Creative Advertising: Spearheading Stories That Stick

The Most Overlooked Principle in Advertising 

When the world zigs, zag- The most iconic Levi's ad by John Hegarty probably had the most valuable lesson for advertising. In recent times, advertising has just been about following trends.  A brand does a campaign with a yesteryear celeb, and next we know, a hundred others are doing the same. Some brands feature a celeb’s cook, a dozen followers. One uses AI, and suddenly, there’s a barrage of AI-related ideas. 

Great campaigns from the past like ‘Bunty ka saboon’, “Daag acche hai’ or ‘Kya chal raha hai? Fogg chal raha hai’ blended into pop culture. From once lending to pop culture, now it’s mostly about borrowing from it. Advertising today has become about following trends, instead of setting them. The principle of standing out in a sea of sameness is probably becoming more and more obscure. 

The Role of Storytelling and Emotional Triggers 

Storytelling and emotional triggers are the foundation of a great ad campaign. If it hasn’t made you laugh, smirk, or make you tear up, there is a high chance you will not remember the ad. Take any legendary ad, the ones that come to your minds are, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Fevicol, Tanishq, or Center Fresh, to name a few. Their ads have definitely struck a chord and evoked the right emotions. This is the reason why they are engraved in our memory. Whether it is cinema or advertising, sharp storytelling goes a long way because it is innately human to remember good stories. 

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Visual Consistency and Brand Recall 

Visual consistency is one of the major components of a brand’s personality. Coca-Cola and Apple are probably the oldest and biggest examples of how visual consistency helps. Today, even if they don’t use their logo, people know it’s a Coke ad or an Apple ad. Visual consistency, over time, helps build an association with specific colors or a particular style, so much so that it almost becomes synonymous with it. It is impossible that one would say Coke and not think of the color red or yellow, and not think of McDonald's. In the recent times, I see Zomato as a new-age Indian brand that has really perfected the art of visual consistency. 

The Power of Audience Insight 

A behavioral insight or a cultural insight is what makes an advertisement relatable. In the audience’s mind, they immediately think, ‘Hey! That’s exactly what happens to me.’ Or ‘Yes, this is how I behave.’  It immediately establishes a connection with your audience and assures them that your brand understands them. So, when you offer a solution through your product, naturally, it is considered a reliable option. ‘You are not yourself when you’re hungry’ by Snickers is probably the best example. A behavioral insight that cuts across geographies and stands true for any demographic. Using relevant insight also ensures attention. Additionally, the probability of someone watching or interacting with the ad becomes higher. The audience insight into a piece of communication is like an attention magnet. 

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A Campaign That Got Everything Right 

I feel that, currently, Colgate is doing great advertising. The way they have broken out of their formula-driven, template ad format is commendable. For a legacy brand like Colgate to rediscover itself and take a fresh approach to communicate is such a refreshing change. 

Their latest commercials use pertinent behavioral insights and marry them with humor and great storytelling. That surely makes the ads memorable, grabs attention in the right way, and most importantly, lands their messaging, all on point. 

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About the Author  

With around 11 years of experience in advertising, Souveek currently works at MTV as the supervising producer. In his current role, he writes and directs promos and brand campaigns for MTV. He is known for spearheading high-impact campaigns across digital and broadcast platforms. In the past, he has worked at agencies like Ogilvy, J. Walter Thompson, Publicis and others, on brands like Cadbury Fuse, ICICI Bank, Cipla, HDFC Mutual Funds, Skoda, Cello and more. With a foundational background in copywriting, he has consistently demonstrated a talent for crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.