The aestheticization of consumption: an exploration of ‘brand.new’ and ‘Shopping’

Abstract

This article explores the aestheticization of consumption through a study of two recent exhibitions in Britain. The collapse of many of the historical boundaries and distinctions between art and life have led to what Featherstone (1991) refers to as the aestheticization of everyday life. It is important for marketing theory to both explore the meaning of this and its implications. The article considers some of the issues to be addressed in examining the nature of aesthetics both in relation to art and consumption, suggesting that processes of de-differentiation (Lash, 1988) and integration (Holt, 1995) have effectively broken down aesthetic barriers. There follows a detailed examination of two exhibitions which it is argued exemplify this breakdown in aesthetic barriers; an exhibition at the V&A in 2000 entitled ‘brand.new’ which was a celebration and critique of the brand in modern society, and ‘Shopping: A Century of Art and Consumer Culture’ at the Tate Liverpool in 2003, which brought together numerous artists' interpretations and responses to consumer culture. The article ends by assessing the nature of the convergence of art and consumption and considering some implications for marketing theory.