Fascist propaganda takes over NYC subway eliciting criticism along with great buzz.

Lots of scuttlebutt over the use of Nazi imagery on several NYC subway cars to promote Amazon’s new show, The Man in the High Castle, which imagines our world had Hitler won World War 2. The campaign incited many riders to complain and inevitable criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, among others – and it did so without even using Nazism’s most reviled symbol of all, the Swastika.

I’m not surprised by the furor (no pun intended) but I’m not deterred by it either. Propaganda and advertising are supposed to illicit a reaction. That this campaign mixes the two is not gratuitous. The world would indeed be a scary place if Nazi’s were running it. That’s what the show is about. And that’s the point to this campaign. Copy ties it all together. But not before you’ve been flummoxed by the images.

I have spoken numerous times to marketing communications classes as well as at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes about the power of propaganda and its influence in modern advertising. I even use Nazi imagery as an example. It’s kind of a pet subject of mine. Ever since creating the “curiously strong mints” campaign for Altoid’s, I’ve respected the awesome power of signage. Out of home media – be it billboard, poster or experiential, when it’s done well, when it becomes iconic, is a game changer. A painted wall becomes a neighborhood landmark. There’s a semi-permanence to the medium that film and video can never possess.

Throwing stones in glass houses? One might question the campaign’s location. New York City is home to a great many Jews, many of them direct descendants of those who were killed by the Nazi regime. Maybe such images should never be foisted upon them -or anyone- in a public place (especially a railway car). It’s a fair argument. Even in today’s terror-ridden landscape, Nazi Germany still holds a special place in the cellar of evil. Its infamous symbols and propaganda demonstrate this evil with searing intensity.

That said, I’m all in on this idea. Precisely because of just how nervous it makes everyone. That means it’s working.

Less fartsy. More artsy. The evolution of advertising into an art form.

Arty and provocative film for Smart Cars.

“We make ads not art.” When I began my career the debate whether advertising was (or should be) considered art was a big one. Creative ad schools were few and the craft typically was taught out of a university’s journalism school, a department that is now largely defunct. Many of us came to the profession out of other portals not specifically tied to advertising, such as Creative Writing, Media Studies or the Art school. Perhaps we only saw the word “art” in art director and “writer” in copywriter. Regardless, we were drawn to the possibility of making art-like objects for a living.

At the same time future account people were coming from a more traditional background: business, finance and economics. These folks took art as an elective. Maybe they audited a journalism class. Regardless, they had few notions about advertising being art. Among other things, this created a storm front between creative and accounts; one, that in my opinion, is just beginning to dissipate.

Advertising, art or both?

With the advent of the Web many of these firewalls have collapsed. Advertising and art have blurred in the face of one mandate: Get noticed! We see countless examples of films and posters posing as advertising. And visa versa.* Creating cool art-like objects is now considered the legitimate craft of advertising more than ever before. Whereas in 1984 only a commercial like Apple’s “1984” ever transcended commerce in 2012 countless propaganda for brands do just that. Granted, few are as seminal as Chiat Day’s epic manifesto but not for lack of trying.

Social media demands that advertising function as art (or entertainment) in order for it to be shared and go viral. If an advertiser chooses to merely block and tackle, lacking human relevance, his message will die a quick death.

Within moments I found examples of advertising that fit an art-like definition. Like them or not, they make you think about the world differently. They make us wonder about the role of brands in art. They challenge us. Historically speaking, few argue that being challenged was ever a good thing for an ad. But it is now.

Big winner at Cannes. Tell me it’s not art…

*Andy Warhol made a career out of mashing advertising into art. He was a rogue. Now he would just be an art director.

The myth-making power of advertising & propaganda. Nine concepts that change(d) the world!

We’ve been discussing the idea that certain campaigns create myths out of their subjects, allowing them to transcend, or, in some case replace reality. A perfect modern example is Apple. While the product is truly excellent, ever since its “1984” TV commercial, Apple has obtained and maintained cult like status. With its super-sleek design, packaging and advertising, Apple is way more than hardware -it’s Lifeware. Few would argue the point, especially those of us in advertising and design! We blissfully drink the Kool-Aid. We Think Different.

Who or what has achieved myth-like proportions on account of its propaganda? I’d like to offer my notorious nine. (I couldn’t think of a tenth). A few criteria for making this list are that all on it must be on it forever, no flashes-in-the pan. Items must be global in scope, transcending specific cultures. Finally, advertising and/or propaganda must be a primary driver of the entity’s success. Here they are, in no particular order:

1.   God & Heaven Be you Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or miscellaneous, you are praying to something that you have no tangible evidence exists. This is by far the best and most obvious example of my point. From the Bible to the Dead Sea Scrolls, it’s all based on man-made propaganda. Scripture is body copy. The Crucifix is a logo. For more (way more) on this provocative notion, I humbly beseech you to read my new novel, The Happy Soul Industry.

