This first appeared in the AdNews print magazine. You can read it all below but if you want it as soon as it goes to press, you better subscribe here.
There’s an old adland adage that says “If you can’t do a great ad, do a really, really bad one.”
I understand the theory. The worst thing a marketer can do is spend money on being ignored. So if your communication isn’t dripping in genius, then drench it in irritation – at least it won’t be wallpaper.
And you don’t need to look hard to find examples to neatly prove the rule. At least at first glance.
I was recently in country New South Wales and almost every TVC fit the mould. They were either “shouty” – where all the dialogue is dialled up to 11 – or “singy” – where everything is committed to song. On the rest of our journey my teenage kids took great joy in switching from the chorus of “South Coast Decorative Concrete Supplies” to “Where you control the action” to “The cars are pretty good too.”
It’s easy to be critical.
How often have you heard yourself muttering “Ugh, not this ad again” under your breath? Or announcing it loudly to a room full of friends? We all do it. And we need to stop doing it. Because it’s contagious.
The industry has a poor reputation already. The last thing we should be doing is adding to the vitriol already out there.
Don’t believe me?
Take a look at the YouTube comments under last year’s Film Grand Prix at Cannes – Geico’s brilliant ‘Unskippable’ ad. This campaign was held up as the pinnacle of all the work all round the world last year. YouTube users clearly disagree. Witty retorts include; “This really pisses me off.” “Stupid ad.” The clearly shouty “WHEN WILL THE MADNESS END, GEICO?” And there’s even tips on how to download adblockers – so you never have to see it, or any other ads, ever again.
If anything the adland is worse – because we really should know better. Advertising is an industry renowned for eating it’s own. You only need to look at the feedback posted on an industry site. The vitriol flows thick and fast.
So here’s the burning question we all need to ask more often. “Where was I when the page was blank?”
Truth is, very few of us were there. As someone who’s being doing this for over 20 years I’ve seen that blank page a lot. I’ve seen it filled with amazing ideas. Innovative. Witty. Engaging. Career-boosting. Award-winning. World-changing even. Each one went out the agency’s door with high hopes, yet only a fraction made it all the way to the consumer’s door.
Why? Our marketing clients struggle to get management buy-in. Researchers tell us “Loudmouth Larry didn’t get it.”
Lawyers fill every space with caveats and weasel words. Accounting see the production costs and rejoice in being the department who says “No”. Or a market shift means we’re simply too late.
I once had a client see a brilliant concept for the first time and responded with “I’m just thinking about how much extra work this is going to cause me.” They were right. It did cause more work. A lot more.
There’s a labyrinth of flaming hoops and moats of boiling oil that every idea has to negotiate just to get out the door. Ideas are fragile. They need protection. By marketers as much as their agencies. Very few survive unscathed.
So I’ve changed my tune when looking at the work other agencies do for other marketers. It’s not about aiming low. There’s ever an excuse for taking the easy way out. But, given how hard this business is, even getting a compromised idea into the marketplace is an achievement. So now it’s “If you can’t do a great ad, at least get the very best work you can to run.” And no-one should be criticized for that.
So sing it loud, and sing it proud; “South Coast Decorative Concrete Supplies.”
Rob Morrison is creative director at OgilvyOne Sydney.