Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Ad Club’s Edge Conference. Positioned as “It’s where you go to get inspired,” the conference focused on topics ranging from the effects of technology on the creative process to the extremes agencies go through to retain a large client.
The presenters included an impressive list of industry heavyweights like Baba Shetty, Chief Media Officer at Hill Holiday, Suzie Reider, Director of Ad Sales and Marketing for YouTube, and Lance Jensen, Creative Director for Modernista! All had engaging presentations but the most profound (at least to me) was Brian Collins, Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of COLLINS. His discussion touched on a few, well articulated points, but the most interesting to me was the effect of society and its direct influence on art and creative endeavors.
Brian referenced the early 1960s, when the Russians had beaten the U.S into space. This was a scary time for Americans. The Russians had the edge and, to add to the anxiety, the threat of nuclear war was very real. Enter John F. Kennedy at Rice Stadium in 1962. All of America was watching. And in this difficult time, JFK took the high road, he challenged, engaged, and inspired the nation to come together and put a man on the moon. And we did.
During this time, the world of art, fashion, and architecture began to take a fascinating turn. It started to reflect thoughts of a not-so-distant future and, with that, the hope and aspirations of an inspired society that permeated everyday life. Images in Popular Science illustrated cars of the future. Movies scripted everyday life in space. Fashion showcased a shiny (literally) tomorrow where models looked like the next astronauts and industrial designers and architects used organic shapes and experimental materials to create new and exciting ways to live. There was hope—and the creative minds of the day reflected that.
Brian then went on to discuss the next time America truly came together as a unified nation. It was September 11, 2001. President Bush’s response was not one of hope and encouragement, but of revenge and anxiety. “Shock and awe” became the phrase of the day and a burdened government and fearful citizens created a new vernacular. In the creative community, specifically agencies, terms like war rooms, officers, tracking, capture, territories, and blitzes became prevalent. The Hummer, a vehicle originally designed for battle in the streets of Fallujah, was now parked in suburban driveways across America—GM had done a great job of equipping a soccer mom for any obstacle that might arise on her way to the grocery store. Our society began to look inward and the creative views were a bit more myopic. As a nation, we had lost our sense of control and the images of the day reflected sadness, the quest for power, and the struggle for normalcy.
So what did I take away from all of this? It was an affirmation that art is truly the window into the current state of a culture and society. It penetrates not only the creative minds of the day but it burrows itself into the fabric of society in ways that transcend conventional written history. Single events and micro interactions can impact the output of artists for years and, in turn, cultures begin to reflect these interpretations through fashion, music, film and architecture. Is Brian’s point a new concept? No. But through storytelling and reflection, artists can see why it is so important to our craft and our history to keep creating.
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