You are perfect and wonderful exactly as you are
July 28, 2013 3 Comments
French advertising legend Jacques Seguela once wrote a book called Don’t Tell My Mother I’m In Advertising, She Thinks I Play Piano in a Whorehouse. The title brilliantly sums up the inescapable point that what we do simply isn’t valued or respected by vast swathes of society. Have you read Naomi Klein’s No Logo? I highly recommend it but you could simply take a look at the average commercial break and come to the same conclusion. Advertising pumps an almost endless stream of lazy, boring, stupid and often heinous messages out into the world.
As a huge fan of great advertising I see no value in denying this. Where there is value, for me, is focusing on the other 5%. The work that entertains and inspires, that treats its audience like intelligent human beings, that is honest about what it’s selling, that – at its best – has the power to change people’s lives.
That’s why It Gets Better by BBH New York for Google is my favourite ad of the last 10 years. This beautifully crafted piece is a masterclass in building a story, harnessing emotion and landing the values of a brand. The editing and use of music are sublime, the storytelling is lean and the use of celebs is perfect (especially Gaga and Woody). It’s a brilliant example of a brand reaching out to its audience, connecting with them, understanding and facilitating their passions. Not just saying, but doing. Because, at its core, it’s simply a very well done demonstration ad. Not some cool shit with a logo on the end but an ad with the product – an internet browser – front and centre. And while some of stuff that goes out of ad agencies in the name of brands is the equivalent of a huge poisonous fart, work like this showcases the power of advertising creativity as a positive force in the word. It is, as McCanns’ brilliant maxim has it, Truth Well Told.
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