MJ – The marketing engine

The marketing engine that surrounded Michael Jackson and those that painted him continues to touch many lives.  Not a huge fan of Michael Jackson’s? Don’t blame you. But one can be amazed by his talent, tenacity as a performer, and having the brains to corner the market on all the Beatles recordings. Right?

The Warhol marketing engine

Andy Warhol on the other hand, didn’t do so bad for himself either. Many didn’t even consider him an artist, but what he did realize at a young age was that he could paint and make money at it. Warhol met Jackson on a number of occasions, at places such as Studio 54. Warhol was commissioned by Time magazine to paint Jackson’s portrait in 1984 and made several versions of that portrait. He showcased Jackson when young wearing the jacket from the “Thriller” video. The painting published in Time, had a yellow background and is now in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. It sold shortly after Jackson’s death for a little more than $1 million.

Andy Warhol diaries do mention Jackson several times and his chance meetings at Studio 54. However, on two moments in 1984, Warhol actually talks about the portrait of Michael Jackson.

March 7, 1984: I finished the Michael Jackson cover. I didn’t like it but the office kids did. Then the Time people came down to see it, about forty of them. And they stood around saying that it should increase news stand sales. . . . Then later the Time guy called me . . . and said they were going to use it. I think the yellow one. And I told him to cross his fingers that it wouldn’t get bumped on Saturday and he said he would.

March 12, 1984: Time came out and the Jackson cover made it, it didn’t get bumped. And the article inside was crazy. It had them asking if he was going to get a sex-change operation and he said no. The cover should have had more blue. I gave them some in the style of the Fonda cover I did for Time once, but they wanted this style.

The marketing engine or just great publicity

There is no such thing as bad publicity and Jackson and Warhol both mastered this rule. In fact, Jackson played into the tabloid phenomenon so well he even somewhat fanned the flames himself with his unique persona. Warhol was odd enough to be different and eccentric enough to be loveable.

Marketing genius

Nobody in history had a better grasp on the insight into marketing than Michael Jackson. When you look up the words “marketing genius” you’re bound to see a silhouette of Jackson doing the moonwalk and Warhol creating a painting to sell.

The greatest education in the world is watching the masters at work. – Michael Jackson

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