Tuesday 3 February 2015

Advertising should be a knock out punch


Advertising should be a knock out blow. It has to shake you up like an Ali uppercut - not exhaust you into submission with a points decision. 

Over the last few years, I've noticed loads of ideas being pitched and executed with simply too many moving parts. 

You know the ones. The multi-platformed, omni-channeled ideas that take the audience on an interactive journey of brand discovery with a proverbial game of dominoes. 

First they go on to facebook, where they click through to a landing page, scan in their QR code, fill out a form then watch a video where they can choose their own adventure.

These kind of ideas are making one very large and erroneous assumption: it assumes people give a shit about your brand and its advertising. 

It's based on the anachronistic notion that your audience is waiting with a mental balance sheet to make their buying-decision in a hyper-rational way - a points decision. 

There's volumes of work extolling the benefits of engagement. But you're mistaken if you think people will interact with your ad for the ad's sake. 

If you want to achieve interaction there has to be something in it for the user. And discovering the brand isn't it.  

Ideas have always had to work across channels. That's why we called it the 'big idea'. But, as the industry becomes more and more execution focussed - seeing how many touchpoints we can hit - there's no doubt the 'big idea' is on the ropes. 

Knock-outs are memorable. In seconds they create a moment that sticks with you long after the fact. This is how you want your advertising to be - powerful, lasting and have you gasping for air. 

Plus, who ever saw awarded advertising that involved a tedium of steps? Not me. Awarded ads, which are also effective ads, have one thing in common. They're a knock out blow. 

Christopher Ott

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