Kevin Atherton "Five Television Commercials"

‘After Atherton had submitted his project proposal to make five television spots in which the viewer must in a certain sense play an active role, De Appel Foundation invited him to study advertisements on Dutch television for a few weeks. This led him to choose five TV advertising prototypes: 1) ‘Mini Play’ (Sketch). A soap opera is suggested in which the main characters are at a party and sample a long drink. A bit of tension; a love relationship; social context; 2) everything is easier with ‘The Smooth Mix from...’; 3) ‘Photo Animation’. Several ‘stars’ show off their skin/hair, which is only healthy and fresh with ..., making them all successful in their various daily activities; 4) ‘Scientific Demonstration’. A professor, speaking as if he were in a lecture hall, demonstrates that only ... is the correct and purest product; 5) ‘Jingle’. Three women dressed identically and carrying mops dance across the floor to the rhythm of a simple tune, and in no time at all the job magically gets done with ... ; 6) ‘Consumer Demonstration’. A housewife sighs, ‘How can you get such a pile of dishes clean? With ... the dirt flies off. Look how ... works.’ ‘There’s nothing like ... ,’ says a male voice. Kevin Atherton is interested in the extent to which the viewer actively fills in what the implicit product is. Does the viewer see it as a puzzle, which he solves after a series of confrontations with television spots? Does he shrug his shoulders and conclude that he doesn’t understand it? Is he conscious of the various advertising techniques that he normally does not recognize because attention is focused on the product? Does he fill in the blanks with his favourite product? (...) The important thing is that as far as form is concerned, a work of art is no different from the standard advertising spot, though the content is different. As a test, a spot was made in 1982 that can also serve as demonstration material for getting sponsors in 1983 interested in the four other spots. If this does not work, the idea - illustrated with the spot - will have to find its way in the art world.’ (‘Kevin Atherton. Five Television Spots ’, Report of De Appel projects carried out in 1982. Announcement of projects for 1983, p. 2.)