Creatives in advertising agencies are more often than not bound to briefs. These briefs are often very stringent in terms of how irreverently creative you can actually be (in the far-out sense of the ads below).
In an ideal world, if everyone in the agency and everyone on the client side are pulling together, the brief will be looking for a single piece of communication – just one message.
After all, it’s a piece of news.
Usually, this will be something like, hey, if you top up your account by x amount, we’ll make you an X member with no fees on your daily transactions, or, we have this new flavour of chip, you really should try it, or, this new gum blows the biggest bubbles there is, etc.
Then, there are the other variables.
It needs to speak in the same character as the brand. It needs to grab your attention in the right tone and manner to appeal to the target market. And it needs to be captivating, or form a relationship instantaneously with the consumer in one way or another, ie it is tactile, interactive, entertaining and/or thought provoking.
Then, you have to do something that appeals to the sensibilities of the client. Brand character or no, the lowest appetite for risk usually prevails – which is unfortunate but realistic considering people like to have jobs and it is generally easier to lose a job after taking a risk.
And let’s not forget who is paying for this ad in the first place.
But clients are not only ones who kill ideas – focus groups, partners, and more than anyone, the creatives themselves. I have to confess to killing millions of ideas over the years, please forgive me.
Either way, only when all of these elements are satisfied do you have a good ad.
This explains why there is such a huge gap between the ads you see in annuals and the ads you see on TV. A lot of the award-winning work creatives are exposed to doesn’t have to run this gauntlet.
The stuff that you see in mass production that has ducked, weaved, been stabbed at, trampled on and survived to break through at the end – that’s the truly great stuff, propped up by great teams. Believe me, it’s hard to get that many people in agreement, so when everything goes according to plan it truly is an achievement.
Example? Tetley Tea - Doctor's Office. This one of one Maria's favourites, and she's right in the target market.
Now just imagine what it must be like to get a movie made…
I’m lucky at Ogilvy, because right now I get to work on a client that believes in, and readily publishes, ads that are a testament to the power of clever creative. It’s a great opportunity for me.
Ok, back to thinking…
