Cézanne – A Brilliant Example of Arts & Cultural Advertising
ByConsider the Phoenix Art Museum’s 1-minute Cézanne video REQUIRED VIEWING for everyone whose responsibilities includes the marketing of arts & cultural activities: http://www.phxart.org/cezanne/
It is profoundly simple – and stunningly effective. For 3 reasons, I hold this up as a BRILLIANT example of arts & cultural marketing:
- It speaks to prospective audiences regardless of whether or not they’ve ever heard the artist’s name.
- It doesn’t merely announce the exhibit – it advances an INDEPENDENT and COMPELLING reason to experience it.
- It pursues just ONE objective – that the viewer should know Cézanne as a “Great Innovator” in art – akin to the great innovators in society, music, literature, science.
Think that’s easy? With all due respect, take a look at how another museum presented their recent Cézanne exhibit: http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/312.html. Typical. BORING.
Think that’s expensive? That they must have had a big ad agency produce this for them? Think again. Mark Patel, Phoenix Art Museum’s Director of Marketing & Public Relations tells me that this was written and produced internally – using on-line templates and royalty free images - on an incredibly modest budget. (How would you like it if we scheduled a “study session” with Mark to talk about WHERE TO FIND and HOW TO ACCESS such cool resources? “Leave a Reply” to this post and let us know if that’s something you’d value!)
Remember this exchange between Curly (Jack Palance) and Mitch (Billy Crystal) in City Slickers? It’s not just the ”secret of life” – it’s also the secret of truly effective advertising – which the Phoenix Art Museum has clearly grasped and from which we ALL can learn a lesson:
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
[holds up one finger]
Curly: This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean sh**.
Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”
Curly: [smiles] That’s what *you* have to find out.
I would love to meet and discover how to produce something like this. Keep me posted! And thanks Matt for all of your great insights and your posts.
Yes, I believe that someone from our museum would be able to attend such a workshop with Mark if it is presented in the Phoenix area.
Yes, you are correct, it is a brilliant ad. As a matter of fact, I viewed it prior to taking my nephew to the exhibition and was delighted at its simplicity. In addition, even with my years of art history and working in the visual arts, I had never grasped the enormity of Cézanne’s contribution to art history until I viewed this video. Thanks to Mark Patel and the Phoenix Art Museum.
My 21 year-old nephew also got the message while we toured the exhibition and he did not view the video, so, the message is in the exhibition but the video is what will get others to understand it as well. And, I believe, will bring in people to see it for themselves.
I have been telling everyone I know that they should see this exhibition.
Great video and would love to hear Mark discuss this!
Absolutely such a discussion would be useful.
Matt, that was so great! Yes, we would love to know about such resources! Thanks, as always, for helping arts organizations, help themselves!
A great video for an even greater exhibit. Count me in!