The Second Meaning of the Word “Creative” Should Be First in the Hearts of Advertising People

Abstract

Those who complain that pressure to sell is squeezing the creativity out of advertising forget, if they ever knew, that the second meaning of the word “creative” is “PRODUCTIVE”.

As the author points out, Webster's Collegiate Dictionary even spells it in capital letters.

Advertising should be interesting to the best prospects for the product advertised rather than to people who make advertising.

Writers and art directors are not typical of the mass market and the things which interest them do not necessarily interest the mass market.

Productive advertising, that is creative advertising, in the best sense of the word, talks to the best prospects for the product about things that interest them. It uses words and picures that the prospects can appreciate and understand.

It is a challenge to the highest skills of the best creative people which may be why there isn't too much productive advertising around.     

A Two-Course Survey of “Creative Country”

Abstract

This article is adapted from a chapter on creativity in a forthcoming book which is not about the business of advertising, but which deals with the advertising of business. Titled “The Chief Executive's Journal of Capitalistic Advertising,” the book presents a most timely concept of advertising, and one which gives the Chief Executive definite responsibilities. As a student of creativity, a Chief Executive needs a grasp of the fundamentals not unlike that of a college sophomore taking Creativity 101. This article aims to provide just that.     

Global Issues in Selecting Athlete Endorsers for National Markets: A Macroinvestigation

ABSTRACT

Little advertising research explores the role of culture in selecting celebrity endorsers. The purpose of this study is to explore how the selection process of athlete endorsers is shaped by national contexts. Based on interviews with advertising practitioners in 10 countries, the study reveals similarities in practitioners’ thinking across countries on a variety of matters related to athlete endorsement. It reveals the importance given by practitioners to the “cultural attractiveness” of national athlete endorsers when using them to connect with their national audience and shows that the selection process depends greatly on various cultural pressures linked to sporting traditions of each country. The study also shows how practitioners believe that athlete endorsers should be used mainly to generate brand and advertising awareness principally under pressure from clients’ emotional input.     

Reducing Disconnects in the Design Agency-Client Relationship

Abstract

Account turnover for smaller agencies, whether an advertising, marketing research or design agency, is a serious financial drain that absorbs disproportionate CRM and managerial energies. Using a web-based survey developed from in-depth interviews, this empirical study investigates the extent to which smaller graphic design agencies follow the classical decision-making “process” when producing a creative product (an advertisement; a new package design, etc.). The global hypothesis is that the greater the degree of adherence to the steps in the management of the ideal relationship management “process” the greater the perceived satisfaction will be with their clients. Results of the analysis partially support the hypothesis and provide valuable directions for future studies.     

Advertising Management: Its Role in Marketing. Sachs,William S. Tulsa,Oklahoma: PennWell Books, 1983

Abstract

The advertising literature contains some evidence that offensive advertising is multidimensional in nature, but little is known about the character of these dimensions. In an exploratory study of TV advertising, two different dimensions of “offensive” were identified. These dimensions were labeled Offensive Products and Offensive Execution. This distinction is important both for the study of the construct as well as for advertisers who are faced with decisions on advertising execution. The Offensive Products dimension contains those products related to consumer problems which social norms dictate should not be discussed in public. The Offensive Execution dimension, the dimension over which the advertiser has more control, consists of those ads which are perceived to be offensive by the nature of the execution or themes and/or topics of the ad and not the product itself.     

An Historical Analysis to Explain the Evolution of Advertising Agency Services

Abstract

Young people interested in careers in advertising often ask: Do advertising agencies offer good career opportunities? What functions do agencies perform, and why? How will agencies evolve in the future? This article traces the evolution of services that advertising agencies perform and identifies major factors that explain such evolution. The reader may wish to perform the same kind of analysis to predict or anticipate future evolution of advertising agencies. The intent is not only to explain or predict changes, but also to exhibit “systems thinking” which is appropriate for the historian.     

