Advertising's Ills: A Poignant Rant by Flavio Vidigal, Chief Creative Officer at Rise New York & Partners
Traditional Advertising Hemorrhaging Due to Self-Inflicted Wounds
Let's nip this rumor in the bud right here, right now: advertising isn't gasping its last breath. The industry still hauls in a shitload of cash, wields considerable cultural power, and catches some of the sharpest creative minds out there. But let's face it, the ol' advertising world order has rotten to the core.
That's right; the very strengths that once defined adland - creativity, instinct, and ballsiness - have been whittled away by procurement-dominated decision-making, performance marketing mania, and an aversion to stepping past the bounds of data-approved boundaries.
And what do we have to show for it? Clever but forgettable branding. Declining public trust. A constant cacophony of advertisements that are forgotten as soon as they're seen.
Now, this isn't a crisis of budgets, talent, or brains. Nope. We've just made terrible decisions about our priorities and sacrificed essential values for the sake of immediate profits.
How Advertising Turned into a Spreadsheet Siesta
In the heyday of advertising, ideas were the currency, risk was inescapable, and brand-building was a marathon. Today, we're living in a savage jungle where spreadsheets rein supreme over human reasoning.
• Procurement vs. instinct: CMOs are buckling under market pressure to account for every penny expended. In their quest for efficiency, procurement has ousted intuition. Marketers are forced to choose agencies based on cost-cutting rather than creative clout.
• Data vs. storytelling: Our infatuation with data has resulted in an industry that measures everything, from clicks to views, but fails to capture the essence of effective advertising. While we can tweak our ads to perfection, are we really connecting with our audience?
• Short-term gains vs. long-term brand equity: Brands are choosing short-term victories over long-term branding, prioritizing immediate returns on investment over building lasting connections with consumers.
This is how we've slithered our way into a world where consumers are drowning in a storm of advertisements, yet none is remembered.
Safe Advertising: The Compromising Consequence
Remember those iconic ads that shook the world? Apple's "1984"? Too risky, by today's standards. Nike's "Just Do It" campaign? No guaranteed ROI. Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" focus groups called it confusing.
Brands are paradoxically aware that truly impactful advertising isn't for the faint-hearted. But still, the system encourages low-risk, consensus-approved work. Why? Because safe ads go through without a hitch. Safe ads get funded. Safe ads don't get CEOs canned. But they also don't build brands.
Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) who crave to create a lasting impact should challenge this vicious cycle within their ranks and with external partners. They need to advocate for bolder, riskier ideas and stop making decisions based solely on what feels "safe."
Because in advertising, playing it dull is the quickest way to render your brand irrelevant.
The Role of CMOs in Revitalizing Creativity
The road to revival isn't solely agencies' responsibility; it begins with brands and the CMOs who steer them.
Here's what must change:
1. Ditch the vendor mindset: The biggest mistake brands make is picking agencies based on procurement efficiency rather than creative dynamism. Top-tier agencies don't operate like vendors; they operate like partners. They push, challenge, and fight for great work.
2. Correct the imbalance between data and creativity: Data is potent, but it's useless if misapplied. Data is currently being misused as a decision-maker, replacing creativity. CMOs should harness data to guide creativity rather than replace it, as no amount of metrics can conjure an advertising campaign that resonates on an emotional level.
3. Champion risk, not just results: The brands that took daring risks historically reaped the rewards. If CMOs only incentivize short-term performance, they'll continue to see short-term, unmemorable work. The brands that thrive in the long term are those willing to bet on creativity again.
4. Fight for brand-building budgets: Performance marketing is indispensable, but it can't be the only strategy. The most successful CMOs battle for brand-building budgets even when their financial backs question the necessity. Because the companies that invest in their story today are the ones people will still care about tomorrow.
5. Trust the artists: The most successful creative work arises when CMOs trust the individuals they've employed. When brands micromanage creative decisions through a labyrinth of approvals, they don't reap better work; they dilute it. Trusting creatives to execute their vision results in stronger, more culturally impactful campaigns.
Advertising: A Plea for a Soul Revival—and CMOs Can Lead the Way
The industry doesn't require another bandage or shiny gadget; it needs the return of its soul - creative derring-do, memorable storytelling, and ideas that ignite emotions.
The brands that grasp this principle will stand out. The ones who don't? They'll continue to blend into the homogeneous landscape of metrics-optimized mundanity.
CMOs have options: They can either play it safe or create advertising that works. Because in the end, consumers don't need another ad. They need something that sticks.
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- Flavio Vidigal, as the Chief Creative Officer at Rise New York & Partners, expresses his concerns about the current state of advertising in his poignant rant, expressing irony towards the industry's reliance on spreadsheets and data-approved boundaries rather than on creativity and risk-taking.
- Vidigal's criticism specifically targets the role of procurement in decision-making, which he argues has led to a decline in public trust and forgettable branding, as brands prioritize short-term gains over long-term brand equity.
- In contrast, iconic ads like "1984" by Apple or "Just Do It" by Nike, which were seen as too risky by today's standards, demonstrates the need for bolder, riskier ideas in advertising, a need that Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) should address to revitalize creativity in the industry.
