How do artists work with global brands?

Commercial brands are forever looking for creatives to add cachet to their wares. So, what’s it like to strike deals with these global giants?
a colourful graphic style mural of a gorilla and a bearded person in nature, displayed as a giant billboard next to a Coca Cola billboard advertisement.

These days it’s not uncommon to see an artist who’s working with a brand promoted under the guise of “artist x brand” – with the “x” used as a cool-style code for both parties’ affinity with each other.

Exactly how much can be gained or lost from these deals often comes down to the pulling power of the artist versus the brand. (One wonders whether Louis Vuitton would have collaborated with Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami or Richard Prince if these artists weren’t already an art world superstars.)

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ArtsHub's Arts Feature Writer Jo Pickup is based in Perth. An arts writer and manager, she has worked as a journalist and broadcaster for media such as the ABC, RTRFM and The West Australian newspaper, contributing media content and commentary on art, culture and design. She has also worked for arts organisations such as Fremantle Arts Centre, STRUT dance, and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA, as well as being a sessional arts lecturer at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).