The growing popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has created a society of narcissism, which Self-Absorbed by Mike Mellia, an artist based in New York City, addresses. Instead of flocking to these websites and apps, however, the vainglorious American visionary has decided to simply force his world onto everyone else's world through the careful reproduction and placement of common products.
From pancake syrup to cigarettes and milk, Self-Absorbed by Mike Mellia rebrands familiar labels with the artist's own face and name. His website reads, "As an ongoing project since 2012, Mike Mellia has been surreptitiously placing these self-branded products inside local bodegas, supermarkets, and people's homes as an alternative to social media's online status updates." Clever and creative, it might be just the reality check people have been needing.
Vainglorious Product Projects
Self-Absorbed by Mike Mellia Addresses People's Growing Narcissism
Trend Themes
1. Narcissistic Branding - Companies investing in branding campaigns centered around individualistic branding or personalization may disrupt the market for traditional, more corporate branding efforts.
2. Anti-social Media Messaging - Developing campaigns centered around being off the grid or ditching social media could become a trend as individuals become more mindful of their social media use.
3. Product Repurposing - The idea of repurposing a commonly used item could disrupt the market for those items and create new revenue streams for artists and other creatives.
Industry Implications
1. Marketing - Marketing agencies could help businesses adopt individualistic branding or personalization campaigns as a way to appeal to the growing market of individuals focused on their personal social media image.
2. Social Media - Social media platforms could create campaigns focused on taking a break from their platform to attract individuals looking to disconnect from technology while still staying connected with friends and family.
3. Art - Artists inspired by Self-Absorbed could repurpose common items and potentially disrupt traditional art markets while creating new markets and revenue streams for themselves.