Andy Warhol’s lesson in branding

After reading an article produced by Advertising Age titled, “Creatives Have a Crush on Obama,” I began thinking about the esteemed artist Andy Warhol. To sum up the article in one sentence: “While Hillary Clinton and other candidates pay top dollar for ads and the bulk of their consumer-generated fare leaves much to be desired, Mr. Obama has benefited from free, consumer-created marketing.” Walk around downtown Austin and I would not be surprised if you find Senator Obama’s face staring back at you from a poster on a light pole. Again, I find myself tilting my hat to Obama because he is allowing himself to be more than a senator or a former president’s wife. He is allowing himself to become a brand for his message and facilitating creatives to do what they do best—entertain the masses. All Americans have Attention Deficit Disorder and do not pay any attention what so ever to any advertisement that begs, “Look at me!” It simply does not work anymore. Andy Warhol’s 1960s Campbell’s Soup print proves that people can be drawn and entertained by something as simple as a household item or a seemingly unknown politician. Obama “behaves like a well-defined brand,” said Rupal Parekh of Advertising Age and it is this ability that allows creatives to exploit his message for their creative expression. The running presidential candidate’s success thus far is due to the sole fact that the public can not only understand his message but also enjoy it through creative’s manifestations.

Picture credits are due to flickr.com and adage.com.