SE THE M IN THE NESS
EEKING METHOD E MAD- Written By Matthew Quito
T Copyright © 2020 Matthew Quito, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other- wise without permission of copy right holder. Published By: Abbeville Press 655 Third Avenue, Suite 2520 New York, NY 10017 [email protected] Phone +1 (212 )366-5585
TO EVERY WHO WANT TO DO MORE, SAY MORE, & CONTRIBUTE MORE.
SEEKING THE METHOD / 01 IN THE MADNESS “Whether we can do something with design that makes a difference in the world. Changes are not where the money is and are not what design has usually been called upon to do. I discovered that design is just language and the real issue is what you use that language to do. Now I’m at a point where I’m tired of talking about what kind of accents to use. I want to talk about the words that are being said.“ —Tibor Kalman
MARKETING ADVERTISIN A HUGE ROL SHAPING OU SOCIETY — T WE SEE, THI DERSTAND A
SEEKING THE METHOD / 03 IN THE MADNESS G AND NG PLAY LE IN With over $180 billion spent on US advertising last year, the average American is exposed to over an hour of TV com- mercials, and as many 5,000 ads every day. UR THE WAY INK, UN- AND ACT.
SEEKING THE METHOD / 05 IN THE MADNESS VISUAL CULTUR EWhere these activities have been discussed, the emphasis has been overwhelmingly on their textual manifestations (graphics, commercials) and, occasion- ally, on their reception. In the interest of working towards a fuller account of the overall circulation and reproduction of increasingly commercial contem- porary culture, then, this turns to the generative source of these ephemeral artifacts and, in particular, professional graphic design practice. By paying especial attention to the framing of current debates about accountability and social responsibility within this profession, this seeks to explore the constraining and enabling effects of commercial practice. Adv- ertising and design are readily distinguishable from other economic institutions because of their expertise in creating cultural forms of communication. ECONOM YFurther, these practices rely on the skills of cultural intermediaries: individuals whose job it is to develop these forms to mediate between, or more properly, articulate, the realms of production and consumption. Graphic designers, it seems, enjoy much greater latitude for personal expression than ad creatives – or at least enjoy a professional culture, or habitus, that supports debate and dissent through a variety of activities, and recognizes non-commercial design projects as legitimate forms of expression. While the designers interviewed here may claim that adv- Advertising has long been ertising is a creative practice entirely subsumed by recognized as an important commercial constraints, they also recognize that cultural force by media and their own professional activities involve only a limited cultural studies scholars. degree of subjective control. Those projects of Graphic design, despite its personal and non-commerical needs, often indirectly comparable ubiquity, has funded by income from business clients, appear rarely been the subject of this kind of critique. to provide more reliable means to creative fulfillment.
Graphic designers and advertising creatives (art directors and copywriters) fit squarely with- in this last category. Indeed, their working lives depend for their efficacy and ultimate success on a specific attunement to the swirl of values and tastes within culture. This concerns the contemporary culture of graphic design practice in the USA and, to a lesser degree, that of its close relative, adver- tising. It is a response to both the general absence of critical approaches to the study of graphic design and to the dominance of textual approach to the critical study of advertising. More than that, they play an important role in lending traction to the contemporary rou- tines of capital accumulation by articulating these values and tastes to the promotion of ideas, services and products.
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At the heart of this analysis is a short, polemical document called the ‘First Things First Manifesto’, which calls, in part, for a ‘reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication – a mindshift away from product marketing’. It continues as following: ‘Consumerism is emergence of First Things First. These two running uncontested; it must be challenged by moments – the manifesto proper and Ad- other perspectives expressed, in part, through busters’ framing of both First Things First the visual languages and resource of design’. and culture jamming – are investigated here Concurrently, the last decade has seen an because they are addressed at the intermedi- escalation in the promotion of ‘culture jamming’ aries of intermediaries. Most significantly, as a viable form of populist, anti-commercial they identify designers in particular as through critique. For many people this is most closely potent agents of positive social change. associated with the insistent editorial stance of the Canadian magazine Adbusters, perhaps Indeed, if it were not for interventions such known for its spoof ads deriding a whole range as these, in which cultural intermediaries have of ills associated with excessive consumerism tested the priorities of the commercial fields and the corporate concentration of media in which they work, then these professions ownership, and the promotion of activities and their associated activities might be far less such as Buy Nothing Day and TV TurnOff Week. worthy of our critical attention than their textual It was also intimately involved with the re- manifestations (as currently to be the case).
