Art & Copy

Somewhere out there right now, giant satellites are about to launch into space, the better to blanket the airwaves with more commercial images. ART & COPY is a stylish film about the creative heads behind ad campaigns that have changed not only how we view commodities, but also how we view ourselves. No matter what your perception is of advertising agencies, their stories are intriguing. And the groundbreaking ad executives pictured here come across as thoughtful artists with a genius for catching the spirit of the times before the rest of the world realizes what's happening. Mary Wells Lawrence, founding president of Wells Rich Greene and the woman behind memorable ad campaigns for Braniff Airlines, Alka Seltzer, Ford, and New York City, describes the synergy between faceless corporate giants and the creative partners who present their image to the world: “They're like big lonely beasts in their caves, and we help them come out.””Where's the beef?” “got milk?” “Just do it” – somewhere out there right now, creative types are coming up with messages promoting the next big thing. Get ready to receive them. – B.B.