Thinking outside the square is getting harder and harder to do. Creatives are now more challenged than ever even though they have more platforms to be creative on.
In my earlier career, I remember being disappointed by some of the television commercials that the agency I worked for did. I hoped that they would be more creative, but they kept churning the same commercials over and over again.
One day, I decided to ask why.
The answer was simple, "It sells". Afterall, isn't that what marketing is supposed to do?
Let's put being creative aside and get on with writing and developing campaigns that work. Sometimes, when we try too hard, we miss the point of why we are doing it in the first place.
Look at this advertisement from Carmichael Agency for Carmichael Collective from May 2012. It is creative with a focus on "creativity for creatives sake". The plant tags are super-sized and are placed strategically around environments like park benches, fire hoses etc. If you zoom in at the guidelines, you will see quirky suggestions like "keep warm with butt" for the park bench etc.
What do you think? Is this creative worth the time and effort that it took to put together?
Mellissah Smith is a marketing expert, author, writer, public speaker and technology innovator. Having worked with more than 1000 companies across technology, medical services, professional services, manufacturing, logistics, finance and health industries, Mellissah has a well-established reputation as an experienced marketing professional with more than 30 years experience. As the founder and managing director of Marketing Eye, she has taken the company from startup to a multi-million dollar enterprise with offices in Australia and the US. She is the founder of AI software company, Robotic Marketer, which automates the development and management of marketing strategies. Mellissah is also the Editor in Chief of Marketing Eye Magazine, a quarterly magazine that cover marketing, entrepreneurship, travel, health and wellbeing. She is also the co-editor of Contact Centre Magazine, Minimalistic Magazine (building products and architectural design), and Human Magazine (wellness). #mellissahsmith #marketingeye #roboticmarketer
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comments ( 8 )
website
31 Mar 2014
Hello there! This is kind of off topic but I need some
guidance from an established blog. Is it very difficult to
set up your own blog? I'm not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast.
I'm thinking about setting up my own but I'm not sure where to begin.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
Some companies are not leaders because they do not innovate enough and some firms lose money because they spend too much time on creativity and innovation. In my opinion we should find the proper balance between “time to be creative” and “time to keep focusing on current businesses” in order to not waste time or money. For instance I like the Google’s strategy for innovation which is to devote its engineers one day a week to work on potential ideas. Once again, it also depends on the environment of the firm. Is there high velocity of innovation? Which innovation strategy does the company use (leader, challenger, follower,…) ?
Furthermore we can be innovative but this must be the correct “creativity”. Among many ideas we should select the good one which responds to customer’s expectations. If not, how can we turn this idea to a success way?
I think creative advertisements are absolutely worth the time and effort. The average Australian is exposed to approximately 3000 advertisements per day, therefore staying-power is difficult to achieve and the need to be unique is evident. Furthermore, generations Y and Z are becoming more cynical with regards to advertising, being that they are aware they are being advertised to. Given these points, I believe being creative and clever is an excellent way of delivering an advertising message that earns a meaningful place in the mind of consumers. I, for one, find myself talking about clever advertising campaigns in everyday conversations (and not just because I am a digital media student). Isn't that one of the ultimate aims of advertising?
When I looked at the Carmichael Collective example given by Mellissah Smith, it brought to mind some other creative advertisements I have looked at in the past. Please see the blog entry entry titled 'Creative advertising campaigns' under the link below. Happy viewing!
I found a little story about Fido the dog that I would like to share with you:
Fido was very hungry. Once he saw a bone lying on the other side of a fence. The dog tried jumping over the fence and digging under the fence, but failed. So desperate Fido turned to the right and walked all the way around the fence to get to his desired bone.
As the previously chosen way had led him to success, next time Fido will take the same way.
Is there another way to get to the bone??
Yes, there is! The left way around the fence is much shorter and simpler.
Will Fido ever go for this shorter route?
Never!
Why?
Because Fido has tasted success.
What do we learn out of this story?
SUCCESS KILLS CREATIVITY
If one way works, there could still be another, maybe better way. Creativity is the only tool to find these other ways.
Regarding Mellissahs question about the worth of creativity, I can definitely answer this question with YES.
No matter which sector of life, creativity counts. Think about innovative companies and how well they perform, like facebook, apple and Red Bull (Consider the marketing of Red Bull, I cannot think about a more innovative approach).
PS: Check out http://www.prizes.org -> A platform where companies can look for slogans, logo designs, website designs and much more. A company can create a prize on this platform and thousands will compete to give the firm the best solution within only a few days. You don`t need to hire a graphic designer and be reliant on his/her work. You get thousands of ideas and just choose the one you like best.
Today it seems that the terrible ads get so much attention and bad publicity including hate groups on social media that joke about how terrible they are. Because so many people are using social media, they are so much more aware of these ads. It almost seems that no effort or creativity is going into these ads and it's letting social media do all the work.
