad program is in the process of creating a CD mailer - but its I think the packaging at the very least is what is still a hook for students. I don't think we have to fear the death of print.
I <3 print
I'm with Tara. Although the web is a valuable medium, there's something about print. For me, it's not completely a tactile thing, even thought that's definitely part of it. I actually find that when I need to read, I need it printed. I print all my PDF manuals for the equipment at work, print my research articles, print my scripts to edit, and lately, I do most of my scriptwriting longhand. I'll sit in a bookstore for hours reading, and I just can't do that online anymore.
I do think that the print media can be made more eco friendly, but I don't think it's on the way out, not by a longshot.
If I had my way, though, fontstruct would be...figures the stinking site is down when I need to print something off for class tonight.
I do think that the print media can be made more eco friendly, but I don't think it's on the way out, not by a longshot.
If I had my way, though, fontstruct would be...figures the stinking site is down when I need to print something off for class tonight.
Did no one get the memo about me not wanting to hear the word "eco" for a while?
Anyway, in the great words of Bert Smith "Print is not dead." Magazines are hotter than ever, with more specialized ones coming out frequently. I have to take a slightly cynical Mogi stance on this one--there are plenty other ways the envionment is being destroyed. Can we try to talk to our clients about more efficient ways to advertise or promote without printing 5000 pieces that will get tossed? Maybe. Probably not.
I'm gonna make this short n sweet. I love print. Newspapers don't count, they're boring and you can achieve the same thing--only more current and interesting--on the web. sad but true. But magazines, no way. books, not a chance. Ever heard of a coffee table website? There's just something about the feel, the smell, the sound of the crackling and rustling of a mag or book that just cant be beat. And when i forget to pay my cable bill and my internet gets shut off, i dont have to go to panera to relax and check out the latest issue of Bon Appetite. just sayin.
I'm gonna make this short n sweet. I love print. Newspapers don't count, they're boring and you can achieve the same thing--only more current and interesting--on the web. sad but true. But magazines, no way. books, not a chance. Ever heard of a coffee table website? There's just something about the feel, the smell, the sound of the crackling and rustling of a mag or book that just cant be beat. And when i forget to pay my cable bill and my internet gets shut off, i dont have to go to panera to relax and check out the latest issue of Bon Appetite. just sayin.
Seeing Green
As designers we have to think green. It is an issue that companies have to keep in the for front when they producing print materials. It is an issue that can harm a company or organization if they are not careful. As designers it is also our responsibility to offer green options to our clients/organizations for collateral materials. We have to think about it as if we were showing our clients a cool design technique that would be effective for the design. Going green has to be apart of our design solution. Otherwise we are doing an injustice to our clients.
As far as print going away, I think print is losing the battle of print media vs. electronic media. Newsprint is a perfect example of that losing battle. But I don’t think we will ever see print eliminated completely. While the electronic media is more cost effective and makes it faster to release information to the public, print media will always be necessary because people have a need to have things in their hands. Or do we?
This an interesting look into the future without print.
As far as print going away, I think print is losing the battle of print media vs. electronic media. Newsprint is a perfect example of that losing battle. But I don’t think we will ever see print eliminated completely. While the electronic media is more cost effective and makes it faster to release information to the public, print media will always be necessary because people have a need to have things in their hands. Or do we?
This an interesting look into the future without print.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Design Promotes Enviromentalism
The eco-friendly theme being discussed throughout this week's blog entries reminded me of some interesting websites concerning this issue. A local design firm, Tilt Studios has based their design practice around sustainability and green concerns. This past summer, they sponsored an exhibition called The Urban Forest Project. The exhibition was a collaboration of designers and artists who created banners featuring environmental issues. The banners were displayed throughout various parks in Baltimore. There's a link to the website from Tilt Studio's website. Also, AIGA is sponsoring a design challenge called the Aspen Design Challenge. The challenge is open to design students and addresses the global water crisis. In 2006, AIGA sponsored a workshop called the Aspen Design Summit which was designed to address environmental issues. This year's workshop is implementing this challenge. Check it out.
