One of the most interesting things about brand communications is how it continuously evolves. In the early days of the “Ad” business, the revered role of original thought and expression was strictly reserved for “creatives.” Copywriters and art directors were the ones exclusively entitled to wear the “badge” or claim to be “the goods” behind inspiring, impactful campaigns. Cannes Lions is evolving. In this Festival of Creativity, what has broadly been considered “creative” is now sharing space with digital, design, data, and innovation, even though it’s still a little like paint meets pixels, awkwardly forced together like distant cousins on Thanksgiving. We’ve seen it broken down in two ways – creative minds in the Palais and the tech guys on the beach. Two worlds that have come together in industry and in the world. Yet unspoken biases still exist: Some Ad people think that what they do is some higher order magic and some tech people think that they are going to rule the world. The real lesson is that they are both right and wrong. The truly evolved creatives, agencies, and brands that are emerging as leaders and winners put equal value and emphasis on both.
The role of technology is – and always has been – an enabler that brings human stories to life. Whether inspired by the charcoal and pigments of cave drawings, the printing press, the radio wave, the picture tube, or the mobile phone, the role of technology has never been an end in itself, but rather a means of amplifying empathetic tales of the human experience.
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The true hero in the great work celebrated at Cannes over the years is always the timeless human story, amplified through whichever timely technology has engaged us. These stories always play on human empathy, curiosity, and the emotional desires that have defined us all since the beginning of time, regardless of the gadgets at our disposal.
It’s very important to realize and respect that people are people and, regardless of where we come from or what era we were born into, we don’t really change all that much. I think it’s one of the few constants in life. People from prehistoric to futuristic times all display similar personality traits and experience similar conflicts. The biggest difference between Fred Flintstone and George Jetson really just lies in the technology that each interacted with in his world. Similar content, different context. Fred punched a clock at the local quarry, while George was a digital index operator at a high tech sprocket manufacturing facility. Technology is the factor that forces us all to respond to life much differently today than in the past. The ways in which we interact, connect, share our lives, and tell our stories have all changed because of the influence of our always-on technology.
“The most celebrated work offers great stories with a tech-transparent experience.”
So when we use this concept to improve marketing, we have to remember the same holds true for consumers. While the basic needs of the consumer have not changed all that much, the context of their environment most certainly has. This means we really need to look beyond what we create (technology) and include some healthy exploration of how that creation changes people.
David Ogilvy once said, “What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form.” There is wisdom in this quote, especially considering that in those days we were focused on helping brands sell more stuff by telling stories that emotionally connected people to a product or service. To some extent, we are certainly still in that business, but we’ve moved beyond helping clients determine what they should say and crafting how best to say it. We’ve evolved past counting on saying as the primary means of communication. In fact, we now help brands interact with their customer, and I would argue that the medium plays a much bigger role than Mr. Ogilvy could have probably ever imagined. A more recent perspective offered by a mentor of mine, Clement Mok, is that “the experience is the brand.” This perspective changes the focus to helping clients communicate through doing. Harnessing the role of experience in story. People are much more likely to remember and share what has happened to them, than a story about your brand.
While serving on Cannes Lions juries over the years, I’ve observed an underlying theme of sorts: The most celebrated work offers great stories with a tech-transparent experience. So, it’s an and, not an or. The best work blends an authentic amalgamation of both. Here are a few approaches you can take to help make your work stand out at Cannes next year:
- Be, Do, Say: Approach every brand in an honest and transparent way. Some great examples are Always’ “Like a Girl,” Dove’s “Real Beauty,” or any other brand that is brave enough to stand for something, stick to it, and put their money where their mouths are.
- Be. What does that brand stand for? (Making money is NOT a good answer.)
- Do. Actions speak louder than words. Communicate what you stand for by doing (or making) things that someone who stands for similar values would.
- Say. Well, great advertising works, but in today’s highly connected world, you cannot make false or exaggerated claims. Social media will kill you.
- A story lived is much more likely to go viral than a story told. Some recent examples are Volvo’s “Epic Split,” Intel/Toshiba’s “Beauty Inside,” Unilever’s “Share Happy Machine,” or Tourism Queensland’s “Best Job in the World.”
- I relate to her. The hardest kind of story to remember, the story least likely to be shared, is one about people you don’t know. That’s why you must have a character (the unlikely hero of your story) that people see themselves in.
- I know him. How important was it to the viral success of “Epic Split” that Van Damme was the guy between the trucks? Would it have been a success if they used an unknown stunt man? Maybe. As successful? Never. Case in point: Does anyone remember the one from the year before where the girl walked a tight rope between similar trucks?
- I really know him. You would be much more likely to pass along a video of your friend doing something silly or spectacular, than a stanger. Many successful campaigns have relied on this engine of human truth.
- That’s me. Last but certainly not least, the most powerful way to connect with a consumer is to give them a story to share about themselves. How many winning campaigns put real people in a memorable situation and film it? Call it reality advertising. It works.
- Change the way the world works. I know from experience that advertising works, but I’ve also learned that if your goal is to change perceptions, sell more stuff, acquire more customers, etc., then there are other crayons you should reach for in the box.
- The ATM effect. Getting someone to move their money from one bank to another is difficult. You can craft a new campaign…or you can invent the ATM. What’s more creative?
- The Uber effect. The car service business is fiercely competitive, you can do more of what you’ve always done to compete or you can change the game. What’s more creative?
- The Airbnb effect. You get the drift, and these guys are also making some great ads. Kudos to them.
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In all my years in this business, despite the fact that “creativity” at our agency has a broader definition than most, I never imagined a Palais wrapped in the Microsoft logo or an iconic Google installation on the beach. I feel sort of like a parent watching his child evolve into inclusion—knowing that a purist on either side is most likely missing the point. I’m proud of us as an industry for stretching our view of creativity beyond pictures and words. Again, I offer you the reference of the Flintstones and the Jetsons as a reminder that underneath all of this rapid, technology-led transformation lives humanity.
As an industry, we have evolved past making ads, and have been given the opportunity to create worlds in which brands and their customers connect. This means we must be both ethnographers and storytellers to be entrusted with a brand’s future. We must also be able to see around the corner on behalf of our clients, which means we must master technology if we are to remain in that coveted role of the trusted adviser.