There’s more to life than ads you know

Published on by loreleimathias

That’s what this thursday’s Art Sells exhibition is all about. People in adland spreading their creative wings in other ways. Last year Higher Pitch was all about addy women doing stuff in their spare time, like Minky here. This year they’ve opened it up to let men in too, which is nice.

Co-founder of Higher Pitch, Mel Fong-Brown says: “Our belief is that art sells – it has done for centuries. By putting artistic talent at the heart of advertising we believe we can produce truly inspiring and successful creative work.  The talent is already there in our industry, we just need to encourage people to embrace it.  And that’s what we hope to achieve with this exhibition.”

More than 100 people who work in advertising have submitted. Submissions have come from all over the world including entries from China, Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, USA and Europe.

As well as all the serious and credible entries from across the globe, my partner in quiche and I (Lol) are exhibiting. We’ve agreed to do some of the catering, by preparing bitesize canape Niche Quiche, for our sins (always wanted to say that, not sure what it really means?)

The Art Sells event will take place for one day only at Village Underground in Shoreditch, East London.

So if you’d like to know what Coronation Chickpea or Popeye & Olive taste like; or you’d just always wondered what Cunting is, do pop along to this year’s exhibition.

7 thoughts on “There’s more to life than ads you know”

  3. But Mark, it wasn’t a cock-up. Or a mistake. I would imagine it was produced by people who fervently and honestly believed in it. And still do. I’m sure many of those working at Y&R Argentina believe the islands to be theirs and the advert to be a fine piece of patriotic propaganda. It did not deviate from the norms of what is acceptable to Argentine society, whatever we may think of it. That’s very different to the situation where someone in the UK comes up with a crass idea that’s morally unacceptable to most of us here.

    For me it demonstrates how weak and powerless advertising is when faced by real power. Sir Martin Sorrell is a decent and intelligent bloke, but in a world of realpolitik, as represented by the Falklands dispute, no-one really cares what advertising folk think and will carry on regardless pursuing their respective political goals. As they are doing.

    His is a worldwide group that inevitably will be creating material in one culture that is unacceptable to other cultures in which WPP operates as there is no worldwide consensus on morality, ethics, politics, religion etc etc. Maybe he should be bracing himself for more apologies once he checks the output from some of his agencies around the world?

    However, as Jeremy suggests, it would be a good idea for WPP to donate a sum to forces charities helping those who suffered in the Falklands War. Without them, we would not even be having this debate. I think that would be a far more appropriate gesture than an apology on behalf of people who, I guess, are probably not that sorry.

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  4. A very British response from you all…the empire is gone lads get over it. Chris is the only one who has given a more measured response. Jeremy you myopically seem to have forgotten that 649 Argentinean soldiers also died in the conflict. Are their lives worth less than British ones?

    The clue to the ownership of the islands is where there are located…..if you applied the British view of ownership, that you landed their first but didn’t actually settle, then half of Asia/the Americas would also still be British. They are not for very good reasons. The islands are no more British than the Isle of Man is Argentinean. 

    WPP Argentina have as much right to create this kind of passionate campaign as UK agencies have of creating patriotic and often xenophobic campaigns in the UK to appeal to a UK audience. As Chris rightly said, this was not a mistake, they meant and mean even word of it. Why should they apologise? They believe the islands are Argentinean.  Currently they are not but maybe one day they will be…..

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