Go Mobile
Reading your posts, I must say I completely understand you all. I agree, what is the point of taking this class any way? We should quit!
Imagine all those poor trees we are torturing every day, newsletters, brochures, direct mail, we don’t deserve to live. Nature will get us, that is just matter of time and than will be dead.
For all of you, who are running for your life, be aware not to be caught in to the Net. Future is not in the Web design, but in the design for handheld devices. Go Mobile!!!
Today, there is more mobile phone, than computer users. I am talking world wide. Mobile phones are much cheaper than personal computers. Conventional telecommunication network (usage of land lines) is abandoned. Governments in developing and third world countries, who are looking for inexpensive way to build telecommunication infrastructure, are investing money in mobile network. Those countries are also potential markets, and in order to reach consumers, companies will start using marketing through mobile phones.
Here is the study done by IBM(http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/www_innovate.nsf/images/gio-new-media/$FILE/gio_media_and_content_report_final.pdf)
Imagine all those poor trees we are torturing every day, newsletters, brochures, direct mail, we don’t deserve to live. Nature will get us, that is just matter of time and than will be dead.
For all of you, who are running for your life, be aware not to be caught in to the Net. Future is not in the Web design, but in the design for handheld devices. Go Mobile!!!
Today, there is more mobile phone, than computer users. I am talking world wide. Mobile phones are much cheaper than personal computers. Conventional telecommunication network (usage of land lines) is abandoned. Governments in developing and third world countries, who are looking for inexpensive way to build telecommunication infrastructure, are investing money in mobile network. Those countries are also potential markets, and in order to reach consumers, companies will start using marketing through mobile phones.
Here is the study done by IBM(http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/www_innovate.nsf/images/gio-new-media/$FILE/gio_media_and_content_report_final.pdf)
The future of print design?
At my job, we have a pretty decent mix of print and web design going on, although it seems like I have 5 web projects for every print project...But I often wonder where things are going to be in 10 years. We're in a big rebranding campaign right now and along with that is an ongoing discussion of how to reach our audience best. It surprised me to hear that kids today (these kids today, rrrr) have no attachment to print materials at all. My boss talks about market research showing that they'd rather look at words on a screen than have paper materials cluttering their desks and rooms. So I guess that means we'll be looking to electronic media to reach college students much more than print materials.
It's hard for me to accept this total change in the way people prefer to receive information. For me, if I get a card or a brochure in my hand, I have it and it's going to stay in my mind because I'll see it sitting around. On the other hand, if I get a newsletter in my email inbox, it disappears from my mind as soon as the next message comes in. But the generation that's now in high school just operates totally differently than me. For them, it's better to get text messages from a college admissions office than a big glossy viewbook...Or so the research says, anyway. Can't wrap my mind around that one.
I think most of us designers love print more than web, regardless of the possibilities new technology offers us...because we love to hold our work (and other people's) in our hands and feel the texture and all of that. Note how we all took great pleasure in sniffing Dave's DVD cover last week. So the move away from print is sad for us. Better for the trees, though. No doubt about that.
It's hard for me to accept this total change in the way people prefer to receive information. For me, if I get a card or a brochure in my hand, I have it and it's going to stay in my mind because I'll see it sitting around. On the other hand, if I get a newsletter in my email inbox, it disappears from my mind as soon as the next message comes in. But the generation that's now in high school just operates totally differently than me. For them, it's better to get text messages from a college admissions office than a big glossy viewbook...Or so the research says, anyway. Can't wrap my mind around that one.
I think most of us designers love print more than web, regardless of the possibilities new technology offers us...because we love to hold our work (and other people's) in our hands and feel the texture and all of that. Note how we all took great pleasure in sniffing Dave's DVD cover last week. So the move away from print is sad for us. Better for the trees, though. No doubt about that.
ISOOOO...Green
The ISO is a very deep organization it seems. I wonder how much government influence is in this org. Very interesting but wordy info. I wonder if T Rowe has worked with ISO. For business this sounds like a type of consultant group making the company environmentally sound with certain standards. After reading for a little the plum shade and plum text started to merge and there's a lot of bold words. Interesting non the less.
