Creative communication

Course: Communication methods Lect. Ioana Iancu, PhD School pf Public Health Cluj-Napoca

 What do you think creativity means?

Creativity
One of the most mysterious aspects of human brain

Any attempt to understand the brain process within the creative thinking is just a speculation

Creativity
New Unexpected Unusual Absurd Imagination Fantasy Surprise Wonder Metaphor Thinking outside the box

Creativity
Recognized as an economical instrument for:
Welfare Jobs Durable development Technological evolution Innovation Competitiveness increase

(Landry, 2000)

Creativity
Traditionally, creativity means art Today a larger meaning

Creativity index
Florida (2002, 2005) creativity means 3T
Technology Talent Tolerance

The number of investments per individual Population density in terms of bohemians and gay people The number of immigrants Etc.

 The challenge for the 21st century is to work smarter, not harder (NAS, 2003).

Creativity
Duch suggest that there are 2 essential factors for creativity
Imagination, developed based on experience The strength to find an innovative and interesting solution

Creativity
Psychologist - individuals are happier when they can express their creativity From where do the new idea come from?
They are old ideas combined with new perspective nothing new under the sun

Creativity
Creativity implies knowledge The imagination largely depend on what we already know
The more one knows, the more creative one can be

Creativity
The creative individuals usually have a IQ higher that the average, but not higher than 120 The IQ does only a small difference regarding the creativity level

 A failure is an opportunity to start over again, but more intelligently. (Henry Ford)

Creativity
There is no standard test to measure creativity
It is not known if there is the possibility of creating one

Psychologists try to create exercises that improve the level of creativity

Exercises
Imagine that people do not have to sleep. Think of the possible consequences. Imagine that people can teleportate. What can be the results?

Creativity talent or exercise?

Creativity, as the humor, can be learned Creativity is born from many ideas belonging to a large number of people Creativity implies practice

Creativity in advertising
Kover et al. (1995) there is no guarantee that creativity makes the commercial more memorable Sonner (1997) creativity does not help in recalling the brand or in making the message more clear Koslow et al. (2003) creativity is the mission in itself of the entire advertising industry Gross (1972) creativity is long term efficient

Study 1
Experiment 4 groups of individuals 1284 participants 4 categories of products (analgesics, coffee, vodka, condoms) known brands 2 prints for each brand (the brand and the photography are constant, only the text is different one is more creative (metaphors) and one is less creative The tests have been pre-tested to assure that they signify the same thing The prints have been graded by specialists on a scale from 1 (non creativity) to 7 (very creative) Indicators: brand and message identification, familiarity with the brand, price estimation, marketing effort perception, brand ability perception, brand quality perception, brand interest, creativity perception etc.

Results
The more creative is a print, the highest the creation effort is perceived. It is not the case of the sum spent with the print The more creative is a print, the highest the quality of brand is perceived The more creative is a print, the highest the brand interest The explicit creativity is better perceived than hidden, subliminal creativity

Study 2
Divergence the measure in which a commercial contains different, new, unusual, original, unique elements
Comparison with consumers experiences

Relevance the measure in which the elements of the commercials are significant, effective, valuable for the consumer
Comparison with the consumers objectives, need and desires

Measuring divergence
Flexibility Fluency Originality Elaboration Synthesis Artistic value Imagination

Measuring relevance
Ad-to-consumer relevance
Elements from the execution that are significant for the consumer (E.g. Beatles music - Baby Boomers generation)

Brand-to-consumer relevance
Brand is relevant for the consumer (e.g. the brand is used in a familiar situation)

Ad-to-brand relevance
How well does the brand fit the commercial

Methodology
39 creative commercials, selected by specialists from among the ones winning Clio Award 2003 Sample: 223 students Watching commercials and then filling in a questionnaire

Results
Divergence is the major indicator of creativity

Ad-to-consumer relevance and brand-toconsumer relevance are positively significant indicators

Humor
Humor is a form of creativity Humor is a source of power and healing and may be a key to survival (Gregg, 2002, p. 1) Everyday conversation thrives on wordplay, sarcasm, anecdotes, and jokes
these forms of humor enliven conversation, but they also help us break the ice, fill uncomfortable pauses, negotiate requests for favors and build group solidarity (Norrick, 1993, p. 1)

Humor in advertising
Approx. 10-15% from the TV commercials contain humor Humor is different in different cultures (e.g. British humor vs. American humor)

Humor in history
In ancient times, laughing and humor were negatively perceived They have reflected the satanic spirit of human being
Platon: humor is motivated by envy Aristotel: humor is degrading for manners, art and religion Humor = unbalanced force in society

What commercials with humor do you remember?

