How KAWS is Re-Energizing The Relationship Between Brands & Fine Art
Brands have always had an interesting relationship with the art world, especially through the context of advertising.
Advertising is art, and ad campaigns are the collective output of a vision between agencies, directors, producers, and, of course, the client.
Moreover, a lot of advertising creatives have dreams of becoming renowned artists. Some want to be novelists, others want to be Warhol. Both hope to do great work in their professions.
And within advertising, many of us reading this have seen one component used as a lever to excite audiences like no other, and that’s…
brand collabs.
They’re a tried and true way to get your audience excited because they bring a fresh perspective to a beloved product and often allow consumers to experience the brands they love in an unexpected way.
Brands catch a lot of flack these days for the collabs they release (and rightfully so) because, in many cases, the collections don’t even make sense.
Does an alka-seltzer brand need a capsule collection? Or even a ketchup brand, for that matter? Why are they working together? This shit is corny.
These are all thoughts that consumers eventually have.
All rooted in seeing the desperation and intense need for PR the brand is searching for to keep them relevant.
But with that said, when brand collabs are done correctly, and in moderation, they’re a welcome addition to the cultural zeitgeist.
Which brings us to today…
It’s nothing new to see a brand collab with a visual artist/designer. It’s the proverbial ace in the hole of brand collabs. Low-hanging fruit to some, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sweet.
Excitement about the collab is usually driven by a massively popular artist or even a smaller one that the brand wants to co-sign before they make it big.
More to the point, there is a renowned artist who I think is bringing consistently great (and well-thought-out) collaborations to the space with each brand he works with.
In fact, he’s been doing it for decades, and his name is
KAWS.
You might know KAWS by his characters.
They’ve appeared in installations everywhere from New York to, most recently, Shanghai, or you may know him from his brief animation stint in the late 90s.
KAWS work often explores themes of consumerism, isolation, and the impact of modern culture, with his creations bridging the gap between high art and mass appeal.
For those who’ve never heard of him, especially Millennials, you actually grew up with him without even knowing it.
I. BACKGROUND
KAWS, whose real name is Brian Donnelly, was born November 4th, 1974 in New Jersey.
He started out as a graffiti artist based in the New Jersey area before moving to Brooklyn where he went to school for animation.
Like most artists, upon graduating from school, he needed work and became a cartoonist for shows like Nickelodeon’s Doug — a show that helped increase his popularity amongst Millennials who were heavily impacted by those shows.
His ascension was anything but conventional. In fact, under the name KAWS, he would take traditional OOH ads from well-established brands and paint over them — the most famous of which are the bus stop ads he would literally take home overnight from work and return in the morning with his artistic spin on them (Peep below to see some of his work).
Over time, he was embraced by brands and began producing work in partnership with them. By 1999 he would create the first of his characters named
COMPANION.
In a sense, Companion is the flagship character in most of KAWS work. He wears overalls like Mickey Mouse, and his eyes are crossed out (a trademark of Donnelly’s work).
Companion became the first toy that collectors began to covet, and over time each and every companion piece he dropped would sell out instantly.
Over time, KAWS developed a few other characters that make appearances in his work including Chum, Accomplice, and Bendy who can (mostly) be seen below.
II. HOW KAWS IS RE-ENERGIZING BRAND + ARTIST COLLABS
KAWS has done a ton of collabs over the past two decades but some of his most recent collabs show why he’s been able to transform the relationship between brands, their stewards, and fine art all while creating a legacy with a younger generation of art fans.
Let’s talk about two KAWS-related things in culture that outline exactly how these partnerships are re-energizing the collabs space.
a. Infusing High-Low Culture via Audemars
High-low culture refers to the blending of luxury culture with “low” or regular culture in a way that highlights the best of both worlds.
Typically, you see this happen with streetwear when one of the luxury fashion houses partners with a brand that’s capturing the attention of hype beasts and Gen Z culture enthusiasts.
As it relates to KAWS, he was recently spotted wearing a special edition Audemars Piguet.
Neither he nor Audemars have confirmed if an official partnership is in the works yet. But the speculation is enough to get people wondering how far High-low collabs can go.
Does it just stop at streetwear? What other categories need this same energy?
Although details haven’t been released as to whether the watch will be available for purchase or if its just a custom watch only meant for KAWS, it still brings culture to a category that’s typically known for its rigidity (something brands in the luxury space are shirking in order to connect with a new generation of jewelry buyers).
b. Revitalizing Legacy IP via General Mills
In 2022, KAWS worked with General Mills on a series of cereal boxes, and eventually toys, that brought life back into some of their older IP including Frankenberry, and Count Chocula.
In 2009, these cereals were discontinued, but General Mills brings them back seasonally on Halloween. Having KAWS redo the artwork and then supplementing them almost a year later with dolls helps re-introduce these cereals to a generation fueled by nostalgia.
Dare I say… It may even help get them back into full production?
III. THE FUTURE
KAWS is still bringing his unique POV to the world, and just unveiled an installation in Shanghai, which was accompanied by a figure, coffee table book, and a lamp (just announced yesterday) that are available on a first come, first served basis.
While details on what he has next are scarce, you can pretty much guarantee that whoever he decides to partner with next will benefit from the immense amount of effort you can tell he put into creating his character and brand.
For my sake, I just hope it doesn’t sell out immediately. I’d love to decorate the home with a few more KAWS figures, just saying.
One.
Great article