You might hate commercials. Sure, those ads during the Super Bowl are awesome. They're way better than, say, the most recent McDonald's commercial, but at the end of the day, it's just another burger, and you've got that jingle stuck in your head.
Still, how appealing does it sound for commercials to shape not just a few minutes of halftime, but an entire evening event?
Hate them all you want, but commercials can make for interesting subject matter. When they are done correctly, they can be remarkable in their ability to seize you, persuade you and then haunt you. Whether disturbing, hilarious or surreal, they are humble testaments to some of the driving forces of a capitalist economy.
The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA) is currently hosting the 20th annual presentation of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers' (AICP) "The Art and Technique of the American Commercial." For a paltry $8, students can watch top−notch advertisements and public service announcements to their hearts' content.
The exhibit displays 65 minutes of America's absolute best commercials, selected in 26 categories by over 300 judges and, according to TuBoston.com, "a blue ribbon Curatorial Committee comprised of distinguished members of the industry from advertising agencies, production companies, editorial companies, and many others." Featuring commercials by industry giants including Old Spice, FedEx and Allstate, the exhibit honors and celebrates the AICP and its accomplishments, while also entertaining its audience.
As consumers, it can be easy to forget how much careful marketing we are exposed to on a daily basis. Marketing surrounds us and often blurs into a pervasive white noise of advertising and emotional manipulation. During the ICA's exhibit, however, the theoretical artistry of the marketing industry becomes readily apparent.
Instead of being blatant pitches for a product or service, these commercials are more comparable to tiny films. They have plots, and they garner an immediate emotional response from their viewers. After all, with a running time of less than two minutes, these tiny clips need to rapidly draw you in and convince you. Whether they're for "Halo" (2001) or human trafficking awareness, time is of the essence.
Unsurprisingly, the Old Spice man makes an appearance as a winner of the Humor category, as does Allstate's "mayhem" man categorized under Advertising Excellence/Campaign, in which he stars as a Christmas tree, a flag and an emotionally compromised teenage girl.
The winners of Best Public Service Announcement might be less expected. They include Stop the Traffik's "Hide and Seek" and truth's "Gruen/Denial."
Gracefully showcasing an hour's worth of commercials is no easy task, and the ICA makes a valiant effort. However, given the action−packed transitions between the commercials, the audience is afforded absolutely no break over the course of the show. This may not sound like a problem, but brain fatigue sets in fairly quickly as commercial after commercial whizzes by.
For better or worse, the audience braves a brain−melting emotional roller coaster during the show — after all, commercials are organized by categories like best visual style, original music and animation, rather than by content.
Still, buy the ticket, take the ride — this exhibit is pretty interesting, and it forces its primarily everyman audience to pay attention to details of commercials it would usually overlook.
After showing on Dec. 1 and 4, "The Art and Technique of the American Commercial" will grace the screens of the ICA once more on Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 general admission and $8 for students and members. If for some reason you are unable to attend, each year's selected commercials become part of the Museum of Modern Art's Film Archives.
