Time magazine called him Jack the Dripper.
And that’s a pretty good description for the best known abstract impressionist, the artist who created dozens of paintings that made people in museums around the world say, “My seven-year-old could have painted that.”
He painted the most expensive painting ever sold at auction—a work of art titled #5, valued at $140 million in 2006 (pictured to the left).
Jackson Pollock painted by dripping, flipping, and throwing paint onto the canvas. At one point, he numbered his paintings, rather than naming them, to keep viewers from reading any unintended meaning into his work.
Pollock’s technique makes for some beautiful paintings, but others are messy and intentionally confusing. Of his work, Mr. Pollock said,
“When I am in my painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. It is only after a sort of ‘get acquainted’ period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own.”
Today, many brand owners take a “Jackson Pollock Approach” to managing their brands. They drip, flip, and throw different ideas, strategies, and messages at the canvas and go with whatever sticks.
They are inconsistent in using colors and design. They speak with more than one voice. They change experiences and products on a whim.
Like Pollock, the are unaware of what they are doing in the moment.
The result is something like abstract impressionism. There’s no clear idea to understand or remember. No take away for the consumer.
This is the path to brand failure.
Unfortunately, in order to succeed in a crowded marketplace, there is no ‘get acquainted period’ where a brand can find its voice.
All of the individual pieces of your brand (product design, business card, pricing strategy, website, invoice, user experience, customer service, email, packaging, etc.) must work to produce a consistent message— a recognizable, memorable, and likeable story for your brand. From the beginning.
Jackson Pollock was a brilliant artist. His approach worked well for painting, but is a disaster for creating a brand.
The painting above is untitled, painted in 1949. Jackson Pollock died on this day, 54 years ago.
Posted by Rob Marsh.