Art & Copy, a movie about marketing and advertising and the mad men and women behind the big ideas, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The movie was produced by Independent Lens, an independent films organization. The movie itself was directed by Doug Pray, and it is a joy to watch.
Names like Hal Riney, George Lois, Wieden & Kennedy, and David Ogilvy fill the screen and entertain viewers with their quirks, beliefs, ideas, and philosophies. Viewers get the opportunity to listen to the minds that created slogans like "Got Milk?" "Where's the beef?" and "Think Different." They get an explanation about why Apple's "1984" ad only ran once (and why it ran in the first place). You get to listen to the madman (seriously, the guy is a little off) talk about how he catapulted Tommy Hilfiger to designer stardom with one bold ad campaign.
If you are interested in advertising, love advertising, or hate advertising, you should sit down and watch this movie. If you're interested in advertising, you'll be looking to jump right in. If you love advertising, this movie renews the joys and thrills you felt in your first real client pitch. And if you hate advertising, well, you should know exactly what you're hating. No one likes a stupid hater.
For those new to the advertising world, it is a great movie to find out what the big deal about advertising is in the first place. Who are the people that go into this line of work? Are there different roles? Can only a few people shift an entire way of thinking?
Congratulations to Doug Pray and the folks that made Art & Copy happen. We wish you the best!
Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.
