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Sell Out or Buy Out?

Ah, yeah. , Tommi Brem , 27 mar 2008

Tagged as: advertising, art, business, commission, integrity, marketing

I'm working in a marketing company.

In the past 2 years, we have done three projects with artists in order to advertise products or services of our clients.

One artist was from New York (Joshua Davis, digital art), one from Finland (Petri Ala-Maunus, painting & conceptual art) and one from Germany (Ferdinand Merkens, sculpture & objects).

At least with one of the projects, the term "Sell Out" was raised by the arts community in regards to the artists work. Obviously, we don't think that way, otherwise we would not work with artists.

The first question I want to raise is: What are the conditions for a proper cooperation between art and marketing?

Here is my suggestion:

1. Conceptual fit: The artists work and overall ideas must fit the purpose.
2. Artistic freedom: The artist must have complete freedom, which does not mean that the commissioning company can't make suggestions.
3. Proper contracts: The way the artist works his copyright and sales procedures should be the basis of the contract. Some keep the artwork and only "sell" the rights to use the image and the project (buy out), some include the price of the artwork in their fee.
4. Proper acknowledgements: The artist must be clearly presented as the originator of the work. How far he wants to be presented or promoted is up to the artist.

I'd be interested to hear what your thoughts are about this.

The second question I wish to raise is:

What role should companies and marketing agencies play in terms of commissioning and funding cultural projects?

If we think of companies for example, that are present all over Europe. Aren't they much better suited for such projects than governments? A government is by definition restricted to it's country. International companies can brindge the borders much easier and they already have an infrastructure set up that could deal with taxation, "employment" etc.

Maybe such companies will have to reorder their way of funding cross border projects? I don't know how set ups are, so please fill me in, give me your thoughts and opinions.

previous: Righting a Wrong., 26 mar 2008
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Comments

Hi Tommi,

I wouldn’t be at all bothered about the call's of “sell out” from the arts community or as happens, the music community or any other for that matter. Usually those crying sell out are them selves fairly well healed, I’ve yet to meet an artist from a poor or working class background who screams about selling out. This is all apart from the very obvious contradiction that selling out implies that we should all be part of some left wing coalition fighting against “the man”, it’s a little juvenile to say the least!

As for you very interesting comments around conditions of cooperation between artist and advertising, I am really pleased to see someone from marketing suggesting the adoption of agreements with artist, it better than ripping them off, which seems to happen more in the performing arts than any other! Anyone disagree?

I would make two points regarding what you say: First, I think that any agreement would be best founded with advice taken from organisations that look after artist rights, such as IVARO it represents its members in relation to the Artists Resale Rights and has already begun collecting and distributing ‘resale royalties’. http://www.visualartists.ie/alr_ivaro.html

Secondly before it gets nasty and it may, all it will take is one artist to sue an advertising company for infringement of copyright, I would like to see the advertising industry developing its relationships with artists to include everything from agreeing best practice and industry guidelines to a more informal relationship that would see artist and advertisers working in a fluid and organic way. I’m sure that this goes on anyway and would require very little to make the relationship a more positive one for artist, financially and professionally?
CommentJim Doyle - 28 mar 2008
Hi Tommi

Interesting comments, structural framework of copyright and taxation are key sticking points indeed in most conferences and policy thought dealing with industry and creative production. I don't think their is a right way to approach this as simply some european nations have very different spread and self appointed responsibilites, mainly to do with size, finance and politics than others. In the UK tv documentries often provide the framework public art creation and promotion of the artist, whereas not all countries' have that kind of tv readership thus maybe it happens less. I think a multi-layed approach is one to strive to: governments, companies, foundations, creative industries and cultural bodies all funding, pushing and promoting artists production. This largely exists in Europe don't you think?
CommentAnonymous User - 28 mar 2008

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