[ART in BRANDING] 3. The Corporate Approach: (i) Luxury Wears Art

If Christianity was humanity's first global brand which carefully managed its iconography, then perhaps market economy is today's faith, and branding its semiotics. And in this modern faith, some brands have emerged as its most sophisticated practitioners.

Art Enters Consumer Branding: The Mouton Rothschild Story

While we've discussed "brand communication" metaphorically when examining religious and monarchical uses of art, the systematic practice of branding as we know it today - with consumer brand logos, packaging, and structured brand management - truly emerged in the mid-to-late 20th century. What's remarkable is that art was present at the very moment consumer packaged goods (CPG) branding was born, through an innovation that would reshape the relationship between art and commerce forever. It is the case of the 'Artist Label Series' that began in 1924 at the famous winery Château Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux, France.

Image source: https://www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com/

Until the 1920s, all French wines were sold to merchants in oak barrels, who then bottled and sold them independently. Wine producers had no involvement in the bottle's appearance. Then, in 1924, Château Mouton Rothschild made a revolutionary decision to bottle their wine at the château and, more significantly, to place their name on the label. They commissioned Jean Carlu, a renowned poster designer, for their first label design - marking not only the dawn of modern beverage package branding but also initiating the world's first (and longest-running) collaboration between artists and a CPG brand.

Image source: https://www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com/

In 1945, celebrating the end of war and peace, the château commissioned Philippe Jullian to create a label based on Churchill's "V for Victory" gesture. This began an unbroken tradition: every year since, Mouton Rothschild has commissioned an original artwork from a contemporary artist for their label.

The series has not skipped a year since 1945.

Examining these artist labels chronologically feels like flipping through a condensed history of modern art. Picasso, Chagall, Miró, Dalí, Kandinsky, Haring, Warhol, Koons, Kapoor... - the roster reads like a who's who of artistic genius from Modern to Contemporary. Brand consistency is one of the most challenging aspects of brand management, particularly when dealing with artists' unpredictability. This makes the series' unbroken continuity in the CPG market, where countless brands appear and disappear, truly remarkable.

The series has sparked interesting moments, like in 1993 when artist Balthus submitted a characteristic nude drawing that conservative Americans protested as inappropriate. Those bottles were sold in the U.S. with blank labels, ironically becoming collectors' items.

Image source: https://www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com/

Post-2000 labels reveal how this luxury heritage brand maintains contemporaneity, diversity, and timeliness through artistic engagement. The 2008 vintage featured Chinese contemporary artist Xu Lei, coinciding with the Beijing Olympics. In recent years, the Artist Label series featured works by such contemporary luminaries as Olafur Eliasson (2019), Peter Doig (2020), Chiharu Shiota (2021), and Gérard Garouste (2022).

Wine, as a product (i.e., the liquid part), is inherently challenging to differentiate.

Through the Artist Label series, Mouton Rothschild not only distinguished itself from competitors but elevated wine into the realm of collectibles, creating brand storytelling and experiences even before consumption. Visitors to the château can experience the "Label Room," a living archive expanding annually with each new addition. Those unable to visit Bordeaux can explore every artist label chronologically on the château's website.

The Paintings for the Labels Room at the Chateau. Image source: https://www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com/

Through its Artist Label Series, Château Mouton Rothschild brilliantly engaged art with sustained dedication. More than a simple marketing tool, it embodied the heritage brand's commitment to staying contemporaneous by collaborating with leading creators of the time, and demonstrated how wine could serve as a medium for creative expression.

This textbook branding initiative remains a living, evolving legacy unfolding even as you read these words. So groundbreaking and unique was this approach that it inspired brand marketers and art researchers alike, becoming a benchmark for collaborative efforts across industries. Consequently, today's CPG landscape, especially in the alcohol sector, is rich with art label collaborations - from champagne and whiskey to tequila and beer. Beyond spirits, nearly any product with a suitable surface - be it handbags, scarves, t-shirts, or skateboards - now embraces artistic collaborations.

The downside of this proliferation is that many 'collaborations' have devolved into mere image licensing. At a point where simply having a collaboration no longer creates significant impact, brands must now deeply consider the 'necessity' between collaborating parties, the potential 'resonance' within the industry and consumer community, and the possibilities for 'mutual growth' that can benefit both the brand and the collaborating artist or institution.

