Editor's note: Paula Kay Pierce is director, corporate communications and special projects, with McCollum Spielman Worldwide, Great Neck, N.Y.
"Half of my advertising money is wasted," John Wanamaker is reported to have said, some 100 years ago.
Today, studies using state-of-the-art supermarket scanner technology document that only 49% of advertising has a measurable impact on sales. John Philip Jones tells us, using research from multiple sources, that half of the $75 billion spent each year on advertising is wasted on campaigns that don't sell. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Still, the advertising industry's annual "best creative" awards are given chiefly for aesthetics, technical achievement, cinematography and other production values. Have the arbiters of "great creative" lost sight of the purpose of advertising? The simple truth is that it's not creative if it doesn't sell. Great creative, by definition, is a great selling and marketing tool - the sales-effective integration of brand and relevant promise into a unique audio-visual concept.
The practice of market research, by design, helps determine what is good creative by exposing advertising to consumers and gathering data from their reactions with sales-validated measurements of efficiency. The measurements determine how well the advertising. . .
- Generates brand awareness;
- Communicates meaningful sales points;
- Conveys the brand's importance and uniqueness with credibility and personalization;
- Imparts cognitive and affective elements that create bonding between message and brand;
- Causes changes in the consumer's consideration set that lead to marketplace action.
The above, in fact, are the objectives of advertising. Research measures how well these objectives are being met. Furthermore, research identifies advertising that is attractive, stylish, entertaining and meets the prime goal of being an effective selling and marketing tool. Research also shows that this kind of great creative is hard to find.
Case in point: of 4,637 on-air commercials copy-tested by our agency, McCollum Spielman Worldwide (MSW) in a recent period, only 19% achieved above-average performance.
Thirty-four percent (34%) were failures from a sales efficiency point of view. The greater number of these on-air commercials, 46% (approximately half) were average, mediocre.
Clutter and zappers
Inarguably, advertisers must approach the task of creating effective commercials in an environment of seemingly insurmountable odds: clutter, cable, VCRs, zappers, consumer indifference and market segmentation. Today's market facts offer little solace.
On average, the consumer is subjected 1,176 commercials per week, causing advertising recall to decline dramatically. In 1986, 64% of consumers were able to recall a commercial seen in the past four weeks. In 1990, only 48% of consumers could do so.
With vast dollar amounts at stake - $200,000 (on average) to produce a national TV spot and about $120,000 (on average) each time, to air it - it is unsettling to know that commercials can no longer be aimed at a "mass market." Today's consumer is segmented into core markets - defined and refined by demographics, psychographics, and lifestyles - and saturated with information. This consumer is also increasingly indifferent, if not cynical, resulting in an erosion of traditional brand loyalties.
One way in which MSW evaluates commercials is with the AD*VANTAGE/ACT testing system, which utilizes the following primary evaluative measurements:
- Clutter awareness, a measurement of a commercial's ability to impart the name of the brand and product or service; and
- Persuasion/attitude shift, a pre-post measure of consumer attitudes towards the advertised brand.
Scores from these two measurements are plotted on a sales-validated analytic tool called AD*MAP, which, on an XY graph, provides a binary view of a commercial's performance. AD*MAP enables a commercial's performance to be positioned on one of four quadrants that defines its overall effectiveness.
AD*VANTAGE/ACT primary measures have been proven predictive of "real world" market occurrences in validation studies conducted at the international level, including BehaviorScan Micro Market studies (published validation documentation is available upon request). Persuasion is the measure that, in validation studies, was found to correlate to sales. Quadrants I and II of the AD*MAP are persuasion-driven quadrants. The remaining two quadrants, III and IV, indicate weak performance on persuasion or on both measures.
AD*MAP enables advertisers to see how creative success and failure look. Good creative falls into the two right (persuasion-driven) quadrants of the AD*MAP, I and II. For creative failure, look to the left at Quadrants III and IV. Average commercials cluster around the center of the AD*MAP.
When MSW tested commercials rated "most popular" (best-liked) and plotted their scores on the AD*MAP, only 19% of these met high effectiveness criteria (Quadrant I). A sizable 38% were ineffective, falling into Quadrants IV or III. The largest number, 43%, were average, positioning around the middle of the map.
