The Creative Side Message Strategy Advertising Science and

The Creative Side & Message Strategy

Advertising… Science and Art • Effective Advertising is a combination of Science and Art – Creative Dimension Art – Strategic Dimension Science • 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 • “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) Effective Ads Relevant Original Impact

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 New names Similarities New Definitions Left brain Create names for the products look for similarities between dissimilar objects 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 – Ideation – – Brainfog Incubation Illumination Evaluation • Brain storming Dig out everything about problem Think of all the possible ways and develop as many ideas as possible may give up relax and let subconscious think Light bulb on and idea comes will it work as per strategy

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 – Cognitive – Affective – Persuasion – Association – Behavior Create Attention, Awareness, Interest, Recognition and recall Deliver information and understanding Touch Emotions and create feelings change attitudes, create conviction and preferences establish brand identity and associations 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 – Interest – Memory Stop Pull 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