Intro lecture to course I teach at BU on fundamentals of creative for advertising. NOTE THAT THIS VERSION INCLUDES A FEW SPEAKER NOTES TO MAKE SENSE OF SOME SLIDES THAT ARE OTHERWISE BLIND. WILL LEAVE BOTH UP SINCE PEOPLE ALREADY DOWNLOADED OTHER.

1. 2/28
Fundamentals of
Creative Development
Emphasis is on creative, there are a lot of aspects to advertising: client, product, research, strategy, media, but all that the
consumer really notices is the creative

2. As consumers, we know the work, but not the thinking behind it. Not the story that Apple has nothing to say and no products to
talk about.

3. Do you know the case study and strategy behind this campaign’s national launch?
No. But you know the ads. And maybe they got you to try the product. Or maybe you’re the Skittles generation. “Be quirky target
socially active, urban educated type vs problem to be solved.” Breathsavers, Tic Tac, and Certs owned the market. Altoids a small
player. This creative approach was strategic first. But the viewer doesn’t know that.

4. Why did Jet Blue move from talking about the specific features (no one cared) and turn to a deprivation approach? The creators
know. You have to understand the marketing objectives, audience, consumer, competition, distribution, strategy, and finally THE
ELEMENTS OF ADVERTISING CREATIVE before you can generate creative solutions.

5. Why do we advertise?
Let’s start here: Answer this question. Why?

6. What did Shackleton want. Why was this ad successful. Product? Benefit? Type of person? Motivation? Relevance.

7. To call people to action
All advertising in one way or another has action as its purpose.

8. know, consider, buy, like, share, interact,
go, change, believe, vote, try, click
Though action can mean or be many things.

9. What is the role of creativity?
The simple role of creativity?

10. Attract your attention
Overcome indifference
Get you to care
Invite your participation

11. MB wants you to buy, or consider its vans because of the flexible seat configuration. A powerful reason conveyed creatively. We
advertising to introduce a new feature as it may be a compelling reason to buy.

12. Samsonite wants you to buy its suitcase because of its durability. We advertise to convey a product attribute: action? Brand
preference. Awareness. Consideration. Trigger at point of purchase.

13. The Economist wants you to read its magazine because it will make you more successful. We advertise to express superiority or
make a brand a club you want to join. Action? Read.

14. Wonderbra wants you to buy its product because it makes you look better. We advertise to sell the benefits of a product, even if
they are exaggerated. And we might do it to parody or leverage pop culture, in this case advertising. Action?

15. Know that McD’s is open late.

17. Buy Guinness as it’s now cold.

18. Watch ABC because you need some humor in your life. And we understand your plight being married to a boor.

19. To be an original.

20. Need I say anything?

21. Benetton wants you to shop there because of their beliefs. We advertising to share a belief we hope will connect with our
audience and motivate participation and brand preference, or simply feeling good about the brand.

22. ‘
fag.got (fag t) 1. there was
e
a time when the word “faggot”
meant a bundle of sticks. but
then people started using it
in an insulting, offensive way
and things changed. so when
you say things like “homo,”
“dyke” and “that’s so gay” try-
ing to be funny, remember,
you may actually be hurting
someone. 2. so please, knock
it off. 3. get more information
at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com
The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network wants you to stop using offensive language. We advertise to affect behavioral
change and get people to think and act different.

23. Are these ads the same or different?

24. ‘
fag.got (fag t) 1. there was
e
a time when the word “faggot”
meant a bundle of sticks. but
then people started using it
in an insulting, offensive way
and things changed. so when
you say things like “homo,”
“dyke” and “that’s so gay” try-
ing to be funny, remember,
you may actually be hurting
someone. 2. so please, knock
it off. 3. get more information
at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

25. Demonstrates
Conveys benefit
‘
fag.got (fag t) 1. there was
e
a time when the word “faggot”
meant a bundle of sticks. but
then people started using it
in an insulting, offensive way
and things changed. so when
you say things like “homo,”
“dyke” and “that’s so gay” try-
ing to be funny, remember,
you may actually be hurting
someone. 2. so please, knock
it off. 3. get more information
at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com
Informs Expresses beliefs Educates

26. What do all of these ideas have in
common?

27. They share characteristics that make
them “creative”.

28. Original
Unexpected
Invite you in
Entertain first
Provoke
Avoid cliche
Visually arresting
Fun

29. Advertising can be inspirational and
creative.

32. It can make the world a better place.
We, as a creators, should aspire to.....

33. Very old campaign from Nike and Wieden encouraging girls to play sports and for parents and educators to support them.

34. It starts or extends conversations that matter.

35. It can lighten your day.

36. Funny works most of the time.

37. It can approach art.

39. It can change our perspective.

41. It can celebrate life.

43. Advertising can be the most awesome
business in the world.

44. It’s filled with cool, young, creative, eager, hard-working people who support each other and do other stuff I can’t mention here.

