Sell outs? Yes. Geniuses? Yes.
this new video by OK GO features a warehouse-sized rube golberg machine that ranges from tiny rolling balls to smashing tv sets with sledge hammers. the whole video is amazing, but i was a little put off by the end, where they thank state farm for making it happen.
my initial instinct was SELL OUTS (i mean band? insurance? how is that related) but then i stopped to think about it. without corporate money, i wouldn’t have seen that large, complex, well timed creation (because it probably cost a lot).
is corporate funding the future of creative projects? it sure helps the starving artists not be so starving and gives them a chance to think big. but it has the potential to cast a weird overtone on artistic works (ie how much of the vision is the artist’s and how much is the company’s?). but, for this video it just meant a little toy truck with “state farm” written on it and a quick closing tag.
overall their marketing was subtle, effective, and not too stifling. this time, i approve.