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THE ADVERT WE’RE CONST CONSUMING A PICTURE OF SOCIETY, THUS SHAPIN VIEW OURSEL WHAT MANY
SEEKING THE METHOD / 11 IN THE MADNESS TISING TANTLY PAINTS It has become such a routine part of everyday life that we rarely stop to think about its signi- ficance. NG HOW WE LVES AND Y ASPIRE TO.
When advertising promotes unhealthy behaviors it can have very real, very negative effects. It has hurt our children, the American Psychological Association concluded, as finding a link between increased unhealthy food advertisements and rising childhood obesity, also in the connection between tobacco and alcohol advertisements with underage smoking and drinking. Even more profound than influencing our consumption behavior, advertising has the ability to shape our aspirations. A great deal of damage can be done in setting unhealthy or unattainable expectations. Mainstream advertising often depicts women as over-sexualized, underweight, and photo- shopped to ‘perfection’. Studies have found that exposure to this unrealistic, thin, sexualized ideal is linked to disordered eating attitudes, lower self-esteem, negative mood and depressive symptoms among many of young girls and women. Given all this, it’s no wonder advertising is generally seen as a negative influence. But it doesn’t have to be. While unrealistic, unhealthy images can have very real, harmful effects, adver- tising with positive messages, depicting an inclusive picture of society can also impact us for good. This isn’t the beginning of a naive tangent calling for altruistic corporations to overhaul the capitalist system as we waltz into the sunset. We look at how the evolution of the advert- ising industry — and our relationship with it — has created an environment where inclusive portrayals of society actually bene- fit companies’ bottom line. In identifying these places where ‘for good’ and ‘for profit’ overlap, we can unlock the powerful engines for positive change.
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THE INTEGRITY14 OF INFOR- MATION IS AT RISK.
SEEKING THE METHOD / 15 IN THE MADNESS A simple Google search We live in the information age. Never before have can tell you all about we had this ease of access to massive amounts where to find the best of information. The internet has made that possible. sandwich in the lower east Information integrity is exactly what it sounds side, or who won the Battle like: it is the trustworthiness and dependability of Bunker Hill, or connect of information. It heavily relies on the accuracy, you with the day’s news consistency, and reliability of the content, pro- from all around the world. cesses and systems to maintain the ecosystem for consumers and makers. Disinformation is the false or fraudulent material spread deliberately and often covertly in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth. The influence is shifting to target more areas, and rapidly attacking all angles of the information ecosystem. Around 54% of the consumers expressed they have seen disinformation surrounding the brands they follow. Organizations and businesses play a large role as creators and gatekeepers of information. How- ever with accessibility comes responsibility. For years social responsibility for brands has been synonymous with supporting a cause or creating a designated charity that a percentage of their proceeds go to. However, what it means to be socially responsible is evolving to adhere to what today’s consumers value. The customer of today is an emotional buyer and decision maker. They consider more than physical products on shelves. They take brand reputation and trust into account before deciding to who to shop or do business with. With social media and a 24-7 news cycle, the brands at the center of false or amplified contro- versies can be major headlines and socialized publicly in a matter of hours. Narratives, both authentic and manufactured, have the ability to be virally spread and further influence how someone feels about a brand. According to a 2019 Brand Disinformation Impact Study, 66% of consumers say that brands should be held responsible for defend- ing consumers against disinformation.
