I love this video.
Pringle of Scotland [the famous sweater company] has commissioned artist David Shrigley to create a humorous short animated film about life behind-the-scenes at Pringle to celebrate the brands return to Milan Fashion Week.
I love this because:
1. Shrigley is one of my favorite cartoonists in the world, and I have VERY few of those. I actually know him personally [He’s really good friends with one of my best friends in the world, the film director Dave Mackenzie]. I met him at a gallery group show in Glasgow with Mackenzie back in 1994, plus on the set of Hallam Foe.
2. Famous Scottish brands tend to be VERY twee [growing up in Edinburgh, I know this to be very true], this idea is SO OUT THERE and SO NOT TWEE. Hell, it’s not even mainstream. But it IS interesting, especially when you think it’s basically just an animated sales brochure. As I’m fond of saying, evolution in marketing is an evolution of language. In terms of old, established woolen brands, Pringle is talking to the market in a way its never been talked to before…
3. Compared to most ads out there [And it is an ad, even they like to talk about “commissioning an artist” and calling it a “film” yada yada ], it’s insanely wonderful. And way longer than a traditional 30-second spot, and yet it still keeps your attention. And completely different. When was the last time you saw a major clothing brand express this much unvarnished humanity? Exactly.
4. Like most of Shrigley’s work, it’s got a wee bit of a dark edge to it. Pringle let him keep that. Pringle didn’t ask him to change his schtick in any way.
5. I want to send this to my pals at Dewar’s Whisky, just to say to any brand people there who may be feeling timid, “See? You can be TOTALLY OUT THERE and still relevant and interesting and cool. You don’t have to do the usual, expected, traditional, REALLY ANNOYING AND LAME twee Scottish thing [“Chivalrous golfers, Anybody?”]
6. Yes, it’s a culture jam. Yes, it’s a social object.
This made me so happy, it really did. Besides that, Shrigley’s a lovely guy. Rock on.
