Creative boost in the AdCondomeria
Education: The University of St. Gallen held its first AdCademy workshop in collaboration with Advico Young & Rubicam. During the workshop, 36 undergraduate students developed a condom campaign.
Education The University of St. Gallen and Advico Young & Rubicam held the AdCademy workshop for the first time. 36 students at Bachelor level developed a condom campaign. "A qualified understanding of how advertising works and achieves results is not something that can be taken for granted today," says David Allemann, Strategy Director and member of the Executive Board of Advico Young & Rubicam (AY&R). As the person responsible for the AY&R brand valuation model Brand Asset Valuator, which will soon be published, he knows what he is talking about. The short-term focus on sales results or funny advertising gimmicks often prevent brand and advertising ideas that create a long-term competitive advantage. He believes the reason for this is the lack of highly qualified advertising talent on both the client and agency side who also have a deep understanding of good advertising. "We need talented people with a keen eye for outstanding ideas and the courage to push them through even in the face of resistance. Because outstanding ideas almost always meet resistance first," says Allemann. Especially in times of crisis, he adds. The resistance his agency must have encountered and how it asserted itself is revealed by the annual creative ranking: in just a few years, it fell from the medal ranks to eighth place in 2004.
Practical project workHowever, his team has responded to this with innovation, including the AY&R AdCademy. A joint project between the lecturers Torsten Tomczak (Marketing) and Jürg Manella (Psychology) from the University of St. Gallen and AY&R people such as the two creatives Nicolas Vontobel (AD), Martin Stulz (copywriter) and the strategic planner Caspar Coppetti, who was responsible for the overall management and taught the theoretical principles.
The workshop, which was held for the first time a week ago, lasted three days, two of them in St. Gallen and one in Gockhausen at the agency. The 36 Bachelor students worked in groups on a current advertising task: how can a condom brand be revitalized in a time of declining fear of AIDS, new forms of relationships and conservatism? The practical project work was accompanied by theoretical blocks on strategic planning, agency processes and quality controlling.
Martin Stulz rated the participants' advertising skills as generally high: "This was particularly evident in their understanding of the aim of the creative process. Working together made it clear that advertising is not about ticking off a list of requirements, but about clear communication with clear ideas, but also about having fun and being able to pass this on." Coached by him and Nicolas Vontobel, each creative team designed its own advertising campaign based on the positioning developed. At the end of the workshop, which is now part of the university exams, the mini-agencies faced each other in a competitive presentation.
Developable campaignThe three-member jury chose the campaign "Rubberfriend. Man's best friend." - "This claim transforms the condom from an annoying gizmo into a best friend with whom you can share the most intimate experiences," says the evaluation of the winning campaign. The condom should thus leave the sterile pharmacy corner and enter the user's individual life. A product that is unemotional or even perceived as a "lust killer" is thus emotionalized in a funny way. And as the product name virtually represents the advertising concept, brand loyalty is also guaranteed, according to the explanation. The idea also offers plenty of scope for creative implementation. Because best friends have a lot to tell each other.
Among other things, the team relied on advertisements featuring the two best friends' vacation experiences as well as an online diary that reports on their adventures. "In a later phase, the 'Rubberfriend' became an independent personality in the best "My Friend Harvey" tradition, providing its user with advice via radio and stickers, for example," says juror Stulz.
A piquant aspect of the project work: the participants did not learn that AY&R had been managing the Ceylor account of Lamprecht AG for over a year. "We knew that we were dealing with a real case, but as we were working with the code name 'Rubberfriend', we didn't know which brand we were actually dealing with," says HSG student Jessica Merz.
David Allemann does not address the suspicion that AY&R maintains a favorable creative and human resources pool in the AdCademy: "AdCademy is an investment by AY&R in future talent that will not pay off tomorrow." The students still have a few years of study ahead of them. If AY&R or another agency can then offer a graduate one of the few places for a practical start, he is delighted. And when an HSG graduate with an already awakened understanding of brands and advertising becomes active on the client side, too. "Because then the goal of AdCademy has been achieved: talented people with a qualified understanding of advertising in practice."
Caspar Coppetti adds: "The students now have a basic understanding of how advertising is created and which strategic and creative elements are crucial for the effectiveness of a campaign. They also understand - and this is the key success of the AY&R AdCademy - what makes the difference between a boring and an exciting campaign: the surprising creative idea." And that it doesn't just fall into their laps.
Fast learningAdvico's investment "in the future of the advertising industry" also received high marks from the students. "I got my money's worth in terms of creativity and strategy," says participant Jessica Merz.
The insight into practice also opened the eyes of some. "Pouring your heart and soul into an idea for weeks on end and then losing the pitch takes a lot of nerve," said Wolfgang Richter, a member of the winning team. However, he was impressed by the clear view of the "professionals": "One highlight was the input and feedback from our marketing professor and the AY&R creative during our work: both were able to completely understand our way of thinking within seconds and tell us the strengths and weaknesses of our ideas in one sentence."
Despite the praise from both sides and the satisfaction at "how quickly the students started to think like advertising experts", says Caspar Coppetti, it is not yet clear whether AdCademy will remain a pilot project. A new edition is not fixed. The next AY&R AdCademy could possibly take place as early as next year, they say without obligation.
"Investing in the future of the advertising industry "There is no denying a certain similarity to the "Dream Job" broadcast format: 36 HSG students took part in the first AY&R AdCademy. In the three-day block seminar, they had to develop and present their own advertising campaign in groups - as mini advertising agencies, so to speak. The work was assessed by a professional jury in terms of innovative strategy and creative implementation. However, the practical insight into the advertising industry did not consist of
project work alone, but also from theory blocks, such as strategic planning and agency processes, which are taught at the University of
St. Gallen were held.