Humor in advertising
Commercials with humor are less criticized Commercials with humor are easier observed and for a long time Commercials with humor are more liked

Humor as a negative elements

It distracts from the brand

Solution
Including the brand within the story of the commercial The competition brand must not fit into the same pattern Humor must create discussions within social groups

Got Milk?
20 years decline in milk consumption among Californians in 1993 milk processors from across the state formed the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) One goal in mind: to get people to drink more milk Research shown that most consumers already believed milk was good for them. The campaign would remind consumers of the inconvenience and annoyance of running out of milk when they went to eat certain foods, which became known as milk deprivation. The got milk? tagline reminded consumers to make sure they had milk in their refrigerators. A year after the launch, sales volume had increased 1.07 percent.

The elements of a successful campaign

A simple and easy to understand idea A different idea An idea that is relevant for the consumer and hi/her needs

Campaigns that have changed the thinking process

Keep Calm and carry on (1939)
Developed by the British Government (The Ministry of Information responsible for advertising and propaganda WWII) It uses the symbolic image if the crown belonging to King George VI 2 former posters: Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory and Freedom is in Peril The aim: to be distributed in the case of Nazi invasion The posters were not been used back than Becoming popular in 2008 during the economic recession

Campaigns that have changed the thinking process

A Diamond is Forever (1947)
The slogan has changed the concept of engagement De Beers, jewelries company The diamond is perceived as being everlasting, romantic, with emotional implications and a necessary luxury Posters in Fortune, Vogue, Time, The New Yorker Target: the readers from the high society The diamond ring has become the engagement ring

Campaigns that have changed the world

Think Small (1959) Benetton Pieta (1992) Think Different (1997)

Volkswagen

Context
Cars producers wanted to create big , fast and luxurious cars VW had preferred the opposite position a small, modest and for everybody car
Beetle (sold between 1938-1975)

VW has revolutionized the advertising creativity through Think Small campaign

Their idea: the individuals must be awarded through the advertising they are losing time reading

Think Small Campaign

Think Small Campaign

The best advertising campaign of the XX century (Ad Age survey research US)

Think Small

The Beetle success

Adolf Hitlers influence (he was cars passionate)
He asked a peoples car - Volk-Wagen
2 adults and 3 children must fit in A car people look round but not too fancy Light but fully equiped cheap to buy and even cheaper to keep running however, few Germans afforded it

The no. of cars within a country and the no. of km done are measures for the cultural standars of a country (Hitler) An instrument that revolutionize the free time

Ferdinand Porches the designer of Beetle Advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB)
Hired in 1960 to introduce Beetle in US For statistical research, graphical design and new methods of advertising communication

Mass production of Beetle in America Beetle = American Icon

Beetle promotion
Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) agency
Commercials humor and honesty The use of humor = high message acceptance and award for the consumer Emotional connections with the consumers No attack on competition A common way to communicate, like from person to person

The movie Herbie the Love Bug

Beetle symbol
In less than 12 years Beetle has become an international symbol Over 21 millions cars produced since 1938 It symbolizes an era, a lifestyle, a trend, a social phenomenon, a passion A peace symbol worldwide

Beetle mania
Nonconformist design Possibilities of personalize it A generation definition
flower power, hippie culture freedom

Beetle - simplicity

New Beetle
1994 a new concept of Beetle 1998 starts the production and selling process in Americana

New Beetle

United Colors of Benetton

United Colors of Benetton

One of the biggest clothes producer in Europe Born in Italy in 1965 (till 1985 there was no advertising at all) Luciano Benetton remarked a lack of string colors in the clothes market The challenges of UCB
The lack of geographical borders as an effect of globalization international competition The rise of consumer requirements (high quality on small prices, individual solutions Rapid evolution of society (continuous innovation need)

Oliviero Toscani
Photograph at Benetton (19852000) The receipt: a strong photography with the logo in a corner Passive-aggressive advertising "Advertising is the richest and most powerful form of communication in the world. We need to have images that will make people think and discuss."

