Sorry you haven't heard from me in a while.
The first few weeks of my internship with TBWA\Chiat\Day have taught me so much. First, that it's normal to work daily from 8:45a.m. to 7:30p.m. and sometimes later, because you're just that busy; but second, it has taught me the value of a simple suggestion.
What makes a great advertising campaign? Is it the power of the research that goes into it, or is it the simple brilliance of a creative team? Is it a combination of both? Of course; but I think some luck has to be thrown in there as well.
Take, for example, TBWA South Africa's campaign for The Zimbabwean that recently won the Cannes Grand Prix award for one of the best campaigns created this year. Through the use of their "Disruption Days," TBWA managed to not only examine the many facets of what makes a reader interested in a newspaper enough to actually read it, but also look at the surrounding political climate in such a way as to see the importance (or lack thereof) of the monetary system's decline in Zimbabwe. But, you may ask, how did they come up with the idea to stamp individual pieces of money with headlines so shrewd and meaningful that they made The Zimbabwean popular overnight?
It's all in the power of a brainstorm. It's not a simple formula. It's the capacity to think outside of the box while still keeping the box, and everything that surrounds it, in view. It's the ability to let self-consciousness go and suggest ideas that are not only startling and surprising in nature, but that also hit a deep chord with the human psyche.
Advertising, like I've always said, is a give and take. You get out of it what you put in to it, and sometimes it means more than just trying to promote a product. There is a reason that advertising has been called the picture of a generation.
And this, I think, is what makes TBWA stand out. I'm not saying it as a pitch for them; I think their advertising speaks for itself. Their realization that the younger generation of Pepsi was getting smarter, more involved, and changing; their discovery that the Snicker's label was recognizable in and of itself; their amazing ability to transform a relatively cheap vodka brand into something world famous; I could go on. By not only keeping their current social climates in view, but also branching out in terms of their creativity, TBWA has discovered the ultimate compromise- reigning in creativity in such a way that it ultimately becomes more creative.
In advertising, we should only hope to do so much.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
What's In A Name?
What goes into naming a company? How do they pick just the right order of their founders' last names, and how do they build the reputation behind it that makes these names iconic?
Is picking a name like writing a story? To me, it seems that it would have to be. When you write a story, you always write the text of it first- the actual plot, developing the characters, etc. The very last thing you do is come up with the title, because the entire point of the title is to sum things up, give an innovative and sometimes surprising aspect to the story in general. Some great stories have the most interesting titles, and not all are merely descriptive. In fact, it's the ones that aren't descriptive, the ones that lead you to believe something that may not actually be true in the tale, or may be inferred a different way than what is actually meant, that are the best stories. For example, take the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. The actual titles of the books themselves- The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass- are all descriptive for their respective books; however, the title of the series itself- His Dark Materials- almost, one would think, has nothing to do with the books themselves! Who is "he" and what do "his dark materials" have to do with anything that happens in any of these books?
As a matter of fact, it has quite a lot to do with them. Read the series, and then let's chat about it. I don't want to spoil anything for you right now, but I will say that this title provides a significant amount of insight in to the series' atheistic overtones, and the fact that God may or may not actually exist in these books. How do we find this out? Why, through using the dark materials, of course!
This name provides a twist. It gives insight. None of the words in the title is used in vain. All have a purpose.
This is exactly what the name of a legitimately good marketing or advertising firm should have as well. If the founder has an already-established reputation that speaks of good things to come, then use it. If not, see what else you can come up with. But the first and foremost thing you should do is establish the mission. Tell the story. Expound upon the philosophy. Make people believe you, and then they'll know your name and come to respect it.
In society today, it seems that almost all names are descriptive. But the ones that aren't are the ones that have the most credible philosophies, and those are the ones that I'm most inclined to trust. Don't get me wrong; there are quite a lot of great and wonderful agencies whose names are just that, and that's fine. But when starting out in today's economic situation and in today's world of cutthroat competition, it's important to have something that sets you apart.
So that a rose by any other name would definitely not smell as sweet.
Is picking a name like writing a story? To me, it seems that it would have to be. When you write a story, you always write the text of it first- the actual plot, developing the characters, etc. The very last thing you do is come up with the title, because the entire point of the title is to sum things up, give an innovative and sometimes surprising aspect to the story in general. Some great stories have the most interesting titles, and not all are merely descriptive. In fact, it's the ones that aren't descriptive, the ones that lead you to believe something that may not actually be true in the tale, or may be inferred a different way than what is actually meant, that are the best stories. For example, take the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. The actual titles of the books themselves- The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass- are all descriptive for their respective books; however, the title of the series itself- His Dark Materials- almost, one would think, has nothing to do with the books themselves! Who is "he" and what do "his dark materials" have to do with anything that happens in any of these books?
As a matter of fact, it has quite a lot to do with them. Read the series, and then let's chat about it. I don't want to spoil anything for you right now, but I will say that this title provides a significant amount of insight in to the series' atheistic overtones, and the fact that God may or may not actually exist in these books. How do we find this out? Why, through using the dark materials, of course!