From Product to Experience: Art in Luxury

In today's brand marketers' toolbox, art sits alongside traditional advertising and sports sponsorships. As "experience" becomes crucial in building brand identity, companies engage art to differentiate customer touchpoints, allowing direct engagement and fresh stimulation. This manifests both in brand-initiated experiences - limited edition products, packaging, advertising campaigns, or store environments created with artists - and in brand sponsorship of museum exhibitions or art fairs.

Luxury lifestyle and heritage brands, in particular, have embraced artistic collaboration as a sophisticated way to balance consistency with contemporaneity. When seeking ways to maintain their origins while providing fresh stimulus for today's customers, partnerships with living contemporary artists help transform conservative luxury brands' images while preserving their heritage.

Louis Vuitton's 2023 collaboration with the famed Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama exemplifies this evolution, demonstrating what might be considered a monumental "360-degree art collaboration" in luxury fashion.

Beyond product development, their promotional campaign resembled a global public art initiative - encompassing print billboards, anamorphic vision technology in digital outdoor advertising across major cities, a giant Kusama figure embracing the Paris flagship store, Kusama robots in window displays, and augmented reality "Kusama filters" on Snapchat. This activation possibly represents the maximum (at least to date) impact achievable when fashion joins hands with art, making contemporary art more accessible to broader audiences while driving both buzz and sales.

In short, when iconic classic luxury is reinvigorated and revitalized through contemporary art, the classic becomes even more iconic.

Examples of artist collaborations in the luxury sector (from left) DIOR Lady Art, Dom Perignon Brut Creator Edition, BMS Art Cars

Brands not belonging to the luxury category can employ art collaborations, of course. This is especially effective for brands seeking to secure a differentiated position within their category. For example, the fast fashion brand Uniqlo regularly launches collections featuring works by widely beloved contemporary artists like KAWS. Nike sneakers incorporating street artist Futura's work also enhance the attractiveness of their product line and transform the items into 'art objects'. Through these collaborations, consumers can engage in 'art collecting' at popular price points.

Image source: futuralaboratories.com

Beyond Product Collabs, Fashion Houses Run Art Foundations

Beyond collaborations applied to merchandise, establishing a cultural foundation is a notable method to enable more non-commercial artistic programs. This is a strategy that goes beyond a one-time collaboration to build the brand's cultural value in the long term. Importantly, it is also a strategy to separate the funds for cultural activities from the more rigorous business demands for profit.

Art sponsorship encompasses both the brand marketing perspective and the perspective of social responsibility (CSR). As we explored earlier, the concept of social giveback by capitalists has existed for a long time and has evolved into the form of CSR in modern times. The primary goal of this CSR approach is to fulfill the responsibilities of a corporate citizen and invest the company's surplus resources into societal needs without expecting monetary gain. Though indirect, these activities still contribute to building a positive brand image.

Fashion is a model sector that balances marketing and CSR perspectives elegantly. There are organizations showing a genuine commitment to programs that go beyond merely appropriating artists' work images for merchandise. For example, the Prada Foundation sponsors innovative projects in contemporary art and architecture, operating permanent exhibition spaces in Venice and Milan. The Louis Vuitton Foundation has created an iconic building designed by Frank Gehry in Paris to host contemporary art exhibitions and cultural events. The Cartier Contemporary Art Foundation supports emerging artists and encourages experimental artistic work.

Image source: www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr

Another notable, recent initiative is the Loewe Craft Prize. This award discovers and supports innovative works that transcend the boundaries between traditional craftsmanship and modern design. Through this, Loewe emphasizes the brand's identity rooted in craftsmanship while adding a contemporary sensibility. These foundation activities expand the brand's cultural influence, build close relationships with the art world, and simultaneously establish meaningful social contribution activities.

And this is a good segue to other corporate sectors where no merchandise can serve as the 'canvas' for artistic collaborations to manifest. For one, how about the banking sector?

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This article is part of the ART IN BRANDING series by Seol Park examining the relationship between visual arts and institutional brand identity throughout history. 'Part 3: The Corporate Approach' continues in the next article, shedding light on how financial institutions have taken to art for branding.