20 Reasons Why Advertising is an Art

From Norman Rockwell and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes to Kitchen Aid and Salvador Dalí, advertising has looked to the art world for inspiration around branded content and concept design for decades past.  And this is not a one-sided relationship – just look at Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup or Banksy’s Ronald McDonald and Mickey Mouse, where advertising offered up inspiration for iconic artists of the day.  

But for many of us who live between the creative fold, the question of whether advertising itself truly qualifies as an art form is open for debate.  

Here are just 20 campaigns that show why we think the answer is YES.

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1.  “Real Beauty Sketches” by Ogilvy & Mather

2.  Re2pect” by Wieden+Kennedy

3.  “Power of 4″ by JWT

4.  “Apple-World Gallery” by TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles

5.  “100”  by F/nazca Saatchi & Saatchi

6.  “How many licks?“ by Tootsie Roll

7.  “Art of the Trench“ by Burberry

8.  “Tolfanate Cream: Fish“ by DM9 JaymeSyfu

9.  “Save The Children” by M&C Saatchi

10. “#LikeAGirl” – MSLGroup and Leo Burnett

11.  “Dissected, Dali” by DDB

12.  “I Will What I Want“ by Droga5

13.  “WWF: Blood” by Lowe

14.  “Never Stop Riding” by La Comunidad

15.  “For A Smokeless World” by Chupa Chups

16.  “What you really touch?“ by Chuo Senko

17.  “Dumb Ways to Die“ by McCann

18.  “Unlike Any Other” by Droga5

19.  “Hands“ by Wieden+Kennedy

20.  “A Better Wingman” by Pearl Media and Mullen Lowe