Art in Branding: A Cultural History

Series Overview

This collection of articles by The CBO contributor Seol Park explores the fascinating intersection of art and branding throughout history, examining how different institutions and organizations have borrowed from artistic visual communication to build their identity, convey their values, and engage with their audiences.

Part 1: The Church & Monarchy: Art as a Tool of Power

• The Church: Branding the Divine

• Monarchy: From Sacred to Sovereign

Part 2: The Industrial Age: Capital Leverages Art

• The Rise of Industrial Patrons

  
  

Part 3: The Corporate Approach

• (i) Luxury Wears Art

• (ii) Banking Moves Beyond Collecting

• (iii) Technology Augments Art

Part 4: The Bottom Line & The Ultimate State

• Strategic Considerations for Brands

• Internalizing Creativity

Foreword

Nebamun Supervising Estate Activities, Tomb of Nebamun | Image: Public domain

During my decade or so years in New York, I frequently found myself navigating the Metropolitan Museum's exhibition halls and library. Yet among the vast expanse of the Met, one particular spot held special significance for me as a branding person.

Getting to this spot has become muscle memory: enter through the main entrance on Fifth Avenue, turn right at the Great Hall, and proceed straight into the East Wing. First floor. Egyptian galleries. Room 135. Here, on the wall, is a reproduction of an ancient Egyptian tomb painting that tells us something remarkable about the origins of branding.

This image, discovered in the tomb of a man named Nebamun from around 2700 BCE, contains what might be the earliest recorded evidence of branding as a means of identification. In the lower left portion, you'll notice workers heating branding irons over glowing coals. Above and beside them, other workers are shown applying these heated irons to cattle.

The term 'brand,' so casually used by every participant in today's consumer economy, originates from this ancient practice of marking livestock to denote ownership. If cattle strayed from their herd or were stolen, these symbols allowed others to identify their rightful owner. This tomb painting stands as humanity's oldest documented record of branding as a means of identification.

It seems profoundly fitting that humanity's oldest record of branding exists in the form of art. Indeed, art and branding have been inextricably linked in their evolution ever since. Today, we see this relationship flourishing in unprecedented ways, from luxury handbags to banking halls, from tech company initiatives to museum partnerships.

This book traces this fascinating evolution through four distinct eras. We begin with religious institutions and monarchies, examining how they pioneered the use of art as a tool of power and identity. We then explore the Industrial Age, where private capital emerged as the new patron of the arts. The third section delves into modern corporate approaches across three key sectors: luxury brands reinvigorating heritage through art, banking institutions moving beyond collecting, and technology companies forging new collaborative paradigms. Finally, we consider the ultimate state of this relationship: the internalization of creativity within organizational culture.

My journey with this intersection began before "art collaboration" became a buzzword. Working with global technology companies like Microsoft, Intel, and currently LG, I've had the privilege of helping organizations forge meaningful partnerships with artists and cultural institutions. This experience sparked my curiosity about how branding has historically borrowed from, collaborated with, and ultimately internalized artistic practices. This research, combined with firsthand observations from the industry, has evolved into a masterclass I now share at institutions such as Columbia Business School, Sotheby's Institute of Art, and Seoul National University.

As we embark on this exploration, we'll discover that while the methods and mediums have evolved, the fundamental power of art to convey identity, build connections, and communicate values remains as relevant today as it was when ancient Egyptians first pressed hot irons into cattle hides.

About the contributor:

Seol Park is a brand management executive and cultural strategist who has pioneered innovative intersections of art, technology, and brand identity. With over two decades of experience, she has shaped transformative initiatives for global market leaders including Microsoft, Intel, Chevron, and Swire Properties.

As Head of Brand at LG since 2020, Seol leads strategy, advertising, and cultural engagement across the company's diverse portfolio spanning consumer electronics, telecommunications, AI research, and energy solutions. Her recent architecting of the groundbreaking LG-Guggenheim partnership exemplifies her vision for meaningful collaboration between technology and cultural institutions.

A thought leader in branding and cultural engagement, Seol regularly shares insights at prestigious venues including Columbia Business School, Harvard University Asia Conference, Sotheby's Institute of Art New York, and Cannes Lions Seoul. She serves on the board of the Korea Advertising Society and brings a humanistic approach to brand building, believing that enduring brands must be deeply rooted in human and social values.