Lovely Merchant

I hate advertising — it is notoriously brash, often vulgar, and almost always annoying. But while approving a song on my Pandora stream (fyi: "Phoenix" will yield a fantastic radio station in need of little moderation) I was shocked by the lovely concept, color, texture and overall execution of this Natalie Merchant ad for her new album "Leave Your Sleep." (click to enlarge)



I listened to an interview with Natalie on NPR the week the album was released and the story behind it is amazing. The album, her first in 7 years, is a compilation of 26 poems set to music via collaboration with over 100 other musicians. Many of the poems are Victoria-era stories, even nursery rhymes and lullabies. The concept of advertising her album like a collection of beautiful vintage books is, well, beautiful. Her website isn't bad either: (click to enlarge or just go there)