The Lost Art of Fun: Has Creativity in Advertising Fallen Victim to Seriousness??

Advertising. A space where being weird and daring was once celebrated and probably meant you'd win some awards. But as usual, times change and now metrics and data reign supreme, and between then and now, one vital ingredient seems to have gone missing: fun.

If you, like me, are a member of the more commercial part of business, you might have heard about the ongoing debate about whether creativity in advertising has fallen victim to the insufferable sickness of seriousness and if the art of fun has been lost in mountains of data and metrics.

Often it is the increased competition, the rise of digital marketing, and the need to reach diverse audiences that takes the blame for pushing advertisers to exercise data-driven decision-making and strategies. And with the pressure to deliver ROI taking on a more analytical approach and sacrificing the lifeblood of advertising in favor of delivering data-backed messages to targeted demographics.

But creativity, the advertising lifeblood, is what sets extraordinary campaigns apart from the mundane, and it is the only chance we have to get a glimpse of hope of capturing attention and generating interest in a galaxy of competing brands and content. It is the 'je ne sais quoi' that makes us go, "Fuck! Wish I came up with that," and then fighting the urge to apply for a job at that agency or company.

But do the two seemingly different approaches to advertising make this a blue pill vs. red pill situation?

Admittedly, no one has asked me to pitch in my two cents about this (I know. I can't believe it either), it is purely my own ego that has taken it upon itself, as one's ego does when it has access to social platforms.

And with complete disregard for how difficult it is to make a definitive statement about an entire industry, people who knew less than me have done more, so I feel completely confident that I can write my way to the bottom of this page and make it worth your while in the process.

An unfathomable concept between unicorns and real life

Creativity as a concept can feel like a wild uncatchable horse running the plains sometimes. It has an iridescent mystery to it much like Bigfoot and unicorns, and it feels like glitter, air, and fun wrapped in an invisibility cloak.

And it is, except when you want it to be something else.

Creativity is - to me at least - the ideas that we have given enough space to grow, whether it is from something, everything, anything, or nothing. And it is characterized by its limitlessness and lack of boundaries - unless you give it some. And it definitely doesn't come when you call or need it the most.

And I guess that is the iridescent mystery surrounding creativity or creative ideas; it doesn't exist until it does.

It is playfulness, innovation, taking a chance, doing something out of the ordinary that gives you sweaty palms, rethinking and redoing. Sometimes it turns into extreme $10 million-dollar investments and billboards on the moon, and other times it is a change of color, clever storytelling, events, compelling visuals, or new innovative concepts.

Creativity allows us to convey sparkly, provocative, funny, weird, brave, and complex ideas and strike an emotional chord with our audiences, like laughter, joy, nostalgia, empathy, or even a sense of inspiration. It enables us to communicate brands' unique selling propositions, positioning, and brand personality wherever and however we want. It influences our consumers' attitudes, preferences, purchasing decisions, and is able to drive actions like visiting a website or hitting a 'follow' button.

In other words, creativity is the only fair competitive advancement all brands, agencies, and companies have access to, and the only element between memorable campaigns and just another promotional piece floating around.

But somewhere along the way, we seem to have lost touch with the spirit of playfulness that once defined our industry.

Between creative ideas and making them perform, data-driven marketing strategies and decision-making transformed advertising by providing valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences with Swiss-like precision, which has allowed us marketers to target, optimize, monitor, track, attribute, and enhance everything under the sun.

And with little resistance, we became so fixated on data-driven decisions and delivering ROI to the point that it feels as if we've forgotten the joy that comes from embracing our creative instincts.

And just like that, we put a price tag on creativity and having fun.

Advertising was once a realm of boundless imagination, where ideas sprouted from moments of unadulterated fun. We reveled in the process of brainstorming, letting our minds wander and exploring uncharted territories.

But today, the focus on data-driven decision-making has shifted the paradigm. We prioritize proven strategies and preconceived formulas, leaving little room for wild experimentation or the serendipitous discovery of breakthrough ideas because we question if it is worth it in time and money - and what is the expected outcome anyway? And the consequence is a creative cookie-cutter landscape of advertising, where campaigns blend together in a sea of sameness.

Honestly, I can barely say the words 'Black Friday' without envisioning mountains of black-colored ads with no distinct traits except for their logos, and the annual flabbergasted articles celebrating brands who "chose not to participate in the annual feast to hail capitalism" only to double down at Christmas and in January sales.

Have we become afraid to take risks? To color outside the lines and embrace the unexpected? Is this a part of the reason why our audiences are growing increasingly immune to the noise, craving authenticity and novelty?

Don't get me wrong!

Creatives love data as well. We love to see that what we came up with is loved by others than ourselves - and it performs! And we can all agree that what we create as advertisers has to work - and the only way to tell is through data. So this is not an 'us' vs. 'them' or a red-pill vs. blue-pill situation. Merely a reflection if what we are doing is the best or only way.