While the purpose of this article is to identify "good creative" in sales-effective terms, it is valuable to place the "good" in perspective. All too often, advertising misfires in the name of "creativity." From our observation of scores of commercials from the last two years' harvest, here are four common blunders that frequently sabotage brands in the name of creativity.
Where's the product? What's the brand?
How does one explain the prevalence of extravagant, high-tech productions that shamelessly sacrifice, obscure and overpower brands? The inclination of many advertisers to put their brands in the hands of antic presenters who dance around them with distracting schtick? Shockingly, among commercials that fail, a frequent problem is their failure to communicate the brand or service name. The name is overpowered by expensive special effects, sacrificed for entertainment or humor without purpose, or buried under misleading and inappropriate word play or imagery. When the product, brand, message and consumer benefit are the commercial's best-kept secret, this is not creative. It isn't even advertising.
All that glitters is not gold
There are advertisers who believe that the hottest celebrity flavor of the moment will make sales soar. Then, they make sure that most of the brand's 30 seconds are spent on the hot property's persona, lifestyle, moods, idiosyncrasies and leisure activities. If the celebrity is a comedian, "make them laugh" (comedians are always prepared with scores of diverting 30-second routines). Heard the one about the two comedians trading jokes in a diner (over a pen)? When star power fails, it is because the advertiser has failed to work the star into the brand or, for that matter, failed to link the star to a consumer benefit. Star power without purpose is not creative.
Food commercials that sabotage themselves
A group of greasy mechanics, at lunch in the shop, pour steak sauce on used car parts and, yes, eat them. An addlebrained pitchwoman keeps getting her dirty, sticky fingers in a glass full of soda pop and refuses to drink it. A prim etiquette teacher dunks her face straight into a half gallon container of ice cream, emits hoggish grunts and slurps, and emerges with ice cream all over her face. Confronted with a choice between a disgusting, thin, dry burger and a delicious, juicy one, a customer chooses the former. The camera follows a fast food meal as it lands in a gutter and floats downstream with assorted garbage. Scenes from "Animal House, the Sequel" or ' You Can't Do That on Television?" No, these are actual food commercials that have been on the air (some are even recipients of creative awards). Yet, it is not uncommon, in our experience, to see unappetizing food commercials - food commercials that sabotage themselves.
They just don't get it!
Finally, the failures include emotion or image driven efforts that are clearly out of touch with consumers' needs, aspirations, fantasies, mores and the conventional wisdom. The advertisers (or their agencies) totally misunderstood their customers.
Oddly-accoutered "freaks of nature" (how else does one describe persons with two heads, three legs, purple hair, etc.?) frolic to the accompaniment of copy delivered in robotic style which suggests that you should feel free enough to look and behave like these people. A young man (apparently) falls to his death during a bungee jump because he was wearing the wrong sneakers. An intense group of thirtysomething "automotive engineers" trade trendy new age small talk to give you confidence that the car they've created is for you. An undergarment manufacturer tries to entice you to buy their brand by showing a cavalcade of pinching, pushing, cutting, twisting uncomfortable corsets of previous centuries. A voluptuous model flaunts her body in front of two pre-pubescent peeping toms. A homeless old man is driven mad by a gang of teens who force him out of his cardboard box with loud heavy metal music. These are not outtakes from the Chevy Chase show, but scenes from far-out on-air commercials that just didn't get it.
Research's creative winners
Fortunately, we can cite many examples of how good creative works in practice. The following cases are from recent history, several are continuing campaigns. They were very successful in copy tests and in the marketplace, according to secondary source sales reports. This is advertising that is stylish, individualistic and generates sales - truly great creative.
AD*MAP scores for this group position the overwhelming majority in Quadrant I: high levels of attention and persuasion (the best of both worlds). Although a few are marginal on the awareness dimension, they showed clear strength on persuasion, thereby placing in Quadrant II. (Quadrants I and II are driven by persuasion).
Celebrities used well
We know that celebrities sell only if they are chosen appropriately and are credible users. Celebrity presenters bring their own public images, personalities, and values to the products they endorse.
