- Just like the Wonder Bread example previously,
the goal with appropriated content is for the viewer
to recognize the original.
The original will have specific meaning to the viewer.
That connection and emotional response
will be added to your solution.
It can be a simple and ubiquitous connection,
such as "The Last Supper,"
remade multiple times for a variety of communications.
It's been repurposed for advertising, design,
even an ad campaign for "Battlestar Galactica."
Or, the original can be more specific,
such as a children's book on cowboys.
I used this and recreated it for the Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance asked for a solution that referenced
the location, the American West in Utah,
had a nostalgic association,
and a sense of discovery.
These all came together from many of the materials,
all connected to well-loved books
one might find in a library.
I arrived at this concept by writing down
all of the Sundance attributes,
and then looked for symbols or metaphors
that would work.
I found myself returning to the library daily
looking for inspiration.
I found the cowboy book and realized
that my process of discovery and joy of finding
that amazing book was the solution itself.
On another project for a lecture I did
while serving as AIGA President,
I couldn't resist dipping back into my family history
and using an image of another President Adams.
I used a portrait from the Library of Congress
as a starting point.
Then I overlaid elements personal to me,
my sunglasses and a predilection for bright color.
The solution would not work
with an audience unfamiliar with American history.
However, I knew that the audience
in Charlotte, South Carolina
would have that knowledge and recognize the wordplay.
Hopefully, this will help explain the importance
of making connections when working with appropriation.
If the audience has no relationship with the original,
the message is confusing,
but if they can identify the source material,
the image will add to the message
with its own layer of memory and meaning.