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After reading the Top 10 practical takeaways from the Ad Age/Creativity Idea conference in NY last week, we wanted to highlight one point we feel is essential to good creative: thinking outside your industry.
It’s easy to get comfortable and play in the same ballpark as your competition. But when the goal is to stand out, a campaign that “looks like” healthcare or banking — or whatever your industry is — isn’t the best approach. The Ad Age article quotes Arkadi Kuhlmann, chairman and president of ING Direct USA, who said this about connecting with consumers: “If you think about it as banking, you’ll go nowhere. If you think about it as a retail experience, the possibilities are endless.”
This mindset is what leads to campaigns that get noticed, not just within their industry, but outside it as well. A great example is this ad from Gimmix (Malaysia) for MW Bank. A simple message, effectively done. But it doesn’t take the traditional approach you might expect from a banking ad.
An example that is a little more close to home is our client ALM First. They were gutsy enough to allow us to break the branding boundaries of their industry. As consultants to credit unions, they wanted to move away from the typical corporate photography and design that was expected, and leverage more relaxed, lifestyle images that not only connect with their brand message but portray the company as “different from the rest”.
So during your next creative exploratory, step back and look at your approach differently. You just might end up with a brand or campaign that gets attention instead of getting ignored.
Tags: ad age / creativity idea conference / thinking outside the industry / onmessage / alm first