Memes. These are things I see almost everyday of my life. Working in the creative industry means they’re pretty much unavoidable. After a quick google search, here is my favourite meme.

So what makes a low quality photo of a cat with a bit of text on it so funny? The answer is the bit of text. Let’s take another look a Mr. Cuddles.

Slightly humorous yes, but what cat isn’t? The impact of the original image is completely lost by taking away the text, which coincidently, is in the font ‘Impact'. There is now no narrative.

There are 3 main reasons why memes are so popular.

1)   They are funny = Creates impact.

2)   Anyone can make them; this isn’t photoshop wizardry. =Big audience

3)   The internet gives us a platform to share the images quickly =Ease of use.

Think of a great advert. In a lot of cases, it will contain 3 main elements; an image, a strapline, and a logo. Take away the logo and you have the same fundamental elements of a meme.

I have chose this image because during the boom of Swiss graphic design in the 50s, the ‘type and image’ design style really started to take off. It was a time where photography was becoming extremely popular and designers embraced it’s use. The design style was simplistic, and communicated very directly. Using photographs allowed a new dynamic in storytelling. It was truthful, impactful and it could be used in refreshing new ways.

Unlike directed photography, creating a meme is the art of annotating something that already exists. It’s taking something and giving it a new meaning. Essentially, by creating a meme, you are creating a mini story, whether that story is funny, honest, realistic or so forth. It’s like a Garfield strip with blank speech bubbles.

Try creating a day of your life in a meme. What would that meme look like?

As a finishing note the website icanhascheezburger, the home of witty animal memes, is valued at around $7 mil and has daily views of around 1.5 mil; proof that you can make money out of just about anything. “Money doesn’t make ideas, ideas make money”.

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