Adverts Need To Take Risks
Being different is hard. It involves taking risks, and that can be scary. The riskier an ad, the more the chances go up of it potentially failing; why spend a good sum of money on something which may do more harm than good?
This goes a long way in understanding why so much advertising you may see online, in print, or on TV, is generally very similar to something else you have already seen. This can do just as much harm to a brand. When your video blends into the background, it doesn’t really have an impact. What is the point of producing adverts that will go unnoticed, or even annoy people?
Talk to anyone about advertising, and they will likely give you a fairly negative opinion. Many adverts will opt for a hard sell, which typically involves shoving a product or service into the heads of its audience until it becomes stuck in their long-term memory. Think of the repetitive and intrusive loud YouTube ad, or the radio commercial with a loud and obnoxious voice over. These adverts can drive people crazy, and away from your brand.
An average person will be exposed to thousands of ads a day; they’ve learned to tune them out. How do you get them to tune back in? How do you make something memorable?
Explore New Avenues
A glistening sedan gliding along a perfect coastal road, a dramatic night shot of a man in a suit driving along empty city streets, maybe a suburban family having inexplicable fun while packing their car for a long holiday. Some of these things may come to mind when you think of a car advert.
The Rube Goldberg machine, a contraption designed to perform a simple task in the most pointlessly complicated way possible, is not a usual method for advertising a new car. It is however how Honda chose to advertise their new Accord back in 2003 (shown in the video above). The result? An advert that makes waves, even today. Good adverts don’t just inform, they entertain. In the case of great adverts, they are also timeless.
In creative development, it is often said that restriction can lead to inspiration. This is absolutely true. When narrowed down to a few creative directions, artists can often end up with the most creative solutions. However, an obsession with old video advertising ideas that may have worked in the past is an easy way to make something bland. It’s one of the largest barriers to creativity, and one that many creative agencies will come up against when a client is not willing to consider something original.
Given the opportunity to expand on concepts, and come up with new perspectives for advertising a product or service, you may be surprised by what a creative team can do. A creative team is only as good as their client allows them to be. Dragonfly has a track record of working with clients who have allowed us to innovate. If you are interested in seeing the content we can produce for you, come have a look at our video adverts.
Video Advertising Needs Something Great
As mentioned in our article on predictable explainer videos, we live in a world of unprecedented media oversaturation. Accessible technology and unlimited, curated entertainment has made people hungry for something fresh. No longer do you have to sit through adverts to get to the next part of your TV soap (even then, you could just mute the TV off for a few minutes). The media we consume is continually evolving, adverts are doing the same. To make something that people will remember, your ad needs to be great.
TFL’s Welcome Back London advert manages to capture not only the feeling many felt when public spaces reopened after lockdowns, but also managed to get across London’s vibrance, quirkiness, and style. This is an example of how one simple original idea can translate into a very interesting video which keeps you hooked to the end.
Given the opportunity to try something different, a creative team will fly, but this requires a brand that is brave enough to let them do this. If you’re ready to break new ground, so is Dragonfly. Contact us today and take the first step in creating a video that will put you on the map.
