Creativity’s role to raise awareness - Ad debate on effectiveness vs creativity

Creativity that inspires a brilliant thought to create an advertisement has its place in certain terms, although dependent on the product restraints have to be placed so that the prospective customer will remember the product. To remember a pleasing ad and to forget the product has been termed by the advertising fraternity as a ‘Vampire Video’.

By Sharm de Alwis

A few thoughts have been expressed in this brief note on the theme of creativity vs effectiveness and I dare say there will be a spate of letters to the editor on the subject.

Creativity that inspires a brilliant thought to create an advertisement has its place in certain terms, although dependent on the product restraints have to be placed so that the prospective customer will remember the product. To remember a pleasing ad and to forget the product has been termed by the advertising fraternity as a ‘Vampire Video’.

Forty two years ago when we did not have TV, Ariyasiri Vithanage, then of Grants, introduced to radio the concept of a brief preface as an attention getter to a commercial message. That idea took the world of advertising by storm and galvanised attention to listen to the commercial pitch. Creativity’s role is to create awareness so that the pitch of the message may be delivered to a responsive prospect. Today’s advertising is, by and large, an ego message to the creative team of the agency and seconds tick by as the Vampire Video takes the prominent spot away from the product. The client foots the bill.

Forty-years-ago, in a guileless world of advertising we at Grants and later, the original JWT, put forth compelling ads to suit the product or services. The press campaign for Manhattan shirts with Anandatissa de Alwis’ headline, “Show him that you love him” and body copy by me resulted in girls visiting shops with the ad in hand, wanting a Manhattan shirt. The campaign, was commended by the parent body in New York as a fine piece of soft sell. There were many others of its ilk. Whilst we were paying pooja to the holy grail of creativity, Kingsley Wickramaratne’s advertising agency, ‘Wick’s Advertising’ placed in the newspapers economically prepared paste-up ads which had the desired effect on the prospective customers. The manufacturer had brisk sales without being burdened with huge payments for ‘Concept’. Garret Jayawardena evolved a stunning expression based purely on typography.

So much for the holy cow of creativity and the disciples with unkept facial and head hair.