1. Soapbox
POPULIST CREATIVITY is at
the heart of good advertising
I
’m on a bit of a mission at the moment – a mission to Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that there isn’t a place for creative
get us back to recognising what’s important about what brilliance, for the kind of work that wins awards. I’m also not suggesting
we do! that we reduce the quality of our work to appeal to the lowest common
Yes, I know that half of you are reading this article on your denominator. But we have a certain responsibility, a responsibility to
iPad or wondering why I’m not blogging it, so it’s no surprise maintain a perfect balance in what we do – which is to produce great
that we’ve become obsessed by mastering the ‘science’ of creative advertising that reaches and, more importantly, resonates with
new technologies. But, as creative people, should we ask if as many people as possible. In short, our job is to develop creative ideas
this pre-occupation is costing us the ‘art’ of what we do! that put the brand at the heart of popular culture.
There’s something that the advertising gurus, on whose In the fast-moving digital world, it is easier than ever to tell stories. Not
shoulders our industry has been built, knew really well! But only does everyone have a story to tell - everybody has someone to tell it
before I get to what that was, let me remind you that in 1938, to. So, how do we get to the really good stories? I think we need to listen
when David Ogilvy started his career, television was in its to the world around us – we need to listen for the stuff that turns us on,
infancy; colour television was unheard of. Until 1977, roughly that makes us think, that makes us say, ‘wow, did you see that story?’
when South African great Robyn Putter started his career, And somewhere in there lies something that will echo with a brand – with
the first movie hadn’t yet been released on video. Can you its essence and, ultimately, with the audience. If we can unearth those
imagine the new communication mediums that men like Ogilvy stories, they will go viral – they will get the YouTube hits by the millions, the
needed to master? Facebook ‘likes’ and all those good things we spend our time chasing.
So what do we do with the challenges that all this new technology There’s a huge opportunity here. We can continually find newer and
brings? I say, we remember what the ad gurus knew best. And cleverer ways to do things. Or we can do what advertising is meant to
that is, that we’re talking to people. And people, all over the world, do – click with the target market, help them on the journey to identifying
love one thing – really good stories! There’ll always be new ways for with our brand by telling stories that they ‘get.’ That genius usually lies in
people to talk to each other. So, it’s not how we reach people but finding the simplest of stories and telling them well.
what we say that resonates. We need to get in touch by telling really In a high-tech world, this is our chance to walk a mile in the shoes of our
captivating stories that resound with those things that are universal, consumers - to articulate and add value to their lives – whether they’re
that we all have in common - the things that make us human. seeing it on Facebook or a billboard or an advert on the side of a taxi.
At Lowe Bull, we’re driven by a philosophy called ‘populist creativity’. Let’s be there – not just for our clients but for the audiences that listens to
Simply put, this is the creation of work that means something to the stories we tell. Let’s tell stories that are empathetic, energetic, playful,
everybody. Work that tells the story of a brand… and in so doing tells honest and, above all, humble.
the story of the people who buy the brand.
BY WAYNE NAIDOO, CEO FOR THE LOWE BULL GROUP
AND CHAIRMAN OF THE ACA.
6 [ the Journal ] J