Join funny creative director John McMahon as he discusses making carbon monoxide catchy, balancing innovation with brand heritage in advertising, nurturing creativity, generating creative ideas quickly, and evolving ad creative work in the 21st century.
Creatives collaborate to brainstorm and refine ad ideas, focusing on brand essence.
Creative directors manage multiple teams to ensure cut-through and brand consistency.
Techniques like idea jotting, open atmospheres, and new perspectives enhance creativity.
Deep dives
Role of Creatives in Advertising
Creatives in advertising are responsible for generating ideas for ads by collaborating as teams, consisting of copywriters and art directors. They brainstorm numerous ideas for a brief and refine them to a few key ones for internal presentation and later for client approval.
Responsibilities of Creative Directors
Creative directors oversee the development of ideas from creative teams, ensuring they align with the brand's essence and messaging. They focus on factors like cut-through, engagement, and brand consistency, managing multiple creative teams within an agency to select the most impactful concepts.
Creative Idea Generation Techniques
To foster creative idea generation, specific techniques include rapidly jotting down 20 ideas within 15 minutes, fostering an 'all ideas welcome' atmosphere, stepping away from the brief to gain new perspectives, crystallizing idea summaries into concise concepts, and developing 'walk-up lines' to connect ideas seamlessly with brand messaging.
Creating a Unique Campaign around Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The podcast discusses the creation of a successful public service campaign in Ireland around carbon monoxide poisoning. The campaign introduced a human-sized canary character named Tommy McInary to convey the message creatively. This unique approach was driven by the insight that the topic of carbon monoxide is generally uninteresting to the public. By using the concept of canaries historically being sensitive to carbon monoxide, the campaign aimed to create an engaging and attention-grabbing narrative to raise awareness.
Evolution of Copywriting in Marketing and Advertising
The podcast explores the evolution of copywriting in the advertising industry over the years. It highlights a shift towards more visual and less corporate tonal voice in brand communications. The speaker reflects on the decreasing emphasis on long-form copy in advertising and the growing importance of relatability and approachability in brand communication. Additionally, the impact of social media on driving the need for brands to adopt a friendlier tone and connect with audiences on a more personal level is discussed.
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Ever wanted to peek inside the world of advertising creative, and see how Mad Men operates, in the 21st century, in Dublin? Host Will Francis is joined today by John McMahon, one of Ireland's most experienced (and funny) creative directors in advertising and marketing. He tells us about some challenging briefs he's had, like making carbon monoxide poisoning a catchy subject, the dynamics between brand, business and entertainment, and he offers tons of novel advice on how to bring creativity into your work - whatever your job might be.
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