Preview
ROCK AND ROLL REVIVAL
Featuring the Von Zippers, members of the English Teeth, the CEO’s and Anthropomorphization Nation by Ian Doig
Friday, October 10
Brew Brothers Taproom
One only needs to realize that the Michelin Man is 100 years old to know that anthropomorphization in advertising has been kicking around for a long time.
Although he isn’t the first anthropomorphized character to appear — you will need to jump back a couple hundred more years for that – the Michelin Man is a prime example of what giving human physical features to something that is not human (in this case, tires) can potentially do – namely, entice more consumers into buying the product through recognition of its trademark mascot.
Artist Ian Doig explores the appeal of humanizing inanimate objects in Anthropomorphization Nation, a slideshow being presented as part of The Oregon’s Rock ’n’ Roll Revival. Featuring humourous original art and accompanying narration, Doig provides a tongue-in-cheek look at the history and usage of anthropomorphization in advertising. His reasons for doing such a show are two-fold. Firstly, the advertising-marketing angle ties in well with his band, the CEO’s, who will be playing that night along with the Von Zippers and members of the English Teeth. Secondly, his art background has given him a certain level of appreciation for anthropomorphization of products.
"I’ve been exposed to a lot of advertising and design," says Doig, "and it’s one of those things that comes up. A lot of times, you can throw a set of arms, legs and a prize-winning smile on your product, whatever it is, and bam! Marketing campaign that has a lot of mileage.
"It’s a big designer shortcut – it’s kind of like lazy advertising. But although it can be lazy sometimes, it can also be satisfying. In the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing, it’s beautiful. For me, seeing an anthropomorphized beet, turnip, shoe, rock or whatever can be pretty funny."
According to Doig the technique of using anthropomorphization in advertising goes all the way back to the 1600s, where it was first used by a sodden fish tripe vendor in France. In an effort to boost sales of barrels of fish tripe, the vendor ran ads in the local paper that depicted the little barrel with arms, legs and a human face, as opposed to normal-looking, inanimate barrels of fish tripe.
"Customers started buying this fish tripe because they thought it was magical and they could converse with it, bring them good luck, predict the weather, whatever," says Doig. "Of course, they were (nothing more than just) barrels of sodden fish tripe."
In the end, consumer enlightenment at the anthropomorphized barrels turned to anger and disappointment, and the fish tripe salesman wound up in trouble with the law for his rather controversial ads. He was consequently punished by getting his buttocks "paddled" in public.
Doig acknowledges that some of the best anthropomorphization work being done right now is happening in Asia. He cites Parappa the Rapper (a video-game hip-hop dog/boy made of paper) and the Burnt Bread-Man (an accidentally burnt loaf of bread that ran away from the bakery to avoid being thrown in the garbage).
But perhaps the most interesting anthropomorphization that Doig ever witnessed involved "stylized turds."
"These turds look like Dairy Queen ice cream cones that’s got arms, legs and faces," explains Doig. "The Faloun Gong guys think that one of the several signs of the apocalypse is toys in the shape of human excrement. Honest to god." |
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