"Good artists copy. Great artist steal."

Posted by Armando at 6:41 pm 0 Comments

Last week we focused on the importance of clearly defined project leadership. This week we will be focusing on the negative impact of mainstream branding and how to overcome it.

Pablo Picasso, one of the most misunderstood and unique artists of the 20th century once said, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” What did he mean? Why would a man that affected the artistic world in such a unique way say such a thing? Google it, and you’ll find plenty of interpretations and opinions.

First, it’s clear by his life that Picasso did not promote plagiarism. It’s also clear that he never “copied” another artists in the basic sense of the word. What he DID do, however, is “copy” and “steal” from nature. Picasso was famous because he found the fundamental artistic forms of objects. He understood his subjects in his own way and transferred that understanding to canvas. What I believe he was bringing forth when he said, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.”, was this:

A good artist will paint his subject in it’s perfect form, as it exist in reality.

A great artist will take possession of his subject’s form and make it something deeper and more meaningful.

How does this apply to you? In preparation for a branding campaign one of the easiest and most tempting things to do is “copy” another company’s creative image. Many times at the beginning of a project I will ask new clients, “Are there any companies that you feel have an image that you are attracted to?” Roughly half of the responses are usually very successful, highly marketed brands such as Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola. Why? Because, in reality, many are attracted to the “success” rather than the “image” of these companies. Do not let that admiration of success turn into unoriginality. It can be a death-trap for your campaign.

Instead, TAKE POSSESSION of the fundamentals of the designs. Instead of looking at individual companies, find a common theme among successful companies you admire and evolve it into something that fits you. Here’s a simple exercise that will help you get started:

Gather 5-10 marketing items that you REALLY LIKE (remember, don’t choose them just because they are successful). Also, gather 5-10 that you REALLY HATE. Once you’ve got a good selection in each category, forget about them as individuals and begin to look at the fundamentals; colors, shapes, textures, font styles, motion, layouts, etc. Build a list of your observations. Soon, you’ll have a column of some common elements that exist in the likes & a column of common elements that you dislike. This list will be invaluable to you and your creative team. If you focus on fitting all of your creativity within the boundaries of the “likes” while steering away from the “dislikes” you will progress much faster through the creative phase.

In a very short time you will find that you are well on the way to developing your own, unique brand. Plus, it will be a brand that fits in with your vision because you took possession of fundamentals that you were attracted to.