Well, the Chillies have come and gone and this is somewhat a long overdue postmortem.
The Chillies looked hot before the event, and the hype was good.
However, I think it was the best self-analysis that ever took place in the local ad-industry. It was an eye-opener, a reality check. A show that showed us the naked truth about local advertising standards.
There was a significant enthusiasm about the awards within the advertising crowd, and I believe there was a good number of entries as well. All, but few (like Ogilvy), participated in the event. It was a success, in terms of the number of entries received.
However, majority of the work I saw on display at TransAsia was mediocre. They lacked originality. They lacked craftsmanship. They lacked thought. There was no passion behind the work. There was no innovation.
Saddest part is that, most of the work reminded me of the Archives, the D&AD's, the New York Festivals and the One Show. I knew that I had seen the "idea" somewhere else before. Was it the imported creative director trying to recycle ideas, or was it the local talent lifting ideas off the books, or was it sheer coincidence, I wouldn't know...
I don't even want to know.
But why can't we be original? "Steal with Pride" says Unilever - when they see a great marketing idea.
We should never apply that to local advertising. Because, we are different. Sri Lankans behave differently to news. The Western theories don't work most of the time, unless and otherwise it is a simple, universal truth.
Throw a cracker on the street and we'll see hundreds of inquisitive Sri Lankans gather around. The Europeans or the Japanese don't behave in that manner. It is easy for us to gather a crowd and pass a message across. It is easier for us to manipulate the way people think.
We are great at spreading rumors. We love movies. So much so, we just watch even the Hindi ones without understanding the dialogue. Unlike the West, we are a lot more receptive to communication channels. And there are a dozen unique communication channels that are hardly being exploited by the advertising agencies. There are perhera's, gam-madu ulela's, viridu kaarayaa's, anda-bera kaarayaa's and even kelaa paththare's to tell your consumer what he wants to hear.
We don't have to work hard to bring a brand to life in the consumer's life, if ONLY we think beyond the box. That's "activation" and that's "experiential marketing" that everyone is talking about.
There are unique communications channels available and a ready listener waiting. Just be original, be different, and do something new. Win an award. Come up with an "idea" that Neil French would be jealous of.
Advertising is about ideas. It's about great ideas that win awards. Not only here, but all over the world.
I can't even imagine how Paracetol "pettha vs pottha" got a nomination for the campaign of the year. How can it be campaign-able when the idea:
a) doesn't translate to Tamil
b) doesn't translate to English
c) doesn't have any other executions (ad 2, ad 3, ad 4 and so on) in the "campaign"
d) doesn't seamlessly evolve?
And, of course, I would like to see what the follow-up ad would be like.
It was a good tactical ad, but was never a campaign.
Then there was the Surf Excel Sellam - a great activation example - which, unfortunately didn't get noticed much becuase the judges had no idea what "activation" was all about.
There are some more examples - but I guess I have made my point.
We are at the infancy of global advertising standards, but the Chillies was a good start. Let's work on the ideas, originality, craftsmanship and polish-up our work; let's be uniquely Sri Lankan. Then, and only then, shall we be able to compare ourselves with the big boys in advertising.
I agree with you that Sri Lankan advertising has a long way to go though most ad agencies act as if they are at the apex of the industry. But don't you think Sri Lankan ad agencies have a more challenging task because the ad, whether it is print, radio, tv or any other medium, has to almost always be in Sinhala, Tamil and English. As you pointed out, the "peththa n pottha" ad only made sense in Sinhala. But then again it is not easy to come up with a concept that would make sense to all segments of our diverse society. So the bar is extra high for Sri Lankan Advertising.
ReplyDeleteTrue, the bar is extra high for Sri Lankans - not becuase of the three languages. It's high because most haven't got any formal education in advertising (no University in the Island offers Advertising) and they have to educate themselves on the job before becoming brilliant at what they do. If you are not brilliant, if you are not great, you can't win awards.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant "ideas" (I mean ideas, not words) are borderless, they work in any language, in any society, in any culture. Like the Absolute bottle. Or the Dove testimonials. They run for generations, breeding different executions everytime.
Language is never a barrier for a great creative mind: just look at India - they speak a different language in every state. But, the good ideas travel, they find a way to touch a consumer's heart without much effort. A good ad can touch you even if the volume is muted.
I think the Cultural differences are a lot more challenging - but fortunately, we are not that diverse in Sri Lanka. Sinhala and Tamil races have been intertwined for thousands of years, and they both embrace English in the same manner. Our sense of humor is the same, the way we react to something is also is pretty much similar. In a cultural melting-pot like Dubai, the challenge is far greater - becuase an ad that speaks to an Egyptian would not even get close to an Indian or an American. But they all might want the same product, same brand.
That's what I call a challenge in advertising.
I agree on almost every comment you had, but would you agree that creativity should blend in with the prime motive behind the campaign or the objectives of the client. Unless otherwise, there can be a very creative campaign which will ruin the whole image of the brand, while wasting the money of the client by deviating from what it was meant to be, as most of our clients are not sure of what they really want. (And think that is what SLIM tried to convey before the whole "chilles" thing took off the ground)
ReplyDeleteI agree on almost every comment you had, but would you agree that creativity should blend in with the prime motive behind the campaign or the objectives of the client. Unless otherwise, there can be a very creative campaign which will ruin the whole image of the brand, while wasting the money of the client by deviating from what it was meant to be, as most of our clients are not sure of what they really want. (And I think that is what SLIM tried to convey before the whole "chilles" thing took off the ground)
ReplyDeleteKrizworld,
ReplyDeleteDavid Ogilvy said "We sell, or else..." and that is one of the key beliefs in Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, while agencies like Young & Rubicam believe in winning more awards than moving goods off the shelf. Cleary, different agencies have different agendas.
I, for one, believe in O&M school - in selling or else..! Clients and agencies MUST work on building brands, a strong brand will sell itself. If your one and only objective is to "create great ads" (and would care much about the brand), go have art exhibitions.
The problem with ultra-creative advertising is that, it overtakes the product/brand and the consumer would remember the ad about the cheetah jumping off the cliff but won't remember what it was for.
It's a fine line we are walking, but, I guess, if one follows his gut-feel and let common sense prevail, he won't go wrong in advertising.