A few years ago, Tommy LaSorda, the outspoken and extroverted manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a known gourmand, burst on the scene for Slim Fast with his personal before/after testimonial. A trim and elegant LaSorda reporting that he felt great was proof positive of the product's benefit. LaSorda's delivery was energetic, enthusiastic and authentic. By now a"classic" great creative, Slim Fast has kept up the momentum with several more appropriate and credible celebrities, the most recent being Willard Scott and Ann Jillian.
No partnership between marketer and star property could be more ideal than that of McDonald's and Michael Jordan: the world class brand name industry leader and the # 1 personality and role model worldwide. Jordan and other hot NBA players were seamlessly meshed into McDonald's message, attitude and style with highly entertaining and clever storyline commercials that showed the NBA players in action for the brand. The NBA campaign kickoff spots, which showed Jordan and Bird shooting hoops in a friendly wager for a Big Mac and fries ("First one to miss gets to watch the other one eat") are an object lesson in how to manage stellar endorsers so that they enhance the brand, not overwhelm it or split it up. The first "Showdown" was so successful that it spawned a sequel which left consumers wanting even more.
Soft drink advertising embodies the old cliche, "If you don't have anything to say, sing." Because soft drinks are targeted to a youthful market, many advertisers in this category have enlisted teen idols to rock the screen away with their praises. But, which teen idol is shouting the praises of what brand? Hard to tell. A few years ago, Diet Pepsi broke out of the mold with a catchy slogan/song, "You've got the right one, baby, uh-huh," and a hip, older singer with cross-generational appeal, Ray Charles. The slogan/song became bonded to the brand, passed into the culture, and seeded a cottage industry of promotional items. Not only was this one of the most memorable campaigns ever but, in our era of global branding, it was a campaign ideally-designed for cross cultural travel.
These days, however, Pepsi and Diet Pepsi tend to be associated with a roster of tarnished stars such as Mike Tyson, Madonna and Michael Jackson. The moral of the story may be that older celebrities are less likely to give their sponsors Maalox moments. Indeed, our tests of hundreds of celebrities through the years demonstrate that older celebrities are more trusted, believed and beloved - and more reliable in the long run.
Strong executional signatures
As more products glut the market and brand loyalties continue to erode, a way to distinguish a brand is with a strong executional signature.
Heinz, the undisputed leader in ketchup, has built and maintained its reputation with signature thickness demonstrations of taste and quality. Heinz has kept the message fresh via a variety of individualistic humorous vignettes built around slow pouring. One recent Heinz effort proffered the thickness message with imaginative use of animated ants. Most importantly, the product was the center of the scenario, shown in the context of appetite-appealing food.
The Pillsbury Doughboy signature recently returned to the scene - updated, hip and contemporary for the 1990s. Familiar elements of the Doughboy emblem remained, notably the sign-off, where a finger pokes the Doughboy in the belly, he giggles, and repeats the refrain, "Nothin' says lovin'." Using the Doughboy, Pillsbury has also employed excellent demonstrations of how the dough products are used. In addition, Pillsbury's tempo and mood support a speedy, convenient preparation of a delicious and still homemade product. Taste appeal reinforced by lots of enjoyment images work with the emblem in an excellent branded food approach.
In the crowded and fiercely competitive health and beauty aid category, many new products have swiftly plummeted to oblivion. The category is filled with look-alike, sound-alike and copycat names and products - and few products that are truly unique. Arguably, the most subjective of product categories, it is one in which the execution often "is" the product. There is strong dependence on emotional appeal, personal identification, extended benefits and intangible rewards.
The enduring Chanel campaign is a signature campaign that has worked extremely well for years. It is surrealistic, startling, sexy, mysterious and stylish. It conveys all the appropriate, intangible "value plus" benefits of the brand. The campaign works with women because it says boldness, independence, and sensuality. At the same time, Chanel knows how to cater to men who buy cologne as gifts for women. Also worth noting is the importance of music in this campaign. We have observed the increasing role of music to create feelings and moods as an advertising trend for the 1990s.
More recently, Lubriderm developed a campaign that stood apart from dozens of hand and body cream spots. Using contrasting images of an alligator slithering away from a nearly nude model caressing her tender skin, the point was clearly made of how the product "banishes" rough skin.
Lubriderm's alligator has slithered through several new seasons in varied executions, with no sign yet of wearing out its welcome. So far, the campaign has legs - and teeth.
