Event

Art & Copy

(Doug Pray, USA, 2008, DigiBeta, 86 min)

Advertising's profound effect on modern culture is unquestionable, but few understand its inner workings or are aware of the creative forces behind the slogans and images. Acclaimed documentary director Doug Pray (Hype!, Scratch, Big Rig) introduces us to some of the most influential advertising visionaries of our time and sheds light on the tricky interplay of art, commerce, and human emotion. Rare interviews with industry legends reveal the stories behind the big campaigns that turned simple phrases into larger cultural concepts, from Volkswagen's Think small to Apple's Think different to Nike's Just Do It. The film is a priceless examination of the art of advertising, profiling innovators and their brainchildren and distinguishing between those who merely move product and those who've moved culture. But the greatest service of Art & Copy is it's sparking of questions in the viewer's mind long after the film has ended--about creativity, commerce and our relationships to a complex cultural landscape.