Art & Copy

You see an average of 5,000 ads every day. Most of them suck. A handful are good. Only a few look and feel like-and indeed really are-art. The most innovative advertising campaigns of our time and the creative rebels behind them are the fascinating subjects of acclaimed filmmaker Doug Pray’s Art & Copy. Slick footage and stories from industry legends chart the creative revolution that sees a splinter group shift from merely moving product to moving culture. Phyllis K. Robinson empowers the “Me generation” with a Clairol slogan and Hal Riney re-elects Reagan with “It’s morning in America.” Yes, they sell widgets, but just as artists do, they also tap zeitgeists and rouse emotion: Lee Clow’s “Think different” tagline grows more than Apples and Dan Wieden’s “Just do it” makes athletes of us all. Pray’s captivating tribute- like an ad itself-sells you on the undeniable art of advertising. Myrocia Watamaniuk.
From http://hotdocs.ca

CREDITS

Director(s) : Doug Pray
Producer(s) : Michael Nadeau, Jimmy Greenway
Executive Producer(s) : David Baldwin, Gregory Beauchamp, Kirk Souder, Mary Warlick
Cinematographer(s) : Peter Nelson
Editor(s) : Philip Owens
Composers(s) : Jeff Martin

SYNOPSIS

ART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time — people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising’s “creative revolution” of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for “Just Do It,” “I Love NY,” “Where’s the Beef?,” “Got Milk,” “Think Different,” and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.

FILM TRAILER