Art & Copy

Have you seen the movie/documentary, Art & Copy?

I had not (and shame on me!). I rented it from iTunes last week on my iPad and watched it on my flight back from London the other day. I got completely caught-up, lost in it and inspired. The movie looks at the early days of the advertising industry and how it has evolved. That’s not really true. The crux of the movie is about the creative process and how advertising – done well – is art (and it is!). The true inspiration from the movie comes from the interviews with some our industries leading luminaries (you know, the names you typically see on the signs of their office buildings or on all of the advertising awards).

Art & Copy left me breathless. It left me inspired. It left me wanting to be more. It left me wanting to be one of the people they should interview if they were making this movie again in a couple of decades.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Here’s the synopsis from the website…

"Art & Copy is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (Surfwise, Scratch, Hype!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time – people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising’s ‘creative revolution’ of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in Art & Copy were responsible for ‘Just Do It,’ ‘I Love NY,’ ‘Where’s the Beef?,’ ‘Got Milk,’ ‘Think Different,’ and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion."