Are clients promoting scam ads?
A lot of things were said at the recently concluded Cannes Advertising Festival.
One view that John Hegarty shared while bemoaning the fact that Cannes Lions is awash with fake work stuck with me: “One of the great tragedies is that clients are involved. They are trying to get more fame within their own organisation.”
I would agree. There was a time when agencies initiated scam ads for their own glory and clients did not mind playing along. Now it would seem, clients are actively pushing for such ads for their own 15 minutes of fame.
Take the film below for example. It’s from Kimberly Clark Thailand for its Kleenex tissues. It won some awards at Cannes in the branded content category. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great piece of work in terms of storytelling, film craft and execution. As the 6-minute film without a single cut rolls on, you even relate to the underdog and want to see redemption. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLPgBwrMeFg
It’s all well but then you also wonder what purpose does this film really serve? Will the film actually help to move the sales needle? If sales is not the objective (though every piece of communication should ultimately contribute to sales), is it to change the perception or reinforce a current perception? In that case, what is that perception?
How does it address the issue of bullying for which the film was supposedly made and what is the Kleenex connection? Is it to communicate #GentleNotWeak, a category benefit that is communicated as the end tagline? Would it have been better to work on a key brand insight instead?
But my real quarrel is what exactly will the film and other such gratuitious initiatives do to help sales?
Kleenex, like most other low-involvement FMCG brands are struggling to stave off stiff competition. Local and supermarket housebrands of comparable quality are up to 40% cheaper. At this rate, how sustainable is it for Kleenex to continue in this category at their current prices?
Viewed against this backdrop, the film could be seen as an indulgence on the part of the Agency and Client working in cahoots to get Cannes recognition. Or as Mr. Hegarty says, ‘more fame within their own organisation’.
Instead of coming up with disruptive strategies to shore up the Kleenex brand against the competitive onslaught, are we hastening its fall by allocating resources on misguided initiatives? Scam ads is the virus that has proved the death knell of many advertising agencies especially in this region. As the industry tries to find its feet again, the last thing one wants is for clients abbetting scam.
Everyone - Clients, Agencies, Award Shows - have to come together to vehemently oppose scam in every form – and not just pay lip service. We have to adopt a foolproof way of identifying and rewarding real creative work - Ads like the now famous #Tide film aired in the recent Superbowl – a breaktrhrough in every sense of the word and not surprisingly, also a deserving winner at Cannes 2018.
#Cannes #CannesLions #ScamAds #Scam #KleenexTissues #KimberlyClark #Cannes2018