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11

Determinant 11

Right-Brained Thinking:

Come to Think of It

From Chambers Concise Dictionary:

Right-brained: commonly understood as shorthand

for more imaginative, intuitive, or creative than most.

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Go Logo! A Handbook to the Art of Global Branding184

This striking new logo for a festival features the

old master. (Design: Justus Oehler, Pentagram)

O

ur societies are unevenly divided between right-brained thinkers and left-

brained thinkers, with the right-brain-dominated distinctly in the minority,

while the left-brain-dominated rationalists run things. This division is both

arbitrary and simplistic; most of the greatest minds in history were gifted

with a balance of cognitive and imaginative powers. However, the phrase

“right-brained thinking” is relevant for my thesis; it literally defines my conviction that it is

our right-brain-centered imaginations that comprise the driving force of all forms of emotion-

al branding. Equally pervasive is the enormous power and influence of commercial persua-

sion branding.

So here is the conundrum. Are professional

commercial persuasion types born or made?

Is it nature or nurture that underpins our

skills? Clearly, it’s a combination of both,

although speaking from my own history—

from childhood on through adolescence—

I didn’t have a clue that I would take up a

career that actually paid good money for

using my imagination. Interestingly, I’ve

learned from talking with fellow creatives

that this is not unusual; the forward prog-

ress of their careers also followed a twisting,

turning path.

All children are invariably asked at some

point, “What do you want to be when you

grow up?” Most kids probably wouldn’t say

they want to be a bus driver or refuse col-

lector or security guard, but life and circum-

stances ultimately lead many to those career

destinations. Not that these aren’t respect-

able jobs; they just aren’t considered dream

jobs. A more likely list would probably

include becoming a fire fighter, an astronaut,

or even a rock star. Children can really only

admire heroes that they can easily compre-

hend and place in the limited universe of

their young minds.

Few ten-year-olds will profess an ambition

to become an investment banker, an ac-

countant, or a lawyer—unless, of course,

they are strongly influenced by family

heritage and motivated by a precocious

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185

This is a very

Mariscal motif

for the series of

Absolut vodka ads

featuring famous

artists. (Design:

Estudio Mariscal)

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New flexible brand identity program for the famous

New York City Ballet (Design: Paula Scher, Pentagram;

Photo: Jim Brown)

appreciation of the potential earning power

inherent in these professions. Leaving aside

the call of Mammon, for most of us, it took

a while before we recognized the hard facts;

exceptional success in a career, however

long it took before we even picked one,

takes talent, intelligence, determination, and,

most of all, a fair amount of luck.

But how about those budding young pia-

nists, ballet dancers, opera singers, writers,

and poets out there? This creative species

appears to know at a very young age the

path its members want to follow. And theirs

is the kind of talent that needs to be recog-

nized early; to develop it properly requires

consistent, dedicated encouragement from

parents and teachers. But, most important,

would-be performer and artists must ac-

cept the dedication and the discipline of

the years and years of training required to

advance from gifted amateur to the top of

their profession.

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