Snapshot Aesthetics as a Strategic Resource

Abstract

The snapshot, a straightforward, generally unposed photograph of everyday life, has emerged as an important style in contemporary strategic communication. In this paper, I discuss the role of snapshot aesthetics in contemporary brand communication and trace a brief visual genealogy of the snapshot, encompassing historical precedents in Dutch genre art, photographic genres such as street photography and reportage, and contemporary uses of the snapshots, such as paparazzi photography and photoblogs. The snapshot aesthetic concept offers researchers a host of questions to pursue. What associations do snapshot aesthetics help consumers build? Many luxury goods draw on snapshot aesthetics, will this erode their brand image? Should companies utilize consumer-generated imagery that draws upon snapshot aesthetics? And will this transform the advertising industry? What are the cultural connections of the snapshot, and how might these work within visual communication? What is the visual genealogy of snapshot aesthetics?

Keywords: advertising, brands, consumer culture, marketing communication, strategy

JEL Classification: M31, M37, Z1