The Merchants of Cool - A Response

Titled "The Merchants of Cool," a Frontline documentary produced in the last 1990's/early 2000's discussed the influences that pop culture has on our society. Specifically addressing the influence of the pop culture movement and teenagers, early on the documentary addresses the notion that 'cool' or the idea of cool is so elusive that many people fail to capture the essence of what is 'cool.'

At one point an interviewer gives a group of teenagers a sheet of paper with specific logos and photos on it. The teens are then instructed to circle what they deemed to be cool and what was not at the time. In terms of graphic design this is evident on a daily basis, in advertising espeically. One can create a flowing, beautiful design, but if it doesn't effectively convey a message or has arrived too late or too early, it risks losing its audience or missing it entirely.

This is one of the struggles that the advertising agencies in the documentary constantly face. For instance the Sprite ads, initially using Grant Hill and a catchy tactics of bags of money it helped to convey a message of "buy this product." After some time, the ad grew stale and people were tired of the joke, thus forcing the creative minds at Sprite to think of something new yet again.

One of the topics the documentary also addressed is that of the "mook." This character lacks any central identity, instead being an all-encompassing label for a stereotype of sorts. Labeling one type of person, in this case a Johnny Knoxville-type of person. This "mook" for advertisers is someone they can use, in the reverse, many people look at that type of person, ultimately wanting to BE that person. In some designs this is evident, such as posters and magazine ads.

Late in the video, the notion of hidden messages and iconography is also addressed. This again is a recurring theme in graphic design. Examples of this include propoganda style imagery.