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The Resurgence of Illustration in Modern Brand Advertising

By

Abbey Bamford

8mo ago· 6 min readenInsight

Summary

This article explores the resurgence of illustration in advertising and branding, examining why brands are returning to hand-drawn artwork after a period dominated by photography and film. It discusses the historical significance of illustration in advertising campaigns, the challenges that led to its decline (including being perceived as 'riskier,' harder to sell to cautious clients, and slower to produce at scale), and the current factors driving its comeback. The piece features insights from industry creatives who highlight illustration's ability to add dynamism, style, and unique brand personality.

Key quotes

· 4 pulled
Illustration is such an easy way to add dynamism and style...
More recently, photography and film have dominated as illustration became the 'riskier option'.
A couple of reasons for that are its harder to sell to cautious clients, slower to produce at scale, and sometimes dismissed as 'childlike.'
From wartime posters by Abram Games to Merrydown Cider's joyful campaigns of the 1990s, illustration was once central to how brands spoke to the public.
Snippet from the RSS feed
From murals to motion, illustration is starting to reassert itself in advertising, but when do agencies and brands choose to commission it, and when do they shy away? We asked creatives, art buyers...

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