Okay so this is a bit of a half tutorial post because there are a ton of tutorials online on how to build a slideshow that used an XML file to load the images, and they are much longer than I’ve been posting here. This is for those that either know how to build an XML slideshow or are willing to go find out somewhere then come back here.
Sex doesn't sell. Intelligence does.
"When she was good, she was very good. But when she was bad, she made film history." (tcmdb.com)
It should be fairly clear from the large type on my homepage that I am a fan of Mae West. But how do I defend putting a film quote on a graphic design website? There is one big similarity. Separating from the usual and expected.
In the 1920's Mae West separated herself by bucking the trends of Broadway, writing about sex, homosexuality and feminism. She paid the price for it with a 10-day jail sentence for "corrupting the morals of youth", but enhanced her career with the media attention.
There is an important distinction I would like to make here between Mae West and the tirade of "no publicity is bad publicity" media sponges out today. First Mae West did things she believed in: Gay rights, and women's rights. Secondly, she did it intelligently.
In the 1930's she hit Hollywood and continues to separate herself from the masses. Her one-line quips and double entendres became her staple and are still quoted today. In 1934 censors began deleting overtly sexy lines and scenes from her movies. To fight back she did two things: Increase the amount and make them more subtle hoping the sensors would miss the meanings.
So how does this all tie in to graphic design? Easy. Buck trends. Think differently and intelligently. I want to show two ads. One is for a car. Now we have all seen the "tried and true" marketing for cars. Show the car screaming down the road, hugging the turns. Make the car sexy. Bright red, nice curves. But everybody goes to the tried and true until eventually true is removed from the equation. It no longer separates itself from every other car ad out there. So lets take a look at Volvo. They take the "make the car sexy" thought to a whole new level. While still showing the car (at least some of the interior) they bring in an intelligent, humorous element to the ad the sets it apart. This ad is instantly more memorable than a volvo driving a windy mountain road. (The caption reads "We're just as excited as you.")
The second ad is for an erotica shop called Coco de Mer. Sex sells would be the obvious "tried and true" method here. However Coco de Mar adds the sex in an intelligent, humorous way. They are letting your imagination do the work for them. Good design bucks trends, takes risks and will always separate itself from the rest. Just like Mae West did. (Caption reads "Have fun this holiday".)
tcmdb.com, . "Mae West." TCM Turner Classic Movies. Turner Classic Movies, Web. 19 Nov 2009. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=204532>.
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