The themes within the prints

Rather campaigns that aim to emphasize socioeconomic issues than advertising campaigns
War Racism (harmony, tolerance) Religion (religious tolerance) Human rights Disability AIDS Capital punishment

Important campaigns
Campaigns signed by Oliviero Toscani
1985 Flags Campaign 1989 Contrast in Black and White 1991 War Cemetery 1992 AIDS victim campaign 2000 Sentence to Death

Campaigns after Toscani

Food Campaign Campaign against domestic violence UNHATE

Flags Campaign
Images with children covered by flags:
America and URSS Israel and Germany China and America etc.

Images with children of different nationalities

United Colors of Benetton has become the Benetton slogan

United Colors of Benetton

Contrast in Black and White

Toscani becomes the militant of against racism campaigns The slogan The United Color of Benetton becomes the company identity and part of the new logo

Contrast in Black and White

Other contrast prints

War Cemetery
A cemetery in France The star of David (Jewish identity) racial and religious connotation Message: In war, beyond uniforms, ranks, races and religion, death is the sole victory The print has been forbidden in Italy, France, UK, and Germany

War Cemetery

AIDS victim campaign

reality advertising real situations photographies Sensitive themes: disease, death, pain etc.

AIDS victim campaign

The most controversial image used by Toscani The print has been declared obscene, disgusting and exploiting tragic situations (Britains Advertising Standards Authority) It was refused by many publications The Jesus resembling figure of David Kirby is in contrast with the image of obese family Brutal impact a private moment with intense emotional impact is presented

AIDS campaign

The war theme

Military uniform of a soldier from Bosnia Strong controversies The father of the dead soldier said that he had never seen the clothes of his son (Marinko Gagro) because they had been burned in the hospital Media claimed that the soldier has been killed by a grenade and not by a bullet

Sentence to Death
The last campaign signed Toscani at Benetton While for former campaigns the advertising expenditures were just 4% from the revenues, in Sentence to Death the company has spent 20 millions Euros Toscani spent 2 years visiting prisons in US and interviewing people sentenced to death
27 interviews were presented in the We on Death Row rubric from Talk Magazine

Sentence to Death

Other prints

The effects of Toscanis campaigns

Benetton campaigns have become a phenomenon
A single photograph Only print advertising (no advertising agencies, no commercials) Little money

A lot of criticism for the socking images The consumers have become more aware of the problems within the society they are living in

Benetton after Toscani

Toscani effect can be remarked within the next several campaign after Toscani left Benetton Benetton advertising becomes less aggressive, with emphasis on strong colors

World Food Program

Campaign against domestic violence

UNHATE
UNHATE Foundation The principles of the project
The development of a culture of tolerance, against hate and discrimination The support or the new generations The dissemination of social impact of art

UNHATE the kisses

President of France Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel President of US Barrack Obama and President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez President of US Barrack Obama and China Leader, Hu Jintao Papa Benedict the XVIth and Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, Al-Azhar imam Prim-minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu cu President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas Supreme Leader of North Korea and President of South Korea

UNHATE

UNHATE outdoor

UNHATE Unemployee of the Year

UNHATE Dove
The dove built of more than 15.000 recycled bullets, donated to Tripoli (Libya capital) as a symbol of peace and hope

Benetton today

Fabrica
Benettons Communication research center It supports artists from all over the world Emphasis on non-conventional communication based on design, music, publications and Internet

Colors Magazine
Released in 1994 Distributed in more that 100 countries Translated in more than 6 languages Presents the Benetton vision

Apple

Company
Founded in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne and Mike Markkula 1985 Jobs leaves Apple
In 1984, he convinced the managers to release Apple Macintosh Commercial which becomes a legend

It follows a more conventional advertising period

Apple loses clients and employees

Jobs comes back with a new slogan Think Different (probably with references to IBM slogan Think IBM)

Name
Apple a strange name for a computer company Steve Jobs was a fan of Beatles and named his company after the name of their recording company The apple was his favorite fruit, Jobs was fruitarian
Macintosh apple

The apple is the knowledge fruit (Adam and Eva) Jobs wanted a name that started with a letter from the beginning of the alphabet It can refer to the death (through poison suicide) of Alan Turing (mathematician, computer scientist)
A bitten apple was found next to the body

Logo
Bitten apple
Alan Turing If not, it would have resembled too much with a cherry The bite symbolizes knowledge and the concept of bite is similar with byte in computer science

