The Creative Side & Message Strategy

Advertising… Science and Art

• Effective Advertising is a combination of Science and Art– Creative Dimension Art– Strategic DimensionScience

• Ideally an ad – Needs to contain a persuasive message that

convinces people to take action – Must make a relevant connection with its audience

and present a selling idea in an unexpected way

Creative Strategy

Effective Ads

Relevant Original Impact

• “Advertising: the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.”– Stephen Leacock (Canadian Humorist)

• “Creative without strategy is called art; creative with strategy is called advertising.”– Jeff I. Richards (Advertising Professor)

Big Idea in Advertising• Big Idea

– Idea is a new combination of thoughts– New combinations comes by seeing new relationships– Metaphors and analogies are great way to create relations – Taking the creative leap!– Creative concept that implements the advertising strategy so

that the message is both attention grabbing and memorable– It is expressed visually and verbally to express the complete

thought– Looks at things from a different, unobvious perspective

• Example: Got Milk Campaign– Big Idea: People drink milk with certain foods and if it is

unavailable, then they get frustrated

Creative Advertising

• Creative Idea – A new combination of thoughts – A thought that comes from placing 2 previously unrelated

concepts together– No one else has thought of it before

• Copycat Advertising! – The original sin

• 80% Pakistani ads • 50% American ads (John Eimy, Advertising Expert)

• Challenge – Original + Interesting ideas (esp. for boring products)

Starter’s Guide to Better Creativity

To Do

• Unexpected Twist• Unexpected

Association• Catchy Phrasing• Play on Words• Analogy / Metaphor• Familiar & Strange

Not To Do

• The Common• The Look-Alike• Cliches• The Tasteless

The Creative Leap

• A process of jumping from the strategy statement to an original idea that conveys the strategy in an interesting way

• Moving from the safety of a predictable strategy statement to an unusual idea that hasn’t been tried before

• Also called Creative Risk• Copy Testing is done to control the risk

Creative Thinking• Common technique is to use unusual association

– Strategic idea Tire durable and dependable– Creative leap takes to family protection– Creative Idea Baby sitting in a tire

• See the problem in a novel and unexpected way

Techniques

– Free Association– Divergent Thinking– Analogies and Metaphors– Right Brain Thinking

Creative Thinking Continues

• Creative Aerobics• It’s a thought starter/idea generating process• Head (Rational) and Heart (Emotional) appeals• 4 Steps

– Facts Left brain– New names Create names for the products– Similarities look for similarities between dissimilar objects – New Definitions Thanda boley to

Creative Roles• Creative people are high risk takers, original thinkers and creative

problem solvers• Independent, Assertive, Self Sufficient, persistent, Powerful egos,

don’t care about opinions, have inborn skepticism and strong curiosity

• Creative Director and Team• Creative Leap- Idea

• Art Director• Creative Leap-Execution

Characteristics• Problem Solving• The Ability to Visualize• Openness to new experiences• Concept thinking

The Creative Process• How to get an Idea• It’s a difficult process as requires lot of reading, study,

analysis, testing, debates, discussions, traveling, meeting different people, watching movies, TV shows etc by creative people

• Steps:– Immersion Dig out everything about problem– Ideation Think of all the possible ways and develop as

many ideas as possible– Brainfog may give up– Incubation relax and let subconscious think– Illumination Light bulb on and idea comes– Evaluation will it work as per strategy

• Brain storming

Creative Strategy

• Creative Art• Strategy Science

So a big idea must be – creative (Original. Different, Novel and Unexpected)– Strategic (right for the product & target, meets the

advertising objectives)

• Advertising Creativity is about solving the communication problem

Message Strategy• Creative Strategy or Message Strategy is what the

advertisement says• Message Objectives

– What you want the message to accomplish• Facet Model for message/advertisement effectiveness

– Perception Create Attention, Awareness, Interest, Recognition and recall

– Cognitive Deliver information and understanding– Affective Touch Emotions and create feelings– Persuasion change attitudes, create conviction and

preferences– Association establish brand identity and associations– Behavior Stimulate trail, purchase, re-purchase,

• Head and Heart Strategies• Hard and Soft Sell Strategies• Lectures and Drama

Messages that drive Perception (Awareness Strategy)

• Objective– Attention & Awareness Stop– Interest Pull– Memory Stick

• Not only advertising have to stop (get attention) and pull (create interest), it also has to stick (in memory)

• Techniques– Shockvertising– High Contrast – Storytelling– Jingles– Clever slogans– Colors, shapes, key visuals & brand characters

Messages that drive Cognition(Information Strategy)

• Objective Understanding

• Techniques– Claims / Straightforward– PODs & features– Long copy ads / Infomercials

Messages that Persuade(Persuasion Strategy)

• Objective Attitudes; conviction & preference• Techniques

– Selling premises– Comparison– Demonstration– Problem-Solution/Problem Avoidance– Slice of life– Testimonials– Endorsements– Interview / audience involvement

Messages that touch Emotions(Emotion Strategy)

• Objective emotions, liking

• Techniques– Humor / Comedy / Satire (Ufone)– Sex & fear appeals (Motorazr)– Fantasy & surrealism– Song & dance

Messages That Transform a Product into a Brand (Brand Strategy)

• Objective Associations, brand meaning

• Techniques– Brand characters– Image & lifestyle ads– Simple identity cues

Messages that drive Action(Action Strategy)

• Objective Trial, purchase, etc.

• Techniques– Call-to-action– Price ads– Reinforcement / Reminder ads