WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM BLADE RUNNER Pillars of Popular Culture
BRANDS
Written by Lamberto Ferrara In 1982, a low budget neo-noir Sci-fi movie was released in cinemas. It was a loose adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel and its modest initial success did not suggest that it would end up becoming something of a cultural milestone and classic of modern cinema. The movie was Ridley Scott s Blade Runner and it went on to influence and permeate many aspects of our cultural life from advertising and literature to TV, fashion, music, and gaming. Therefore, in 2017, 35 years after Blade Runner s first release its sequel Blade Runner 2049 was greatly anticipated. Now that the buzz and initial excitement has worn off, thinking about the series and its enduring cultural relevance gives us the chance to talk about how content can be used to understand culture, how culture can be used to inspire content, and how this can be relevant for brands. The original movie s dystopian universe landed well in the 80s cultural landscape as people saw early tech developments such as the first industrial robotic arms, IBM personal computers, CDs, and Atari video games against the backdrop of the Cold War. Blade Runner encapsulated the mood of the time, transposing it to the future, letting feelings reverberate, and working as hub, decoder, and transmitter of the culture of the specific moment it was made in. Blade Runner became a clear example of what the acclaimed critic of culture and media Susan Sontag considered to be the social role of sci-fi, that is to lift us out of the unbearably humdrum and to normalize what is psychologically unbearable, thereby inuring us to it. Blade Runner shows cinema s ability to entertain us, dispel our worries about the future, and let the audience get used to uncomfortable socio-cultural situations. Fast forward to 2017 and the landscape is similar, but different the two themes of tech revolution and global instability have accelerated, morphed, and grown. We are constantly connected and interconnected. People feel deeply contradictory and unsettled by it: 79% 1 of people believe that the world is changing too fast and 40% feel left behind by progress and changes in their country. Gender, human rights, racism, and religion are everyday agenda issues alongside increasing coverage given to extremism, corruption, and scandals fanned by the rise of social media. On the one hand, we push for equality and on the other we see new repressive laws and behaviours rising. We watch aghast as terrorism spreads around the world. We fear our dependency on the Internet and our addiction to social media, worrying about their impact on our relationships and lifestyles. We create virtual worlds while natural disasters rage on Earth. We live in a time of exploration and opportunities, but also of echo chambers and fake news, political changes, and distrust. As a society, we find ourselves in a period of high instability and, while stepping into the Anthropocene the epoch during which human activity is the dominant influence on climate and environment it s unsurprising that we feel the need to investigate what it means to be human.
IMPACT
Is it real? a question repeated many times during the Blade Runner series a world populated by cyborgs, androids, and AI. The release of Blade Runner 2049 in this cultural landscape unearths the symbiotic relationship between content and culture, showing their relevance for brands. Integrating and projecting some of the themes above into a dystopian future, sci-fi works towards representing and normalising society s current Zeitgeist the defining spirit or mood of a period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. Blade Runner 2049 delves into the impact of AI and machine learning on our relationships. It explores the social consequences of overpopulation and environmental disasters, and focuses on the role of memories and beliefs in defining our identities. Most importantly, the movie is about how to be human in a world where humankind has lost the monopoly on the features which distinguished it from other beings. Is it real? is a question repeated many times during the Blade Runner series and in a world populated by cyborgs, androids, and AI, it is not hard to understand why. However, despite its poignant reflection of our present, the movie has been broadly accused of having left out something important. The lack of depth given to female characters, depicted mainly through the male gaze, and the lack of relevant non-white actors showed that it missed the opportunity to address two of the most important topics of these years: gender and race. But, why does the Blade Runner series remain significant and worth paying attention to? In many ways the series and the critiques it inspires exemplify how media content, fictional or not, works as a mirror for culture and society. There are periods when content seems to be never ending variations of the same topic. We had the period of natural cataclysms, of aliens, of hackers, of mutants, and so on. In the last 3 years over 20 movies were about or had an element of AI, from Ex-Machina to Black Mirror. This happens because content follows cultural fluctuations and, at the same time, contributes in shaping culture in a constant and symbiotic
ZEITGEIST
