Constructivism and it’s Influence
Constructivism was a movement that originated in Russia in the 1920s and has influenced many aspects of modern architecture and design.
A pioneer in design, Aleksandr Rodchenko, was a Russian-born Sculptor, Painter, Designer, and Architect in the early 20th Century. Rodchenko was born in 1891 to semi-illiterate parents, living below the poverty line. He was never exposed to a formal training in art until he was nineteen. Many of his ideas and aesthetics were influenced by having grown up in the theatre; the atmosphere that surrounded him was a mixture of poverty and grandeur, creating a psychological and emotional soil out of which his ideas would grow (1). He was influenced by but also criticized the other ‘isms’ that were competing at this point, such as Futurism, Cubism and Suprematism. He experimented with each, creating a body of work featuring the same and eventually even tried to “improve on them”. He established himself as an artist amid the Russian revolution and the first world war, which provided the backdrop for his aesthetic and political inspiration. The revolutions of 1917 and the inauguration of a Bolshevik Government confronted Russian artists with new challenges, making them raise questions concerning the role of art within the new state (2).
Although he had risen to prominence as an abstract Avant Gardist, Rodchenko gave up painting and sculpting to create designs to better serve the Russian Revolution (3). He preferred to be called an ‘engineer’ or a ‘constructor’ rather than an ‘artist’ or ‘painter’. Along with his wife Varvara Stepanova, who was also an artist during this time, he introduced and led the Constructivist movement in Graphic Design. They began this with a Manifesto.
Rodchenko, Stepanova and their colleague Aleksei Gan claimed their ideologies in the ‘Who We Are’ Manifesto that they wrote in 1921. They attempted to give form to revolutionary concepts of socialism and functionalism but also to the ideal soviet citizen. (4). They repositioned artists as agents of social change (5). Constructivists coined the term ‘productivism’ to indicate their desire to make works that served a practical purpose, within the context of the communist cause (6). The manifesto gives one an overview of the methods he adopted and tried to instigate within other artists as well. The Constructivists denied any adherence to aesthetic style (7). They believed and propagated their ideology of ‘function before form’, yet their style was dominated by what we still see today as clean layouts, portraying ideas in a crisp, clear manner.
In the early 1920s, Rodchenko began to pursue a career in designing practical goods such as propaganda posters, worker’s clothes, and government buildings. Rodchenko’s designs were composed with strong blocks of color and often arranged with a bold diagonal emphasis, incorporating readily identifiable images of products and heavy block typography, rules and underlinings, in what amounted to a Constructivist set of ingredients (8). The most characteristic element of Rodchenko’s posters and advertisements was the insistence on the optical attacking force of the visual form (9).
In 1922-23 he created the first corporate identity ever seen in Russia for the Dobrolet State Merchant Service, for which the design included posters, logos and letterheads for its corporate communication (10). ‘Dobrolet’ is a poster of the main aircraft of the fleet of the airline; a Junkers aircraft. Over the series of the branding and identity that he created for the company the aircraft is shown diagonally placed over the page, usually with the nose in the top left corner and the tail in the bottom right. This manner of representation was used to lend an element of dynamic energy to the image and to depict the plane as if in a climb. (11). In most versions of this poster, Rodchenko has employed only the color red, symbolizing the color of the Communist revolution.
The text on the poster encourages viewers to invest in the airline for patriotic reasons, it reads as: “Shame on you, your name is not yet on the list of Dobrolet stockholders. The whole country follows this list. Everyone...Everyone...Everyone...One gold Ruble makes everyone a shareholder of Dobrolet” (12). Rodchenko is not trying to create a desire for a product but is basing his appeals on the propagandistic themes of guilt and duty (13). When one looks at the poster their eye is forced to move from the large exclamation mark on the left to the text pointed at by a negative arrow from the bottom of the page. A thick black line serves as a frame for the artwork, which also ends in an arrow pointing at the nose of the airplane, which has been placed inside this frame.
Not only did this body of work set the tone for the rest of his designs but also became symbolic of Russian propaganda art, along with many of Rodchenko’s other posters which carry forward the same aesthetic, also employing ‘function before form’. The bold typography of the constructivist movement and iconic employment of black and red symbolizing the communist colors is used even now to reference Russia in art and design. Although these colors were used by other artists in different manners to make propaganda posters as well, it is Rodchenko and the Constructivist’s practical poster art that remains with us and has impacted future design, including the Bauhaus and other modern schools of thinking.
Stolichnaya is a brand of vodka that has been heavily influenced by and has used direct references from Rodchenkos work in one of their advertising campaigns. The history of Stolichnaya Vodka is long and disputed. To begin with, there is confusion about the actual birth date of the brand as the label used to state 1946, but the earliest confirmed date is 1948. There is also a trademark registered in 1938 for the brand, which is the date they print on the packaging for their current bottles. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Stolichnaya trademark has been the object of dispute between distributors, predominantly the SPI Group and Russian state-owned Sojuzplodoimport (14).
