Taylor Swift & The Mona Lisa Effect
The question tumbled into the inbox about two weeks ago from a reader of BIG LITTLE LEGENDS that sounded something like this:
Not sure I understand “The Mona Lisa Effect”.
Did a doubletake. Then a triple, triple take.
Paused long and hard to consider that even though this concept is clearly and fully articulated through a dozen chapters (at least to me), there is a possibility that not everyone will fully digest this abstract, metaphorical, symbolic view of the world. In other words, maybe this is an opportune time to revisit the core idea of what is required for curious, courageous leaders like you to build an irresistible brand.
Spotlight on Recent Events
To provide eye-popping creative and commercial clarity on this topic, consider these recent developments; all vivid, current examples of “The Mona Lisa Effect”:
Why did a theatre ticket stub from 1865 fetch $262,500 at auction?
What created the demand for $5 million dollars in pre-orders over a three-day period for a new line of men’s sunglasses?
Why has there been a sudden spike in property values in Montana?
Who is responsible for skyrocketing NFL television ratings with contests featuring the Kansas City Chiefs?
Ask the almighty Goog about “The Mona Lisa Effect” and it will spit out hundreds of references to the eyes of a woman in a Da Vinci portrait following you around the room. The illusion that eye contact is being made, no matter where you stand.
That’s not what we’re exploring here. In the context of making your business and brand magnetically irresistible, start asking WHY Leonardo’s work of art became the most famous painting in the world. WHY do more than 10 million people a year visit the Louvre, primarily to be seen and photographed with her? Can you explain why abrupt and sustained rises in popularity and profit occur without any connection to the quality or merits of the actual product or service itself?
You don’t have to buy tickets and stand in line for this one. With a single click, you can discover the deeper implications of Taylor Swift & The Mona Lisa Effect and why it matters for your brand on Leaders & Legends.
The following is an excerpt from the Prologue to BIG LITTLE LEGENDS:
The dynamics of every single type of commercial activity change dramatically when the customer comes to you.
We call it the Mona Lisa Effect.
Functioning like a giant magnet on steroids, you can readily see vivid examples of famous companies, personalities, brands, events and landmarks that enjoy the same hypnotic power of attraction that this painting embodies. Evidence of the Mona Lisa Effect can be witnessed in the behavior of the more than 800,000 bikers who converge each year on Sturgis, South Dakota, the mobs of visitors who kiss a certain fabled—and most unhygienic—stone at Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland, or upwards of 300,000 pilgrims who set out each year to follow the Camino, that spiritual path that leads to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. It reveals itself when visitors to Philadelphia clamor for a selfie or photo op with a statue of a fictitious pugilist or when London tourists risk life and limb in busy traffic to mimic an album cover at a crosswalk on Abbey Road.
Kelce & The Mona Lisa: An Unlikely Connection
Up until several weeks ago, Travis Kelce was a well-known football player within the confines of NFL fandom. A 4-time all-pro and 2-time Super Bowl champion, Kelce has become a global household name ever since the story broke about his rumoured romantic connection with a certain American pop icon. Over the last three weeks, the sure-handed tight end ranks as the third-most searched person in America, trailing only Beyonce and his alleged partner, a 12-time Grammy award winner who has become this generation’s answer to The Beatles.
• Fan merchandise company Fanatics reports that sales of Kelce’s replica game jerseys went up by 400+% over the last 3 weeks.
• The podcast Kelce co-hosts with brother Jason of the Philadelphia Eagles and is ranked #1 on Spotify and Apple. 200,000 YouTube subscribers have been added over the last two weeks.
• The impact of this love story is also being felt on the stock market by companies that range from Comcast to Campbell’s Soup.
Logic would tell us that the Kansas City Chiefs 33-year-old tight end did not develop the powers of Superman overnight. Kelce can’t leap tall buildings or stop speeding locomotives or display athletic feats the likes of which the world has never seen. Clearly, his actual performance on the playing field is not the real reason why dam-busting amounts of global publicity is coming his way.
Mystique Behind Da Vinci's Masterpiece
It's also not the reason why 30,000 people a day flock to one museum to view one painting in particular. Since August 21, 1911, people all over the world have been fascinated by a certain Da Vinci masterpiece guarded by bulletproof glass.
But it’s not the painting that opened global publicity floodgates a century ago.
It’s what happened to it on that fateful August day.
When she was stolen. Watch here.
No one has researched facts behind the Greatest Art Theft in History more than the husband-and-wife documentary team of Joe and Justine Medeiros. Based in L.A., their exhaustive research was instrumental in shaping Chapter One of BIG LITTLE LEGENDS and allowing us to see the complete picture of what went down on the 21st of August and the ripple effect that continues to this day.
For close to 72 hours, not one of the high-ranking officials at the museum even knew she was missing. When they finally did notice, they called in the authorities. After the Paris police announced the theft, newspapers all over the world ran headlines about the missing masterpiece. It was the best publicity no amount of money could buy.
Millions upon millions of dollars’ worth of free advertising and PR are generated daily by newspapers from Toronto to Tokyo, Toledo and Timbuktu. At the time, local newspapers were the equivalent of Facebook, Twitter or Google. The only platform that could distribute information to mass audiences. In effect, the Mona Lisa was the beneficiary of a 100%, free-of-charge global marketing push. The first major property crime to receive international media coverage making it the best viral ad campaign for any work of art in history. Almost overnight, a painting known only to insiders became universally recognized through catchy headlines, reams of dramatic copy and front-page photos of her bewitching smile.
Igniting Demand
Anytime you attach the power of a compelling story to any person, place, object, event, B2C, B2B, non-profit, municipality or any other entity, two incredibly powerful forces are detonated within any market.
1. Demand and value will dramatically escalate.
2. Word-of-mouth will spread like wildfire, creating massive brand equity.
It’s the only logical explanation for the folks in Montana to understand why their property values have soared ever since Kevin Costner introduced the Yellowstone Ranch to binge-watching audiences on streaming television. It’s the same reason why a media dustup with a rival Colorado football coach created enormous demand for men’s sunglasses worn by “Coach Prime” Deion Sanders. The Mona Lisa Effect also explains why balcony tickets to Ford Theatre on April 14, 1865 – the night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated - were sold for $262,500 at auction.
Money Follows…
Da Vinci’s famous 30 X21 portrait would confirm the following:
• Art without a story is just paint on a canvas.
• An NFL contest without a Taylor-made story is just another football game.
• Money follows Attention which has become a form of Currency. And it is impossible to earn Attention without a story that matters.
There is no sure path to business and marketing success. However, the surest path to FAILURE is not having a compelling story as the tip of your strategy spear.
To create a hypnotic force of nature that can dramatically alter the fortunes of your brand, a story will either happen to you ….
Or you will need to make one happen.
“I’ve learned that you can’t predict love or plan for it. For someone like me who is obsessed with organization and planning, I love the idea that love is the one exception to that. Love is the one wild card”.
TAYLOR SWIFT
p.s…If you are curious to reach back into our publishing past, The Mona Lisa Effect first appeared on these pages more than 5 years ago on a program we called The Reinvention Chronicles.
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