Marketing loves its own myths
Do consumers believe us? That is marketing’s eternal fundamental question. Yet we rarely stop to examine what our own beliefs are actually based on. Let’s stop for a moment and ask what so-called marketing truths are actually built on.
Every industry develops its favorite catchphrases. When repeated often enough, these mantras start to sound like universal truths. I have gathered a few for some healthy scrutiny, the kind I have heard throughout my career on both sides of the meeting table.
“We’re here to make ads, not art”
Usually rolled out when an idea feels a bit too clever, ambitious or just… hard. But nothing moves people quite like great art. Tarantino. Madonna. Shakespeare. Perhaps it’s not such a sin for advertising to feel a bit more like art.
“Comedy is hard”
Sometimes it’s a snarky remark after a joke falls flat. Other times it’s an excuse to avoid humour altogether. Which, to be fair, can be the right decision.
But making people cry isn’t easy either. Nor is it to truly frighten them. Especially in short formats. There’s no time to build characters we love. No time to make us care what happens to them. Just going by intuition we can say that humour is still one of the most used styles in advertising. Alongside straight, tactical, informational work. So it can’t be that much harder than other genres.
“Keep it simple”
It’s undoubtedly a great golden rule to follow. But making the message painfully clear often turns into caps lock, tiny words, and the price screaming for attention.
That rarely makes the audience feel great. Emotions are evoked by something unexpected. Something smart. Something that breaks the pattern of the endless ad stream. Which, ironically, is also exactly how you get the message noticed.
“Ads need to feel relatable”
When I look in the mirror, I don’t always relate to that person. So why would I relate to a generic stock model just because they share my age bracket and gender?
For this reason, every time that catchphrase comes up, we should ask what “relatable” really means. People relate to situations. Thoughts. Emotions. Stories.
“Awards are nice, but the outcome matters more”
Well, yes, results always matter but it’s not either-or. Campaigns that win awards are often also the ones that have the best outcome. And every professional wants recognition for their work.
It’s a slightly dishonest mantra. Often used to explain a lack of awards.
“The only constant is change.”
True. Then again, diamonds are forever.
That catchphrase, by the way, dates back to 1947. It was an advertising slogan written by copywriter Mary Frances Gerety for a diamond company. The fact that we treat it as a universal truth says quite a lot about the power of advertising.
Kai Seppänen
The author is a Creative Lead whose favourite professional mantra is: “At least nobody’s life depends on ads."
