Chapter 1: CreativityUnexpected but relevant selling messages

Creative ads are:

Creativity is Unexpected

Relevant to the consumer and brand

(understand how your client’s brand fits into

the lives of its target audience)

Persuasive, pushes the selling idea

Let’s look at an example…

The Grant

Reasonably priced condo in Washington D.C.

Well-made (granite, hardwood, appliances)

Near restaurants, bars & mass transportation

The problem? The units are small, condo

sales have declined recently. Price is the lure.

The Grant: Two audiences/approach

Primary target audience: Young, first-time buyers Earn $40,000+ Currently live with roommates

Secondary target audience:

Businesses providing housing for extended-stay visitors, long-distance commuters, etc

The Grant’s creative solution

Remind target of problems associated with renting and roommates

Message: simple, unexpected and relevant Entice target to go to the Grant’s website for

more information and to schedule a visit. All urls pointed to same bridge page Advertise in alternative and gay newspapers,

bar coasters and bus shelters Beer coasters in local bars

The Grant

Other headlines:

StopLabelingYourFood.com

DoYourLaundryNaked.com

IWantSomeTaxDeductions.com

IAmTooOldToBeRenting.com

GottaGetMyOwnPlace.com

IHate2Rent.com

The Grant

Businesses were reached by an ad in newspapers and by direct mail. Visually, ads were same, but attitude is different

Washington Business Journal www.AHotelIsNotAHome.com Bridge page is sophisticated. Focus on

them being disconnected from home

Creativity defined Creative ads make a relevant connection

between a brand and its target audience (we understand your problem; we can help)

Creative ads present a selling idea (Rational, emotional or combine both)

Creative ads are unexpected (words, visuals, media, or all three)

Where to run the ads Adidas promoted its soccer gear by painting a

soccer scene on the ceiling of a train station in Cologne, Germany for the 2006 Soccer World Cup

L’Oreal Paris promoted its Men’s Expert line of products by advertising on dry cleaner dress shirt hangers with coupons (Your shirt doesn’t have wrinkles, why should your face?)

Just because you can run a message nearly everywhere, doesn’t mean you should. (pg 7-9)

Inspiration from Customers Invite them to create their own ads

(Nationwide Insurance – life comes at you fast; MasterCard - Priceless)

Caution: General Motors SUV. 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. Gas-guzzler, global warming, warmonger.

Don’t give detractors free ad space. Rules. Win these challenges, jumpstart career

Humor: Tips for effective use

Avoid jokes (punch lines wear out too fast). Humor

has nuances that make you want to see/hear again

Relate to human experience, identify with people

Make product central to message, to remember it

Understand audience’s sense of humor, don’t insult

Avoid humor at expense of others, elderly, race

Have fun with product (don’t make fun of it), Motel6

Use smart humor, don’t expect a stupid audience

Celebrities: The pros

Have stopping power. Cuts through clutter. Got Milk?

Tyra Banks 2 ads: Seventeen and Sports Illustrated

Are idolized by fans. Hopes to transfer to brand. P.

20

People are fascinated by their lives: Willie Nelson

Uniqueness communicates selling idea: Yao Ming

Experts in their fields: Connect to brand advertised

Celebrities: The cons

Expensive, millions of dollars. Only for big companies

Often a quick fix, not a long-term strategy

May lack credibility, people think its for the money

May endorse too many products, Tiger Woods

May overshadow the product, Yao Ming and Visa

Bad press can hurt sponsor, Kobe Bryant

Advertising trade characters; Pros

Communicate selling feature, AFLAC, Geico

Reinforce a brand name, Kellog’s

Make a company seem more approachable

Don’t age, so appeal to different generations

Emotional, part of the fabric of company

Advertiser has control over what they say & do

Advertising trade characters: Cons

Can seem gimmicky and old-fashioned

Trick is to make characters relevant to customers

M&M characters’ makeover. Colors get personality

They may love character, but not love the brand.

Must be relevant to brand/consumer. Singing sock

puppet from pets.com now collectible on e-bay

Jumpstart your career

Enter the award shows

Student ADDY Awards

Andy Student Awards

Athena Student Awards

Clio Student Awards

Others listed on page 16 of your book

Some local Student ADDY winning

entries….

Go cherry puckering

Mother Nature wants her children to look their best and we respect what she has to say. Burt’s Bees lip products are full of moisturizing vitamin E and don’t include any

chemicals or other metallic residues often found in lipsticks. And that peppermint tingle…it’s just how we say thank you.

Gold winner

Alexis Bass

Columbia Ad Club

Silver winner

Alex Grinton

Columbia Ad Club

Ethical and Legal Issues

• How far will you go to be creative?– Should profit or prudence prevail as surveys

indicate women, Hispanic Americans and African Americans are prime targets for cigarettes and alcohol when most consumers are consuming less of both?

– Should a commercial for a popular pain reliever reveal that the reason “more hospitals choose our brand” is that it supplied at a reduced price?

– Should consumers who have no medical background be told to ask physicians about specific brands of prescription drugs?

Ethical and Legal Issues

• How far will you go to be creative?– Should an automobile maker show a sports car

outracing a jet plane in an age when speeding motorists are killed daily?

– Should advertisers cast TV commercials using such imperatives as “she should be blond – or if brunette, not too brunette – and pretty, but not too pretty”

– Is even a mock representation of violence and domination appropriate in commercial speech?

– What about sexual innuendo? If sex sells, should there be limits?

Regulations

– Difference between puffery & deception (Puffery is “an exaggeration or overstatement expressed in broad, vague, and commendatory language and is distinguished from false descriptions or false representations of specific characteristics of a product and, as such, is not actionable)

– If you make claims, must substantiate it (FTC, FDA is watching you if you say your product is better than others)

Regulations

– Don’t copy creative ideas from others– Don’t copy other people’s likeness (To

resemble celebrities)– Respect other companies’ trademarks

(Tony the Tiger and Exxon tiger coexisted for more than 30 years until Exxon started using its tiger to sell food)

– Watch what you ay in front of children (Children’s Advertising Review Unit)