Too many reasons why year-end creative ad reviews do not help you grow

At the end of each year, marketers, advertisers, and creatives can rely on their peers to post all kinds of reviews and predictions. Looking back allows them to create diverse lists of hits and misses. Looking forward gives them the room to discuss trends and changes.?

I want to single out creative ad (here: video ad) reviews by asking very provocatively. What is the point of creative ad reviews, other than to raise awareness and, maybe, entertain? I will expand the scope of this article to ad awards sometime in the future to challenge all whom I have not included this time.?

Going into the last official workweek of 2021, I had not planned on writing this article. However, when I checked a few marketing and advertising publications and found several ad reviews and top something lists at the top, I had to share my thoughts and insights.?

Why creative ad reviews are pointless for decision-makers

For example, the following creative ad reviews got published recently:?

• 13 Campaigns That Made Ad Pros Jealous in 2021?
• The 30 best ads of 2021
• The best and worst Christmas ads 2021: Marketing Week picks?

In my humble opinion, they all have many things in common. Each alone disqualifies them from guiding any marketer, advertiser, or creative. Because the following is true for most if not even any review:?

• The review only represents an external perspective.?
• The review uses one data point, the author's opinion.?
• The review stands on generalized assumptions about the customers’ needs and expectations.?
• The review relies on assumptions that the creative ad elements address the above-mentioned needs and expectations and lead to action or fail to do so.?
• No two reviews of the same ad are alike.?
• The review does not offer much applicability for future creative, production, or media planning decisions.
• The review centers on the creative concept, elements, and execution. Some reviews even celebrate creativity for creativity’s sake.?
• Some reviewers clearly state their biases.?All reviewers are biased.
• Some reviewers mention the ad campaign’s timing which is a very different effectiveness driver.?
• No reviewer can predict the effectiveness of the ad they reviewed or any other.?
• Some reviewers touch on the emotional drivers and impact of the ad but their stated view is subjective.?
• The language of the review is often so colorful it makes comparisons a challenge.?

Why popular creative news is pointless for decision-makers

Other times, a list is nothing more than a ranking based on the most popular news consumed by your peers.?

• Campaign's most-read Picks of the Week from 2021
• Most Read of 2021: Behind the Work
• Top 5 campaigns that piqued the interest of our readers in 2021

The limitations that accompany such lists should be obvious.?Some news is more popular than others for a variety of known and unknown reasons.

Why creative ad reviews do not help you make decisions

When trying to assess the value of any such review (or list) for marketers, advertisers, and creatives, I conclude that?

• You do not know what reviewer to trust and why.?
• You cannot generate actionable insights for your ad from any single 3rd party who reviewed any ad that is not yours.?
• You cannot copy what others have done.?
• You should not copy what others have done.?
• Your brand is different from others.?
• Your customers are different from others.?
• Your internal team is different from others.?
• Your external agency or client is different from others.?
• You should focus on your customers.?
• Your biggest challenge is for your ad to evoke the right customer emotions.?

My advice: The only effective way to review your ads

If you want to have your ads reviewed - doing it yourself is as bad of an idea as asking a peer - I will suggest the following:

• You should consult a representative panel of your target customers.
• You should assess the quality of your ad in terms of its effectiveness pre-launch. You should neither rely on past market performance nor post-launch data.?
• You should assess your ad’s impact on your customers’ attention, emotions, and conversations.?
• Your 1st goal should be to get actionable emotional and behavioral insights on a) how to save budgets (creative, production, and media planning) and b) how to read such insights without hiring a dedicated new team.?
• Your 2nd goal should be to get actionable emotional and behavioral insights on how to improve your ad’s effectiveness.?
• Your 3rd goal should be to get actionable emotional and behavioral insights on how to reduce your ad’s public backlash potential.?
• You should make data-informed decisions to achieve your growth targets but not follow either anybody’s intuition or past data alone.

Conclusion

In summary, who shall these reviews (and lists) serve and how? Could they guide marketers, advertisers, and creatives in their decision-making? Could they provide you with ideas or even blueprints for your future ads? Based on my insights shared in this article, I can only conclude they must not.

Will the reviews (and lists) help raise ad or brand awareness among peers? Yes, maybe a little. However, is there a real benefit somewhere that helps you achieve your growth targets? I do not think so.

To grow, you need actionable emotional and behavioral insights that only proper ad testing can generate. The best place to start is to measure the attention, emotions, and conversations your ad evokes before you launch it. By doing so, you can adjust your creative, budget, and media planning and execution accordingly. After all, what you are most interested in is to increase your ad's effectiveness.

I look forward to receiving your comments. Thank you!