Branding a Band by Jeff Kleinsmith
Most of us have an album from our childhood that evokes powerfully nostalgic feelings. We remember the place in our rooms where we would listen to the music. We remember our friends at the time, the clothes we wore, and the first time we heard the music. Our memories aren’t limited to music, and we get the same wonderful feelings from seeing the album art. Is that feeling lost in the explosion of MP3’s? Jeff Kleinsmith, founder of Patent Pending Industries, and art director for Sub Pop Records, honestly admits that he was worried for a while that he might lose his job because of the digital boom. Sub Pop actually uses the phrase “Sub Pop – Going out of business for the past ten years,” in some of their promotions. The truth is that although the methods that we get our music are changing, we still have a need for the visuals that accompany the songs. That more than anything is why Jeff Kleinsmith’s art stands out. He is able to fill the visual hole that is left by music downloads. Posters are not only popular for collecting, but Jeff makes an interesting observation: Without the branding that comes with CD packaging, posters are contributing to the “brand” of the band. This is really unique. Since posters are usually commissioned by the people promoting concerts (not the record labels or the band), the brand of the band is partly out of their control. Poster design’s like Jeff’s can be much more powerful because a poster doesn’t have to survive the political minefields that often sink great album art. There isn’t a committee, a target market, research, or even long term goals for the design.
The other major impact of digital music is that it is forcing CD packaging to be more than just a jewel case and a cd. Design can add value to the cd. This plays right into the hands of Jeff’s design which has a tradition of forcing interaction between the person and the artwork. Once he got over the fear of the digital revolution, he was able to recognize that his work was actually more relevant as a result. He is able to do more innovative cd packaging as well as satisfy an audience with an increasing appetite for music posters. That’s not to say he has embraced MP3’s himself. He still hasn’t opened the iPod he got for Christmas.
