My life in advertising usually consists of brands and designers that don’t really have that many print or web advertisements. I think that the coolest, most unique products are the ones that don’t need to advertise or don’t have the funds to advertise and produce what they love because they love it, and they want their customers to love it. Of course I use day to day products and they all have advertisements. I could list off a number of products I use throughout the week that I find instrumental and useful in my life, but really it all blurs together for me. At the end of the day what really sticks out? What will I remember and take away from my encounters with advertising? I have always had a respect for guerilla marketing, if done well. I think when you find advertising in unexpected places and times, that makes people think about it. It lingers in the memory more and it shows that the brand is going out of their way, thinking out of their box about where you as the consumer will be and how you will react to the placement. On the other end, I have a hatred for product placement in movies and television shows, and its been huge in music videos. So when I sat down to think about this project, I tried to recall the people I think do advertising right. The people who blur the lines of conception, reality, and what they sell. They make their advertising an art, it may not always contain beautiful people, or beautiful imagery, but contains the essence of their brand. I love brands that take a leap of faith. The ones to do it first. And of course the ones who do it best.
The images I created are in typical Leo form. Black and white, high contrast, and a twist of bizarre themes. I have had a fascination with all things Swedish and Scandinavian for a few years so I produced a fake ad if LeoMax were to ever have a fashion line in Stockholm. I did very limited editing on the shots, and some of them aren’t even touched at all, just text placed in. Of course I added the black eyes to one of them and I think it creates a kind of drama and tension. It makes you stare at it a bit longer, and the longer one stares, the more they’re thinking about your brand. Maybe they’re more likely to show someone else. Of course it’s not a market for everyone, but that’s not what I plan to do in my life. If I were a brand, this would be it. My images reflect the tone, idolization, and the way I see the world. I have branded myself, which in today’s economy and world has become extremely common, and many times vital to a successful career. These images embody my feelings on advertising; this is my life in advertising.
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