Powerful comparisons
OTC drugs and household products often rely on comparative demonstrations (sometimes called "negative ads"). The challenge is finding fresh new creatives to execute demonstration power, a challenge met in recent campaigns for Advil and Liquid Plumr Professional Strength.
Advil's in-your-face attack on Tylenol, with a belittling backward glance at aspirin, is a reminder of why Advil has captured 52 percent of the fast-growing ibuprofen pain-killer segment. Touting Advil as the only effective pain killer for really tough, pounding headaches addresses the benefit that consumers want, clearly and simply.
The major battle for the consumer's share of drain pipes is being waged on TV by the two industry heavyweights: Liquid Drano Plus and Liquid Plumr Professional Strength. In the last year, both brands have introduced improved versions, each claiming to be thicker, faster, better and stronger than the other.
Both brands focused on a single selling idea to parlay strong, relevant benefits and did so in executions with clear-cut clog crushing demonstrations. However, the creative context made the difference that gave Liquid Plumr Professional Strength a sizable edge.
"Professional plumbers on Liquid Plumr Professional Strength" stands out for its human interest, warmth, style and unique personality accomplished through relaxed, believable dialogue and the casting of "professional plumbers" who consumers can watch, hear, like and trust.
Effective automotive advertising
MSW's Triple A service (Automotive Advertising Audit) evaluates national car and truck TV spots. Interesting experimentation has given distinction, clear positioning and competitive muscle to certain makes in an industry too often ruled by "car on the open road" performance demonstrations.
Honda found a fresh new way to say economy with an arresting creative of an inflatable Civic CRX in the desert. It was a deceptively simple, single-minded execution that not only conveyed economy but also great styling and performance. Aided by classical music, Lexus used a memorable visual image to position Lexus in its luxury niche: a pyramid of champagne glasses that remains intact when the car is revved up to high speeds on rollers.
In the past year, Ford enticed Generation X with Escort GT, Probe and Mustang spots that convinced them, "if you haven't driven a Ford lately, you owe it to yourself to check out these Ford models." Tapping into the moods, feelings, symbols, aspirations and music of the youth culture, Ford intercut fast flashes of powerful Generation X icons with beauty shots of fast, muscular cars in action. Heavy metal rock music, youthful slang expressions, and a same generation announcer voice-over were other embellishments that said to young drivers, "Ford is in touch with my needs and knows how to communicate with me."
Summary: 12 creative hot buttons
What is good creative - creative that sells? Here are the 12 creative hot buttons that recur in the most sales-effective advertising we have measured in 25 years and some 25,000 AD*VANTAGE/ACT copy tests.
1) Brand rewards/benefits are highly visible through demonstration, dramatization, lifestyle, feelings or essential. analogy.
2) The brand is the major player in the experience, the brand makes the good times better.
3) The linkage between brand and execution is clear (scenario revolves around and highlights the brand).
4) The execution has a focus (there's a limit to how many images and vignettes the consumer can process).
5) Feelings (emotional connectives) are anchored to the needs and aspirations of the targeted customer.
6) Striking, dramatic imagery is characteristic of many successful executions, enhancing their ability to break out of clutter.
7) An original, creative signature or "mystique" exists in many of the best commercials, to bond the consumer to the brand and give it a unique personality.
8) In food and beverage advertising, high taste appeal is almost always essential.
9) The best creatives for mature brands frequently employ fresh new ways of revitalizing the message.
10) Music (memorable, bonded tunes and Iyrics) is often integral to successful executions for many brands.
11) When humor is used, it is relevant, with clear product purpose.
12) When celebrities are employed, they are well-matched to brands, have credibility as users/endorsers, are trusted, and their delivery is enthusiastic. Celebrities tend to improve with age. Older stars pose less risk, and are less likely to cause their sponsors embarrassing moments.
In closing, we reiterate how hard it is to create good, sales-effective creative. Often, advertisers will settle for a campaign that is average and does no harm. As noted earlier, of 4,637 on-air commercials tested, only 19% were better-than-average, while 34% failed and 46% were of average grade. However, in cases where MSW clients have pre-tested at various stages before producing commercials in final form, the success rate for the finished, aired efforts increased to 36 percent, while the failure rate declined to 9%. Research contributes to the development of creative that meets marketing objectives