The truth is that something is wrong on the platform, but there’s hope. The time to fight to protect informa- tion integrity is now. Social movements, like the anti-vaccine movement, brand boy- cotts, and false trending topics have all gained momentum and large followings as a result of narrative hijacking. It’s largely up to brands to ensure that they are taking the right measures to ensure that the information and narratives surrounding their brands are honest and accurate. In the highly digital and connected age that we live in, information integrity is the next expected progression of corporate and brand social responsibility. Disinformation threatens our inform- ation ecosystem in more ways than just putting false narratives and fake content on certain webpages. It can alter reputation, disrupt public discourse, and erode the trust that we have with organizations, individuals, institutions, and our govern-ment. The New Knowledge is taking a stand. We are working with responsible brands and organizations and providing them with the first information integrity solution, to protect their own brands and loyal consumers from harmful damaging disinformation. The truth is that something is wrong on the platform, but there’s hope. The time to fight to protect information integrity is now. Brands, organizations, technology solutions, and consumers should be held accountable in fighting this problem. How will the integrity of the ecosystem be protected? What will be important from now on? As we’ve seen in the past, disinformation can play a dangerous role in influencing audiences.
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THE EVOLUTION The advertising industry has come a long way over the past century. Initially, things were simple and straightforward; advertisements told us about products and features. We begin with this early day automobile advertisement. With a revolutionary product, and very little competition for their customer’s attention, the makers of the Winton Motor Carriage only needed to list the straight facts and features to be successful. But as the world evolved, so did many of the competition. Billboards, radio, TV all compete OF for potential customers’ attention, and more THEcompanies started making similar products, vying to fix the same problems and meet the same needs. To stand out, advertisers had to adjust their focus from the ‘what’ to the ‘why.’ Crafting stories behind their goods to connect ADVERT-on an emotional level, it became all about how the product makes us feel. In 1984, Coca Cola famously invited us to ‘have a Coke and smile’ with Mean Joe Green. ISING As the battle for consumer dollars and attention intensified, advertising has become more focused on the brand than the product. Michael Jordan dares us to be legendary, and Google shows us how inspirational we are through our communal INDUSTRY
SEEKING THE METHOD / 19 IN THE MADNESS search. Neither of these ads mention a single feature or benefit of the product, because it’s not about the fit of the shoe, or the speed of the search. It’s about building our connection with the brand, and what it says about us. It’s about how the brand makes us feel. With social media, the entire scene changed. In the case of sell boosts gained It prompted companies to shift from delivering from fem-vertising, Dove sales monologues to engaging in conversation, trans- have jumped to $4 billion from $2.5 forming the relationship between brand and billion when its campaign for Real Beauty initially launched. buyer. This new dynamic has made brands more human in the process, as they focus on creating conversations around shared values. Take the Always’ #LikeAGirl campaign, which went viral before being featured during the SuperBowl, our children more empowering messages, and currently has over 55 million views. Never and less underweight, oversexualized ideals. referencing feminine hygiene, Always focuses As a matter of fact, they amplify the amount purely on the issue of female empowerment, of manpower and resources corporations using the ad to begin “an epic battle” for young are willing to spend on such positive causes. girls everywhere by “showing them that doing It is at this point, where for-profit and for-good it #LikeAGirl is an awesome thing.” overlap, where we can impact the greatest Always goes beyond what a brand says about change. In this case, fem-vertising is a pretty you; it’s about identifying shared goals and safe bet. Everyone has a mother, daughter, contributing to a higher purpose. You care about sister or female friend they care about, and empowering girls? Great! You can share their people aren’t out protesting the idea of girls and ad to ‘inspire girls everywhere’, tweet the ‘amaz- women having more confidence. Most people ing things you do’ with #LikeAGirl, and ‘stand either agree with the cause or are apathetic up for girls’ confidence at Always.com. Now it’s to it altogether. But values-based advertising a conversation, and that’s exactly what Always, isn’t confined to issues as clear cut as female and the other companies joining in this form empowerment, and it is in this gray area that it of values-based advertising, are looking for. Very has the greatest potential impact. few people care about tampons, but equality and female empowerment? Now that’s topic people get excited about. Or more accurately, that’s a topic Always’ target audience gets excited about. And this is why it works; Always is able to use the shared values to create a bond with their consumers and the community at-large, thereby advertising both for-profit and for-good. The ‘Fem-vertising’ continues to gain steam because it makes business sense. Commercial motivations don’t diminish the benefits of feeding
WHEN ADVER FOCUSES ON ERING AND A GROUPS THA RELATABLE O ACCEPTED, T BOTH GREAT AND GREATE
SEEKING THE METHOD / 21 IN THE MADNESS RTISING EMPOW- ACCEPTING AT ARE LESS OR LESS THERE IS TER RISK, ER REWARD.
