My All-Time Favorite Print Ad

The American artist Jasper Johns was once asked what was involved in the creative process: “It’s simple," he replied. "You just take something, and then you do something to it, and then you do something else to it. Keep doing this and pretty soon you’ve got something.”

This idea is reflected in one of my all-time favorite print ads, which was created in the 1960s by Charles Piccirillo to promote National Library Week. The headline consisted of the alphabet in lower case letters like so:

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

It was followed by this copy:

“At your local library they have these arranged in ways that can make you cry giggle, love, hate, wonder, ponder, and understand.

It’s astonishing to see what these twenty-six little marks can do. In Shakespeare’s hands they became Hamlet. Mark Twain wound them into Huckleberry Finn. James Joyce twisted them into Ulysses. Gibbon pounded them into The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. John Milton shaped them into Paradise Lost.”

The ad went to to extol the virtues of reading and mention that good books are available at your library. There are several messages here, but to me the most important is that that creative ideas come from manipulating your resources ­— no matter how few and simple they are.

With this outlook, we try different approaches, first one, then another, often not getting anywhere. So, what we’re talking about is attitude of experimenting and trying different approaches, first one  and then another. You rearrange things and turn them upside down. You may ask some “what if?” questions and look for hidden analogies. You might even challenge the rules. And, as a result of this playing around, you just might come up with a workable new idea.

Question: What basic resources at your disposal can you manipulate into something new?

Comments

[Tom Haskins]

I was invited into a class by Charles Eames at UCLA in 1979. He made a similar point about creativity being heightened with "found objects" and no extras. He was famous for having taken the structural components of his house in Pacific Palisades, after they had been shipped to the site, and rearranging them into a totally different design before they were assembled. When I embarked on creating a puppet troupe for my management consulting engagements, I put that approach into practice. Many times I found clothing, fabrics or props that launched my imagination into "what could I do with that?". The inventiveness increased because I was not shopping for the materials for a pre-conceived idea. I'm taking the same approach with "found blog posts" and playing around the pieces in the post. Thanks for bringing all this to mind, Roger!

[Carma Dutra]

Music is my main resource for new materials. I listen to various music when I am exercising at the gym and/or driving my car.

I don't know the explanation of why it works because the music has nothing to do with the type of idea. It just seems to bring what ever is deep down in my sub conscious to the surface. It is fleeting so I have to be quick to write it down or record it.

[Robin Yap]

As an organisational strategist, I use non-linear thinking for developing solution-based approaches to very complex organisational issues. Connectivism is a great concept in this regard because it provides a framework for organically stemming solutions from existing products, services, and processes but viewing them in an alternate fashion. Through learning and creative gaming exercises (and we use your BoWs - great tool - thanks for developing it) we're able to devise opportunities we've most likely not seen before prior to the activity.

[Brandorama]

I agree with Jasper Johns quote on creativity. In its simplest form designs/logos/brands are constantly reviewed and adapted until the desired outcome is achieved. A great designer must know when to stop and not overcomplicate a design, which in turn could ruin or cheapen a design/logo/brand.

www.threerooms.com

[kod]

You forgot to italicize the P in Paradise Lost.

[Maj]

I thought Latin authors used more than 26 characters.

[Miguel Benevides]

Anyone knows where i can find the chinese version of that print ad?

[spellingbee]

spelling error after "Paradise Lost".
The ad went to to extol ..... ? [The ad went on to extol ...]

[wendsoindfk]

asdklfnoef sdkfneofd dksand oasdfkew dsoke aokefn ofdk woef kd woijdf oaisd fek;q kewfk dflkdj fsdflkdme fwefj skdfowe. SKFNWEOF ADSFKN oasdfkno dsflsn weoifa siuw efpoq o we ipfd alsd wef sdf.

That was great!!1!111!

[Bill]

,.:;'!"()-?

[silicontrip]

0 and 1. string several million of them together to get a photo or some music or an interactive video game, maybe a train timetable, a map to the nearest coffee shop, the voice on the other end of my phone, an email from my boss telling me to get back to work.

[Dave]

That's nothing, four little letters did all of that and more:

ATGC

[Adam Pope]

May I suggest reviewing your eyes in that photo you've got on the right? Cover up your right eye and you appear a perfectly personable chap. Cover your left, and there's - dare I say - a touch of evil there? Perhaps it's only a squint, a piercing intellect, the sun was shining or what have you. Funny the things we pick up isn't it?

[Evelyn]

The art field consists of elements of design: color, shape, form, texture, line, space and value. These parts are rearranged in many different ways to create an art work. In making improvements its best to look at the parts that make up the whole to increase our sensitivity to how they create the whole.

[Vincent Murphy]

A great piece but least we forget your man Joyce got fed up with just the usual 26 as being too boa constrictastrainingfull and had to invent a tasty clutch of eggstraw alphalafelbettyspagettyfications for Finnegans Wake

[Glyn Norman - Management Consultant]

One of the simplest creative unblocking techniques I use is to replace BUT with AND. For example, "I want to go to the beach with my family BUT I have to finish writing this article." Seems like a no win situation. But rephrasing to "I want to go to the beach with my family AND I have to finish writing this article." opens up the possibilities - take a laptop, use the library near the beach for 45 mins then rejoin family... and so on. Try replacing BUT with AND and see what ideas flow :)

[spelling bee]

I agree with Jasper Johns quote on creativity. In its simplest form designs/logos/brands are constantly reviewed and adapted until the desired outcome is achieved. A great designer must know when to stop and not overcomplicate a design, which in turn could ruin or cheapen a design/logo/brand.

[Signs Austin]

Great ad! Being in the advertising- Sign & banner making business i've am lucky enough top see some pretty creative stuff straight from the designers and before the public gets a look at it.

[Pao @ Printing Austin]

Overcomplicated designs, makes the design unattractive, and even costly in terms of printing company austin .