Our dept has had G5s for about 2 years and I have been leading the charge in ditching our PC CPU's and going parallel on the G5. Things move very slow in the corporate world but I think we are close. My main thing was the use of utilities and going green. Why have two when you can have one with both also it may cut down on the dust in the air as well. I wonder if any of the below worked with ISO 14000?
The Green Office
Planet Green - Green Work
Our dept has had G5s for about 2 years and I have been leading the charge in ditching our PC CPU's and going parallel on the G5. Things move very slow in the corporate world but I think we are close. My main thing was the use of utilities and going green. Why have two when you can have one with both also it may cut down on the dust in the air as well. I wonder if any of the below worked with ISO 14000?
The Green Office
Planet Green - Green Work
Careful! I too am frisky.
The Full English Project by editorial designer Sharon Spencer
(A rant)
I could be way off here, but does anyone else—when reading the Visual Research text—find him/her self saying “who the hell cares?” I feel like these people [namely Sharon Spencer] are the food critics of the design world—pretentious and arrogant about things/ideas that really don’t make any difference. I apologize to anyone who loves this case study but I can barely stand to think about it—I’m getting more and more irritated as I read.
So, you’re going to place all these symbols next to each other, stack rows upon rows, and then assign them meanings like, “this is the row that reflects the widespread increase in fast food take away culture?” Sweet. I can also place multiple pictures on top of one another, assign them meanings and then make up a concept that pretends to tie everything together. So what? Information architecture is one thing, but when the information is pointless is it really doing anyone any good? Good personal project maybe, but not a design technique I want to praise and/or dissect. Why should I care?
Phew.
(A rant)
I could be way off here, but does anyone else—when reading the Visual Research text—find him/her self saying “who the hell cares?” I feel like these people [namely Sharon Spencer] are the food critics of the design world—pretentious and arrogant about things/ideas that really don’t make any difference. I apologize to anyone who loves this case study but I can barely stand to think about it—I’m getting more and more irritated as I read.
So, you’re going to place all these symbols next to each other, stack rows upon rows, and then assign them meanings like, “this is the row that reflects the widespread increase in fast food take away culture?” Sweet. I can also place multiple pictures on top of one another, assign them meanings and then make up a concept that pretends to tie everything together. So what? Information architecture is one thing, but when the information is pointless is it really doing anyone any good? Good personal project maybe, but not a design technique I want to praise and/or dissect. Why should I care?
Phew.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Pandering – the first step to real change or a dodge to preserve the status quo – you decide.
Thanks Dave for alerting us to the standards of eco design, I’m happy somebody is doing this tho this sort of reading kind of makes my eyes cross.
Entire forests are now being pulped to extol the greenness of this or that product or service. Here is one of many sites that have bloomed recently that are dealing with the issue of greenwashing: http://www.greenwashingindex.com/
Greenwashing, while a swindle on the surface seems to me, perhaps, the realization by those in power, in business, in government, that a fundamental change in our culture is coming regarding the environment. We as human beings (as print designers we do have some conflicts) are the ones that will make it stick or not. It is a rhetorical acquiescence of power to the interest of the environment at least.
Even so everyone’s favorite green thing is still money… big oil conspiracies abound, we make crap people throw away, new nuclear power plants are on the drawing board, it is as the Chinese say, an interesting time to be alive.
Entire forests are now being pulped to extol the greenness of this or that product or service. Here is one of many sites that have bloomed recently that are dealing with the issue of greenwashing: http://www.greenwashingindex.com/
Greenwashing, while a swindle on the surface seems to me, perhaps, the realization by those in power, in business, in government, that a fundamental change in our culture is coming regarding the environment. We as human beings (as print designers we do have some conflicts) are the ones that will make it stick or not. It is a rhetorical acquiescence of power to the interest of the environment at least.
Even so everyone’s favorite green thing is still money… big oil conspiracies abound, we make crap people throw away, new nuclear power plants are on the drawing board, it is as the Chinese say, an interesting time to be alive.
Eco Schmeco
I've been hearing a lot lately about graphic design jobs that no longer exist, like the illustrator that drew the art director's concepts, or the guy who assembled the art board (hell, I don't even know what these people are called.) I wonder if, in several (or not so several) years, young students in graphic design will be talking about how there used to be (just) print designers and can you believe how much paper they wasted?
