The Eisner Blurs the Line Between Art & Advertising

Can you imagine living in a world devoid of advertisements?

They are EVERYWHERE! (Just thought I'd state the obvious here) But because advertisements are all over the place, many people deem them as nothing more than an interruption or annoyance on TV or on the radio, in magazines or along roadways. I, on the other hand, have always been fascinated by them, hence the reason why I chose to study advertising in college. For four years, I learned more about the medium and why it’s so fundamental to society and how much painstaking thought, craftsmanship and creativity goes into each magazine ad, TV commercial and billboard.

Because advertisements are such an integral part of our lives, we’re fashioned to disregard them and often find them to be an irritating and intrusive gimmick to get us to waste our money.

When I brush my teeth in the morning, I rarely pay attention to the packaging or acknowledge it as an advertisement. When I pour my cereal for breakfast, seldom do I think twice about the design on the box or how it was made. And when I gear up for a run and put on an old Nirvana T-shirt and Adidas running shoes, I’m dressing for the workout, not to promote a band or brand. Ads are literally everywhere though and as I see it, they are disguised masterpieces that deserve a second glance every now and again.

Fortunately, The Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design is able to shed light on an industry that often doesn’t get enough credit for its craftsmanship.

The Eisner is dedicated to the memory of William F. Eisner, a prolific 20th century designer and advertising entrepreneur. This one of a kind museum was conceived by his wife Elaine after William’s sudden death as a way to honor the contributions William made to the advertising and design professions. Therefore, it's a very special venue to have here in Milwaukee.

I don’t think many Milwaukeeans realize that this kind of museum exists here simply because it’s right in their backyard. I found out about it a few years ago, but just recently made my first visit when Eric and I finally went last weekend.

When Eric and I entered through the glass doors, we were greeted by a near life-size, glossy Big Boy statue complete with brown "swoosh" hair and red and white checkered overalls, with a flawlessly crafted cheeseburger hoisted on his left hand. The Big Boy sculpture was just one of the countless examples of American advertising on display at The Eisner and we were excited to explore it further.

The place is strikingly handsome with its spotlights and wooden floors and winding stairs; it is sleek and wide-open and welcoming. Eric paid the student fee of $2 and I coughed up a couple extra bucks for my admission. For $4.50 a person (non-student) it’s a steal! – You can duck in for a bit if you’re in the area and not feel guilty for leaving early without dedicating hours to the exhibit.

With that in mind, I thought it was strange that there weren’t many people inside. Besides the faint sounds of radio and TV ads playing from different parts of the museum, the place was pretty quiet. But, the exhibits themselves certainly pumped some life into the spacious 10,000 square foot, two-level renovated warehouse.

Just like other museums, The Eisner abounds with rotating exhibits throughout the year. Every exhibit contains at least one interactive component with shows changing every few months. Such exhibits explore American history, culture, values and trends through advertising and design while examining the art and science behind the work.

The newest exhibits were located on the main floor behind the information desk and the rest of the art was primarily shown on the second floor. We began to explore the first floor showplace, starting with the current exhibit: Giving Back. This exhibit is a retrospective of advertising’s powerful responses to some of the most pressing social issues of our time. It includes award-winning public service ads from The Ad Council’s “Truth” Youth Smoking Prevention Campaign, American staples like Uncle Sam and Smokey the Bear, and other cogent advertisements from national and local agencies.

While Eric and I browsed the display, I took some photos of my favorite ads. Yes, I know. I should have known better than to take pictures inside a museum. I should have known that it’s a big no-no, but I did it anyway. I figured these were all ads that many of us have seen hundreds of times before, plus no one said anything.

Giving Back was my favorite exhibit because it demonstrates the power of advertising. Some of these billboards, posters and prints probably have profoundly changed people’s outlooks on issues like drug abuse, alcoholism, child abuse, teen pregnancy and poverty, all which have greatly impacted our culture. My favorite was the Ad Council's weight loss campaign. These were "lost flyers" for people searching for their love handles or double chin – it was Hil-AROUS!

Evidently, advertising and design have the ability to play an influential role in society by fostering public awareness, especially through the copywriting, which I found most compelling. To me copywriting has an amazing ability to tug on my emotions. The writing can make me laugh at it, tear up from it, and talk about it for days after seeing it – that’s why I'd eventually like to find a job as a copywriter.

Also on the main floor was an exhibit entitled Ad or Design – the Big Question. This temporary exhibit features a cornucopia of work from three of the top ad firms in the area and three of the top design firms such as Cramer-Krasselt and Laughlin Constable and invites guests to see how the two professions overlap and diverge. After spending countless minutes mulling over the public service advertisements, this comparison exhibit was a little less impactive, but still rather interesting.

After we spent well over 30 minutes examining the work on the main floor, we learned that we couldn’t go into some other areas of the museum because The Eisner was hosting the annual Wisconsin Student Portfolio Review. This event offers local advertising and design students the opportunity to have their work reviewed by senior level professionals from different ad firms. So, we ascended the stairs to the second floor.

Upstairs showcases excellence in advertising, both past and present. This floor encompasses the medium in all shapes and sizes, from print to billboard, that run the gamut from Converse and Coca-Cola to Cartoon Network and Jimmy John’s as it explores how historic and contemporary ads relate to our daily lives.

