Is It Art Or Advertising?

Interesting article by Curtis Gilbert at the Minnesota Public Radio site yesterday. Minnesota's Twin Cities are again trying to define where the line is between art and advertising.The cities have laws that prohibit signs from being excessively large, but such measurement restrictions do not apply to art.

The law became a problem when the store Creative Kidstuff wanted to install two giant cat images on the two sides of their entrance. Clearly the art is informing people where the Kidstuff store is located. This violates the advertising signage rules.

But it's more than simply size restrictions. The anti-advertising advocates really don't want any promotion going on in public spaces.

You can read the article here: Cities debate art vs. advertising.

ST. PAUL Minn. — Minnesota's two largest cities are considering where to draw the line between art and advertising. Later this year, Minneapolis may relax the definition of "mural" to allow for pictures of products. And tonight, the St. Paul City Council will decide whether two cartoon cats count as signs or sculptures.

"Everywhere you look, advertisers are finding a place to put something, to sell you something you don't need," the executive director of the anti-billboard group Scenic Minnesota, Ossian Or, is quoted as saying. The implication is that outdoor advertising is a form of crime that ought to be outlawed.

But advertising has many more functions than just to sell. In the case of these giant cats it's simply wants to tell, in a wordless but entertaining way, that this is where our store is. How else are you going to find these places if you can't announce, "We're here!"?

For Scenic Minnesota billboards, too, are a blight. But many a weary traveller has found comfort in knowing that a there's a motel up ahead in the next thirty miles, or a place to grab a bite to eat.

I think part of the problem with advertising is the bad rap it gets from people who tar it by misrepresentation. Here is a typical anti-advertising quote, this one by Carrie Snow. "Advertising degrades the people it appeals to; it deprives them of their will to choose." O.K. please tell me how those two giant cats are depriving people of their will to choose? How about the T-shirt with a Lund Boats logo on it? Does this somehow force people against their will to buy boats and become fishermen? Yet advertising continues to be treated as if it were almighty and omnipotent.

Speaking of advertising, here's a link to my Featured eBook of the Day: Newmanesque   Hope that font isn't too big for you. Would it be more effective if we made it flash as well? Probably not. And I find flashing LED-light billboards annoying, too. Alas.

Disclaimer: The author of this blog makes a living in advertising.

Basic Article Structure

The following is an article I wrote for a homeschooling publication, but which has application to anyone interested in teaching writing or in becoming a better writer themselves.

HOW TO WRITE THE "BASIC" ARTICLE

I take issue with those who say a picture is worth a thousand words. It is simply not always the case. Without a caption, a picture can often leave viewers scratching their heads saying, “Huh?”

David Ogilvy, founder of the Ogilvy and Mather ad agency and guru of modern advertising, notes that photo captions are usually the first thing a person will read on the page. So if you're ever in advertising, be sure your photos don't stand alone. Add some sales copy beneath that picture, to clarify or reinforce the message you’re trying to communicate.

Granted, properly chosen photos and illustrations almost always enhance an article, story or poem. But they are not necessary to communication. Some of my favorite portions of magazines are those non-illustrated sections like editorials, columns, and letters to the editor. The key is good ideas, well-presented.

Essentially, what I wanted to present here is an overview of your basic article structure.There are many kinds of articles. If you read at all you'll soon recognize their distinguishing characteristics. Here, off the top of my head, are just a few of your most common article types: list articles, how-to articles, features, question and answer articles, and (today’s subject) your basic article.

Having a pattern or structure helps both the reader and the writer. Instead of a hodgepodge of miscellaneous notions, the reader is guided along and does not have to work at understanding what is being said. Perhaps you've had the experience of reading something and not “getting it” and thinking it was you. Frequently it is not you at all, but the writer who is at fault. The writer has not done his or her job, which is to communicate clearly.

It’s similar to bad handwriting. Yes, one can eventually decipher it, but it would be more courteous if the letter were written legibly.

Having a structure also helps the writer. It provides a form for organizing one’s ideas. I like think of it like pouring a concrete patio. First you build the forms using a network of boards; then you pour in the concrete. Once you have your structure, pouring out your ideas can be relatively easy.

The “basic” article consists, basically, of the intro (or hook), the billboard, the body and the ending, which is usually a summary or conclusion. When teaching writing, always challenge your children or students to think in terms of readers. This is especially important with writing introductions. In a world filled with television, video games and a thousand other distractions, one must learn to grab the reader quickly. Whether it's a story, an essay, a letter to the editor or a business proposal, a good opening whets the appetite, creates anticipation and gets the reader engaged. No matter what their writing assignment, be sure to remind your kids to make the beginning zing. They'll probably surprise you! I know my kids always did.

The next section of your basic article is the billboard. The billboard is a brief paragraph, usually no more than a few sentences, that tells the reader where your article is headed. In this particular article it is paragraph four. The meat of your article, that is, the main part of what you are writing, is called the body. Of course you can call it anything you want. Sometimes it is a little plump and should be trimmed a bit, but you don’t want to be all skin and bones. In the body of your basic article you generally make three main points to support your premise, or to flesh out your topic. Whether it is five hundred words or five thousand, it is easier if you break your main article into sections. When writing longer articles I almost always add subheads to help the reader identify the main sections.

