By Eddy Herty – VP, National Creative Director of OUTFRONT Studios at OUTFRONT Media
Simplicity… scaling back to only what is needed, focusing on the main task at hand, and as a result looking natural has real power to elevate all that we do. It has the power to lift-up our work to a more important level because we’re not bombarding our clients or audiences with superfluous information… we’re presenting something that’s not just believable… but something they want to believe. Yes, people won’t believe they can fly through the air… but they will believe that a product can lift away their anxiety… to the point of feeling weightless.
At its core… that’s a big part of advertising, creating an elevated message that people want to believe… that they feel connected to and identify with… that’s something we can’t fake our way through.
Why? People aren’t dumb… we all can sniff out a phony. The only way we can create something that someone buys into is by starting with that honest conversation with our clients. “Making it Pop!”, or “Working our magic” is completely irrelevant from the task at hand… as that is completely one sided and is only based on our perceptions, which are speculative… and following that trail of inconclusive information is a decision resulting in high risk.
Even if the ad isn’t “saying” anything profound we can elevate the look and feel of it based on the tone of our clients… and again… that can only come from speaking to and understanding our clients. This “Farm Fun” ad above shows just that… where the ad drastically shifts gears from the “before” into something more country roads, family friendly, and less abrasive. Even though the above ad says “Safe Outdoor Activities!” I don’t believe it… but the bottom one that doesn’t say that… I feel 100% more safe there. Visually, the ad is elevated to a higher level of trust… a higher level of feeling more comfortable.
The ability to change thousands of perceptions at one time with a simple visual… to communicate a clear and powerful message in a matter of seconds… and to elevate a brand to a level of consumer trust… THAT HAS IMMENSE VALUE.
The fact that creative has the ability to stir emotion, to create intrigue, to take consumers from a place of disinterest to one of joy, anticipation, empowerment, or even just cracking a smile… is proof of real value.
Moving forward, we all should take note, and pride, in the added value that creative is able to bring to clients. Going beyond just saying creative is part of the buy, or worse yet the statement that makes me cringe, “Creative is free!” Challenge your team and company to move to a position of showing clients how invested you are in their success by objectively defining and quantifying the value of your creative work in every presentation. Showing value at every stage, including consultative discovery. Taking every opportunity to communicate to your clients how invested in them you really are, and how you’re willing to take a determinative role in creating the most successful campaign possible that is sure to elevate their brand.
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