I'm sure our medium will greatly evolve, much like how the graphic design world had to make the drastic conversion to go digital (luckily I missed that whole thing and started graphic design in the 2000s). I just wonder how our field will change and hope our jobs don't become obsolete. Creativity can never become obsolete (...I don't think), but I'm going to take a few extra web classes just in case this whole print thing goes out of style.
I guess all you can do is try to stay current and then brace yourself when Apple or Microsoft comes out with a hologram computer or robot or something.
Until then, I'll keep polishing my Adobe skills and hope I can still use them in the years to come.
I'm sure our medium will greatly evolve, much like how the graphic design world had to make the drastic conversion to go digital (luckily I missed that whole thing and started graphic design in the 2000s). I just wonder how our field will change and hope our jobs don't become obsolete. Creativity can never become obsolete (...I don't think), but I'm going to take a few extra web classes just in case this whole print thing goes out of style.
I guess all you can do is try to stay current and then brace yourself when Apple or Microsoft comes out with a hologram computer or robot or something.
Until then, I'll keep polishing my Adobe skills and hope I can still use them in the years to come.
a degenerative cycle.
okay... this stuff isn't exactly portfolio-worthy material, but the wasteland of direct mail is largely unavoidable if you're trying to scrape a living doing freelance gigs. money talks. until now i've been happy to design anything from nebulous credit-card offers to generic self-mailers & catalogs, collecting a check and sending them off into the world with nary a thought to their impact (social, environmental, or otherwise).
well. it's now run full circle. i did a series of audience-specific postcards for a client (left). i guess they thought it'd be _funny_ to add me to the mailing list or something... because this (right side images) is what awaited me in my mailbox yesterday.
initially, i was like... "hmmm, cool". then, about five seconds later... i thought, "wow... like...thousands of people are gonna get these, and (like i will) throw them away. my carbon footprint just became the size of a yeti. i'll say up front that getting out of advertising/direct mail as a sole source of income was an initial factor in applying to grad school. lets just say that this quashes most of the regrets i have about UB... and at times... there have been a few.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Shrink your eco mouseprint
While I was writing my design brief for our first project, I came across the ISO 14000 specification. ISO stands for International Standards Organization (pardon if you knew this), and they develop standards for everything from how the tracks on a CD or DVD need to be properly encoded so they're read by any player, to the dimensions of certain products, and countless other things. The standards are agreed upon by all relevant parties, and once they're created, they're used in manufacturing and R&D, etc. But an interesting standard that they began developing a few years ago was to create an ISO number for an environmental management system (EMS). ISO 14000 is a series of frameworks and guidelines that companies can use to identify and control the environmental impact of their organization. 14006 deals specifically with guidelines on eco design, but its still currently being written. This is a great development, since until now, everyone talks about wanting to be more "green", but they don't really know where to start, or even have an understanding of their current environmental impact. Anyway, I know this isn't the type of weekly "blogstarter" post that will generate a ton of responses (or any for that matter), but I thought it might be of some interest... ISO 14000 here.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Big Screen
Meant to blog this earlier...surprise, surprise, but I went to The Who concert on Monday. My hubby's a HUGE fan, and I like them, but I must admit my mind wondered a few times to the very big movie screen behind the band. It showed the usual concert foder, colors, images of the band from years past etc. - and I wondered about this video tenchnique. Many of the posts this week have been about the election - and I remember thinking about the big screens behind the candidates at the convention. Big waving wheat, the flag waving. Its such a powerful choice when used correctly.
hey!
No posting about food. I'm always starving by the time I get to class, and reading about chicken scarpariello is not helping!
On a more serious note, burnout is just not fun. Not fun at all.
Thanksgiving can't come soon enough....
On a more serious note, burnout is just not fun. Not fun at all.
Thanksgiving can't come soon enough....
Hm?... I am hungry.