This name provides a twist. It gives insight. None of the words in the title is used in vain. All have a purpose.
This is exactly what the name of a legitimately good marketing or advertising firm should have as well. If the founder has an already-established reputation that speaks of good things to come, then use it. If not, see what else you can come up with. But the first and foremost thing you should do is establish the mission. Tell the story. Expound upon the philosophy. Make people believe you, and then they'll know your name and come to respect it.
In society today, it seems that almost all names are descriptive. But the ones that aren't are the ones that have the most credible philosophies, and those are the ones that I'm most inclined to trust. Don't get me wrong; there are quite a lot of great and wonderful agencies whose names are just that, and that's fine. But when starting out in today's economic situation and in today's world of cutthroat competition, it's important to have something that sets you apart.
So that a rose by any other name would definitely not smell as sweet.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Florida Our Alma Mater, Thy Glorious Name We Praise...
When did you become a Gator?
This is the headline of the University of Florida's new advertising campaign. After several attention-getting runs of "The University of Florida is in Gainesville. The Gator Nation is Everywhere." and "Go Gators," the University has now turned its marketing and advertising focus to the people that really matter: the students and alumni themselves. Because UF runs rampant with school spirit all year round due to its highly successful sports teams, there really is no other school that can possibly compare in terms of the enthusiasm it encourages from its fans, students and non-students alike. Why not play off of this raving school spirit in order to make an advertising campaign that touches the hearts of those already emotionally involved in the school?
More universities are now trying to increase their advertising budgets in order to attract the nation's best and brightest. They've realized that in this struggling economy and the increases in both tuition and budget cuts throughout the nation, the time has come to use their staggering endowment money for more than giving outrageous bonuses to university presidents (ahem, Bernie Machen). There's something more to a good education, and now, it's no longer merely how much you can learn, but also how much you can experience outside of the classes themselves. Potential college students are now asking not if the universities can provide them with what they need educationally-speaking to be successful (because that's become par for all higher institutions in general), but how they can build their networks, what extracurriculars and activities they can get involved with, what leadership and job opportunities are available both within the university itself and the surrounding town or city.
For $40,000 a year (give or take $10,000 depending on the school), where is the place that will give me the absolute best bang for my buck? Oh, and what scholarships does it offer?
Nowadays, the world of higher learning is becoming just as cut-throat and competitve a market as any product brand. Colleges now have to establish new ways to reach the hearts of potential students and inspire in them a drive to both do well in school and reach their fullest potentials as human beings. In addition, they must deeply touch alumni and philanthropists to drive donations and endowments in order to make this level of experience possible. Because the costs of getting degrees are continually increasing, it's important that universities cater to both audiences, and, like UF, really encourage the school spirit that lends money and experience to both the university and the students and alumni themselves. College is the place where most people find out who they are, what they want in life, and determine where they're going.
Let's face it: where would we be without our college days?
This is the headline of the University of Florida's new advertising campaign. After several attention-getting runs of "The University of Florida is in Gainesville. The Gator Nation is Everywhere." and "Go Gators," the University has now turned its marketing and advertising focus to the people that really matter: the students and alumni themselves. Because UF runs rampant with school spirit all year round due to its highly successful sports teams, there really is no other school that can possibly compare in terms of the enthusiasm it encourages from its fans, students and non-students alike. Why not play off of this raving school spirit in order to make an advertising campaign that touches the hearts of those already emotionally involved in the school?
More universities are now trying to increase their advertising budgets in order to attract the nation's best and brightest. They've realized that in this struggling economy and the increases in both tuition and budget cuts throughout the nation, the time has come to use their staggering endowment money for more than giving outrageous bonuses to university presidents (ahem, Bernie Machen). There's something more to a good education, and now, it's no longer merely how much you can learn, but also how much you can experience outside of the classes themselves. Potential college students are now asking not if the universities can provide them with what they need educationally-speaking to be successful (because that's become par for all higher institutions in general), but how they can build their networks, what extracurriculars and activities they can get involved with, what leadership and job opportunities are available both within the university itself and the surrounding town or city.
For $40,000 a year (give or take $10,000 depending on the school), where is the place that will give me the absolute best bang for my buck? Oh, and what scholarships does it offer?
Nowadays, the world of higher learning is becoming just as cut-throat and competitve a market as any product brand. Colleges now have to establish new ways to reach the hearts of potential students and inspire in them a drive to both do well in school and reach their fullest potentials as human beings. In addition, they must deeply touch alumni and philanthropists to drive donations and endowments in order to make this level of experience possible. Because the costs of getting degrees are continually increasing, it's important that universities cater to both audiences, and, like UF, really encourage the school spirit that lends money and experience to both the university and the students and alumni themselves. College is the place where most people find out who they are, what they want in life, and determine where they're going.
Let's face it: where would we be without our college days?
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