The summary, or conclusion, is usually best if brief. You know how tiresome long goodbyes can be. Long endings can be the same. Once you've made your point, take a bow. Tie up the loose ends and do the sayonara.

In short, your basic article has four parts. An intro that hooks the reader, a billboard that announces where you're going, the body which amplifies what you are trying to say, and your conclusion.

I know you can do it. And so can your kids.

TIP: If you do not already have a copy of the compact and profoundly simple Elements of Style, by Strunk and White, then be sure to buy one. It will help every aspiring writer and writing teacher, and help improve the quality of communication in the age to come.

Ethics and Advertising

So, here’s the question. Is there something inherently unethical about advertising? If not, then why do people hate it so much?

Maybe it’s because of the manner in which advertising has evolved. Capitalism is, to a large extent, interconnected to advertising. When we want to buy a pair of shoes, it helps to know where they can be purchased. And when we want to sell a pair of shoes, we certainly want people to know where they can buy ‘em. However, when I am not interested in buying shoes, and I am very interested in watching a show, sporting event or whatever on television, I strongly dislike being interrupted from what I want to do in order to hear some guy shouting at me regarding how cool his shoes are.

Perhaps this is one reason why early Internet philosophers were so intent upon keeping commercial activities off cyberspace. They failed, of course. Like the wild west in days of yore, there were explorers (now called “early adopters”) and misfits who just wanted to get away from excessive regulations and laws and the commercialism of life “back east” and be free to be. Eventually the land had to be properly titled, surveyed and deeded and turned into “property” so it could be taxed in order to pay for lawmen and judges and systems to keep people "safe" from the bad guys in order for provisions to arrive safely. And then goods were regulated so they, too, could be taxed. And so on... for the sake of safety and security.

The Internet could not remain “free” forever. That seems a given. Like real geography, cyberspace has virtual real estate, cybersquatters, and increasing regulation. And it is populated by people who recognize new opportunities. Like 49er gold seekers and pickaxe manufacturers who scrambled to San Fran during the gold rush, prospectors have been busy exploring these new online territories and sifting data to find the real opportunities here.

It didn’t take long for eCommerce to gain a foothold. The efficiencies inherent in owning “stores” not made of bricks and mortar made it possible to sell goods and services at reduced rates. Manufacturers could by-pass middlemen in the distribution chain and hold on to a portion of their margins. Consumers would appreciate the savings that were passed on as well.

And so advertising made fast inroads in the new frontier. Web businesses couldn’t just rely on luck to draw customers. Systems had to be developed. But we’re off topic here and I need to veer back toward the initial theme.

There are a number of issues surrounding advertising today, two I will mention here. The first is the preponderance of interruptive advertising. The second is the whole debate surrounding branding.

I completely understand the annoyance produced by interruptive styles of advertising. I’m enjoying a quiet evening at home, then the phone rings and some jerk is trying to sell me something I neither want nor need. In the end, over the objections of the Direct Marketing Association, the government created a “Do Not Call” list which forbids this kind of intrusiveness.

Television advertising is similar. I don’t want it, but unlike the phone, you understand that the shows exist as a vehicle to promote products. You "accept" this unwritten compact by turning on the TV. It's an agreement to accept a certain amount of interference. At some point, you may stop watching when the advertising takes forty minutes of the hour long show.

Brand images are less intrusive, and I am not entirely sure why they have become so controversial. You watch a sports event and see logos galore. Why? Because if the racers did not have sponsors, where would they be? Certainly not out there doing high tech adrenaline stomping metal shredding in cars, snowmobiles, motorcycles or trucks. Sponsors support racers, and the racing organizations that host, manage, promote events.

Online banner ads are similar. To create good content, many websites need to pay their staff, since the people making content have housing and food costs in the real world. So web forums and other sites turn a portion of their web content into real estate they can rent out to the highest bidder. The rent rises where there are lots of eyeballs, which means the web developers need to make sure the content is vital, relevant and "alive" enough to keep folks coming back.

Now would someone explain why brand names on clothes are so awful in high schools? There are schools banning brands. I do not recall being corrupted by seeing the word Levis on a pair of jeans when I was in school. Baseball hats had insignias. What’s up with this trend?

And then there’s the whole issue of highway billboards. I sort of like it when I am travelling and I see that there is a Crackle Barrel at the next exit. (disclaimer: unpaid endorsement) The food’s good, the atmosphere wholesome. Same goes for motels. I like knowing that somewhere down the road is a place we can call home for the night. Billboards serve a useful purpose, as far as I’m concerned. Why do people hate them so much?

I’m not arguing for signs unlimited. But the reality is, the signs are self-limiting because there’s a finite amount of businesses that will benefit from paying monthly rent for that billboard space. There are also jobs created by customers using services they were not aware of till they saw the signs.

If I sound like an ad man… well, that’s because I am. Isn’t it nice to know how far it is till the next rest stop or truck stop or restaurant?

Another ethical facet of advertising pertains to the matter of truth. That, however, is a discussion we’ll have to save for another day.