The Lost Art Of Art Direction (continued)

Imagination Has Been Replaced By Technology.

PREVIOUSLY: The Lost Art Of Art Direction (Part One).

NOTE: Click the above link to my post in March to read the preamble to this Art Direction love thread (which will have a part three)—so I don’t have to repeat myself.

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Copywriters, let’s be honest. Art Directors are, generally, better creatives, especially the ones who can write. Some of you are both. Truly both. You know who you are. But I see very few examples these days of ads—layouts, video, whatever—that dramatically, unexpectedly visuialize a product benefit. This will beat clever copy 90% of the time.

All Hail these Art Directors.

DURACELL (India)

Has a battery brand ever been sold better, visually? If so, show it to me (no Energizer Bunny bullshit please). There it is—the power of creativity, shining brightly. Ads like this are what got me excited in ad school. And not seeing any ads like this lately is what gets me unexcited about my business. Ad agency: Grey, India. Art Director: Shihab Karim. Copywriter: Karthik Rajan. One of them came up with this visual.

Smart (Spain)

Headline: ON THE NEXT BILLBOARD, ONLY ONE CAR FITS. Client says “we need to see the fucking car”. So you show them the fucking car seven fucking times on a billboard that sells the fuck out of it, literally thinking outside the fucking box. Ad agency: BBDO, Madrid. Art Directors: David Albardonedo, Carlos Jorge. Copywriters: Félix Del Valle, Paco Castillo.

Fage (USA)

It was of course Marshall McLuhan who said “The Medium Is The Message”, confusing the fuck out of millions (me included) of journalism students. Here, an art director turned the medium—the page—into the product. Fage, “ridiculously thick yogurt”. This ad is so simply brilliant, it hurts. See the rest of the award-winning campaign here. Ad agency: Ogilvy & Mather NYC.

Harman-Kardon (India)

Noise Reduction Headphones. Expert photo rejiggerers are only as good as the original idea. And this is a big idea. Executions could go on forever, no headlines ever needed. Ad agency: McCann, Mumbai. Art Directors: Raylin Valles, Soumen Nath.

Bearly’s (Canada)

Local business got no budget? Good art direction doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Sometimes, it’s just a simple shoot. Bearly’s, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Ad agency: Chester & Co., Halifax. Art Director: Rocio Urgarte. Copywriter: Tekla Nagel.

Faber-Castell (Germany)

Remember when a campaign was so visually appealing it made you want to buy the product? Beautiful idea. And another idea that could’ve gone on forever. It won a Gold Epica Award. Ad agency: Serviceplan, Munich. Copywriters: Nicolas Becker, Lorenz Langgartner. Art Director: Andreas Balog.

Copic (USA)

Copic double-ended marker. Again, copywriters, to paraphrase Mark Twain, please retain your headlines in the mush of your brains. AD uses the product to draw the ads. How could the client not approve this excellent idea. (Answer: some clients are incomprehensibly stupid, that’s how.) Ad agency: FCB, Chicago. Art Director / Illustration: Gustavo Dorietto. Copywriter: Gabriel Schmitt.

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