10 artworks that inspired successful advertising campaigns

A masterpiece, a Coca-Cola spot where art “combines” to help a young man not fall asleep, reminded us that there are many works of art that have been the protagonists of advertising campaigns. We review some of the most prominent ones.

Art has been more resource than used in the history of advertising. For decades, advertisers have taken major works of art as a starting point or inspiration for elaborate campaigns. from Last Supper From Da Vinci to memory persistence From Dalí to the surreal creations of Rene Magritte, we review some of the most distinctive works of art that have served as a reference point for some of our advertising campaigns.

milkmaid by veermer

In case milkmaid de Veermer is particularly pertinent: The Dutch illustrator’s artwork not only helped inspire a specific ad campaign, but gave life and shape to an entire brand. We are talking about La Lechera Nestle, a brand created by the Swiss company to promote the most traditional types of yoghurt. In addition to the visual identity of the brand, several advertisements have been launched with the hero.

McDonald’s and Mona Lisa

What if the origin of Mona Lisa’s secret smile came from a Big Mac? In this alternate, fictionalized version of the story, McDonald’s serves in just over a minute Leonardo da Vinci is desperate because he can’t get a smile out of his face. Finally, an irresistible and discreet hamburger that manages to get a nod of friendliness from La Gioconda.

J and night watch Rembrandt

On the occasion of the opening of the National Museum in Amsterdam, ING Direct has implemented a powerful flash mob in a shopping center that represents the famous painting in a very original way night watch by Rembrandt. Knights, dwarves and other characters invade the shopping center only to end up forming a composition similar to the painting but in a real version.

Last Supper Da Vinci

Last Supper Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most used artworks in advertising campaigns. Perhaps most relevant was the one launched by the clothing company Marithé and François Girbaud, which featured dinners with women instead of men. Other related cases are those launched by Carcassone to promote its wine, that of Suraj Electronics with the slogan “If thirteen pixels could tell a story, imagine what millions would do” or that of a well-known brand of rat poison.

Audi and Escher

To promote the Audi A6, the German multinational has launched a website based on the creations of MC Escher. Over the course of the 40 seconds that the piece lasts, it follows some impossible shapes and some variations on the Dutch graphic artist’s work, an interesting artistic mix fused with many visual effects.

memory persistence Salvador Dali

Besides designing the Chupa Chups logo, Salvador Dali’s work has always had a certain relationship to advertising. An obvious example is his cuadro persistence of memorywhich has inspired many campaigns for many of the most diverse brands, among which we can highlight Pizza Hut, Absolute, the Mirador del Alto restaurant chain, the Perrier brand or Lipton Water.

Van Gogh’s self-portrait

Van Gogh is another artist who has served as an inspiration for advertisers around the world. Perhaps the most obvious case is his work SelfieIt is one of the artist’s most famous paintings. Lego used it to promote one of their sets, Pantone turned it into a billboard, Alliance Française released their own version under the guise of promoting learning French, and Panasonic released a version with the artist’s ear attached to promote the release of their new jukebox.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo and 4 seasons

Italian painter Giuseppe Archimboldo is famous for his paintings of human faces using flowers, animals and fruits. In the 1980s, Perry was inspired by the series 4 seasons To launch two new flavours. Two stickers are presented with two sides in profile representing spring and summer and each representing a flavor.

The bedroom in Arles Van Gogh

The Leo Burnett Agency has been commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago to implement an advertising campaign to promote the Van Gogh Bedrooms exhibition. To do this, they decided to recreate a real copy of the work The bedroom in Arles Painted by Van Gogh. Once recreated, they rented it out on Airbnb for nine euros, plus description “This room will make you feel like you’re living in a painting. It’s decorated in a post-impressionist style, evoking the south of France and times bygone. Its furnishings, bright colors, and works will make for the experience of a lifetime. This quirky way of merchandising So that the sample did not take long to spread over the networks.

le fils de l’homme by Rene Magritte

Surrealist Rene Magritte in his work the fils of the home He has been the protagonist of various advertising campaigns. One of the most interesting is the one launched by the DDB agency for Volkswagen, where the various distinctive elements of the work were related to Volkswagen cars. Ray-Ban also launched a campaign in which the famous apple was replaced with sunglasses.