Thomas Kinkade and the La-Z-Boy Aesthetic
by Matt Mays
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"Every
advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol
which is the brand image." -- David Ogilvy [1]
Thomas Kinkade has built an empire revolving around the brand of "artist as
spiritual figure". Using the media of painting, calendar, mug, fine china,
furniture, gift basket, gift tin, stationary, magnet and candle, "Thom" has
created a "lifestyle art" emphasizing the simple life, romance and family,
and creativity. This aesthetic is then co-branded and sold to the public with
an affinity for these same values. The paintings are irrelevant-- to understand
Thomas Kinkade, you have to understand the Thomas Kinkade brand.
According to Media
Arts Group, Inc., the parent company of the Kinkade empire, "The Company has
created the first art-based lifestyle brand in America with Thomas Kinkade."
This brand is defined by the several themes that propagate throughout the
works. To extend beyond traditional art products and into a comprehensive
lifestyle brand, these themes are packaged with the concept of "light" and
the image of the male artist-genius. This positions Thomas Kinkade in the
role of teacher and spiritual leader and allows a diversification into products
beyond the image.
One such product created by the extension of the lifestyle brand is devotional
literature. Through co-authored books such as Lightposts for Living: The Art
of Choosing a Joyful Life, Thomas Kinkade enters the realm of the reader's
personal life and values. An excerpt:
"Though simple, these steps are crucial to achieving what I like to call the
"lifestyle of light," a quality of living that, ideally at least, is unhindered
by dark forces of negativity, overstress, and despair. As the complexities
and demands of my life have increased, these principles of light-filled living
have time and again held back the darkness of stress, discontent and imbalance."
[2]
Coincidentally the self-help motivational book is an American favorite and
frequent best seller. (Think of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series or All
I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulgrum) Christian
values in these works provide an additional audience, and the publication
of print media helps legitimize Kinkade and make him accessible to those who
cannot afford even an unsigned lithograph. Media Arts Group hopes to leverage
its brand image through this partnership with Warner books and synergize its
printed doctrine with other media products.
The idea of the lifestyle brand is not new and has endured since the Hathaway
and Marlboro Men pervaded our culture. In this specific lifestyle brand space
alone, Media Arts Group's competitors consist of companies like Martha Stewart's
Omnicom Media, American Greetings, and Lillian Vernon. But even more revealing
is the list of Media Arts Group's strategic partners: QVC, Checks Unlimited,
Hallmark, Lenox China, and of course, La-Z-Boy. Through these a set of demographic
synergies begin to emerge that can help us identify the Thomas Kinkade brand
consumer.
Take La-Z-Boy. Since their release of the first upholstered reclining chair
in 1929, the La-Z-Boy brand has connotated, above all, comfort. Millions of
homes across the nation during the 60s, 70s, and 80s filled their homes with
televisions and La-Z-Boy recliners, often in orbit around each other in a
binary system. The recliner came to represent comfort, home, and the family
gathered around the media hearth enjoying the suburban simple life. By
imprinting Kinkade-approved imagery on its Thomas Kinkade-branded line of
furniture [3], Media Arts Group is leveraging this venerable brand identification
and incorporating into its own. The brand dynamics are multifaceted; total
comfort immersion is achieved by reading a Kinkade book in a Kinkade chair
covered by Kinkade imagery. The profane becomes sacred as the common piece
of furniture is emboldened with the image of fine art for an affordable price.
Much like the framed lithography in a Signature Gallery, the brand seeks to
elevate the mass-produced item to the status of fine art.
"The mission of Media Arts Group, Inc. is to create the preeminent visual content management company in the world and to change the way people look at art through the development of life-affirming, emotionally uplifting images, and message driven products, rooted in traditional family values. With our successful business model, Media Arts Group, Inc. is positioned to be the dominant force in art publishing, home decor, and gift products in the coming century." [5]