Let's grow some illustration.
posted:
While taking this past week to decompress after the Illustration conference, I was able to re-connect with Chris Payne, and he mentioned to me that the Illustration Growers ad campaign could be coming to a close.
I feel that this is a campaign that could continue on if we can get behind it and show some support. There is already a great series of ads created by a couple of our Drawgers, among others, and hopefully more!
The great thing about this campaign is that if you donate money to it, you can deduct your donation as a business expense.
Now I know that this isn’t the only thing that will stop art directors from using stock art, but it will help especially if great illustrators continue to contribute to it.
Come on; let’s keep it going!
Here below is some information from illustrationgrowers.org that explains this campaign better than I can-
The Illustration Growers of America has created an advertising campaign with the message to art directors, creative directors, designers and art buyers that commissioned illustration is superior to stock.
The world of illustration is changing. Historically, illustrators have operated as independent cottage industries, competing as individuals with each other, i.e., one portfolio verses another portfolio. Today, illustrators face a new corporate form of competition, the stock house. These corporate stock houses armed with thousands of images, both photographic and illustrated, have moved into our traditional markets intent on making their product the dominant source for visual content.
Stock houses understand the concept of competing for maximum market share. In order to compete, you have to promote to have your voice heard. To open a graphic arts trade publication demonstrates just how well the stock houses believe in promotion. The degree to which these stock houses are willing to promote their product is also a clear indication of just how much money they believe they can make in our markets.
Some have suggested legal or legislative efforts to these issues that would be extremely expensive, with no guarantee for success and no end in sight.
Illustrators do have a solution to soften the effects these corporate stock houses have on our industry. That solution is to compete. Stock houses may promote that they have the faster and cheaper product. The fact is, illustrators have the better product. Original, creative, problem-solving art skills are, heads and tails, a better product than stock. Professional illustrators create some of the most compelling images under the most difficult conditions and deadlines. Professional illustrators can tailor-make an image to fit a client’s specific need. Professional illustrators understand the collaborative relationship needed to create great communication art. The right illustration can set the tone or create an attitude for an ad before the reader absorbs the content of the ad. The right illustration can serve to brand a product or business.
Original commissioned illustration is superior to stock. This is our message. Our mission is to promote that message. This ad campaign gives independent illustrators their voice of competition by not allowing the ads the stock houses create to go unchallenged.
I feel that this is a campaign that could continue on if we can get behind it and show some support. There is already a great series of ads created by a couple of our Drawgers, among others, and hopefully more!
The great thing about this campaign is that if you donate money to it, you can deduct your donation as a business expense.
Now I know that this isn’t the only thing that will stop art directors from using stock art, but it will help especially if great illustrators continue to contribute to it.
Come on; let’s keep it going!
Here below is some information from illustrationgrowers.org that explains this campaign better than I can-
The Illustration Growers of America has created an advertising campaign with the message to art directors, creative directors, designers and art buyers that commissioned illustration is superior to stock.
The world of illustration is changing. Historically, illustrators have operated as independent cottage industries, competing as individuals with each other, i.e., one portfolio verses another portfolio. Today, illustrators face a new corporate form of competition, the stock house. These corporate stock houses armed with thousands of images, both photographic and illustrated, have moved into our traditional markets intent on making their product the dominant source for visual content.
Stock houses understand the concept of competing for maximum market share. In order to compete, you have to promote to have your voice heard. To open a graphic arts trade publication demonstrates just how well the stock houses believe in promotion. The degree to which these stock houses are willing to promote their product is also a clear indication of just how much money they believe they can make in our markets.
Some have suggested legal or legislative efforts to these issues that would be extremely expensive, with no guarantee for success and no end in sight.
Illustrators do have a solution to soften the effects these corporate stock houses have on our industry. That solution is to compete. Stock houses may promote that they have the faster and cheaper product. The fact is, illustrators have the better product. Original, creative, problem-solving art skills are, heads and tails, a better product than stock. Professional illustrators create some of the most compelling images under the most difficult conditions and deadlines. Professional illustrators can tailor-make an image to fit a client’s specific need. Professional illustrators understand the collaborative relationship needed to create great communication art. The right illustration can set the tone or create an attitude for an ad before the reader absorbs the content of the ad. The right illustration can serve to brand a product or business.
Original commissioned illustration is superior to stock. This is our message. Our mission is to promote that message. This ad campaign gives independent illustrators their voice of competition by not allowing the ads the stock houses create to go unchallenged.