Logo evolution

Rainbow symbol
The logo becomes more visually accessible It symbolizes the use of colors on the computer screen for the first time The logo was used till 1997, when Steve Jobs came back to apple
The logo needed to be changed and simplified from financial reasons
One of the deep mysteries to me is our logo, the symbol of lust and knowledge, bitten into, all crossed with the colors of the rainbow in the wrong order. You couldnt dream of a more appropriate logo: lust, knowledge, hope, and anarchy. (Jean Louis Gassee former executive)

Think Different Campaign

One of the most successful campaigns ever 90s - a crisis period for Apple
The company was blamed to produce toys

The idea developer - Craig Tanimoto An original idea, a TV commercial and beautiful and efficient prints

TV commercial
Narrator: the American actor Richard Dreyfuss 2 versions of the commercial
1 minute commercial the final scene is represented by a girl that opens her eyes 30 second commercial the final scene is represented by Jerry Seinfeld

It is said that the text was written by Steve Jobs

BUT, in reality, the text was written by Rob Siltanen si Ken Segall

Heres to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. Theyre not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you cant do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

The characters
Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Branson, J ohn Lennon (with Yoko Ono), R. Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Maria Callas, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson (with Kermit the Frog), Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso

Prints
Black and white prints Important persons in history

Prints
Albert Einstein physicist, philosopher and author Alfred Hitchcock filmmaker and producer (master of suspense and horror films) Amelia Earhart American Aviatrix who made a solo flight across the Atlantic and the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross Ansel Adams photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West Bill Bernbach - a legendary figure in the history of American advertising, directed the Think Small campaign Bob Dylan - singer-songwriter and musician, singer-songwriter and musician

Prints
Buzz Aldrin - 1969, the second person to set foot on the Moon after Neil Armstrong Charlie Chaplin English comic actor and film director of the silent film era Dalai Lama - Tenzin Gyatso, fourteenth and current Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the worlds most famous Buddhist monk, leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India Eleanor Roosevelt the First Lady of the US (1933-1945), advocate for civil rights Francis Ford Coppola advocate for civil rights, directed Godfather and Apocalypse Now Flik the ant The main protagonist of the Pixar Studios animated film A Bugs Life, with grand ideas of how to improve life

Prints
Jackie Robinson the first African American Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era Jane Goodall primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace, is well-known for her 45-year study of chimpanzee social and family interactions Jim Henson & Kermit the creator of The Muppets Jimi Hendrix American guitarist, singer and songwriter, the greatest electric guitarist Joan Baez American folk singer, songwriter and activist, topical songs and material dealing with social issues John Huston American filmmaker, screenwriter and actor

Prints
Mahatma Ghandi political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement, he had an iron core of determination Maria Callas soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century Martha Graham dancer choreographer regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance Miles Davis jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer, at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s Muhamed Ali one of the greatest heavyweight championship boxers of all time Nelson Mandela President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first SouthAfrican president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, antiapartheid activist Pablo Picasso painter, draughtsman, and sculptor, co-founding the Cubist movement

Prints
Ted Turner media mogul and philanthropist, founder of the cable news network CNN Thomas Edison inventor, scientist and businessman, he invented phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electriclight bulb Frank Capra film director (19301940) John Lenon & Yoko Ono - The famous Beatle singer and his wife, Together invented a form of peace protest by staying in bed while being filmed and interviewed Paul Rand graphic designer, logo for IBM, UPS, Westinghouse, ABC, and Steve Jobs NeXT

The effects of the campaign

In 12 months Apple has tripled the sales After a year from the campaign, Apple launched the color IMac

The innovations of these campaigns

New and innovative for that contexts Redefining some symbols Emphasizing emotions Using humor messages Underlying the honesty of the message Using shocking and unexpected messages and images Emphasizing social issues

R UV UGLY
Scope of Good Practice
A campaign to encourage youngsters to stop using sunbeds

The Problem Addressed by the Campaign

Despite new legislation banning under 18 year-olds from using sunbeds, many were still visiting salons in an effort to achieve that glow. research worryingly showed that using a sunbed for the first time before the age of 35 increased the risk of malignant melanoma the most serious form of skin cancer by 75 percent.

R UV UGLY
Background Research
an appearance-obsessed audience prone to switching off preachy health messaging and possessing an attitude of invincibility, a pure-play vanity message that using a sunbed would make them look old before their time.

