You’d know it if you’d seen the Prabal Gurung “Love” TV spot for Target. What is this, a trailer for a romantic comedy, a commercial for a clothing line, a really-really catchy song that gets stuck in your head like crazy??
It’s damn good marketing, that’s what it is. But as artists, we can also learn a thing or two from this commercial aside from some marketing and design tips. Because what makes it so special has to do with a few really simple yet critical points to creating any art that’s totally worth it.
What are they?
1. Catches your attention. This is so important no matter what your chosen art is. If you’re writing a novel, that first sentence matters; if you’re making a movie, that first scene matters; if you’re performing, those first few seconds matter. It sets the whole tone. The bottom line? It immediately hooks us, and we want to know more.
2. It’s intriguing and drives our emotions. Once we’re hooked, we actually find that what we’re watching is quite interesting. What is this? We start investing our emotions, and somewhere along the line we forget that we’re investing our emotions in a commercial. Your goal as an artist should be not only to hook people, but to keep them engaged enough so that they connect with you and the story you’re telling on an emotional level.
3. What is the glue? By glue I mean, what are the key elements that hold your final product together? For the commercial, it’s the subtle use of red tones and the romance storyline that comes together to create the whole “love” theme that makes it such a cool commercial in the first place. Without this “glue”, it would just fall completely flat. There would be no flair, no style, nothing to give the commercial the structure that it needs. Any form of art needs some semblance of structure so that it can have the freedom to be as powerful as it can be.
4. We want to care. Beyond feeling emotionally invested, there should be a point where a shift occurs and we feel more than just connected to the art we’re experiencing – we realize that we care very deeply about it. Suddenly we’re in love with the characters, or in love with a song, or in love with the way a good piece of art practically pulls us inside of its own little world…. This is when the magic happens.
Add your own points by leaving a comment below! What did you think of the Prabal Gurung “Love” commercial for Target?
