Field Journal 5: Early Stages of Advertising in Posters

Chapters 11 and 12 moves away from Victorian Art and towards a more free and fantasy-like art form glorified in Art Nouveau (1890-1910). Artists were no longer bounded by limitations and were able to create unique type styles not previously seen before as print was dominated by wood and metal type faces and were able to include color in posters and artwork to stimulate and evoke senses and feelings toward their messages. Different forms and styles were born during this period from Alphonse Mucha's works screamed mysticism and sensuality while Jules Cheret's designs were distinguishable by being simple and carefree. 

Marcello Dudovich, Biter Campari Poster, 1901. Red is an intense choice as it arouses love, sex, and danger. This bold color choice forces people to notice and remember the brand.

Magazines, books, and advertising posters played an immense role spreading Art Noveau internationally. Advertising posters, particularity, had the most profound effect on spreading this movement to countries across Europe. France's 1881 law allowed posters to be displayed anywhere except on churches, voting areas, or near official notices. As a result, artists, printers, and afficheurs prospered from the law and were able to show the public posters of all sizes. Artists were more willing to work in advertising as it was similar to posting up art pieces in a fine art gallery.

As more artists joined in making posters, they had to differentiate themselves from one another and had to create unique and distinct works as their signature trademarks. They were encouraged to branch out and be more expressive. Photography was used, but posters and art of the Art Noveau focused on drawings. When marketing and advertising wasn't enough, art was incorporated to sell products. Henri de Toulous Lautrec's posters were mainly for events held the Moulin Rouge, dance halls, plays, and other forms of entertainment. His use of flat planes, simple shapes that replaced objects, silhouettes, and positioning of his figures encouraged others to break out of the mold and experiment. Jules Cheret fused his bright, lively Cherettes to lure in crowds and spectators to the Champs-Élysées and to create hype for household products. French women looked up to the Cherettes for they were defining the new and different roles for modern women. Alphonse Mucha's muses could be found on covers of fashion magazine and posters for French actress Eugene Grasset. His works led to an appreciation of organic shapes and beauty of the female form that's still seen today. At the height of Art Noveau, art wasn't just included in ads and posters for the sake of having visuals for the products; most of the time, art was selling excitement, sensuality, dreams, hopes, and fantasy.

In the 21st century, advertising's main goal is still the same as it was during Art Noveau-- to sell a fantasy to consumers. Compared to earlier times, advertisements today are usually done with photography. But there are still brands were switch back and forth between photography and art such as paintings to sell. Ever since I started watching Mad Men, I've been fascinated by advertising and how the unity between marketing and art comes into play. One advertisement that has been catching my attention is tequila brand, Patrón. I don't drink, but as soon as I saw the advertisement in magazines, I was sucked in. Usually the brand shoots a sleek and high quality picture of its bottles, but this time they decided to go back to square one and hire an artist (there's also commercials of the artist using different strokes to get the final results, I was also captivated!) to paint their famous bottle. It reminded me a lot of the posters from Art Noveau as it deters away from the use of photography. Companies nowadays have the freedom to either go "old school" or embrace modern technology, so why would Patrón's marketing and advertising team come up with this idea? To differentiate itself from its numerous competitors and label themselves as "original", "timeless", "professionals for decades", and "old fashioned, but still has the same great and high quality taste as it first came out".

Advertisements exist on and off print, but the core essence has always remained the same. It wasn't until the Art Noveau period in which artists, marketers, and advertisers, had to rely on creativity to create an impact in the industry. Not only that, but the art movement blown into an abundance of different ideas and approaches that was never seen before.  

Sources: 

http://www.brandingmagazine.com/2013/09/25/patron-tequila-simply-perfect/

Megg's History of Graphic Design, Philip B. Meggs, Alston W. Purvis