Artist and Photoshop guru Roberto Vergati Santos series 'Sponsored Heroes' imagines a world of corporately sponsored superheroes. The series is equally funny and thought-provoking.
In recent years, superheroes have become huge businesses with ripple effects being felt in media and advertising of all shapes and sizes. Superheroes being the big business they are now, it's somehow not too strange to see these sponsored superheroes with logos plastered all their uniforms.
For example, Iron Man sports a glowing McDonald's logo where his arc reactor should be, Batman is decked out in Nike gear, Wolverine looks jacked in his Adidas t-shirt, the Incredible Hulk is a walking Monster energy drink ad and Captain America sells out the worst of all with multiple brands across multiple images.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Corporately Sponsored Characters
- There is a trend towards characters or properties being sponsored by corporations to increase revenue and exposure.
- Branded Superheroes
- Superheroes are being used to promote brands and products through strategic placements of logos in their costumes.
- Satirical Advertising
- The use of satire in advertising, such as depicting superheroes selling out to multiple brands, is becoming a popular trend to spark conversation and consumer engagement.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Advertising
- Advertising agencies can use this trend as an opportunity to create unique campaigns and experiences for clients that utilize branded characters or satirical humor.
- Entertainment
- Entertainment companies can collaborate with brands to incorporate product placements and sponsorships in their films, TV shows, or comics to create new revenue streams.
- Fashion
- Fashion brands can leverage this trend by partnering with entertainment or advertising companies to create limited edition crossover merchandise featuring branded superheroes.
