Article written by Jon Bergan

As you slouch back into your favourite arm chair, flick on the television and immerse yourself into your regular sitcoms and other programs, you can’t help but feel the boredom settling in as the same old advertisements crop up on your screen during the ever so regular commercial breaks. Without fail, those same string of ads appear. Whether they’re the same old KFC ads or those commercials that look like they were made twenty years ago, its always the same old same boring commercials. You’ll find these culprits on all marketing platforms - radio, print and the web - and chances are you’re wearing a guilty grin right now!

With so many design trends already in place and well over used, businesses now need to visit more creative avenues of getting their message out there. No longer can a business rely solely on the old ‘tried and true’ techniques. Sure, you may get some exposure from your efforts but at the end of the day, there is still a large risk of you getting lost in all of the wish-wash of marketing materials going around. It’s time we all started thinking outside of the box, taking some risks and jumping outside of our comfort zone and the best way to achieve this is via creative advertising.

creative advertising?

To put it simply, creative advertising is the use of extremely unique or utterly obscure imagery to get your message across and combining that with popular viral marketing techniques to get your message out there. You don’t have to do a complete brand makeover to accommodate for such promotions either. All you need is some guts and some exceptionally creative genius and you’re already on your way.

The biggest problem with so many businesses is that they want to play it safe. They’re uncertain of the effects such a marketing campaign could have on their business especially if they’re marketing themselves to corporates or other larger organisations. It can be daunting, but it is the risk you have to take to separate yourself from the thousands of other people in your industry who are still biting their nails over taking such a leap. Don’t be one of those businesses.

Taking the leap into creative advertising can give your business the edge it needs to succeed. It can drop you into a niche market (whether by accident or by plan) or could even further enhance your current market position by giving you that unique look that you’ve been after for so long. Some other benefits of throwing your marketing sanity out the window include:

• Instantly Recognisable Marketing Material: With such a unique marketing campaign, your marketing material and brand will be instantly recognisable by the public and extremely memorable.
• Increased Buzz Marketing: As your campaign is so obscure, it’s only normal for people to talk. Have you mentioned the new Cadbury Gorilla ad to anyone yet? I thought so.
• Increased Opportunities for Viral Marketing: When you’re promoting yourself so uniquely, opportunities arise for people to spread the word and tell their friends.
• Opportunities for Brand Development: Now that you have such a strong image, you may choose to implement this new method of marketing into your brand and ultimately further solidifying your position within the market.

still confused?

To put things into perspective, I have a few great examples of creative advertising that’s currently in use, some right here in Australia. These examples are sure to get you inspired and will give you a better idea of what approaches you can take to get your message heard.

• Cadbury – Gorilla TV Advertisement: Cadbury, leading Australian manufacturer of milk chocolate who definitely aren’t afraid of being creative when it comes to their marketing efforts, recently released a new advertisement to add to their already creative marketing campaign. To put it simply, it’s a gorilla playing drums with a purple and white background that matches their branding. Who could forget an ad like this? It’s memorable, it’s branded, it’s utterly unique and everyone loves the theme music – not to mention the big cute gorilla! See it online: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=iKdQC-hbY7k
• Spring Valley – Neglected Sensible Shelter: Fruit drink manufacturer Spring Valley came up with the ‘Sensible’ – an adorable looking little creature that represents our inner health. Their use of the ‘Sensible’ is to show how the general public no longer look after themselves as much as they should and how they are ultimately harming their Sensible. The Neglected Sensible Shelter website allows you to find, nurture and replenish your Sensible. See it online: http://www.saveyoursensible.com
• Agency Fusion – Make my Logo Bigger Cream: Here is a fantastic example of creative advertising and viral marketing. Agency Fusion, a US based graphic designer, came up with a great little movie focused around the ‘Make my Logo Bigger Cream’ which is a product that apparently helps your logo stand out and improve your brand’s recognition. The humour combined with the uniqueness proved to be a hit on the Internet and thus the video has been viewed by millions of users the world over. See it online: http://makemylogobiggercream.com

Below are some interesting creative advertising that various companies around the world have implemented. You’ll quickly see how unique and how eye catching they truly are. A huge thank you goes out to Jacob Cass of Just Creative Design (http://www.justcreativedesign.com) for these images.

getting the ball rolling

First things first, you need to come up with something exceptionally new and something that has never been done in your industry before as far as marketing is concerned. The more obscure the idea the better. If your idea sounds like something nobody in their right mind would do, then you’re probably heading down a good path. Brainstorm, brainstorm and brainstorm! Throw your creative cap on and get those ideas flowing!

Once you have some ideas, it would be well worth your while to approach a marketing agency to help further your idea and to really refine your message, however if you’re working with a limited budget, just think things through as thoroughly as you can. Determine what marketing vehicles you could use to get your message out there – print, web, television, radio – whatever you think will compliment your outrageous idea yet will attract your target audience in the most effective manner possible. Bundle all this together and throw it into action by adding it to your marketing plan.

Although this sounds like oodles of fun and games, this is in fact a very serious exercise and requires a lot of attention to detail. It’s important to note that although you’re coming up with some crazy ideas, you need to pay close attention to how you execute your campaign and ultimately how it all ties back in with your business, its image, its messages and its brand. The ideas you come up with could end up shaping your brand or positioning your business within its market in some truly unexpected ways.

So, next time you’re reviewing your marketing plan and are trying to come up with some new ways to build awareness for your business, think outside the box and consider some truly creative advertising options to grab the attention of your target market. It may be the dash of creativity your business needs to separate itself from the herd and establish that strong position in the market you’ve always dreamt about.

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