Creative on Cue: A Glimpse into Art & Copy

Many people seem to think that good ideas are readily available and come naturally. These people obviously aren’t in advertising.

Coming up with great ideas closely resembles the process of childbirth. Within the brain are many tiny kernels of ideas. These need to incubate a while, and then after a little straining and waiting, an idea is born. On the other hand, coming up with a great idea can also be a lot like an exorcism. Same principle, same result – but not as fun. Just ask the creatives in Doug Pray’s newest film, Art & Copy. (Trailer)

Pray’s documentary/creative-industry biopic gives viewers insight into the minds of many advertising and design luminaries. Supported by the One Club and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year, Art & Copy is akin to a “Top 10 Moments of Advertising” made by the Who’s Who of advertising and design. While the list is by no means definitive of who makes good advertising (no young guns were interviewed), and covers traditional advertising for the most part, it’s worth a view just to hear from the “cast.”

The film explores the theory behind creative work; is it possible to be creative on demand? Are the masterminds behind the best campaigns capable of turning everything they touch into gold? Not exactly. We experience thousands of brand impressions a day, yet few brands seem to reach the level of status and resonation with consumers that all aspire to have. After all, it takes a truly revolutionary idea to embed something into social consciousness, as Pray addresses in Art & Copy.

Maybe you want to figure out how yesterday and today’s legendary campaigns were created from concept to execution. Perhaps you want insight into how the most (arguably) creative people stay creative and keep on top of their game, or just want to watch a really stellar documentary on the overlooked influencers of pop culture. Whatever the case, be sure to make room in your Netflix queue for Art & Copy.