Creativity is not democratic
Why Pretests Don't Fill Stadiums.
No, I don’t even want to get into that. It’s too absurd. All right… let’s indulge in this line of thought: The Stones are holding a group discussion with a small, select portion of their audience, debating what a song is called or which one will make it onto the new album. Scene change: Dalí is discussing with his fans whether it makes sense for clocks to melt like wax. The hand-picked small groups are bribed with apple spritzer, sandwiches, and 50 francs. Absurd, exactly.Admittedly, there may have been a brief discussion among the Stones—internally, of course—but more so to make Charlie (R.I.P.) and Ron feel like they had a say. In the end, though, it was probably Keith and Mick who made the decision. One thing is certain, however: the audience was definitely not asked which song would make it onto the next album.
Pretests in Advertising
Of course, advertising can’t be compared to art in every respect. And yet there are overlaps: first and foremost, of course, creativity—ideally, the creation of something truly new, something that, at its best, touches people, makes them laugh, and/or provides a “aha” moment in a surprising way. The truly crucial point, however, is that people choose to look at art because they think it’s awesome. And that, in my view, is exactly where advertising needs to return.
Instead, in pre-tests, people are forced to view the campaigns and offer their opinions and evaluations. This is where the crucial mistake lies: One of the most important disciplines and tasks of creative advertising is to capture attention—or, as it’s called these days, «stopping power.».
Anyone who doesn't even bother to look at the poster, the movie, or whatever else «out in the wild» won't form an opinion about the brand, product, or service. And therefore won't form a positive one either.
The Courage to «Let Things Happen»
My conclusion isn’t new, but I’d like to reiterate it here on behalf of many fantastic colleagues: Creative—and therefore effective—advertising takes courage. But not just the courage to do something bold, but also the courage to trust your intuition—the courage to let someone with a lot of experience (or, as they say these days, a “track record”) take the lead up to a certain point. Of course, this must be done in very close collaboration with the clients, because there are at least as many fantastic experts on the so-called client side as there are on the agency side.
More Keith and Mick
This kind of courage requires mutual trust. That’s why I’m appealing to everyone: How about if agencies and clients just acted a little more like Keith and Mick? Of course, we could certainly debate who ends up being which of the two. But the satisfaction on both sides would surely be much greater. And the audience would be thrilled.
