Ads and Art

After writing that it was easier than it has been in too long to write again I have failed to write on here again until now. This is because I am busy catching up on writing everywhere else that I had been neglecting. Also, strangely, I have not taken very many pictures this past week. Not entirely sure why but it is possible that some of it comes from spending a lot of the days out visiting people without the camera along. Stemming from this, when we are home the house is not in great shape so potential pictures are sometimes stalled until the place can be tidied a little. Logan is also getting a little less co-operative with posing. At least he is not at the point yet where he deliberately poses when he sees a camera but his attitude of oblivion towards it is also disappearing because he likes to see the pictures on the screen and push the flash down any time it pops up. You can only take so many blurry photos of his chin and hand reaching for the camera before it gets a little old. But life has been happening so that is all that really matters.

Yesterday I watched a documentary on advertising called Art & Copy. I for the most part hate ads in general and commercials in particular. I hate how they interrupt; I hate how they blare at the audience; I hate how they are played repetitively or placed ubiquitously; I hate how badly done so many of them are. But there is a different class of ad campaigns (of which I have been aware in the past but never looked at in this detail or perspective). This documentary seems almost to be an homage to the great ad campaigns released over the past several decades. It was interesting and quite visually captivating (it is about ads, after all). However I almost felt there was not enough balance and, strangely--considering my reasons for disliking ads--, I was under-whelmed by the contemplative spots (used as vehicles for the various stats cited) that were thrust throughout the stories. Concerning the balance issue I suppose I felt that there would be more contrast drawn between either art and commercialism or the effect of capitalism on creativity or even comparing good and bad campaigns. I suppose I watched it with the expectation of the more confrontational approach taken with many documentaries today. Instead I felt myself drawn into the stories of the minds behind the ads and I actually enjoyed the ride. It did not really revolutionalize the way I think of ads but it was an interesting and beautiful presentation. I would recommend it.

All this talk about the need to be enthusiastic about the product and how these campaigns can change the way one views the world made me pause this morning to contemplate how I would set up to advertise motherhood (my life right now). Somehow I would bring in a play on words and concepts of gifts and the present and perhaps display little vignettes that evoke the bits of joy scattered through the day. But the real trick is how to do this without being sentimental or corny. To find the truth behind it to which everyone can connect. Ha, well thinking about it brought me through the task of doing the dishes so it was at least a partially useful exercise.