I shudder to think of all the clients in all the meetings in all the agencies these days who are probably saying, “We need something like Old Spice. Give us something like that.”
Creating advertising that’s simply fun and memorable? It’s easier said than done. But why?
These days, it’s hard to sell clients on fun ideas. They want results, and they want them NOW. And times are tough. The economy is still sputtering, we still have troops involved in foreign wars, oil is still lurking in the Gulf, the stock market is on a roller coaster ride. Not many marketers are willing to risk their jobs, or their brands, for the sake of a little levity.
Plus, most clients don’t have much fun in their jobs. Even if they work in marketing. I’ve been in countless client meetings where you can see the look of relief or jealousy in their eyes because they get to think about creativity for an hour, and it’s more fun than they have the rest of the day. A creative presentation might seem like a welcome break from sales spreadsheets or the Q4 planning PowerPoint deck. But it isn’t. Too many creative presentations only remind clients they have objectives to meet, and goofy, wacky, fun creative ideas won’t move that sales needle.
It’s the subject of my new column on Talent Zoo, which will be on the home page.
