July 12, 2005

Steve Gavel: Genius

My friend Steve Gavel wrote his PhD dissertation on "continuous narratives" principally in classical art. "Continuous narratives" are when the central character is repeated several times. Steve is an extraordinary combination of archeologist, teacher, inveterate collector, and foundation leader. And, boy, does he have a good eye!

Forgive the edu-speak, but here's a great sentence from the forward in Steve's dissertation:

"I argue that 'continuous narratives' reveal a desire by people to participate in the phenomenal world by experiencing visual stories rather than by analyzing the phenomenal world into the linguistically structured units of narrative representation which are privileged in current art historical discourse."

What Steve is saying is that classical art (and so much of the art we see, inspired by either classical art or the Renaissance) typically portrays a moment in time. In essence, the artist is saying to us, "This is the most important moment in the story, and this is what is looked like." The artist is in control. We are passive viewers.

On the other hand, argues Steve, in continuous narratives, we get a whole story, and WE decide what's important...WE decide how to view it...WE derive our own view of it and therefore WE participate in it to a much greater extent.

..."a desire by people to participate in the phenomenal world by experiencing visual stories"....

That's a very palpable desire, and it's one that marketers need to continuously tap in to. Rather than seeking to control messages, we need to enable and encourage consumers to participate in the process and become a part of the story themselves.

This applies to message. And it applies to media.

It's already happening. The Wall Street Journal reports that P&G has created a site for its Old Spice Endurance deodorant that allows users to remix a TV spot with unused footage to create their own commercials.

The fun is just beginning.

Watch the Watchers...Spot the Trend

PaidContent.org reports that more people watched AOL's streaming footage of Live8 online (5 million unique visitors) than watched the highlights show on ABC (2.9 million).

And Another Lick on Wal-Mart

According to American Demographics, the poorer, less educated, and older consumers are, the more likely they believe in the goodness of Wal-Mart.