I’ve just found an interesting recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-scarpariello-recipe/index.html
). It says 28 min to cook, hm? We’ll see. Italian food is the best. I’ll let you know how good it is.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell, I’ve just got a brand new, latest technology, hyper super, new generation, concrete mixer with grate new features.
15HP with air cooled diesel engine (135 rmp)
4 Pneumatic Wheels
Capacity 55 liters
It is unbelievable, how ideas can be blended in it. The only problem is, when your thoughts get stuck you must clean it manually.
As much as i think the topic is interesting..
I am done with political stuff. Although, i did think about it some and have to say (since i do have to say something) that the branding of Obama was genius, and i know it attracted my attention. Especially once shepard fairey did his posters for obama, not to mention the other great artists that participated. But really, what came first? Obama inspired artists with his message and they responded the way they know how. Fairey didn't just do a series of posters for nothing, it was the person that moved him. So yes, Obama's branding did get my attention, but it was obama that inspired it to begin with.
purely for bragging rights...
my new 30" cinema display at the office. my cubicle bows down to it. read it and weep. mwah ha ha ha ha....
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Advertising Age Article
Interesting article that goes along with what we've been talking about.
http://adage.com/print?article_id=132237
http://adage.com/print?article_id=132237
Design and Politics
I think graphic design can’t change a voters mind about a candidate but it can say a lot about the candidate’s views and campaign. The logos for the two candidates are a perfect example of this. Obama’s logo did a great job demonstrating what he stood for, which was “CHANGE” and the beginning of a new day for America. While John McCain used the star to demonstrate that he was a strong candidate that was a leader and of course it also links him with his military background. I think these logo designs did a great job telling us about the candidates.
Design also played an interesting roll in the commercials. Without design the commercials would not work. Large parts of the design of the commercials were the selection of the images that were used. This is something that a lot of designers over look. Effective images can make or break a design. If the details of the images were overlooked the commercials would have been less effective.
Design also played an interesting roll in the commercials. Without design the commercials would not work. Large parts of the design of the commercials were the selection of the images that were used. This is something that a lot of designers over look. Effective images can make or break a design. If the details of the images were overlooked the commercials would have been less effective.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Oh poor graphic design
Oh poor graphic design, handmaiden to business, earnest kid sister to art, propagandist, puppet, the tail wagging the dog. Visual culture in the business world, where most of us reside most of the time, is apolitical and amoral. Reading, class, personal thinking and social ghettos have much more to do with one’s politics. I do also wonder who those mythical “undecided’s” are I certainly don’t know any. My personal fortune has had little to do with who is in the White House, although I’ve spent that last 8 years irritatedly switching the TV station whenever you-know-who is on. It is my hope that the desire machine that is our economy, and of which we a bit players, can retool our culture into sustaining; the planet, a real thought, and human communities of all classes and social ghettos. I am ever the optimist.
The (thank god it's ending) Election and Design
I, for one, will be very happy when this election is over (sounds like Steve will be too).
With that said, I think political design reinforces people's beliefs but probably doesn't change them. I agree with Dave, if you are an Obama fan, all of the great designs for his campaign are going to reinforce that, but I don't think they would change someone's mind with a different view (unless someone doesn't follow politics). With other things, like products and services, I think design can greatly influence someone's view of something if they didn't already have an opinion, but with politics, there's already so much baggage and connotations with each candidate and party that a good design alone would be difficult to change someone's beliefs.
Hopefully this made sense, I woke up really early today to vote.
With that said, I think political design reinforces people's beliefs but probably doesn't change them. I agree with Dave, if you are an Obama fan, all of the great designs for his campaign are going to reinforce that, but I don't think they would change someone's mind with a different view (unless someone doesn't follow politics). With other things, like products and services, I think design can greatly influence someone's view of something if they didn't already have an opinion, but with politics, there's already so much baggage and connotations with each candidate and party that a good design alone would be difficult to change someone's beliefs.