We perused many exhibits that showcase how advertising and design encompass the fundamental aspects of art. For instance, along one of the walls is a section brimming with product packaging, which is a form of advertising we generally overlook. This small exhibit had laundry detergents – Cheer, Gain, Xtra and Tide – and soaps – Lever 2000, Dial, Irish Spring, Palmolive and Caress – on display to show the packaging designs of everyday items that we usually neglect as advertising and discount as art.

I studied both advertising and art in college and learned that product packaging uses the same elements of design that a 2D drawing would. When you look closely at an ad, you’ll notice the impeccable detail paid to color, line and shape, but because we see these items daily, like I said, we often don’t view them as art.

In reality, most advertisements are actually illustrations and graphic designs, each of which requires the same amount of creativity and attention just like a drawing or painting would. For this reason, The Eisner gives visitors the opportunity to look at advertising in a different light and context by conveniently displaying ad campaigns in an art gallery atmosphere to make it easier to see the ad’s artistic merit.

Across the spacious room are other exhibits that also demonstrate the parallels between advertising and art. On one wall is a huge collage of business cards and an intriguing collection of psychedelic rock concert posters from the 60s and 70s. There also is a makeshift living room with a TV, sofa, coffee table, lamp and white fur rug. Since there aren't any signs describing it, I was a little confused about its purpose – maybe it was to demonstrate how advertising is all around us; I have no clue.

A lot of the pieces upstairs aren’t really arranged in a clear thematic or chronological way like you’d find in other museums. There are several times when I had to deduce what I was looking at. But The Eisner’s sole permanent exhibit is pretty self-explanatory.

When we crossed the short bridge in front of the enormous Cartoon Network billboard, we entered an exhibit that put us inside the mind of an ad executive as he or she strives to create an advertisement that appeals to a particular target market.

TV monitors located in separate cubicles on one side of the hallway show interviews with people of difference race, religion, sex, status and occupation to demonstrate the different consumer categories. The other side of the hallway features examples of simple products, such as soap, which are marketed to specific classifications of people. For instance, there was one particular ad that’s purpose was to target working class men by presenting chewing tobacco as a time honored American tradition.

After watching all of the TVs (the ones that were working, that is) and studying the ads for each target market, I still couldn’t determine which category I fit into.

By that time, a little over an hour had passed and Eric and I had to get home to get ready for the night, but I was really glad that I finally made time to go to The Eisner Museum – it truly is a unique venue. The entire museum is an aesthetically pleasing place where you can go to reminisce, be entertained or to learn – it's a true advertiser’s paradise!

When Elaine Eisner created this showplace, she envisioned it as a museum that would elevate Milwaukee’s perception by becoming a national treasure – a destination for advertising professionals from big hubs like New York, Miami and L.A. to visit. Whether or not the country has caught on, after my first visit to The Eisner, I’m anticipating my next trip.

I think anyone who goes to The Eisner will have a new found respect for those annoying advertisements that invade our TV sets and deluge our magazines. By visiting The Eisner, we learn to look at an ad’s framework and message differently, so perhaps this will encourage us to eventually accept them, or even enjoy them as a form of entertainment or a work of art. Face it, whether you think ads are galling or amusing, as long as there are products to sell, there will be advertisements.

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William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design
208 N. Water Street
Milwaukee WI 53202
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday & Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; Closed Monday and Tuesday.
$5 Adults, $3 Seniors, $2 College Students; Free for museum members and children

Comments

[Jeffrey]

In the past, The Eisner has had free admission during Gallery Night, which is coming up this week. They also are a hub for 3rd Ward events throughout the year (WMSE's "Food Slam" fundraiser is held there).

I expect a write up of Gallery Night this Friday! :D

[Julia]

I have been meaning to go there, but haven't been yet. Looks very cool!

[Karen]

Hey Jeffery-

You’re absolutely right. My friend who works for FUEL Milwaukee hosted a social at The Eisner a while back. Also, I’m pretty sure admission is still free on Gallery Nights, yet I always forget to stop by...

I'm not sure if I'll be going to Gallery Night this Friday. But, I did go last October and wrote a little recap. If I make it there this weekend, I'll be sure to share my experience…since it's expected. ;)

Take care.

[wfbdoglover]

OK, you are correct the museum is FREE for gallery night and so are a few others...

http://www.historicthirdward.org/events/GalleryNightParticipants.php

They also have a trolley ride to take you around to the museums. A kids DREAM! Thanks for posting and those that commented!!

[Karen]

You're right! All of the galleries are free and many offer complimentary beer, wine and hors d'oeuvre.

The trolley is also excellent if you don't want to worry about finding parking. I took it when I went last summer for the "Project Lela" competition during Gallery Night.

http://playinthecity.blogs.com/milwaukee_outdoors_erins_/2007/08/project-lela-ga.html

Also, here's a link to my fall Gallery Night post. It will give you a feel for what goes on in the Third Ward as you browse each gallery and hop from shop to shop (all of the Third Ward stores have extended hours too).

http://playinthecity.blogs.com/milwaukee_outdoors_erins_/2007/10/gallery-night.html

It's a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday night (or Saturday afternoon if you want to bring the kids). You have the opportunity to mingle, sightsee, peruse new shops and witness some great local and regional art. Just about everything is free, so check it out!