Borders are for Crossing – Research – Julia Smolinska / Art Practice 2 (2020-2021)[YR]

I was inspired by remembering the Downy fabric conditioner ‘Outside smell test’ advert that used a freshly made bed as a prop to get people to lay down and smell the sheets. I think this powerful and short advert stuck with me overt the years as the tone of it was very different and inviting while also being obnoxious because who would out a bed outside and expect people, strangers of the street to get in?

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ALm8/downy-outside-smell-test

Thinking about this advert and the things that I really liked about it include the use of an interactive audience, the bed placed in a busy space and the stark contrast of the softness of it outside. The interactive aspect of the advert is something I also wanted to considering when developing my own project and ideas and what would it serve by having a bed outside. To explore my ideas first I took a white pillow and but it outside in different locations and then decided that using a wooden bed frame would be an ideal next step, especially is I was putting it in more forested areas. These are all ideas that also came up in own mind-mapping and development. I think that this is something that was explored in media in different adverts and shows for mostly commercial use, as a similar idea was explored in ‘Emily in Paris’ series on Netflix. I the show they aim to market mattresses with this clever use of them in front of the most photogenic places. This then invited tourists and the everyday person to hop on and engage by taking a photo and using the hashtag specific for the campaign.

This use of something ordinary such as the bed, seen in both of the above marketing strategies allows it to be transformed into something that engages people to see it differently and use it for something other than their norm. I think this transformation interests me, especially in looking at emotional borders that dictate your personal space as its impacted by out possessions and the bed being a focal point in that. I decided the bed was a focal point within my research and development as its a place where you lay your head when you feel safe, and bringing that outside gives the audience an voyeuristic view of it.