ISSUE 015
IN SITU this week looks at the refreshing relationship between brands and art at Zona Maco, and how brand activations can be effective while being subtle.
IN SITU is a platform dedicated to the intersection between culture, brand strategy and music. Sometimes the focus will be on one strand more than another, but always sitting in that sweet spot.
ISSUE 015 AT A GLANCE
LONG READ Cultural observation opinion piece: Zona Maco: A cultural event where brands take a backseat
VERBATIM Quote from cultural tastemaker: Tania LaCaria - Multidisciplinary artist & curator
SHORT READ Belief relating to strategy and/or insight: Core Belief #12: Brand activations can be subtle & effective
MUSIC CORNER Album recommendation: Krept & Konan - Young Kingz II
LONG READ
ZONA MACO: A CULTURAL EVENT WHERE BRANDS TAKE A BACKSEAT
Since arriving in Mexico City over a month ago, there has been an energy of anticipation building towards Zona Maco, or “Art Week.” Zona Maco is the official art fair located around 30 minutes from the city centre in a huge exhibition space, Centro Citibanamex. This year it showcased art from 200 galleries across 29 countries, and is the largest art fair in Latin America. It’s come a long way since it’s establishment in 2002 by Zélika García.
But not everyone makes it to the official fair, and they are no worse off. One could argue the real happenings are taking place in all the other galleries, venues, bars, cafes and shops across the city. For just under a week, Mexico City gets even busier, the people get even more fashionable, and it becomes even more culturally dynamic.
Since many visitors are American and Canadian, Zona Maco is often compared to Art Basel. I haven’t been in person, but from second-hand accounts and plentiful media, Zona Maco sounds like a less elitist, less pretentious and crucially, less overtly commercial than Art Basel. Of course there is a commercial element, because for one, the art is for sale. But most events are free to enter with refreshments inside, there are plenty of open galleries and events you can wander into without RSVPing or reserving a ticket, and most of all, brands are notably in the background.
These are my main takeouts about the appearance of brands during Art Week:
MOST BRAND PARTNERS MADE SENSE
You didn’t have to bend your brain to understand why a certain brand was sponsoring a certain event. They were a good fit for the overall atmosphere, the specific event, and the audience. For instance, most brand partners were Mexican tequila, mezcal or beer brands i.e. local drinks from local vendors. The only obviously foreign brand I noticed was Volvo at Salón ACME. There was a slightly unfortunate art installation using a car which felt forced, but it was neatly hidden so that you need not endure it.
BRANDS WERE SECONDARY TO THE ART
It never felt as though you were suffocated by brand presence, both at larger events, and in smaller, DIY spaces. In other markets, the latter may rely on brands for sponsorship or clout, whereas here, it was mostly absent. You were really driven by which galleries and artists you wanted to experience, as opposed to wondering which brands may draw the best crowd, or have the best freebies. One exception was a 1800 Tequila party at Soho House, where beyond some expected product heroing, there was a floor to ceiling written history of the brand, which of course no one was reading. However, this was an event specifically thrown by the brand, and there was no unique art on display that was meant to be drawing guest’s attention.
SMALL BUSINESSES MADE IT WORK FOR THEM
With so many more eyes in the city, it was ‘the’ week for local and visiting brands (shops, designers, cafes etc.) to take advantage of the influx of consumers and make a scene. From stores holding pop-ups with local designers, to DIY car park parties, to club nights, to kitchen takeovers with emerging chefs, it was a chance for everyone to fulfil their own creative vision. It seemed like the presence of ‘big art’ actually made space for anyone and everyone to do their own thing, and there were more than enough people to appreciate it.
Art Week was a refreshing reminder of what cultural events can be like when brands take a healthy and respectful distance from the creative. As someone who works on brand activations, I’m by no means advocating for a zero-tolerance approach, especially because brands do enable so many incredible experiences to take place. But there are definitely ways in which brands can make their presence known in a tasteful way without overshadowing the art & artists in question, and still provide an accessible experience for guests that feels on-brand.
VERBATIM
AS AN ARTIST, HOW RESPECTFUL DO YOU FEEL BRAND INVOLVEMENT IS AT ZONA MACO?
TANIA LACARIA - MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST & CURATOR
I can't deny the important role that brands and sponsorship play in creative industries. In so many cases, big brands helps create opportunities for companies/artists/galleries to host events that can reach a larger audience, and for the most part, I found the branding initiatives were executed tastefully during Zona Maco.
Across all of the events, it was nice not to have been approached by brand ambassadors who were collecting emails under the guise of an online giveaway, or something heavily contrived like that. I've definitely experienced that before and it feels tacky.
The focus of Zona Maco should be the art, and the majority of brands I saw popped up at event venues seemed to be respectful of this. I didn't see a lot of brands tagged in social media videos or event flyers in the same way I've seen logo-plastering and name-dropping of sponsorship in the Toronto art scene. That was refreshing.
It's almost as if the brands at Maco were happy to play a supporting role for Art Week instead of positioning themselves as the lead characters like I'm accustomed to seeing. It was a reminder to attendees that the art matters, the people matter, and the brands are happy to be a part of the scene in an important but modest way.
SHORT READ
CORE BELIEF #12: BRAND ACTIVATIONS CAN BE SUBTLE & EFFECTIVE
It is not necessary to shout the loudest to be seen and heard. There is no need to plaster logos everywhere, share large amounts of brand copy or display copious product to make an impact if the activation is thoughtfully designed.
There are many ways for consumers, both in person and online, to receive a brand message with subtlety. For instance, collaborators, soundtrack and venue are all key signposts to who is hosting an event without being too obvious. Furthermore, comms surrounding the activation can do a lot of the heavy lifting, so the physical activation doesn’t have to.
MUSIC CORNER
KREPT & KONAN - YOUNG KINGZ II
It’s hard to believe this is only Krept & Konan’s fourth studio album. The South London duo have been releasing music for 15 years, and more recently, have become businessmen outside of the industry.
Young Kingz II wraps together all of their progression as people and artists into one impressive project. With room for each of them to show their skills on respective freestyles, and some well-placed features from the likes of Chip and Ghetts, Krept & Konan are flexing their rap muscles after a long time out of the limelight, with only a few singles here and there to keep us guessing. There is no doubt the UK rap scene is much better off with this release in its midst.
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