In the beginning of the launch of the Stolichnaya brand, the vodka was introduced at an International Trade Fair in Bern, Austria and it received a Gold Medal. Stolichnaya was one of the first brands of Vodka to be imported out of the country. It was also the first brand of vodka to introduce flavored vodkas to the market. Though it had a successful launch, it’s heritage became disputed and image ruined over time. Its authenticity claims have been challenged by many brands including Imperia Vodka, which took shots at the fact that Stoli is distilled in Russia, but bottled across the border in Latvia (15).
Until 2009 it was being distributed in the United States under the main umbrella of PepsiCo, but there are many reliable sources stating different distributors names. Interestingly enough, one definite fact is that PepsiCo attained the rights to the vodka since Pepsi began shipping cola concentrate to the Soviet Union in exchange for Stolichnaya Russian vodka in 1990. For the amount of Pepsi that the Russians agreed to buy there was no way to convert such a massive amount of Soviet cash into dollars ($ 3 Billion), and so PepsiCo agreed to take its profits in vodka and Soviet-built ships (16). (This also resulted in PepsiCo briefly being the sixth- largest navy in the world)
From all the information available on the brand it is clear that there is visible identity loss amongst the brand and confusion even for customers, which is a growing concern amongst the marketing sector in the 21st Century. A brands positioning means everything, in todays day and age. Therefore, in 2007 (when the brand was still under the umbrella of PepsiCo) Stolichnaya introduced an advertising campaign to display their authenticity, depicting their roots to be purely Russian, which was also for the American consumer market. Using elements similar to those included in Rodchenkos works, and in Dobrolet, such as the black and red blocks of color, the arrows and simplistic block typography, the brand attempted at making a statement by printing on the their main poster the following text; “Mother of all Vodkas from the Motherland of Vodka”.
The poster has a photograph of the Stolichnaya bottle and branding on the bottom left with black and red diagonal blocks of color placed on the page. One red block of color diagonally placed from the top left to the top right of the page encloses the words, “Mother of all Vodkas from the Motherland of Vodka” and another blocked out red arrow at the bottom left of the poster points toward the bottle with the words “Choose Authenticity” printed on it. All the typography used in this campaign is reminiscent of the plain lettering used in Constructivist posters by Rodchenko.
Stolichnaya's parent company, Pernod Ricard (which acquired the brand from Allied Domecq in 2005; another disputed fact), plans to put the label back on the path it blazed. Beginning next month, Stolichnaya will launch its first global advertising effort prompting consumers to "Choose authenticity."(17) "The brand is getting back to its roots. Authenticity is what differentiates Stolichnaya from others in the category," said Susan Kilgore, brand director on Stolichnaya at Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, N.Y. "Authenticity is a value that is of increasing importance among American consumers and there isn't anyone else in the category that can make the claims that we can." (18)
As a form of appropriation the Stolichnaya Ad campaign has used Rodchenkos graphic style as both inspiration and have sought to reinterpret it. Associating the brand with Rodchenkos visuals brings about a clear representation of Russian aesthetics in the brand which serves the purpose of depicting authenticity. Using Rodchenkos poster for Dobrolet as inspiration suggests a hint of propaganda with which they not only hope to draw the attention of the viewer, but also ‘guilt’ into buying the right vodka, the ‘authentic’ vodka.
In 1994, Stolichnaya tried to launch an advertising campaign that also focused on its Russian Heritage, with “Freedom of Vodka” serving as the theme of the eight print advertisements (19). This was also influenced heavily by Russian art and design, mainly the Stenberg Brothers and their posters. With each advertising campaign their main aim has been to reconfigure the image of the Vodka referencing its Russian origin, therefore using Constructivist and other Russian graphic styles that evolved in the same period.
If the poster were a standalone graphic, it may or may not be clear to many viewers what it was referencing, especially those not familiar with Russian History and Propaganda Visuals, yet the campaign includes a body of work, all of which pull elements from various posters of Rodchenko’s, not just Dobrolet. What makes the reference to Russian Propaganda most clear is an animated video released as part of the same campaign. The animation very obviously references Russian Propaganda using soundtrack and imagery employed and was released as a television advertisement for the vodka. Some of the references are animated visual elements borrowing their style form Rodchenko’s original poster. The advertisement concludes with a strong voice, stating the name of the brand in a thick Russian accent.
Some of the problems with using such direct appropriation is the accusation of plagiarism. Although in this case the print ad clearly wants to bring to attention the references that they’ve used with the inclusion of bold typography and the symbolic communist color: red.
