Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

Global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers projects worldwide advertisement spending to exceed half-a-trillion dollars by 2010. No doubt the intent of every dollar will be to convince our hapless selves that life is better with Product X or Service Y. It’ll be magical. Surreal. And, mostly unbelievable*

Perhaps, for credibility, the next wave of advertising needs to be more real, less adorned. Perhaps even more memorable because it zags against the convention of typical advertising. It’s been eighteen years since the movie “Crazy People” introduced us to the idea of hyper truth in advertising. Do you remember the legendary Volvo headline from the movie?**

I bet youdo. But, can you name Volvo’s current tagline?

See what I mean? 

I see a few ways to get more bang for our buck by embracing reality advertising.

1. Create more user-generated ads. Both Chevy and Doritos had high profile contests allowing consumers to create Super Bowl ads.

2. Present copy with a stunning degree of “truthiness.” Housework sucks. No cleaning product makes me dance around with a goofy smile while I dust or mop. Get real, people.

3. Create credible ads with unexpectedly low production values. Invest in creative concept but use production to match our lives; cell phone cameras, web cams and home video.

4. Present products in context of a consumer’s life, not the center of it. How many products do you come in contact with during the day? Do you stop, smile, and roll your eyes skyward with each one? Daytime consumer ads would have us to believe every person is blessed-out by cheesy goodness.

5. As provincial as it sounds, invest in the idea not the style.

These suggestions aren’t meant to be cost savings measures. Heck no! Run the ads as much as you can. The purpose of advertising is to compel us to act. Going against the grain of stereotypical ad will be refreshing and unconventional.

What if we reached for products and the label wasn’t face up?

What if we drank coffee without the can on the table?

What if we didn’t disguise other logos that were not ours?

What if people didn’t have rapture face when they tasted our product?

What if car ads weren’t on a closed track featuring professional drivers so we could try it at home?

C’mon Creatives! In this age of irony and user generated media let’s embrace reality in advertising.

*Edelmantrust barometer report that 76% of advertising is not believable.

**Volvo:Boxy, but safe.

I am pretty sure life before PhotoShop was amazing. Imagine seeing a picture and knowing without a shadow of a doubt the picture was accurate and true. The irony of this is when photography was first invented people did not 'believe' in it. Now people accept retouched images as truth without even thinking about it.