Creativity’s role
to raise awareness - Ad debate on effectiveness
vs creativity
Creativity that inspires a brilliant thought
to create an advertisement has its place in certain terms, although
dependent on the product restraints have to be placed so that the
prospective customer will remember the product. To remember a pleasing
ad and to forget the product has been termed by the advertising
fraternity as a ‘Vampire Video’.
By Sharm de Alwis
A few thoughts have been expressed in this brief
note on the theme of creativity vs effectiveness and I dare say
there will be a spate of letters to the editor on the subject.
Creativity that inspires a brilliant thought to
create an advertisement has its place in certain terms, although
dependent on the product restraints have to be placed so that the
prospective customer will remember the product. To remember a pleasing
ad and to forget the product has been termed by the advertising
fraternity as a ‘Vampire Video’.
Forty two years ago when we did not have TV, Ariyasiri
Vithanage, then of Grants, introduced to radio the concept of a
brief preface as an attention getter to a commercial message. That
idea took the world of advertising by storm and galvanised attention
to listen to the commercial pitch. Creativity’s role is to
create awareness so that the pitch of the message may be delivered
to a responsive prospect. Today’s advertising is, by and large,
an ego message to the creative team of the agency and seconds tick
by as the Vampire Video takes the prominent spot away from the product.
The client foots the bill.
Forty-years-ago, in a guileless world of advertising
we at Grants and later, the original JWT, put forth compelling ads
to suit the product or services. The press campaign for Manhattan
shirts with Anandatissa de Alwis’ headline, “Show him
that you love him” and body copy by me resulted in girls visiting
shops with the ad in hand, wanting a Manhattan shirt. The campaign,
was commended by the parent body in New York as a fine piece of
soft sell. There were many others of its ilk. Whilst we were paying
pooja to the holy grail of creativity, Kingsley Wickramaratne’s
advertising agency, ‘Wick’s Advertising’ placed
in the newspapers economically prepared paste-up ads which had the
desired effect on the prospective customers. The manufacturer had
brisk sales without being burdened with huge payments for ‘Concept’.
Garret Jayawardena evolved a stunning expression based purely on
typography.
So much for the holy cow of creativity and the
disciples with unkept facial and head hair.
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