Skip to main content

One notion that I’ve long dismissed with regards to advertising is that certain categories or clients are “creative,” and others are not. It’s not to say that there isn’t a bit more inherent public enthusiasm for ice cream than there is for IRAs, but the potential to do innovative and effective work exists with any client, product or service. Give me a blank check and a blank canvas and I can come up with a funny beer commercial. Just about anybody in our business can. The truly talented can take an insightful creative brief and turn it into a compelling communication that drives business results for anyone from an actuary to an alpaca wrangler (apparently, this is a thing).

The truly talented can take an insightful creative brief and turn it into a compelling communication that drives business results for anyone from an actuary to an alpaca wrangler

Some of our firm’s most engaging and acclaimed work over the last decade was created for clients in industries perceived as traditional, or perhaps even “stuffy,” accounting, finance and mortgage lending. In each of these instances, it was our client who challenged us to push the envelope and not the other way around. Some of the creative that ensued featured disingenuous bankers being dragged from the screen by stampeding horses, a mortgage wizard creating a nacho cheese river with the flick of his wand, and a two-dimensional accountant named Jimmy who got everybody talking. This work wasn’t done to be wacky or weird. It was done because it reflected their brand (the weird part was just a bonus).

The creative campaign is the most controlled expression of your brand, not to mention a significant financial investment. It has the chance to make your audience laugh, cry, reflect, buy a pony or achieve whatever your marketing objectives are. And if the agency and the client are working well together, those goals will easily be met. In other words, demand great work. Most agencies will deliver.

Here’s an example of Thoma leveraging improbable creative ideas to spark a buzz:

Author Thoma Thoma

More posts by Thoma Thoma

Leave a Reply