Creativity in Advertising

Getting creative: The right way

We get to see it everywhere. Be it the humble “Baya” bird, who constructs its nest with the moist clay from the river, or odd formations in the “Grand Canyon”, nature is at work everywhere. Chiseling shapes, somewhat odd, somewhat contorted, yet as if, conveying something essential is the modus operandi of the supreme force of creativity.

Coming to the advertising world, day in and out, we get to see its intrinsic elements. Be it that flashy billboard on the highway, online media or for that matter the visual media, these very elements come to the forefront. Of particular mention, is the sound, music, the locations and the models themselves.

Nowadays, models can include all categories of people highly successful in their professions. That impressive list might consist of sportsperson, film personalities, professionals from the world of art. Virtually, people who have carved a niche in the society and are highly sought after are hooked by the media and advertising world as well.

Combining human feelings with technology

This is an interesting area which is evolving with each passing day. Feeling the pulse of the commoners, the advertising companies today have evolved brands in sync with the above. An apt instance which can be cited in this regard is the recent Honda commercial. The “care” element here gets an upper hand, whereby the said commercial depicts the scene, from a common family environment.

The main focus in this ad is the tyres, which are claimed to have been manufactured in the sate-of-the-art technology. The feather-light technology employed in its manufacture seems to emphasize the “comfort and care” factor. So much so that even a toddler “feels” it and dozes off as if nestled in the comfort of his/her home.

But, the buck surely, shouldn’t stop here.

What has started as “connecting” with the human factor should now include in its fold, other sections of the populations. The emphasis should now shift to elder citizens, the spotlight this time, being on their wisdom and values. There are, but few commercials which endorse this stand and the trend is yet to catch on.

Who influences whom?

It is a two way process, both complementing each other, nicely. According to Lutz, it is the attitude which is one of the key determinants towards specific advertisements. Research done in this area, points towards the declining attitude of the masses towards advertising during these years. However, this is a general research rather than directed towards anything particular.

Studies done by Alwitt, Prabhakar and Mittal have discovered the negative attitude of the American consumers, towards television advertising. At the same time, print ads are perceived by them top be more informative and enjoyable than the broadcast ads. According to them, the cluster bomb-approach of the internet ads has been cited as a reason behind the declining consumer responsiveness. (Source: http://mtq.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/7/4/353).

Creativity in catchy phrases

Creativity doesn’t stop at the visual aesthetics alone. In yet another Honda commercial, the phrase says it all. It is forwarded as “Nature never rides on technology, but when it does, it does so, on a Honda”.

In fact, the whole scene revolves around the central idea, which goes in tandem in what follows. The phrase comes in the end, when the little boy places the “lady-bug”, back on the blade of grass.

Imagination and inventiveness form the core of an appealing ad. But the precursor to this, is the designer who creates the sketch of the design on the paper. Which is where, the challenge comes from! The willingness to go that extra mile to hone his / her skills in this department goes a long way in shaping the final product. It often translates at hard work done to arrive at the themes, which are appealing and at the same time, catchy. Another example in this regard is the Soft drinks giant Pepsi Co which comes with one after another attention-grabbing ad.

It is another matter that this has been transformed in a sort of ad war between it and another contender in the field, namely Coke. Year after year, we are a witness to the war of words, though through the ads themselves. This often results in the best ever seen commercials due to the “competition factor”. If one company comes out with a theme and incorporates it in its ad, the competitor jumps in the fray twisting the same, scoring points over it.

The war intensifies — as it has been often seen – with the earlier company twisting yet again, the phrase twisted by the rival company, from the original idea.

In any case, it does indeed seem to reflect our own society.