The appropriation used by Stolichnaya has been employed to revitalize their product and it’s branding. Apart from being beneficial for them, with the visuals created, they have brought back to life one of the most radical design movements from the early 20th Century.
Citations
1) Khan-Magomedov, S. O., and Vieri Quilici. Rodchenko : The Complete Work. MIT Press, 1987. 15
2) Rodchenko, V. A., A. N. Lavrentʹev, and Christopher Carrell. The Rodchenko Family Workshop. New Beginnings (Glasgow and Strathclyde) Ltd., 1989. 13
3) Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design : A New History. Yale University Press, 2012. 195
4) Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory. : Readings from the Field. Design Briefs. Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. 22
5) Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory. : Readings from the Field. Design Briefs. Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. 22
6) Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design : A New History. Yale University Press, 2012. 195
7) Rodchenko, V. A., A. N. Lavrentʹev, and Christopher Carrell. The Rodchenko Family Workshop. New Beginnings (Glasgow and Strathclyde) Ltd., 1989. 13
8) Aynsley, Jeremy. A Century of Graphic Design. Barron’s Educational Series, 2001. 58
9) Khan-Magomedov, S. O., and Vieri Quilici. Rodchenko: The Complete Work. MIT Press, 1987
10) Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design : A New History. Yale University Press, 2012. 195
11) Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design : A New History. Yale University Press, 2012. 195
12) Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design: A New History. Yale University Press, 2012. 195
13) Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design : A New History. Yale University Press, 2012. 195
14) Abigail Townsend (2004-11-21). "Who's Stoli now? Allied Domecq in Russian dispute". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
15) Hein, Kenneth. “Stolichnaya Fights Back with ‘Mother’ of All Efforts: Veteran Vodka Brand Launches Global Attack Touting Its Authenticity.” Brandweek, 2007.
16) Conradi, Peter. “PepsiCo sets $3 billion barter deal with Soviets”. The Washington Post, April 10, 1990.
17) Hein, Kenneth. “Stolichnaya Fights Back with ‘Mother’ of All Efforts: Veteran Vodka Brand Launches Global Attack Touting Its Authenticity.” Brandweek, 2007.
18) Hein, Kenneth. “Stolichnaya Fights Back with ‘Mother’ of All Efforts: Veteran Vodka Brand Launches Global Attack Touting Its Authenticity.” Brandweek, 2007.
19) Elliott, Stuart. “A New Campaign For Stolichnaya”. The New York Times, July 22, 1994. Page 90
Bibliography
Khan-Magomedov, S. O., and Vieri Quilici. Rodchenko : The Complete Work. MIT Press, 1987.
This book contains the complete works of Rodchenko. This provided insight into Rodchenko’s psyche and the various stages of experimentations with styles that he went through to better understand his adopted aesthetic.
Rodchenko, V. A., A. N. Lavrentʹev, and Christopher Carrell. The Rodchenko Family Workshop. New Beginnings (Glasgow and Strathclyde) Ltd., 1989. 13
Compiled, edited and written by Rodchenko’s Daughter Varvara Rodchenko, this book provides many essays and letters written by both Rodchenko and Stepanova. The book contains information on the workspace that created for themselves and how it evolved as their style evolved.
Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design : A New History. Yale University Press, 2012. 195
Eskilsons book explores Graphic design from the 19th century to the present day. In this book Rodchenkos art is discussed in a condensed manner, focusing upon his style and influences.
Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory. : Readings from the Field. Design Briefs. Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. 22
Helen Armstrong has illustrated what Rodchenkos aims and ideologies were in a short introduction and by including the ‘Who We Are’ manifesto in this book.
Aynsley, Jeremy. A Century of Graphic Design. Barron’s Educational Series, 2001. 58
Aynsley writes specifically about graphic design in the 20th Century of which Rodchenko was a large part and extremely influential.
Abigail Townsend (2004-11-21). "Who's Stoli now? Allied Domecq in Russian dispute". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
Townsend discusses the identity and ownership rights to Stolichnaya.
Hein, Kenneth. “Stolichnaya Fights Back with ‘Mother’ of All Efforts: Veteran Vodka Brand Launches Global Attack Touting Its Authenticity.” Brandweek, 2007. Kenneth Hein discusses in this article the advertising campaign that Stolichnaya adopted in 2007, referencing Russian Propaganda Art.
Conradi, Peter. “PepsiCo sets $3 billion barter deal with Soviets”. The Washington Post, April 10, 1990.
This article illustrates the history of Stolichnaya as it was handed over to PepsiCo in return for cola concentrate.
Elliott, Stuart. “A New Campaign For Stolichnaya”. The New York Times, July 22, 1994.
Stuart Elliott writes about a former advertising campaign of Stolichnayas that was launched with a similar aim; reviving the brand and its Russian image.