Supporters of advertising as art rightfully point out how old advertising is a common home decorating trend. Many ads from the 40s, 50s and 60s get incorporated into home décor much like a piece of art. Even though a client pays for advertising, art is none-the-less created. Another argument on the side of art centers on the placement of ads in museums. If advertising is not art, then why do ads appear in such a prominent museum as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History? This museum is the leading source of displays depicting American culture, and most everyone in the field agrees that advertising belongs there. Additionally, other art museums will occasionally have special exhibits featuring advertising through the years; but rarely will science museums display advertising whether influential or not.
One of the additional arguments supporting advertising as science revolves around advertising as a business enterprise. The purpose of advertising is to sell a product or service and make a profit. This basic premise constitutes a business transaction between agency and client, and between agency and client and consumer. While artists certainly sell their artwork and may even be commissioned for a project, it is the multi-level relationship between client, agency, and consumer with the sole intent of the agency creating ads for the client to earn money, and progressively more money over time, that constitutes advertising as science. In conjunction with this business relationship, evolving tracking and analytical capabilities used to drive ever more efficient advertising connotes a science-based approach. Creating and utilizing tracking and analytics pollutes the organic process that is true art.
The debate over advertising as art or science is almost as old as the field itself. New developments and new data and analytic capabilities only add additional fuel to the debate. Both art and science supporters have an abundance of reasons and rationale for their claim. For many, though, the best advertising is a combination that leverages the best of both approaches; the guidance of science – data, analytics, goals, and a keen eye on profitability; combined with the creativity, inspiration and engagement of impactful art. There are a lot of opinions out there, what’s yours? Do you think advertising is art? Science? Or, is it a little bit of both?
Supporters of advertising as
art
rightfully
point out how
old
advertising is a common home decorating trend.
Many
ads from the 40s, 50s and 60s
get
incorporated into home
décor
much like a piece of
art
.
Even though
a
client
pays for advertising,
art
is none-the-less created. Another argument on the side of
art
centers on the placement of ads in
museums
. If advertising is not
art
, then why do ads appear in such a prominent
museum
as the Smithsonian’s National
Museum
of American History? This
museum
is the leading source of displays depicting American culture, and
most everyone
in the field
agrees
that advertising belongs there.
Additionally
, other
art
museums
will
occasionally
have special exhibits featuring advertising through the years;
but
rarely will
science
museums
display advertising whether influential or not.
One of the additional arguments supporting advertising as
science
revolves around advertising as a business enterprise. The purpose of advertising is to sell a product or service and
make
a profit. This basic premise constitutes a business transaction between
agency
and
client
, and between
agency
and
client
and consumer. While artists
certainly
sell their artwork and may even
be commissioned
for a project, it is the multi-level relationship between
client
,
agency
, and consumer with the sole intent of the
agency
creating ads for the
client
to earn money, and
progressively
more money over time, that constitutes advertising as
science
. In conjunction with this business relationship, evolving tracking and analytical capabilities
used
to drive ever more efficient advertising connotes a science-based approach. Creating and utilizing tracking and analytics pollutes the organic process
that is
true art.
The debate over advertising as
art
or
science
is almost as
old
as the field itself. New developments and new data and analytic capabilities
only
add
additional fuel to the debate. Both
art
and
science
supporters have an abundance of reasons and rationale for their claim. For
many
, though, the best advertising is a combination that leverages the best of both approaches; the guidance of
science
–
data, analytics, goals, and a keen eye on profitability; combined with the creativity, inspiration and engagement of impactful
art
. There are
a lot of
opinions out there, what’s yours? Do you
think
advertising is
art
?
Science
? Or, is it a
little bit
of both?