Advertising – Legacy Thinking
- by gmashworth
- in Advertising
- posted June 4, 2017
I was recently sent a short clip of eNCA’s Maggs on Media interview back in May, which featured Richard Mulholland—business thinker, highly regarded speaker and author of Legacide: Why Legacy Thinking Is the Silent Killer of Innovation.
“Innovation is not about changing your product; it’s about changing your mind-set. It’s not about doing something new; it’s about stopping doing something old.” — traceymcdonaldpublishers.com
I’m not sure whether Richard was bemoaning the entire global advertising industry or a specific region (presumably South Africa). In any case, Richard believes it is the least evolved industry. He commented that the banking world has evolved banking, and yet agencies 50 years ago had creative directors and copywriters—which still exist in the same form today. Richard feels the advertising industry is so far up its own a** and only cares about awards. He later went on to say that awards should go, as they are promoting the wrong behaviour; they promote creative work rather than effective work.
I had never heard of Richard Mulholland until I watched this interview, but I found his views refreshing. He has strong opinions—but I like that. Whether I agree with him or not, I believe the creative industry should have more people like Richard who express their opinions in such a raw and direct manner. Should awards become redundant? Awards are recognition for exceptional work, but I’m just not sure all awards are unbiased and awarded fairly. I do feel the advertising industry needs to take his remarks on board, as well as anyone who works within marketing, communications and related professions.
In my opinion, advertising in some sectors follows the same format and can become dull and too repetitive. In some cases, the repetition of stock imagery, as well as the overuse of stereotypes, is unbearable. Whatever the company, the service or the product, their advertising material leaves me with a sense of déjà vu. To some extent, it’s understandable because originality is almost impossible in the 21st century. However, I don’t necessarily look for originality, but rather whether the preferred approach is appropriate and well executed.
The whole point of advertising is to sell a product or service and/or convey a strong message. But most industries have fierce competition and therefore the objective is to stand out—and for the right reasons. For example, everyone knows Nando’s Restaurants and their delicious chicken. Nando’s adopted humour, rather than solely focusing their marketing on pictures of food. These clever and funny one-liners, some of which reference current events, were a bold and risky move—which ultimately paid off.
Many companies have devised gimmicks, such as comparethemarket.com using a meerkat character with a Russian accent called Sergei—a wacky concept that made them stand out amongst a sea of insurance companies. One company whose commercials I’ve seen recently that makes me cringe is Vitamilk. I’m actually on the fence as to whether Vitamilk is completely oblivious to the fact that their commercials are ridiculously cheesy, or whether their commercials are purposely cheesy. They’re certainly memorable, but I’m not sure it’s for the right reasons.
There are many organisations with amazing and inspiring advertising campaigns, which serve as a benchmark. It’s frustrating to see so many others repeating the same styles over and over again, paying a premium for ineffective material. Even serious campaigns, like those targeting drink driving, can be hit or miss. I’ve seen an advert use beetroots on a chopping board to suggest the impact of losing a loved one stays with their family and friends forever. Beetroots!?
Since I’ve been living in Southern Africa and watching South African commercials, I’ve noticed alcohol (in various forms) is a huge commodity. Yet all the commercials follow a similar theme—people hanging out at a bar, having fun or having a party and (of course) drinking. Whether it be beer, stout, gin or vodka, the focus is not the brand but rather the culture—the drinking culture. Drinking is an issue in this part of the world, but commercials firmly focus on the before and leave out the after.
I was sad to see the Guinness brand being diluted and treated like all the other brands. One of their most famous commercials known as “Surfer,” is a 60-second TV commercial, which tells the tale of a surfer conquering a massive wave under unique circumstances. The commercial was poetic, metaphysical, mythological, and philosophical. The commercial gained international acclaim and numerous awards. It was even hailed by Channel 4, The Sunday Times, and The Savory as the best ad ever. But I don’t see this quality anymore.
In fairness, advertising is an enormous challenge—and as the interviewer said, there’s a comfort in familiarity. “We’ve always done it this way… this worked in the past…” This is the mind-set Richard Mulholland wants to change. Richard highlighted that in order for change to happen, it must come from the top and filter down. The CEOs and the MDs—they need to change their mind-set and their culture. I agree. Let’s be honest, advertising and marketing is one of the few areas of business where you can actually have some fun!
“Keep it simple. Let’s do the obvious thing – the common thing – but let’s do it uncommonly well.”
— Leo Burnett, Founder of Leo Burnett Worldwide advertising agency
What do you think?