Art as a great branding tool: A Reflection Truth

Posted on 1 oktober, 2015 by Reflection Company

Art is the tool Reflection Company uses to build the brands of our clients. That is why we call ourself an art agency, as a phenomenon related to communication agencies, or design agencies.

An old yet new phenomenon
When we were founded in 2001, we were called ” The first art agency in Sweden.” We embraced this title with love, knowing that branding with art is not a new phenomenon. It is actually hard to think of a single great brand through history that did not use art to communicate its values or to tell its story – just imagine the art made for churches, castles and powerful merchants.

The difference between art and advertising
But if the art we make is promoting a brand – then what is the difference between art and advertising? Well, first, we would not really say that we ”promote” any brand, we let them speak their own truth through the art we create together with them. ”Promoting” has a tone of a single dimensional view where the strangeness or maybe not so creditable parts are deliberately concealed and the popular parts are analogously underscored. On the contrary, we are attracted to the variety and complexity within a brand.

What art is
To us, art is something that has a value even after the context that it originally was created for, is gone. This single definition puts a whole set of quality aspects on art that we cherish and love to live up to.
> Art connects with the viewer on more then a informative level – the emotions and senses are also being touched.
> Art has an essence of originality and creativity.
> Art may have, and we like to think that our art has, qualities of beauty and skillfulness.
> Art does not have to be made with a serious mind, but with a sincere one.
> Art captures more than we really can explain. It is like love. Every description of it is a simplification, but when you feel it, you know it.

Our clients choose art because of it´s ability to thrill, captivate and engage. Because it is an expression that is unique enough to animate their uniqueness. They want to get closer to their clients, and sometimes it ends with them appreciating that they also are getting closer to themselves.

We have never believed and we never will believe in a polarity between art as a tool, and art for art’s own sake. Art is always for art’s own sake. And it is a great tool for branding! Let´s just leave it there and enjoy.