relationship with it. At a mainstream level, culture works as a selective force which bestows popularity mainly to the elements which represent and reflect its current fluctuations. The premiere of the show Philip K. Dick s Electric Dreams on Channel 4, just before the release of Blade Runner 2049, can serve as an example. We can think of content as visible representations of culture which enables us to perceive and understand the current Zeitgeist. When content is missing something there are its critiques to inform us of the elements of Zeitgeist which have been left out. If media content can be used to observe shifts in the cultural landscape it is also true that we can do the inverse operation, analysing culture to understand how movies, TV series, commercial content and branding from naming and logos up to ads and viral campaigns would work in specific cultural settings. Cultural studies, as it emerged in the Through the lens of Cultural Intelligence we constantly work at the intersection between culture, media, and technologies. middle of the last century, traditionally consisted of a mix of approaches including: semiotics, sociology, and social philosophy, to analyse culture and its artefacts to make greater sense of the world around us. At Ipsos MORI, our team of experts in cultural studies combines academic backgrounds and specialisms with expertise in traditional research methodologies to infuse Cultural Intelligence into everything we do. Cultural intelligence is a lens through which we view all the research we undertake, focusing our attention on cultural codes sets of unspoken rules and conventions which link signs to meanings, i.e. broad open spaces to signify freedom. We identify and categorise codes depending on their relationship with the Zeitgeist to ensure we don t miss significant insights which can help our clients remain relevant to the audiences they seek to engage. Through the lens of Cultural Intelligence we constantly work at the intersection between culture, media, and technologies uncovering their mutual relationships for the sake of brand and media s communication.
CULTURE
The success of content (in whatever form) depends on its ability to follow and evoke cultural tensions and through Cultural Intelligence we can provide concept sense checks and informed recommendations on how it would work in a specific cultural scenario. In addition, we can also provide insights into cultural fluctuations and shifts around selected topics to inspire new concept development. Besides evaluating codes, with Cultural Intelligence we can proofread possible interpretations of different kinds of content (visual, audio and written) adopting a tailored approach mainly based on narrative and visual semiotics, highlighting strength and weaknesses of the message to offer alternatives and recommendations. We live in a media saturated, overloaded, high speed culture where consumers are bombarded by commercial messages and content. People need to filter out a lot of what they are exposed to. So, content needs to work harder. In fact, a study we undertook this year revealed that younger people in the UK are more likely to say that it is important that advertising represents their culture and values (56% of 16-34 year olds vs 41% of 55-75 year olds) 2. So being culturally relevant and attuned to the Zeitgeist is almost a hygiene factor particularly for younger audiences. Content, especially for commercial purposes also needs to reduce possible misinterpretation of its meaning, guiding the audience through the understanding of the message. The risk is to be misunderstood or, even worse, to see the message overturn as has happened in more than one notable campaign this year. We can see significant and meaningful content like Blade Runner as an opportunity to make sense of the cultural turmoil and, at the same time, we can focus on culture to help co-creating and proofing content which can work best within such turmoil. Now more than ever brands need to understand how to navigate in complex contexts, Cultural Intelligence can orient them in the cultural landscape and, quoting Blade Runner, help make sense of things we people wouldn t believe. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: HANNA CHALMERS Brand Expert Hanna.Chalmers@ipsos.com +44 (0)7774 283 562 LAMBERTO FERRARA Research Executive Lamberto.Ferrara@ipsos.com +44 (0)20 3059 5134
ABOUT IPSOS CONNECT Ipsos Connect are experts in brand, media, content and communications research. We help brands and media owners to reach and engage audiences in today s hyper-competitive media environment. Our services include: Brand & Campaign Performance: Evaluation and optimisation of in-market activities to drive communications effectiveness and brand growth. Content and Communications Development: Communications, content and creative development from early stage idea development through to quantitative pre-testing alongside media & touchpoint planning. Media Measurement: Audience measurement and understanding. Ipsos Connect are specialists in people-based insight, employing qualitative and quantitative techniques including surveys, neuro, observation, social media and other data sources. Our philosophy and framework centre on building successful businesses through understanding brands, media, content and communications at the point of impact with people. 1 GTS 2017, % agree with statement, Questionnaire sections Society Perceptions. Base 18,180 adults across 23 countries, online, 12th September 11th October 2016 2 Ipsos MORI Gender in Advertising article Almanac 2017 Base 1,125 adults 16-75 Oct 2017