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Blogs & Comment

It’s not advertising, it’s torture

Phil Lynagh is regional managing director at Tag: Worldwide JLT

“Keep it simple, stupid. Wise words indeed and even more so now than when I first heard them in 1988. We need to engage in seconds these days and consumers need hard sell, quick facts, real engaging stuff that’s easily understood. It’s not just about simplicity of message but also simple common sense when it comes to media placement.

I was driving back from Abu Dhabi this week and drove past a series of lampposts for a particular global and local bank.  These executions carried more information than a full page press ad. However, you’re expected to read them at 130km/h? Someone should be spotting this kind of laziness because it reflects on the industry. If you’re not allowed to reduce message volume for different media then choose another medium. I should imagine this particular media placement would generate a similar response to holding up your business card in front of the cinema screen and shouting “can everyone see this at the back?” Basically it’s a badly executed piece, given no thought and therefore a waste of money.

Ideas need to be created with production in mind. For example, if there is no budget for TV, don’t start there. It’s always glaringly obvious when an idea is being squeezed into a media it hasn’t been designed for. Round peg, square hole.

Bad media placement can be as damaging as bad creativity and, in its worst form, it has the ability to annoy and piss off the consumer, ensuring a terminal adversity to that particular brand for the rest of their natural lives. For example, I don’t care what the squeaky voiced girl/woman or her family wants from the furniture store, she can have any colour chaise lounge she wants, but the brand owners should realise that this badly crafted tripe will probably ensure thousands of people will remain stoically Swedish in their new furniture quests for years to come. You can tell me something a million times, but if I don’t connect with the message, you just alienate me. It’s not advertising, it’s torture.  I think that’s what it’s called.”

1 Comment

  • Very true in a market like Bahrain. I can only name two advertiser’s out of at least a 50 odd ones that are going outdoor and try make memorable and importantly readable lamp-post adaptations of their campaign.

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