Surrealism and Culture: The Formula for Building Cutting-Edge Brand Worlds
Taking you for a ride down a whimsical and culturally-infused lane.
This year has been yearing! I hope everyone has had a safe and healing start to 2025. For anyone new here, welcome! I hope you find what you need here, whatever that might be. I’m so grateful to this little creative community—and thank you for joining me. If there’s anything in particular that you would like me to cover, feel free to let me know. Now off to my next post about surrealism and culture, two topics that are of great interest to me, so please enjoy!
Art and fashion are the perfect pair. Historically, designers and artists have been collaborating since the dawn of time, breaking new creative ground. When these two worlds merge, the possibility for creative innovation is endless. The dynamic intersection of art and fashion shapes trends, brings fresh perspectives to the table, and infuses campaigns with cultural relevance and authenticity. Together, they create a seamless concoction of vibrant storytelling offering multi-universes that capture audiences and foster a sense of escapism.
1. Celebrating Tradition and Heritage
Les Benjamins is a prime example of fusing Turkish tradition and heritage into culturally rich editorial visuals that tell a story—each shot intentionally, stripped back while celebrating Turkish culture. Sometimes, there’s no need for all of the bells and whistles. When you pair together an ideal collaboration with effective storytelling, the results can be simply profound. Putting the spotlight on underrepresented communities not only sheds light on diverse perspectives, but it creates a landscape of inclusivity. My thoughts? More brands should partake. The fusion of traditional and modern has so much more potential to generate an emotional connection, and we love that.
These visuals stop me in my tracks, exuding the ambiance of a traditional hammam. It’s intimate, authentic, minimal, and intriguing. Changing the environment to something that possesses cultural heritage, such as a hammam, produces a completely different atmosphere—one that’s deeply rooted in culture.
“This editorial not only highlights our two t-shirts and the tracksuit we created with Les Benjamins, but also celebrates Istanbul—the city that bridges the West and
the East.” - Sabukaru
There has also been a surge in using food as a staple in beauty campaigns. It’s sensory and texture-rich, manipulative, versatile, and playful. The brain immediately tries to understand the connection between the two juxtaposing items. It’s unordinary and abstract causing a brief moment of mental discomfort while we scour our mind for a clear narrative, or perhaps a pattern, about the environment within the image. I think that the escalation of using food wasn’t a creative mistake, I think it was intentional, which might explain why a handful have followed suit. But, there is a saturation of this trope. Brands are leaning on food in campaigns as more of a prop, rather than to tell a narrative.
Let’s replace the heirloom tomatoes with something exciting. Take, for example, the Sabukaru x Les Benjamins campaign which features Turkish çay, a beloved beverage that is widely consumed, and an intimate setting such as a Hamam. Incorporating cultural elements such as a national drink, simit, ramen, or bibimbap has the potential to tap into nostalgia and spark memories while cultivating a lasting impression.
2. Escapism and Storytelling Through Art
Traditional advertising is straightforward and bland. Art is the missing ingredient—one that can enhance the flavour of campaigns through absurd, bizarre, and abstract components. Art is more than a visual experience. It serves as a vessel for storytelling and goes beyond aesthetics, allowing consumers to engage on a more intellectual level. It’s an invitation to something bigger, creating buzz. Whether we’re fusing sculptures, patterns, embroideries, collages, or paintings, art enhances. I think the below campaigns prove my point, but I digress. The way I’m OBSESSED with all of them.
Please, do indulge.
Not to be dramatic or anything, but to be dramatic (as I’m quite a dramatic person 😂)…the way I gasped at this p é r o ® campaign. I invite you to check out all of the imagery because this whole campaign is scrumptious.
As seen here, when a brand successfully delivers its message interactively and refreshingly, it’s chef’s kiss. Campaigns that embrace bold risks and unconventional thinking are the ones that reap the rewards. This is creative innovation at its finest.
Let’s continue…
This Hourglass Cosmetics campaign…I’m INFATUATED!
For those have you who have been tuned into my substack for a while, you might have picked up on the fact that I’m love-struck on surrealism. It’s very much an artistic movement that I’ve tried to adopt into my artwork. Any hint of surrealism echoed across editorials is visually thrilling. When it’s executed well, I immediately want to transport into their world. Surrealism is all about bizarre, ethereal, absurd compositions nestled into one whimsical landscape. It allows for different interpretations, inviting the audience with a one-way ticket to another realm.
And that’s a wrap! A feast for the senses. The takeaway? Showing that adding layers of culture and artists’ unique styles weaved into advertising is proven to be hypnotic on all levels. Playing it safe is no longer an option for brands if they want to survive in a saturated market. One must figure out how to stand out from the pack. So it’s out with the old, and in with fantasy-curated atmospheres transporting viewers to otherwordly dimensions. An image shouldn’t be a fleeting moment, it should serve as an entryway to a multi-universe that a brand designs for its audience. Here’s to hoping our feeds will soon be filled with refreshing collaborations, rich storytelling, and surrealist escapes!
I’ll leave you with this quote:
“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.”
― Salvador Dali
PS. I’m thinking of doing a mini-series where I create static and animated collage campaigns for brands that I love.
Thank you for reading!
XX,
Dominique