Because between having creative ideas and making them perform, data-driven marketing strategies and decision-making transformed advertising by providing valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences with Swiss-like precision, which has allowed us marketers to target, retarget, optimize, monitor, track, attribute, and enhance everything under the sun.

And so by leveraging data from various sources such as websites, social media platforms, purchases, and customer interactions, we can gain a deeper understanding of our customers beyond demographic information, purchasing patterns, interests, and more.

Armed with this knowledge, we can not only create detailed buyer personas and segment our customer base effectively but also tailor our marketing campaigns to specific customer groups, delivering personalized messages and experiences, analyzing ad performance, engagement metrics, conversion rates, and determining which marketing channels, campaigns, or messaging strategies are most effective.

The possibilities with data-driven marketing and decision-making seem endless.

But are we having fun?

I can't help but sit with a two-faceted feeling and one opinion.

On one hand, my right one, the one I write with, my creative hand, I get a feeling that advertising has taken on an almost formulaic approach where the equation just doesn't allow us to go wild and crazy but rather promotes uninspired-borderline-mass-produced-tested-so-we-get-across-the-finish-line advertising. And I can't decide whether it is a time or money issue (probably both). Or if we just don't care anymore? It is this constant vibe of if you can't prove why you should go with the wild and crazy ideas and what economical benefits it will reap vs. the investment, then why bother? It is a constantly nagging thought of having to justify having ideas - or as I said - put a price tag on creativity and fun. And it makes me want to scream.

On the other hand, my left, the one I always start counting with, I have to admit that I like when 2+2 equals 4. I'm not oblivious to the need for data-driven marketing and decision-making. I use it all the time to justify marketing investments, decode customer behavior, and see if we succeeded with our efforts or not. And I'm not going to lie; there is no better feeling than seeing those money-green numbers that our efforts was worth while and we did well. And data can serve as creative inspiration too. And when I browse LinkedIn and see performance marketers getting on each other's nerves questioning each other's metrics and calculations, I instantly get equal feelings of admiration and intimidation. And sometimes, I secretly wish I was a bigger part of that club.

But after having sat with these almost theatrical points of view and a cup of coffee, I have come to this...

1. Thank you for reading this far along. Did not expect it. At all. Hope you read every word I threw your way with a skeptical glare, as you should with everyone's words.
2. Our balance sucks.

The lacking feeling of fun in advertising is not due to the fact that we don't want to have fun. Or that creativity doesn't matter anymore and we have accepted the bare minimum.

We simply do not allow ourselves to take principled risks. Instead, we demand certainty - certainty that our time is not wasted and our money will reproduce itself. And when certainty is not guaranteed, we become almost paralyzed and turn back to our proven tactics and miss out on creating magic, learning and growing.

And that is what is smothering the fun in advertising. In my opinion.

One time I heard someone say that it is healthy for brands to have a pair of shoes to fill - something to grow into. Just a little. And to this day, I still believe those words are true. If we want our businesses and brands to grow, we depend on pushing the boundaries of what we are already doing and becoming little daredevils. And for our advertising to evolve, we need creativity and fun - something that can help us envision the wildest things that can help us level up as a brand and as a business. Something that data alone cannot provide.

Creativity and creative ideas are not doing something for the sake of doing it - it can be, but it can also take the form of calculated, data-backed, strategic campaigns and tactics. And still bring the magic. Just look at some of the incredible campaigns that are honored each year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity .

We need to be better at creating space for imaginative exploration and consciously decide to prioritize the time and the money it takes to pursue some of the wild ideas that excite us, and be okay with uncertainty.

Embracing a culture that values curiosity, playfulness, spontaneity, and encourages interdisciplinary collaborations, where diverse perspectives intersect and spark new and unconventional concepts. We can reignite the creative fire instead of strangling ourselves and our work with seriousness which block out the air, the freedom, the fun, and the outside-of-the-box thinking that we so desperately seek.

Remember, great advertising should make us smile, laugh, or even gasp in wonder. It should make our audiences feel something more than foaming around the mouth because of big discounts that could literally have been from anyone!

And if we succeed - the numbers on our pretty spreadsheets will follow.

By injecting a sense of feeling into our campaigns, we can forge connections with audiences on a deeper level, leaving lasting impressions that is not only reflected in sales but will transcend the transactional.

I'm not saying you should be the miracle worker with every piece of content you put out there or that every campaign has to be lavish and grand Cannes Lion campaigns that borderlines emotional porn at every point of contact.

But merely... that it's time to infuse the advertising industry with a renewed sense of joy and playfulness. Let's shed the burden of seriousness and rediscover the boundless possibilities that creativity offers. Breathe some life back into advertising, captivating our audiences with campaigns that not only deliver results but also remind us all of the magic and excitement that brought us here in the first place.

We can't afford not to have fun. If you ask me.

#Advertising #Creativity #Fun #EmbraceImagination #Strategy #Marketing #Branding