When it comes to creativity we are always reminded that the lesser talented amongst us borrow whilst the bonafide geniuses out there, with their sticky creative palms, pilfer and pickpocket their way to glory. But what in the world of Warhol does this actually mean, where did the phrase come from and how can we steal our own way to advertising genius?
Ironically enough, it appears the origins of the phrase lives up to its own mantra. The phrase itself is stolen more than an unattended iphone charger. First introduced by TS Eliot as 'immature poets imitate, mature poets steal,' Oscar Wilde then had second dibs with 'talent borrows, genius steals' and Picasso, the artful dodger, went in for thirds with "a good artist copies, a great artist steals."
Wilde and Picasso both demonstrate the essence of the idea within, by taking something that exists, twisting and building on it to make it relevant to themselves, their medium and most importantly, their time.
Beyond the phrase itself, creative kleptomania has been around for generations. In music The Beatles famously stole from rock and roll, blues and Indian music. Their genius was in how they blended these influences to create something entirely new and used emerging technology to push the boundaries of what music could be. Thirty years later Dr Dre didn't just steal, but ram raided the annals of musical history, a genius move creating a whole new musical language that is now the heartbeat of global culture.
In design, Apple stole from Braun. The clocks, radios, calculators and cameras created by the 'godfather of industrial design' Dieter Rams inspired Jony Ive and his team, who's genius lay in how they combined these elements with cutting edge digital interface design and a seamless user experience to fundamentally transform the smartphone market.
Braun T3 Transistor by Dieter Rams (1958) and Apple iPod by Jonathan Ive (2001)
In advertising 'Guinness Surfer', a masterpiece in its own right, took a leaf (or should I say, a wave) from Walter Crane's Neptune. Nearly nine decades later, another Walter C applied his genius to give the oil-painted horses a new lease of life.
Walter Crane: Neptunes' Horses
Stealing extends to writing too. Take a familiar, even cliched quote, run with it, then push it down a hill to make it your own. Nike did it in the 90's. Taking the words of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Olympic Games and mauled them to make them relevant to Rugby. "It's not the winning, it's the taking apart" added one single letter, a genius move that creates a relevant and radical statement for the world's toughest sport whilst building a brand voice for the newest sports kid on the block. More recently Nike did it again, with "Be the era you wish to see" stealing Mandela's words to create something refreshing, relevant and new.
Nike, Sean Doyle & Keith Courtenay.
Old Spice posters are a masterclass in humour-laden larceny. "What doesn't kill you makes you better looking" is not just a headline; it's an invitation to laugh along with a knowing wink at the past. Genius.
Old Spice, Wieden + Kennedy, Mark Fitzloff
Creative Kleptomania is our secret sauce, a reminder that in the grand banquet of creativity, even the most original dish is made from ingredients that have been passed down through generations. As T.S. Eliot pointed out, the mature poet doesn't just mimic; they steal to carve out a voice that's unique, in order for them to belt out a brand-new melody.