Client Case Study: PF Flyers National Ad Campaign

A few years ago I participated in a group art show called "Heaven and Hell" (curated by Kipling West). I made two Mexican folk art-inspired retablos - one for a Devil, the other for an Angel.  Cobbling together pieces of wood, fimo clay, feathers, and acrylic paint, I had loads of fun in the process due to the entire bottle of chardonnay I guzzled while dancing around my studio.  Above is my Hell Retablo sitting next to my humiliated dog, below the Heaven Retablo sitting next to my humiliated dog.

A few days after the show opened, I received a call from PF Plyer's ad agency.  Their reps had been at the show, saw my retablos and wanted to hire me to make one as part of a national print ad campaign for the Sandlot Edition of their action shoes.  They said they liked my work because it was "spooky and candy-like" (!!!!!)  and wanted me to create something similar.  I got to work immediately creating wildly spooky and candy-like sample sketches, excited that finally, a client was letting me go nuts in my own style without providing much art direction.

The exuberance was quickly squelched after showing my sketches. "No, we need you to pretend you're a Mexican folk artist who doesn't know how to draw," they told me. "You need to really simplify and go more rustic."  Eager to please them, I enthusiastically went back to the drawing board and pretended I didn't know how to draw.  The revised sketches pleased them, but they said I needed to go even further in making it look "rustic".  Grumbling the whole time I put the thing together, I couldn't understand why they hired me when they could have hired an actual Mexican folk artist.  When it was all finished, my grumbling disappeared when I received a payment that made all that frustration worth it.  Ah, clients. 

Comments

[ChaosbyDesign]

Brillient as usual...and hey!!!! I can tell you can draw
xoxo

L
L

[Sweet Subversion]

I love those. Love them! Love them! You are a fucking genius 14!!!

So much love,
Demon Kitty

[Al]

Um, is the devil for sale?

[Vern]

Did you make Abigail look all bad ass in the PF Flyer retablo to make up for making her look like a pussy in your other pieces?

Did she forgive you?

People shouldn't mess with "candy-like" art, except Candy.

[Dooder city]

I love the drawings. I love how you were laughing all the way to the bank:)

[Knox Bronson]

Remind me to tell you the "taking the client to lunch" joke. Only freelancers laugh at it, but they all do.
Wonderful as always, 14.
Your poor dog, though. He looks so effing happeh!

[blargh]

Your dog is so adorable. I love these pieces I wish they were hanging on my wall.

Thanks all! Sure, I'll sell the Devil Retablo - just send me an email to work out a price. fourteencelebs (at) yahoo.com

xoxo
14

[Vern]

Your angel piece reminds me of the girl's next door- 3 girlys and a dead thing!

[Bionic Squirrel]

Knox, you have to share the "taking the client to lunch" joke. My freelancing ass needs a good laugh.

[JM]

re: hiring an actual Mexican folk artist
you should youtube Danny Hoch's schpiel about his Seinfeld audition and being asked to do an accent...

[javelin]

I really love that Hell Retablo... suddenly devils and demons are deliciously fun. My only "clients" are musicians who beg me to make t-shirt designs for their band, and they have no idea what they want-- "Do anything! We love your art!"-- but when I give it to them they're like "Well, this is kind of complicated for a t-shirt... we want the band name to stand out more... maybe we'll use it for a flyer... can you make another?" arrgh.