An article in today's Guardian discusses the use of poetry in adverts. Some poets say it's fine to write on commission for McDonald's, or for an insurance company. Other companies have used existing canonical texts.
In one sense, I'd like to think that a viewer might be surprised by a skilful or beautiful line in between being shouted at to buy more shit. However: as Bill Hicks says in relation to licensing your music for adverts - you're off the creative register for ever. Art is often, but shouldn't be, the creation of a desire for profit. The more beholden to trade it is, the worse the art - see Damien Hirst's 'art' if you don't believe me.
More to the point: most of the stuff masquerading as poetry in adverts isn't. It's verse, which isn't the same thing at all. Verse screams 'I'M ARTISTIC. THIS IS ART. LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM'. It's desperate for credibility and fails, if versifying is the only skill on display.
Poetry, rhyming or not, is unsettling. In it, meaning is ambiguous, or arrived at through an alchemical transformation of words and your own imagination. The 'meaning' is as emotional as it is rational, perhaps more.
I can't think of any poem which can be boiled down to 'buy our burgers'. Here's Bill's take on it:
3 comments:
What about Basho's:
The Big Mac box
sits empty now
that milshake was delicious
or Keat's
Oh! For a Filet O'Fish
I wish that thou weren't oer
or Taliesin's
With a great swaggering din, Fflamddwyn shouted,
'Are these Wicked Zinger Tower Boxes come? Are they ready?'
or cummings'
yes is a pleasant country:
if's wintry
(my lovely)
let's go to Nandos
or Lears'
They jongled to Murkle-by-Monder,
The jubbled the first leaves of spring,
They jobed to the city of Jimble
In search of the great Burger King.
Vole. Do your research!!!
Damn. I'm laughing too much to think of any as good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVZo1Jjfshw
I often consider taking Bill's advice :P, I really wish i didn't decide to jointly study marketing with media comms. That said it's quite enjoyable seeing the culture difference between the two schools.
Post a Comment