The joint project between the University of St. Gallen (Marketing: Torsten Tomczak; Psychology: Jürg Manella) and Advico Young & Rubicam (Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann) is a response to the need on both the client and agency side for new, highly qualified advertising talent.
The AY&R AdCademy graduates may not be able to get the cube right even after the block seminar. On the other hand, the workshop is likely to have given them an exciting insight into the new exam subject of "understanding advertising". (la)
"Putting your heart and soul into it": students in the creative phase.
Winning campaign: "Rubberfriend", the talking rubber.
Luca Aloisi
Practical project workHowever, his team has responded to this with innovation, including the AY&R AdCademy. A joint project between the lecturers Torsten Tomczak (Marketing) and Jürg Manella (Psychology) from the University of St. Gallen and AY&R people such as the two creatives Nicolas Vontobel (AD), Martin Stulz (copywriter) and the strategic planner Caspar Coppetti, who was responsible for the overall management and taught the theoretical principles.
The workshop, which was held for the first time a week ago, lasted three days, two of them in St. Gallen and one in Gockhausen at the agency. The 36 Bachelor students worked in groups on a current advertising task: how can a condom brand be revitalized in a time of declining fear of AIDS, new forms of relationships and conservatism? The practical project work was accompanied by theoretical blocks on strategic planning, agency processes and quality controlling.
Martin Stulz rated the participants' advertising skills as generally high: "This was particularly evident in their understanding of the aim of the creative process. Working together made it clear that advertising is not about ticking off a list of requirements, but about clear communication with clear ideas, but also about having fun and being able to pass this on." Coached by him and Nicolas Vontobel, each creative team designed its own advertising campaign based on the positioning developed. At the end of the workshop, which is now part of the university exams, the mini-agencies faced each other in a competitive presentation.
Developable campaignThe three-member jury chose the campaign "Rubberfriend. Man's best friend." - "This claim transforms the condom from an annoying gizmo into a best friend with whom you can share the most intimate experiences," says the evaluation of the winning campaign. The condom should thus leave the sterile pharmacy corner and enter the user's individual life. A product that is unemotional or even perceived as a "lust killer" is thus emotionalized in a funny way. And as the product name virtually represents the advertising concept, brand loyalty is also guaranteed, according to the explanation. The idea also offers plenty of scope for creative implementation. Because best friends have a lot to tell each other.
Among other things, the team relied on advertisements featuring the two best friends' vacation experiences as well as an online diary that reports on their adventures. "In a later phase, the 'Rubberfriend' became an independent personality in the best "My Friend Harvey" tradition, providing its user with advice via radio and stickers, for example," says juror Stulz.
A piquant aspect of the project work: the participants did not learn that AY&R had been managing the Ceylor account of Lamprecht AG for over a year. "We knew that we were dealing with a real case, but as we were working with the code name 'Rubberfriend', we didn't know which brand we were actually dealing with," says HSG student Jessica Merz.
David Allemann does not address the suspicion that AY&R maintains a favorable creative and human resources pool in the AdCademy: "AdCademy is an investment by AY&R in future talent that will not pay off tomorrow." The students still have a few years of study ahead of them. If AY&R or another agency can then offer a graduate one of the few places for a practical start, he is delighted. And when an HSG graduate with an already awakened understanding of brands and advertising becomes active on the client side, too. "Because then the goal of AdCademy has been achieved: talented people with a qualified understanding of advertising in practice."
Caspar Coppetti adds: "The students now have a basic understanding of how advertising is created and which strategic and creative elements are crucial for the effectiveness of a campaign. They also understand - and this is the key success of the AY&R AdCademy - what makes the difference between a boring and an exciting campaign: the surprising creative idea." And that it doesn't just fall into their laps.
Fast learningAdvico's investment "in the future of the advertising industry" also received high marks from the students. "I got my money's worth in terms of creativity and strategy," says participant Jessica Merz.
The insight into practice also opened the eyes of some. "Pouring your heart and soul into an idea for weeks on end and then losing the pitch takes a lot of nerve," said Wolfgang Richter, a member of the winning team. However, he was impressed by the clear view of the "professionals": "One highlight was the input and feedback from our marketing professor and the AY&R creative during our work: both were able to completely understand our way of thinking within seconds and tell us the strengths and weaknesses of our ideas in one sentence."
Despite the praise from both sides and the satisfaction at "how quickly the students started to think like advertising experts", says Caspar Coppetti, it is not yet clear whether AdCademy will remain a pilot project. A new edition is not fixed. The next AY&R AdCademy could possibly take place as early as next year, they say without obligation.
"Investing in the future of the advertising industry "There is no denying a certain similarity to the "Dream Job" broadcast format: 36 HSG students took part in the first AY&R AdCademy. In the three-day block seminar, they had to develop and present their own advertising campaign in groups - as mini advertising agencies, so to speak. The work was assessed by a professional jury in terms of innovative strategy and creative implementation. However, the practical insight into the advertising industry did not consist of
project work alone, but also from theory blocks, such as strategic planning and agency processes, which are taught at the University of
St. Gallen were held.
The joint project between the University of St. Gallen (Marketing: Torsten Tomczak; Psychology: Jürg Manella) and Advico Young & Rubicam (Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann) is a response to the need on both the client and agency side for new, highly qualified advertising talent.
The AY&R AdCademy graduates may not be able to get the cube right even after the block seminar. On the other hand, the workshop is likely to have given them an exciting insight into the new exam subject of "understanding advertising". (la)
"Putting your heart and soul into it": students in the creative phase.
Winning campaign: "Rubberfriend", the talking rubber.
Luca Aloisi