2.   Bottled water Even though countless simple and irrefutable tests have proven bottled water to be no more pure or better for you than most tap water, a staggering majority of us still believe ads that tell us it is. My wife is one such person. Despite my tirades, she continues to bring cases of it into our house every week. I give up.

3.   Apple (see above)

4.   Nike Because of his compelling rhetoric and charismatic persona, a lowly carpenter, Jesus became no less than a Messiah -his creed perhaps the most followed religion in the world. Because of compelling rhetoric and the charismatic persona of a mere basketball player (Michael Jordan), a lowly gym shoe became the Shoes, –its creed a clarion call for anyone who has ever broken a sweat. It is believed God can walk on water. And so, with a pair of Air Jordans, can we.

5.   The British Empire Royals change but the loyal following never does. There is no logical reason why Princes and Queens continue to exist but they do… in England as well as in all our imaginations. The constant, loud discussion of these figures is what drives their popularity. They are important merely for existing. It’s odd, vaguely annoying, and a global phenomenon.

6.   Hollywood The hype, glitz, spin, fame, and glamour of La La Land. Words and pictures about words and pictures. The town can’t help it. It is what it is and has been ever since the “talkies.” More so than DC or NYC, LA’s Hollywood maintains its ridiculous and sublime image. Hurray for Hollywood!

7.   Death As soon as we are born we begin dying. It happens to the best of us. The great equalizer is the most enigmatic concept in the world. Pyramids have been built to house dead people. The best real estate in the world contains dead people. Nothing scares or motivates us like Death. Despite its absolute certainty, we all are uncertain of what Death really means or feels like. We have only our stories, beliefs and memories. Death is the ultimate myth.

8.   Target Their “Design for Everyone” mantra captivated America, redefining the value proposition. Cheap became Chic. Will this mythology carry it through this recession? How about the next boom time?

9.   Starbucks How many of us visit this temple every morning? Grande Skim Lattes. We even speak in tongues! One argument against this selection would be the conspicuous lack of advertising. To their credit, much of Starbuck’s myth is organic. Word of mouth was the first advertising. It’s still the best.

I would have liked to put “America” on this list but as evidenced by current events, our brand changes, for better and for worse. Inspiring belief, our new President certainly has rekindled the potential for America’s myth. We’ll see.

Another notable exclusion are celebrities, alive or dead. Sure, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis are icons. But of what: Sex? Talent? Dying badly? Perhaps they comprise part of bigger myths like Hollywood and the UK?

Last detail: I did not put Altoids on the list. It is the closest thing I’ve got in my portfolio to a mythical brand but I was uncomfortable promoting it here. What do you think, Gentle Reader? Did I miss one or get one wrong?

A political advertising contest reveals more about our creative department than its politics.

Have you ever had to sell something you didn’t use, wouldn’t use, or, the product being so foul, you couldn’t get behind for love or money? I ask because a provocative contest has tested my creative department’s resolve.

By draw from a hat, participating agencies in Chicago were asked to create propaganda for either Barack Obama or John McCain. The Sun Times would then publish the ads and have an online vote. As fate would have it, Euro RSCG drew the Republican nominee. Relishing a good challenge, I briefed our entire creative department –some 60 souls- beseeching them to “let out their inner Republicans.” I knew few here supported the man for President, but I didn’t think that would stop most of them from participating in the contest.

Based on the turnout, I’m now certain Euro RSCG is not a Republican stronghold. Including me, a grand total of six employees made ads for John McCain.

Working at Leo Burnett, I got briefed to write copy for Phillip Morris. I believe the product was Benson & Hedges. I can’t recall if I still smoked but I knew, as we all did, that smoking cigarettes could kill you. I remember a slight disturbance from my conscience but nothing that prevented me from copywriting. If anything, I was more put off by the unlikelihood of creating good work. For starters, whatever we did was going to have a big honking warning from the Surgeon General (“cancer box”) plastered across it. In the end, we produced a handful of print ads, mostly bad.

But was the act of creating them bad? Should I have refrained from working on a delivery system for nicotine? Should my agency have done the same?

In an interview, Alex Bogusky recently claimed to be a mercenary. Despite using Apple, his agency took on Microsoft as a client. For reasons known only to him, Alex also penned a diet book, even though one of his biggest clients is Burger King. Moral conflict? That’s for pussies. Mercenaries follow the money. Yet, I wonder, would Crispin, Porter & Bogusky (co-creators of the much-ballyhooed anti-smoking “truth” campaign), be caught dead selling cigarettes?

What about Senator John McCain? You see the propaganda I made for him up top, a snide response to Obama’s global appeal. One of my writers called it despicable and offensive. I told her it was only a contest. Of course she’s right; the ad is offensive. Propaganda often is. For what it’s worth, I’m not likely to vote for Senator McCain. I think brand USA needs a more enlightened persona. But does doing the despicable poster make me a mercenary?

Below is the actual ad we submitted to the Chicago Sun Times. Credits: Regan Kline, Jason Tisser