Ms. Emily Peck

A Driving Force in Creativity and Innovation (from Arts Watch)

Posted by Ms. Emily Peck, Mar 09, 2011 1 comment


Ms. Emily Peck

Emily Peck

Emily Peck

In 2008, if you were to talk about the auto industry, you’d probably talk about the emergency bailout from the federal government that impacted auto companies around the world.

The auto industry was struggling and as a result drastically pulling back their funding from the Detroit arts organizations that depended on this support.

These companies began looking for new ideas and they seemed to have found solutions through the arts. The new language coming out of the auto industry includes words like “creativity”, “innovation”, “design” and even “arts”…words that I’m sure most of us can get behind.

Here is just a sampling of ways the auto industry is showcasing the arts and being creative.

Chrysler used its Super Bowl ad to showcase the city of Detroit and most prominently the public art, architecture, arts organizations, and art that make Detroit unique.

Volkswagen invited people to create videos demonstrating a fun theory and in the process, promote the company’s new environmentally friendly technology. Watch the winning video which involves music to great effect.

BMW is partnering with the Guggenheim to create the BMW Guggenheim Lab, a moveable space for creative problem solving.

GM recently resumed its dormant arts funding with grants to Michigan Opera Theatre, Mosaic Youth Theatre, and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Hyundai has a new campaign based around a new car design and linked to the arts. You may have seen us promoting the Hyundai Compact Crampomitosis campaign with the tagline “expanding legroom and expanding the arts.” Hyundai recognizes the link between design and the arts and is supporting us in the process.

These companies are starting to understand that the arts can get them on the road to success.

Have you seen other auto manufacturers supporting the arts in your community or nationally?

*Arts Watch is the weekly cultural policy publication of Americans for the Arts, covering news in a variety of categories. Subscribe to Arts Watch.

 

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1 responses for A Driving Force in Creativity and Innovation (from Arts Watch)

Comments

Melissa says
March 10, 2011 at 11:18 am

This is interesting and a fascinating opportunity for corporate America to reconnect. Art, creativity, innovation, it's what started corporations in the first place. Someone, somewhere had an idea created a company to promote and deliver the idea and somehow, along the way, as many companies grew they lost the ability to be embrace creativity at all levels. Systems became structures and innovation wasn't valued. We need a shift in order to solve the problems of the future and maintain excellence in global business.

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