As I walked the floor of the Cannes Intl. Ad fest this afternoon, I noted that the vast majority of the work was a display of digital objects. It's not that I think the work is bad. There are some fantastic executions shortlisted. I really like the Ikea tagging project and the Nike Chalk Bot, but each is an example of a stunt. One trend that seems to be partly a result of the global recession is that most brands backed away from bold ideas and platforms for smaller marketing moments. Could the the other reason for the lack of bold ideas and platforms be that we may have marketing AD/HD?
A branded experience requires time to build, one point of view, a coordinated team effort and most importantly... focus and consistency. This year I have only witnessed 2 really bold and focused platforms. Pepsi's Refresh Everything is a long term platform that has turned the Cola wars into something deeper than star power. I think Coke's platform for Happiness is an example that has the potential to deliver phenomenal results.
If our customers are requiring us to be more to them than an ad, how do we get focused to begin turning the tide towards branded digital storytelling? Is there are a drug we can take for our marketing AD/HD?
Comments