But Art and Copy certainly pulled through and by the end, people were psyched to have learned so much about the leading ad designers - artists - that have come through with some of the best ad campaigns of the past few decades. Far from being a critique of consumerism and corporate brain-washing, this film put good advertising on par with art and design. It totally bypassed the topic of poor ads (the stuff we feel dragged down and bombarded by every day) and focused on what sets the good ads apart from the rest.
It turns out the answer isn't so clear cut. Some slogans are chanced upon and go viral for no good reason, while other ads are carefully manufactured to evoke particular emotions and make us want to not just buy a product, but join the group of people we associate with that product. The common vein, though, is that kernel of truth that we can identify with in the five or thirty seconds that we see the ad for.
But before taking the last step of this argument and proclaiming the great ad designers as the prophets and truth-seekers of our age, one is also faced with numbers. Billions of dollars are spent on ad campaigns that have only one purpose - to make us want things. An overwhelming majority (upwards of 80%) of all ads come from only four holding agencies. Kids are exposed to over 20 000 ads every year. Michael Jordan's value to Nike is estimated at $5.2 billion. Business is, after all, business.
Like it or not, advertising is a key component in our society and has a huge influence in shaping it. And in the right hands, it can do good things too; Nike's 'Just do it' campaign made people not only get off the couch, but also quit bad marriages and encourage girls to do more sports.
It was great to see so many people out for the last night of the fest! It's been a pleasure to blog for CIFF for the past week and bit and I hope you're all as stoked as I am for next year! Cheers to CIFF on its 10th birthday!
