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Take a look at today’s most creative advertising, like Crispin Porter’s Burger King campaigns, and it quickly becomes obvious that entertainment is playing it too safe.
The problem is systemic. Entertainment has for years relied on the same consumer base-aka “frequent moviegoers”-for its revenues. Rather than taking a different kind of consumer or consumer mindset into account, the industry dismisses “anomalies” like Passion of the Christ, and the Tyler Perry oeuvre, assuming their successes are lightning in a bottle.
Finding new audiences, or even re-invigorating old ones, requires creative thinking, and that implies risk-taking. But has there ever been a more risk-averse industry than Hollywood? Is it just me, or does the vast majority of marketing collateral look as if it had been creative directed by the legal department? (A key accomplishment behind two of my biggest studio campaigns-for The Lord of the Rings and, yes, Snakes on a Plane-was getting the legal dogs called off and keeping them from shutting everything and everyone down.)
I’m not proposing edgy for edge’s sake… look at the Obama Campaign, that wasn’t randy, just well executed across all platforms. Entertainment needs be less insular and more attuned to cultural changes. We need to adapt our marketing approach, and most of all our marketing creative, to shifting consumer habits. We could start by taking a step out of our own gene pool and drawing some inspiration from our peers in the brand world.
Need some of the mojo behind the Crispin BK campaigns? Diesel xxx by The Viral Factory? (Yes, that one.) Want a little of the secret sauce behind the Emerald Nuts or HP campaigns from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners? Honestly, I think you do.
Which is why we’re trying something different at Digital Hollywood this Tuesday. In order to explore the thinking behind the best advertising from the real world, rather than the reel world, I’m bringing together creative leaders from top agencies outside of Tinseltown’s borders. The panel is called Entertaining Advertising vs. Entertainment Advertising. Because in the battle for the consumer’s attention, the other guys just might know a few things you don’t.
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