The goal of an effective advertising campaign should be to make the business the one the customer thinks of first and feels best about when their moment of need arises. Unfortunately, it seems that most of the advertising discussions today are focused on the need for “creative.” Often “creative” equals “clever.”
I scratch my head in amazement at some of the ads that win awards at major events. While the production value may be outstanding, the ad does nothing itself to cause a customer to think of that business first and feel best about it when their moment of need arises.
Simple is powerful. Laura Ries made a great statement in a recent blog post: “Powerful strategies are usually not very exciting. Driving for BMW. Reliability for Toyota. Cowboys for Marlboro.”
Ad Age just posted an interview with Jonathan Cahill, author of “Igniting the Brand: Strategies That Have Shot Brands to Success.” The title was “Key to Marketing in Complex Times: Simplicity.” One the conclusions featured in the interview is that “marketers and their agencies are trying so hard to devise strategies that they often look right past simple truths.” I would argue they are focusing on being creative.
One of the most effective ads I’ve ever done for a client was a radio spot for a home improvement company. It’s an industry known for having shysters and crooks. Building trust is critical to having long-term success in this industry. The owner serves as spokesperson and the opening line went like this: “We make mistakes. I wish we could say we didn’t, but that would not be the truth.” The ad went on say that they own up to their mistakes and what they do to make it right with the customer.
Why did this ad work so well? It was authentic. It was real. It acknowledged what people already knew. In short, it was simple.
There is a place for clever, funny and other “creative” in ads, but be careful. A simple concept that connects with people will be much more powerful over the long haul. If you’ve got money to flush down the toilet, by all means, go for “creative” ads. If you want ads that ring the cash register, give “simple” a try.
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Articles like this are always welcome in the ad community. The common sense of advertising is taking a beating, and we need more commentators like you and the Ad Contrarian keeping the industry on track.