Ganguly wants us to smell him

“You know how I play and speak. But do you know how I smell?”

Check this video:?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9S3shxtF1E

These are the exact words that Ganguly says in the Denver ad. Then he goes on to spray Denver all over him and says that Denver is the “scent of his success”.

Let us visualize it in the real world. Ganguly getting sniffed by a group of people. And, evidently, the smell is extremely foul, since he needs Denver. It can’t get grosser than this!!!

Why then would an ad agency make such an advertisement? Why would Denver pay a hefty sum to make it?

That brings us to the world of creative advertising. What’s that?

It is a form of marketing that uses innovative concepts of storytelling to effectively promote a brand, product or service. Or it might just be a message that needs awareness. The objective is to make the advertisement stand out from the ocean of content that we are subjected to in our daily lives. It is built on the premise that the makers will challenge themselves into making a piece of content that is unique, while not moving away from the actual message that needs to be conveyed.

The following are the aspects of a creative advertisement, prioritized on importance, in my opinion:

• Creativity and Uniqueness;
• Emotional Appeal and Engagement;
• Brand Association and Recall;
• Product Focus.

As you will find, the product focus comes much lower, as creative advertisements are not made to sell products. In fact, in some situations, logical thinking might drive away consumers if they watch such advertisements!!! Remember the cow chewing gum in the Orbit advertisement? If not, watch it here:?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y26D4fZ47w

Why, then, do we use creative advertisements??

Though creative ads deviate from explicitly showcasing the product or service, they exploit the psychology that consumers do not like hard selling. The unconventional approach grabs attention due to its uniqueness and humour, creating a lasting impression in the audience's mind. By associating the brand with a memorable and (often) amusing scenario, the advertisement might effectively engage the audience.

Does that mean that all advertisements should be made in a similar creative manner??

That may not be universally true. There are situations where the product features and functionalities are more important than its need for brand recall. Let us cite the example of the iPhone. Most of us will agree that the Apple iPhone does not need more advertisement solely for brand recall. Everyone and their dog knows the brand and the specific line of product. We need advertisements to focus on the features and functionalities of the model that is currently out in the market (or due to be launched). Putting in too much creativity might dilute the objective here.

Which type of advertisement should you make?

Well, there is nothing written on stone. It needs a lot of brainstorming between the brand managers and the ad agency before you decide on the strategy.

There is only one rule though:

Whatever decision you arrive at, make the advertisement worth watching!?

#brandmanagement #advertising #brandpromotion

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