Focus-groups Channeling findings from the focus group, the team offered everyone two-for-none vouchers, meaning they could share the experience with a friend or an older family member/friend could accompany their young relatives/friends.

R UV UGLY
Strategy
"R UV UGLY? Secured talent (all for free) included Binky Felstead (Made in Chelsea), Maria Fowler and Sam & Billie Faiers (TOWIE), Gemma Merna (Hollyoaks), Kym Marsh (Coronation Street), and singer Paloma Faith. Their involvement was promoted through interview placements, skin assessments and by encouraging them to tweet to drive fans to the Facebook voucher page.

R UV UGLY
Creative
a Facebook page was created. It contained information on the campaign, The campaign was also supported with a digital photobooth experiential campaign in Manchester (Arndale Centre) and Newcastle (Gateshead Metro Centre). A customized photobooth was created, complete with UV skin scanner, which enabled the team to engage young females in high foot traffic locations.

R UV UGLY
Media
a double page feature in "The Sun." Advertorials in womens magazines (including "Heat" and "Closer") generated further awareness and engagement via QR codes, short links and text CTAS making it simple for people to access the voucher via their phones. news stories designed to make sunbed dangers a national talking point were released.
focused on how friends and family were encouraging their loved ones to use sunbeds and inadvertently putting their lives at risk. With models being key influencers to the target audience, the news story was launched on the first day of London Fashion Week. The team stole the limelight, resulting in extensive national print and broadcast media coverage including the front page of the "Metro" and live broadcasts on "BBC Breakfast," "Five News" and "Sky News." Coverage was also secured in many of the female-orientated websites read by the target audience, and youth-focused programs including "Radio 1 Newsbeat."

R UV UGLY
Impact 1,648 skin scans conducted in target cities 13 celebrity supporters 27 pieces of national print / online coverage including The Daily Mail, a DPS in The Sun, The Star, The Express, Metro (front page), MSN, Chat, Closer, Heat, Reveal, Now 131 pieces of regional press coverage including Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, Yorkshire Post 553 online pieces of coverage 75 pieces of broadcast coverage including ITV Daybreak, Sky News, Radio 1, BBC Breakfast Over 2,000,000 Twitter impressions for #RUVUGLY and over 200 tweets from celebs/influencers with 1000+ followers

Task for Monday

Critically read
Guy J. Golan, Lior Zaidner, Creative Strategies in Viral Advertising: An Application of Taylors Six-Segment Message Strategy Wheel, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13 (2008): 959972

References
Adamson, Allan P. Brand Simple. Cum reusesc cele mai bune branduri prin simplitate. Editura Publica 2010. Armstrong, James D., Thinking Small: The Volkswagen Beetle in History and Educational Pedagogy, Education and Human Development, 2011. Andreiadis, Eugen, Iuliana Baciu, Andrei Iancu, Madalina Pilsu, United Colors of Benetton. Analysis. Marketing Course 2004. Dahlen, Micael, Sara Rosengren, Fredrik Torn, Advertising Creativity Matters, Journal of Advertising Research, September 2008. Hargie, Owen, Handbook of communication skills, Routledge, 2006. Kraidy, Marwan M. and Tamara Goeddertz, Transnational advertising and international relations: US press discourses on the Benetton We on Death Row campaign, Media Culture Society 2003, 25. Lau, Joe Y.F. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better. Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Smith, Robert et al. Modeling the determinants and effects of creativity in advertising. Marketing Science, Vol. 26, No. 6, November-December 2007: 819-833. Sutherland, Max and Alice K. Sylvester. De la publicitate la consumator. Ce merge, ce nu merge si mai ales de ce. Polirom 2008. http://www.antena3.ro/life-show/media/campaniile-publicitare-care-au-schimbat-societatea-si-modul-in-caregandim-173800.html http://www.keepcalmandcarryon.com/history/ http://www.gemnation.com/base?processor=getPage&pageName=forever_diamonds_2 http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1999/11/22/smallb7.html?page=all http://unhate.benetton.com/foundation/ http://creativecriminals.com/print/apple-think-different/ http://www.freddesign.co.uk/2011/07/archive/so-why-an-apple-the-history-of-the-apple-logo/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2011/12/14/the-real-story-behind-apples-think-different-campaign/4/