While AI-generated artworks and digital media solutions are currently occupying the world of contemporary advertising, a contrasting, analogue movement has been gaining popularity among luxury brands in recent years. FashionUnited spoke to Kevin Bartanian, CEO and Founder of Kevani, an out-of-home (OOH) media sales company specializing in urban advertising. Kevani is credited with initiating digital outdoor advertising in Los Angeles, but he also explains why hand-painted murals have an enduring appeal.
“A painting conveys a sense of individuality, it stands out and conveys that a brand’s products are not ordinary, that they are unique,” he says. “Each hand-painted mural is essentially a work of art, which resonates with luxury brands.”
The demand for hand-painted murals is great
The first requests for hand-painted murals came a decade ago from brands that existed when hand-painted murals emerged a century ago, such as Chanel. This type of advertising is in line with the message of the heritage brands and creates a sense of nostalgia around the brand at a time when everything seems to be fast-moving, virtual or machine-generated.
By harnessing “real” craftsmanship and the craftsmanship associated with luxury products, brands can win the battle for people’s attention. And when market trends are predominantly going in one direction, they can present themselves as pioneers in an alternative direction. The retro aspect of the hand-painted images creates an emotional connection not unlike that of a handcrafted pair of shoes or a Birkin. “Art is something that people relate to, and you look at art to experience something,” says Bartanian. “A work of art has a different meaning for everyone. Add to that the fact that it was created by a real human.”
Hand-painted murals encourage community interaction
The process of creating the mural itself can be incorporated into the brand’s marketing strategy. Artists who work in urban spaces automatically cause a stir, curiosity and interaction with the public. Kevani’s artists are careful to introduce the brand’s logo at the last minute, risking photos of the unfinished artwork being posted online, the kind of engagement brands typically don’t want. Commuters drive past the emerging work of art every day, waiting for its final unveiling. Bartanian: “The process of painting is a fun and interactive experience for the brand, the painters and the passers-by. So you not only have the effectiveness of the campaign, but also the community aspect.”
Bartanian describes his company’s role in providing the canvas for advertisers, but says he recognizes the importance of doing justice to the place and the people who live there. The process of creating art at this scale begins with submitting the specifications to the creative agency tasked with conceiving the artwork. Using the high-resolution images and color proofs, the Kevani team scales the artwork on the projection, creates multiple panels, blends the colors, and then gets to work.
The canvas can be an 8,000-square-foot wall on the side of a building or a 2,000-square-foot sign, but the process is the same. “We start with sketching and then we paint. This can take a week or two depending on the complexity of the work and we can have multiple painters working on different walls or there can be two or three phases where the artists work together.”
Kevani hires muralists from a company called Walldogs, who are accustomed to creating hand-painted artworks in public spaces, on buildings and for communities, with the artwork often depicting media, entertainment or sport figures. “A collective of artists from different parts of the country will fly to Los Angeles and work together on a project for a week or two and then leave,” says Bartanian. “There aren’t many professionals who can do this work because mural painting is quite unique and the space of commercial art is quite specific.”
Gucci and the popularity of mural painting in fashion
As of 2017, one of the most iconic examples of murals in the fashion industry is the Gucci mural in New York’s Soho, the mecca for luxury shopping. Owned by Colossal Media, the 2,500 square meter space has featured a variety of artists, some even spotted on Instagram by former Gucci Artistic Director Alessandro Michele. Before that, in 2010, NYC lost its iconic DKNY mural on Houston Street, a somber black-and-white monument to the city’s cool with its cityscape painted into the brand’s towering letters. Since then there have been murals from brands like Rag & Bone and Adidas, and New York still has the lion’s share of murals in the US. But Shinola, Chanel, Givenchy and Paul Smith have also ventured onto walls in cities like Los Angeles — the second most popular spot for murals, according to Bartanian — but also in Miami and Chicago, the next most popular cities.
“You can’t just paint anywhere. It also has to do with permissions, permits and city restrictions,” explains Bartanian. “A lot of these walls were already hand-painted, but eventually they switched to vinyl, which was cheaper and quicker to paint and replace. Now the demand for hand painted walls is back and some of those walls have been remodeled again. The demand drives the location.”
L’Oréal, Hermès, Burberry are some of Kevani’s top clients who have included hand-painted murals in their advertising budget. 80 percent of its luxury clientele is considering hand-painted murals, even as they simultaneously advertise in digital media and incorporate AI generative art into their creative strategies. But in a way, the mural is a counterpoint to the digital. It’s analog in a big way, and Bartanian says the trend will continue due to limited inventory. Restrictions promote the exclusivity of luxury.
“There are only so many places that we can turn on this type of advertising, and there aren’t many walls that you can paint that advertisers want to be on,” he says. “Without supply, demand remains high. The location needs to make contextual sense and fit the brand profile, but also pay homage to the surroundings.”
This article was published on FashionUnited.com. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