Kellyn Lopes
The era of relying on logos and catch phrases to cultivate strong brands is over. Our 21st century, tech-saturated lives require more from companies to capture our attention. The demand for more creative branding is growing. Consumers more and more respond to personal connections with businesses, which is why creating associations with ideas and feelings is essential for building a dynamic brand. In fact, millennials are engaging more extensively and personally with brands than previous generations.
The arts capture and create what brands strive to harness: emotion, vibrancy, cultural identity, relevance, community development, and human conditions, to name a few. Partnering with the arts generates competitive brands. In fact, 79% of businesses who partner with the arts agree that the arts increase name recognition.
Utilizing the arts in ad campaigns and sponsoring arts events are quick, simple, and effective ways for businesses to take advantage of the brand-enhancing capacity of the arts. Arts-centric campaigns help to build market share, attract new consumers, and provide visibility for both businesses and the arts. A win-win situation indeed!
Branding is one of the first “get your toes wet” steps in forming effective partnerships with the arts. The pARTnership movement is filled with more innovative ideas, success stories, research and tool-kits for ways to partner beyond brand enhancements and to more fully benefit from the arts.
Here are some examples this year of arts and business partnerships that successfully harness the arts to increase brand recognition (in alphabetical order)
1. Absolut Vodka/Andy Warhol Foundation
Absolut Vodka’s limited-edition bottles recreate a print ad that artist Andy Warhol created for the company in 1986. “The art and nightlife culture in New York surrounding Warhol was incredibly creative,” Dan Brooks, creative director at Sid Lee, said, “and it’s something we’re taking inspiration from.” Absolut is also hosting an online art exchange as an extension of the campaign. Portions of the proceeds will be given to the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts as royalties. Learn More
2. Budweiser/ Made for Music
Inspired by the Budweiser Made in America Festival with Jay-Z, Budweiser’s Made for Music campaign brought music fans together both through live performances and online video sharing. Learn More
3. New York City Ballet/Fashion Designers Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Thom Browne, Mary Katrantzou and Carolina Herrera
Dance and fashion go hand in hand at New York City Ballet, where fashion designers Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Thom Browne, Mary Katrantzou and Carolina Herrera were selected to design costumes for the company’s 2014-2015 season. New York City Ballet’s brand has benefited greatly over the past few years from its partners in the fashion industry. Learn More (Photos from NYC Ballet and Andrea Mohin/The New York Times.
Photo: Brand Channel
Photo: Brand Channel
4. TD Bank/Art for Trees
TD Bank paired up with Art for Trees, a new initiative to promote green spaces, environmental stability, and to secure urban forests. By turning its storefronts into art galleries, TD Bank connects with a new group of stakeholders and provides artists with space to show their work. Learn More
5. Tiffany & Co/Gilded New York 
Tiffany & Co is the core sponsor for the exhibit, Gilded New York, at the Museum of the City of New York. The exhibit explores the extravagant culture at the end of the 19th century, which includes the rise of Tiffany & Co, and features various Tiffany jewels from the time. Learn More
6. Under Armour/ABT’s Misty Copeland
Under Armour’s campaign, “I Will What I Want” celebrates finding the inner strength to preserver when surrounded by doubt. The campaign features American Ballet Theatre soloist Misty Copeland disproving the statements made in rejection letters for professional ballet training by performing a technically pristine solo. The campaign puts dancers in the spotlight by demonstrating the incredible athleticism of dance. Learn More
7. UNIQLO/MoMA
UNIQLO teamed up with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to create SPRZ NY (“Surprise New York”), a project to strengthen the correlation between art and fashion, by producing modern-art inspired products. The Fifth Avenue store was remodeled specifically for the project, and conveniently points customers to MoMA right around the corner on West 53rd Street. Learn More
