I thunk it up

“It’s a statue of a guy thinking.” That’s probably how the idea for McDonald’s latest TV commercial was first articulated but of course it has got history. The figure was originally modelled by Auguste Rodin in 1882 to represent Dante on the top of the Gates of Hell pondering the fate of the Damned as they passed on through. Gates of Hell / Golden Arches. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
Images: top McDonald’s thinking. Bottom Rodin’s The Thinker.

Look alike

Left, Takashi Murakami’s Hiropan. The male version of this figure, My Lonesome Cowboy, was purchased this year at auction for $US15.1 million. Right, ad for Radox which can be purchased at the supermarket for less. Thanks for that W.

I will need words

Looking through the University of Canterbury’s Art School staff list (oddly dominated by men in studio practice and women in art history) we came across Luke Wood and the tiny image of his McCahon typeface. The very next day we received a brochure from Air New Zealand with a copy cat McCahon flavour all its own. We recall an early instance of a land grab of McCahon’s famous style from Saatchi & Saatchi for the City Gallery’s opening billboard. Now via another agency (Colenso) a similar flavour comes through with McCahon-like balloons and lettering in the browns, greys, white and black McCahon made his own. Ironically, on the back cover of the brochure, a Gordon Walters-influenced Air New Zealand Koru is enclosed in a McCahonesque voice bubble. Surely an Art History masters thesis is now in the starting blocks.

Images: Top Saatchi & Saatchi ad for the opening of Wellington’s City Gallery, Middle left Colin McChon script (detail from A grain of Wheat, 1970. Collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa), right Luke Wood’s McCahon typeface. Bottom Air New Zealand Every Flight Counts brochure.

When ads follow art: Benadryl

Sometimes it takes the ad guys a while, but they get there in the end. The recent Benadryl ad we saw on TV1 is straight from Damien Hirst’s Hymn. This six ton, 6.1 meter high bronze made in 2000 was reportedly sold first to Charles Saatchi for one million pounds ($2.7 million) and another three copies have been sold since. Of course Hirst swiped the work from Norman Emms who designed the original for the kids’ educational toy market as Young Scientist Anatomy Set. The toy manufacturer Humbrol, who paid Emms one thousand pounds ($2700) for his efforts, claimed to sell 10,000 of the toy sets a year and sued Hirst. Hirst ended up giving money to charity in an out of court settlement. For £16.99 ($46.28), you can buy a copy of the Humbrol version here and make your own TV advert.
Images: Left Damien Hirst Hymn 2000. Right, frames from the Brenadryl ad

When ads use art

We have posted before about the uneasy relationship between advertising and art. Anyone who found that interesting will enjoy this article by Mia Fineman from the New York Times outlining some recent cases and a bit of history.

When ads follow art

Jeff Koons' egg shell sculpture helps crack a mini display in Madrid