Synopsis
Creativity can solve anything
The personal odysseys of some of the most influential advertising visionaries of all time and the stories behind their campaigns.
The personal odysseys of some of the most influential advertising visionaries of all time and the stories behind their campaigns.
The last scene of this, where the circle-jerk is building towards it's final triumphant crescendo, and ad-men are literally spouting things like "I believe advertising can.. ah.. (*single tear welling in corner of eye*) change people's lives".. is so outrageous I was speechless when it ended.
If you're interested in hearing what the biggest players in the ad game have to say, then this is the film for you my friend. Just don't be surprised that what they have to say is a raging river of self-aggrandising, hyper-sentimentalised "we're creating dreams" bukkake that should make any sane person feel dirty in a way that a belt sander can't help you with.
why watch a 90 minute breakdown of the advertising industry when you can watch all 7 seasons of Mad Men instead
Old people talking about how they changed the world by selling more shit. Great flick.
Our motto is "Art serving capitalism"
We watched about 45 minutes of this in my advertising class and although we'll finish it later I'm just gonna log it now because there's no way I'm gonna change my mind on this shit. Egregious propaganda for the advertising industry, it's incredibly on the nose about it, but it's just awful.
The only part I liked in this is the cover artist for Esquire talking about the black Santa Claus cover and saying:
"People's reaction at the time was like: Woah, I'm for black rights, but they're going to far. And I said to them: Fuck you, this guy's gonna climb down your chimney and chop your balls off "
“everything is an ad... it’s like air and water. it’s all around you. it can happen to you.
only watched for a paper i’m writing for my niece, lol.
i was gna write something abt how capitalism might be evil but i still fuckin love ads (that are good) and i think the ad agency is so fucking cool, but instead i just wanna comment on how there’s so many men in here who openly admit to having unresolved resentment against their fathers LMFAOOOOO. like a guy deadass admitted he doesn't go to therapy even though he should, LOLLLL. LOLLLLLLLLLL. LOLLLLLLLLLLLL.
also what they do is so cool but also so controlling and manipulative but at least they’re self aware…
for a documentary about advertising, I feel like this could have used some more direction
★☆☆☆☆
Dir. Doug Pray. 2009. N/R. 89mins. Documentary.
Art & Copy, a celebratory documentary about the history of the advertising industry, is as visually enticing as any of the puffery revisited during its run time. All the big ones are here, from the Lyndon Johnson “Daisy” spot to the “Just Do It” Nike slogan inspired by the final words of spree killer Gary Gilmore. Yet director Doug Pray barely probes the troubling depths of these cultural signifiers and the people who created them. His film is less an illuminating examination than it is an act of myopic rehabilitation.
It doesn’t matter how much garrulous delusion the subjects spout. Pray buys it wholesale and propagates the myth that there’s something to respect…