45. It takes place in very awesome environments. Here is Mullen’s What If video.

46. And then there’s this.........
But most advertising sucks. It insults, interrupts and intrudes on our lives.

47. Are you kidding me?

48. Advertising interrupts an interesting story
with a less interesting story.
Daniel Stein
A great quote from a smart agency CEO.

49. Why is so much of it so bad? A lot of reasons why. But one reason is it is freaking hard to make great work. You will discover that
to do stuff that is really fresh, original, relevant, that leverages current media and consumer behavior, that actually matters, is
time consuming, challenging, and frustrating.

50. Good advertising can tell you what a
product does and why you should buy it.
What does most advertising do? Well this is its purpose.

51. Not bad. Tells you their espresso is less than Starbucks.

52. Was all over the Olympics. Under 400 calories. We now know that McDonald’s has food under 400 calories. Reason to buy?

53. But only great advertising entices you to
seek it out, pass it on, and actually care.

54. But when it is magical and inspirational, you want it. Interestingly, the best ad of the year was not done by an ad agency.
CAA.

55. We aspire to making great advertising.
Even if it takes a long time to get there.
Don’t settle for less.

56. Part two
It’s good to know something about the past.

57. A quick history lesson.
It’s good to know something about the past.

58. Once upon a time we could get away
with crap.
There were few media outlets, less competition and consumers had to endure messages to enjoy any content. (A little of this
goes on today, too.P

59. We didn’t really need creative.
Message, money, media.

60. Remember Darryl? From Bewitched? Probably not if you’re only 20.

61. Writer, art director, message, paid
media, bought attention.
We bought attention.

62. Ads looked and read like this. Egads.

63. Post WWII, more competition, choices,
imports, options. Creativity became a
competitive advantage.
The environment changed after WWII. The industrial revolution in full swing.

64. Bill Bernbach, still the most influential creative in the history of the industry. His writings remain relevant today.

65. Bill Bernbach and the creative revolution
changed the face of advertising.
Bernbach and his agency DDB changed everything.

66. Avis admitted to being number 2.

67. VW employed a voice never heard before.

68. Text
Other agencies got on board. Scali, McCabe, Sloves, for one.

69. But let’s fast forward

70. Skip over web 1.0, all about being accessible, to web 2.0. Web 2.0 is a concept that takes the network as a platform for
information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site allows
users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumers) of user-generated content in
a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was
created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web
applications, mashups and folksonomies.

71. Data
Do we even need creativity?

72. Data is one way to market successfully. We know so much about the user we can structure different prices for them, especially
online.

73. Creative
I think yes. Even if the consumer is less in control than he or she thinks....

74. Technologist, social specialist, utility,
owned media, earned attention.
We can earn attention, participation, loyalty and employ the consumer to help spread the word.

75. Old Spice. Entertaining.

76. Inclusive.

77. Uniqlo, leverages participation.

78. Nike Chalkbot gives people a voice.

79. Google lets you customize.

80. Mont Blanc crowdsources.

81. And Amex and CP&B create an entire movement in the name of advertising.

82. What do all of these creative ideas have in common? Discuss.

83. Original
Unexpected
Invite you in
Entertain first
Provoke
Avoid cliche
Visually arresting
Fun

84. But many of them are more than
messages.

85. Participatory
Interactive
User generated
Shareable
Useful
Enduring
Platforms

86. A good idea still matters. It earns
attention, gets remembered, inspires
action.

87. A good idea still matters. It earns
attention, gets remembered, inspires
action.

88. BTW....

89. We still need the traditional stuff. Even Google...

90. and Apple, arguably two of the more innovative web 2.0 brands, use it.

91. Where do good ideas come from?
So, how do we learn to make good ideas?

92. Strategy
Insight
Deep exploration
Collisions
Volume
Discipline
Creative standards
Relentlessness

93. What are the skills we need?
We need skills, too. Beyond pure, raw creative talent, which by the way can be developed. You are born creative, after all.

94. Ability to simplify
Write clearly
Art and copy
Design
Tell stories
Invent
Break free from convention
Execute

95. Ready?
Let’s make some stuff.

96. A/1
What is great?
What is a good ad. Develop taste and judgment. Ability to differentiate good from bad, great from good. On target from magical
and worthy of telling everyone.

97. A/1
What is great?
Purpose:
To help you develop your taste and judgement as to what is great creative.
Find one ad that you consider creatively great and one that you think is terrible. They can be magazine ads, billboards (photograph it), online ads,
posters. Don't use TV for this exercise. Capture them somehow (digitally or torn out).
Prepare to discuss what makes it great or not. What works, what doesn't. Think about what is creative. There are no right answers. This is your
opinion.
Evaluation:
Ability to express yourself and argue in favor of your position.
What is a good ad. Develop taste and judgment. Ability to differentiate good from bad, great from good. On target from magical
and worthy of telling everyone. You may have done similar exercises in Intro, but now we are focusing exclusively on creativity
and what makes something creative. Objective? Yes. But there are agreed upon standards. If you look at award show books and
work that gets talked about, it is often, not always, but often the same.