Archive for July 15th, 2009
Graffiti or Branding?
The graffiti revolution was born in New York City subways in the 1960’s. Over the years, tagging became more and more prominent. Artists were determined to 1) get their name out as much as possible and 2) compete against each other in terms of style and recognition.
Is it just me, or does this sound like two of the most important goals for brand managers?
There is no question that our society is bombarded by advertising. You can’t leave your house without seeing slogans, brands, logos, and subliminal messaging. It’s a form of “style wars,” in a sense. Marketers and graffiti artists are trying to accomplish the same thing.
Graffiti and marketing share a common goal. They both strive to grab their audience’s attention and make them yearn to learn more about who they are. They strive to reach as many people as possible, while focusing on the ability to leave a lasting impression on others.
It’s all about branding! Taggers understand branding. They sleep, eat, and breathe branding. In my opinion, graffiti is art and brand managers would be smart to hire accomplished graffiti artists.
Web Urbanist shows some excellent examples of 3D graffiti and traditional graffiti that has been or should be used in guerrilla marketing campaigns. Artists like Shepard Fairey, who created the famous Obama campaign HOPE poster, have already proven that graffiti art can be used to promote brands. So, since we share the same vision, why not unite to reach a common goal?
