The use of characters in graphic design (Perth).

As you may have noticed, I have started blogging about instances of character-design usage in commercial graphics. I am interested in the intersection of art and the commercial world, where the priority of design is to catch your attention and imagination in a simple and/or emotive way. Of course I also appreciate "fine-art", but often there is no particular urgency on the part of the artist to convey a specific message and have it understood. Sometimes the artist can't even articulate the meaning of a work to him/herself.

I feel that in the west/or just in Australia(?), that there is a sense that if an artist signs up for work in the commercial world; in advertising, marketing, etc, then they are selling out. Art is something "above and beyond" the commercial; something divine, something that people aren't allowed to touch. I think that this is definitely changing, as these fields grow and more creatives are involved in commercial work. I felt that Japan is so far ahead though, in terms of merging the artistic and the commercial. A lot of "ordinary", mass-produced items such as lunch-boxes, erasers, bowls, chairs etc are so artfully designed. Some of the advertising campaigns / promotions are surprisingly imaginative and thoughtful. "Corporate" doesn't necessarily equate with ugly, square and utilitarian. Artful and aesthetic objects and images are not just hung in galleries, but are pervasive all through day-to-day life.

I think that character design in advertising represents the joining between the creative and the commercial. Art is slowly pervading the corporate landscape, and overall I support this trend because it gives me something more interesting to look at than just the same old text-based signage. So, in this blog, I'll be presenting as many local/Perth examples that I can.

So, without further adieu, allow me to introduce "Teddy". I found this little mascot in the classifieds section of the Guardian Express:

TeddyClean Commercial Cleaning Services provides cleaning services to West Australian commercial and residential properties within the Perth metropolitan area.

The character is quite basic, but it is indeed, a cleaning bear; something just a little out of the ordinary.