SEEKING THE METHOD / 23 IN THE MADNESS America has long prided itself in being a melting pot, where people from all countries, races and religions are welcome to come pursue a better life. But in reality, the welcome hasn’t always been so warm for those who fall outside the norm. This has been true for just about every major immigrant group to come to the United States, beginning with the Irish in the 19th Century. We see resistance to homegrown difference as well, as illustrated by the prejudice interracial and same-sex couples continue to face on a regular basis. As much America prides itself on our melting pot mentality, social acceptance and inclu- sion of ‘new’ groups is a slow, and often painful process. But this is where the battle for brand identity and consumer loyalty can actually play a positive role in the process. Cheerios didn’t realize what they were getting themselves into when they first featured an interracial family to promote the heart-healthy cereal during the summer of 2013. The racist backlash to the ad was so intense that Cheerios disabled their comments section on their YouTube channel — offering the public a glimpse into the prejudice mixed race families have to contend with, and sparking a national conversation. Cheerios also saw an outpouring of support from consumers applauding the commercial, and a passionate defense against the backlash with people standing up for interracial families everywhere. Journalists and bloggers continued the conversation, over eight million people watched kids reactions to the commercial’s controversy, and it even inspired an online community of interra- cial families dedicated to publicly reflecting the changing face of the American family.
WHAT BEGAN HEARTWARMI CEREAL COMM ENDED UP LEA TO A NATIONA DISCUSSION O RELATIONS. It also contributed to Cheerios’ bottom line. In the weeks following the commercial’s release, brand exposure went up 77% and Cheerios CEO Ken Powell highlighted a boost to sales from new advertising (though not citing this ad specifically). In fact, Cheerios liked the results of the commercial so much, they brought the fictitious interracial family back together, shell- ing out $4 million for 30-second spot in the 2014 Super Bowl — this time expanding the family. Since Cheerios’ ad came out, we have seen a number of the most traditionally American brands embracing the ‘new’ American family. They are making a statement: this is the American dream,
N AS A SEEKING THE METHOD 25 ING IN THE MADNESS / MERCIAL ADING AL ON RACE and it includes you. Featuring families often resonating.” And resonate it did. After the overlooked and ignored by the media, Honey commercial aired in March, sales jumped 7% Maid put single dads, biracial couples, LGBT in June and July, the online content had 12 families and tattoos at the front and center of million views and Google searches for the its “This is Wholesome” campaign. name Honey Maid rocketed 400%. With this, Honey Maid is reaching out to Chevrolet embraced the changing face of the the rising number of interracial households all-American family with an inclusive ad pro- (one in 12 American marriages), 20 million moting the Chevy Traverse “for whatever shape single-parent families and over 100,000 same- your family takes.” Coca Cola ruffled feathers sex couples raising children in America. They in featuring a multi-lingual, diverse SuperBowl know this message resonates with the halo ad and claiming that this is why #AmericaIs- of support surrounding these groups — their Beautiful. Yet again, we rewarded companies families and friends, as well as the growing for their inclusion, as Chevy saw a boost in portion of the population with socially liberal positive sentiment towards the car company views. “We’re holding a mirror up to America among consumers, and young people ages and celebrating all-American families,” further 19 to 24 bought Coca-Cola products 20% more explained Gary Osifchin, senior marketing often than they did the month before. director who launched this campaign: “We’re on a journey here where we are very much showing America who they are…and that’s
CODES OF ETHICSSure, designers can be co-creators of life enhancing projects—but they are also often accomplices in creating evil inventions and products with pernicious consequences. Realizing the potency of their creative output, a group of designers have banded together to craft their own version of an ethical code, like medical practitioners’, with the widespread principle to ”first, do no harm.” But the challenge In 2015, Initiated by Samantha Dempsey and Ciara is to live by it, not to Taylor from the New Hampshire-based design agency simply illustrate it. Mad*Pow, the so-called “Designer’s Hippocratic Oath” is an attempt to reassert an ethical dimension into How had we evolved in the design decision process, similar to the ancient code the contemporary time? of conduct for doctors named after Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine. “Designers are responsible for creating more than ever before—not only design- ing services, but also experiences, environments, products and systems for millions of people,” Dempsey and Taylor explain. “With this increased influence, we must take a step back and recognize the responsi- bility we have to those we design for.” A tempting box for a sugary cereal designed to bait kids. Hip sneakers produced in sweat- shops. Convincingly forged diplomas. The 3D-printed gun.
