How you could improve advertising
I’ve taken the time here to recap the last 10 lessons. Now it’s your turn, before we give in to creativity. By Theophil Butz, graphic designer, advertising agency owner, source of inspiration, and—for over a year and a half now—also a complainer for *Werbewoche* readers. Please send relevant comments to [email protected]
In January's Motz, I explained the following theory based on the banal illustrations for the casino advertisement: The design medium of illustration undoubtedly has a high entertainment, attention and memorization value. But advertising with illustrations cannot be an idea. You need an idea beforehand, which you then overdraw with the appropriate painter, puppet maker or caricaturist. It's that simple.
This was followed by a description of the fear virus in Motz No. 2. Large clients are particularly affected. The remedy for this must be administered by advertisers with courage, creativity and without Pampers. Please memorize! I maintain that the decline in advertising volume, especially in print, is not only due to the economic situation. Consumers also want to be entertained and not bored. That's clear.
In March, I complained that automotive advertising is interchangeable and therefore ineffective. We learned from this that we should not implement a boring customer briefing exactly one-to-one, but in a more profiled, non-interchangeable and original way. That's not a problem.
Stop taking part in competitor presentations. That's where cheeky, attention-grabbing campaigns are created. But these usually end up in the drawer. Read more about this under the title "The pitch nonsense".
If you create the product name, corporate identity and advertising in-house for cost reasons, you shouldn't be surprised if you don't succeed. There are enough excellent professionals. They may cost money, but in the end the cost savings are many times higher. So hands off tinkering.
Continuity is an important recipe for success in advertising. It is wrong, however, to use the same joke over and over again for years. A good example of this is the Graubünden tourism advertising with the ibexes. The same concept, but always fresh and new.
In Advertising Week, I preach that you should train young talent. In strategy, graphics, copywriting, film and new media. Switzerland has an excellent reputation to defend. Even the day after tomorrow.
We are a small country and should not implement good ideas with elaborate Hollywood productions. The Coop ch-ch-ch campaign has thus lost its charm. Reduction is also part of the recipe for success. Finito, punto.
Emotional products such as Swiss, Swiss Casinos and Zürifäscht deserve more creative and emotional advertising. I don't want to have to watch anything boring in future.
I'm taking a break for four weeks now and you still have to recap.