Hopefully this made sense, I woke up really early today to vote.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Impact of Design
I think design can have the same influence on voters as it does everything else, which is to say, a lot. Graphics Design is propaganda, symbolism, and marketing all rolled into one, and effective use can make a difference to voters -to a point. A nicer looking sign probably won't influence a staunch McCain supporter any more than a Heinz ketchup devotee is likely to switch brands because of the label alone. But to a newcomer or an undecided it probably makes more of a difference. Check out some of these projects done by a design consortium in Philadelphia called Design for Social Impact. They showcase their design projects which were all done with social causes in mind. There's a few interesting projects in there...
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Graphic Design-The Left and Right
Both ends of the political spectrum have used graphic design to advance their political agendas and ideologies. For example, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, considered by many the father of Italian Futurism, married Futurism to Benito Mussolini's Italian Fascism. Steven Heller writes of this in his book Graphic Design History. He also writes of how the Soviet Union conceived a magazine called USSR in Construction in order to promote Communism in a favorable light. When design is used to promote the extreme ideologies of both the left and right, usually it degrades to mindless propaganda. I believe that both Democrats and Rebublicans to be completely full of shit. Sorry for the profanity and sorry if some find that offensive, but I find the Democratic party moving further to the left and the Republican party moving further to the right. Political ads, posters, and the "once every four year useless pep rally" (also known as each party's National Convention) are becoming worse and worse in their extremism. Responsible use of graphic design for political and social change needs to resist this extremism and engage viewers in a reasonable and thoughtful discussion of issues. This is not a response or commentary to Emily's post. Just an angry rant on my part.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Social Impact of Design
Hi everyone...Sorry to not get this in as early as I was supposed to. I have no excuse other than the distraction of miniature Batmen and fairy princesses banging on my door last night demanding candy.
In this election season, I've been thinking a lot about the impact of design...Mostly because Obama is so well-branded with the 8,000 iterations of the "O" logo, each . Critics say it's all bluster and no depth, of course, and that a sans serif on the posters does not a president make. Putting aside my own politics and hopefully everyone else's, it is interesting how designers have come out for Obama. I can see why he's liked by the artsy crowd: He's new, youngish and has a face that looks good on paper. Of course the most-seen posters are Shepard Fairey's (the most recent here). But Steven Heller had an interesting blog in nytimes.com about other poster artists crankin' out the same sort of thing to various degrees of effectiveness, including those who are actively getting out the liberal vote at Obama's website.
Does all of this have any kind of impact on influencing voters? Does it just make Obama fans who are designers like Obama even more because they get to add more cool stuff to their poster collections? Does it have any impact on those undecided voters? (And seriously, how could anyone be undecided still? I don't understand that.)
The first design I remember really striking me both for being clever and for being socially impactful was this one, placed in the New York Times by the ACLU in 2000. I still think about it as, "man, I wish I could think of something like that."
Can you remember particular designs that have really gotten to you, and actually fulfilled their purposes? Is design drived to social change largely pointless -- preaching to the choir in that it's only really "seen" by people who already agree with its message? Or do you think stuff like this really changes people's minds?
In this election season, I've been thinking a lot about the impact of design...Mostly because Obama is so well-branded with the 8,000 iterations of the "O" logo, each . Critics say it's all bluster and no depth, of course, and that a sans serif on the posters does not a president make. Putting aside my own politics and hopefully everyone else's, it is interesting how designers have come out for Obama. I can see why he's liked by the artsy crowd: He's new, youngish and has a face that looks good on paper. Of course the most-seen posters are Shepard Fairey's (the most recent here). But Steven Heller had an interesting blog in nytimes.com about other poster artists crankin' out the same sort of thing to various degrees of effectiveness, including those who are actively getting out the liberal vote at Obama's website.
Does all of this have any kind of impact on influencing voters? Does it just make Obama fans who are designers like Obama even more because they get to add more cool stuff to their poster collections? Does it have any impact on those undecided voters? (And seriously, how could anyone be undecided still? I don't understand that.)
The first design I remember really striking me both for being clever and for being socially impactful was this one, placed in the New York Times by the ACLU in 2000. I still think about it as, "man, I wish I could think of something like that."Can you remember particular designs that have really gotten to you, and actually fulfilled their purposes? Is design drived to social change largely pointless -- preaching to the choir in that it's only really "seen" by people who already agree with its message? Or do you think stuff like this really changes people's minds?
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