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C C
SEEKING THE METHOD / 29 IN THE MADNESS The “Designer’s Hippocratic Oath” is certainly not the first time designers have had a call to conscience. For several design specializations, there have been similar attempts at a custom- ized code. A 10-point pledge was proposed by product designer Laura Javier, who now works for Facebook. There is even a unique Hippocratic Oath for landscape architects. For graphic designers, the British designer Ken Garland initiated the First Things First mani- festo in 1964, a polemical corrective to the overly commercialized climate of the design industry in the UK during that time. In 2000, First Things First was resurrected, with renewed zeal from an international cadre of designers and writers including Eye magazine founder Rick Poynor, German typographer Erik Spiekermann, Dutch book designer Irma Boom, and legendary graphic designer Tibor Kalman. Echoing the sentiment of its predecessor, First Things First 2000 stated: “Designers then apply their skill and imagination to sell dog biscuits, designer coffee, diamonds, detergents, hair gel, ciga- rettes, credit cards, sneakers, butt toners, light beer and heavy-duty recreational vehicles… Many of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this view of design. Designers who devote their efforts primarily to advertising, marketing and brand development are supporting, and implicitly endors- CA LL TOing, a mental environment so saturated with commercial messages that it is changing the very way citizen-consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact. To some extent we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse.” CONSCIENCE
SEEKING THE METHOD / 31 IN THE MADNESS In Dempsey and Taylor’s “Designer’s Hippocratic Oath,” however, instead of a standardized manifesto to swear by, designers declare their commitment in their own words. “Like those before us, we are calling on our Milton Glaser, one of the most thoughtful fellow designers to consider our role and the voices in the matter and a signatory of the ethics behind the work we do,” Dempsey First Things First 2000 manifesto, explained tells Quartz. “But unlike these existing mani- the conundrum for designers who usually festos, pledges and projects, we are asking the work on commission for commercial clients. design community to collaboratively create its own oath, instead of relying on an individual “I had complaints about the First Things First or a sub-set of designers to write one for us.” Manifesto,” Glaser has said in an interview. “It didn’t give people any place to go. It suggest- The insistence on a unique oath is Dempsey ed that one could get out of the business or and Taylor’s attempt to make the words actually work for nonprofits. It lacked reality. Once you stick. While the various initiatives, like two accept the idea that we are living in a capitalistic versions of First Things First, have gained enterprise, and that there is a potential for the considerable publicity, the matter of ethics in good in capitalism, you have to give people some the design industry has remained largely a leeway. You can’t simply say, stop working and matter for pie-in-the-sky philosophical dis- supporting your family.” course. The fervor about the ethical dimension of design seems to fizzle like any other trend.
TO STATE H GLASER DRA ROAD TO HE OF SOUL SEA QUESTION I BY DANTE’S JOURNEY IN HE ASKED D
SEEKING THE METHOD / 33 IN THE MADNESS HIS POINT, AFTED THE ELL, A KIND ARCHING INSPIRED S DARK NFERNO. DESIGNERS:
WOULD YOU → Design a package to look larger on the shelf? → Do an ad for a slow moving, boring film to make it seem like a lighthearted comedy? → Design a crest for a new vineyard to suggest that it’s been in business for a long time? → Design a jacket for a book whose sexual content you find personally repellent? → Design an advertising campaign for a company with a history of known discrimination in minority hiring? → Design a package for a cereal aimed at children, which has low nutritional value and high sugar content? <<<
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