I agree that it's getting harder and harder to be more creative, but either way it sells. Personally i would like to see more creative and funny ads that dont seem to be as common nowadays.
I really like this advertisement by Carmichael Agency. There should be more creative ads like it, as there are a few disappointing ones out there. It's important to think outside the square to ensure that your ad stands out and is not forgotten.
It is harder and harder to do a creative advertisement because there are more and more creative designer on the market. The Design School are becoming more numerous too.
I think it's like a wave effect. This advertisement is simple but I think it works, this is easy to understand as well as it's creative.
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comments ( 8 )
website
31 Mar 2014Hello there! This is kind of off topic but I need some
Replyguidance from an established blog. Is it very difficult to
set up your own blog? I'm not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast.
I'm thinking about setting up my own but I'm not sure where to begin.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
Leo
05 Jun 2012Some companies are not leaders because they do not innovate enough and some firms lose money because they spend too much time on creativity and innovation. In my opinion we should find the proper balance between “time to be creative” and “time to keep focusing on current businesses” in order to not waste time or money. For instance I like the Google’s strategy for innovation which is to devote its engineers one day a week to work on potential ideas. Once again, it also depends on the environment of the firm. Is there high velocity of innovation? Which innovation strategy does the company use (leader, challenger, follower,…) ?
ReplyFurthermore we can be innovative but this must be the correct “creativity”. Among many ideas we should select the good one which responds to customer’s expectations. If not, how can we turn this idea to a success way?
Lauren
30 May 2012I think creative advertisements are absolutely worth the time and effort. The average Australian is exposed to approximately 3000 advertisements per day, therefore staying-power is difficult to achieve and the need to be unique is evident. Furthermore, generations Y and Z are becoming more cynical with regards to advertising, being that they are aware they are being advertised to. Given these points, I believe being creative and clever is an excellent way of delivering an advertising message that earns a meaningful place in the mind of consumers. I, for one, find myself talking about clever advertising campaigns in everyday conversations (and not just because I am a digital media student). Isn't that one of the ultimate aims of advertising?
ReplyWhen I looked at the Carmichael Collective example given by Mellissah Smith, it brought to mind some other creative advertisements I have looked at in the past. Please see the blog entry entry titled 'Creative advertising campaigns' under the link below. Happy viewing!
Creative advertisements blow entry
Robert Slatner
21 May 2012I found a little story about Fido the dog that I would like to share with you:
ReplyFido was very hungry. Once he saw a bone lying on the other side of a fence. The dog tried jumping over the fence and digging under the fence, but failed. So desperate Fido turned to the right and walked all the way around the fence to get to his desired bone.
As the previously chosen way had led him to success, next time Fido will take the same way.
Is there another way to get to the bone??
Yes, there is! The left way around the fence is much shorter and simpler.
Will Fido ever go for this shorter route?
Never!
Why?
Because Fido has tasted success.
What do we learn out of this story?
SUCCESS KILLS CREATIVITY
If one way works, there could still be another, maybe better way. Creativity is the only tool to find these other ways.
Regarding Mellissahs question about the worth of creativity, I can definitely answer this question with YES.
No matter which sector of life, creativity counts. Think about innovative companies and how well they perform, like facebook, apple and Red Bull (Consider the marketing of Red Bull, I cannot think about a more innovative approach).
PS: Check out http://www.prizes.org -> A platform where companies can look for slogans, logo designs, website designs and much more. A company can create a prize on this platform and thousands will compete to give the firm the best solution within only a few days. You don`t need to hire a graphic designer and be reliant on his/her work. You get thousands of ideas and just choose the one you like best.
David
18 May 2012Today it seems that the terrible ads get so much attention and bad publicity including hate groups on social media that joke about how terrible they are. Because so many people are using social media, they are so much more aware of these ads. It almost seems that no effort or creativity is going into these ads and it's letting social media do all the work.
ReplyI agree that it's getting harder and harder to be more creative, but either way it sells. Personally i would like to see more creative and funny ads that dont seem to be as common nowadays.
Ellah
08 May 2012Creativity is what keeps Marketing going and generates sales IMO. It's always the memorable adverts that generate positive word of mouth.
ReplyIt takes guts to try new things. I think that's the missing link. This advertisement is quirky, simple and as Sophie mentioned, easy to understand.
Sandra
08 May 2012I really like this advertisement by Carmichael Agency. There should be more creative ads like it, as there are a few disappointing ones out there. It's important to think outside the square to ensure that your ad stands out and is not forgotten.
ReplySophie
08 May 2012It is harder and harder to do a creative advertisement because there are more and more creative designer on the market. The Design School are becoming more numerous too.
ReplyI think it's like a wave effect. This advertisement is simple but I think it works, this is easy to understand as well as it's creative.