Cases in Advertising. Burton,Philip Ward and Richard Sandhusen. Columbus,Ohio: Grid Publishing,Inc., 1981

Abstract

Advertising, consumerism and consumer psychology are very much in the public eye these days and teachers, teaching advertising and marketing courses, see themselves, and are seen by others, as torn between opposing polar orientations. A survey of one group of teachers of advertising and advertising-related courses shows most such teachers orienting their courses, predominantly, toward the interests of the market place “professionals” rather than that of the general public. Yet humanistic and social conscience considerations would seem to demand the opposite. Several alternative, possible positions are considered and a practical, ethically supportable position is indicated.     

The New World of Advertising. Compiled by the editors of Advertising Age. Chicago: Crain Books, 1975

Abstract

This study empirically tested the assumption that the more creative alternatives generated, the better the chance of developing the most effective campaign creative strategy. A panel of four professional creative people from a branch of a “top-twenty” advertising agency judged positioning statements generated by four groups of advertising students. Various analyses of the data tended to confirm the assumption.     

About the authors

It is argued in this paper that marketing theory and practice has reacted largely ineffectively to many of the fundamental challenges posed by developments in other disciplines, illustrated in recent years by total quality management (TQM) and business process re‐engineering (BPR). The urgency of addressing the need for responsiveness to paradigm shifts in other disciplines is underlined by the newest cross‐disciplinary challenge of this kind, which comes from the emergence of “lean thinking” and the conceptualisation of the “lean enterprise”. The goal in this paper is to identify the ways in which lean thinking relates to the marketing process in terms of both conflicts and synergies, and to set an agenda for a productive and timely response from the marketing discipline to the advent of lean thinking.     

Think Outside the Ad: Can Advertising Creativity Benefit More Than the Advertiser?

This article adds to the literature on advertising creativity as well as the growing body of research on the unintended effects of advertising. In three experimental studies we “think outside the ad” and test whether there could be unintended, positive effects of advertising creativity. The results show advertising creativity to have a positive influence on consumers’ own creativity as well as their perceptions of media vehicle value. The effects are mediated by processing and perceived creativity. In discussing the results we encourage advertisers not only to take responsibility for avoiding unintended negative effects on consumers but also to explore and factor in potential positive effects that benefit consumers.     

Participation by U.S. Agencies in International Brand Advertising: An Empirical Study

Abstract

Marry ad agency executives have proclaimed the era of the global advertising agency. They observe that corporations are moving towards placement of their worldwide advertising through a single agency, and they predict that a few large “mega-agencies” will take over a majority of international advertising accounts. Yet, no published studies have examined how many brands are actually handled by the same ad agency worldwide. This paper presents the results of a survey examining the extent to which U.S. companies use the same agency to advertise abroad and in the home market. The study found that of the brands sold abroad, only about one-third are handled by the same agency both at home and abroad. This proportion does not vary significantly with advertising budgets, by product class, or between standardized and non-standardized brands. In addition, no single-agency group or “mega-agency” handles more than eight percent of the sample brands, and no agency handles a majority of its U.S. brands abroad.     

Account Planners' Views on How Their Work Is and Should Be Evaluated

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the nature of green advertising, thus demonstrating that the concept is far more complex than the extant marketing literature suggests. Green is characterized here as a two dimensional concept with political (reformism to radicalism) and human positional (anthropocentric to ecocentric) dimensions. It is argued here that there are at least five different types of green, including environmentalism, conservationism, human welfare ecology, preservationism, and ecologism. To understand the greenness of an advertisement, it is useful to position it within this framework; and each type suggests a different human position with respect to nature and a different political orientation. The proposed framework is useful for defining terms such as “green,” “environmental,” and “ecological” which are often used interchangeably in the marketing and advertising literature.     

Smoke-filled Rooms and Research: A Response to Jean J. Boddewyn's Commentary

Abstract

Professor Boddewyn's discussion raises important issues about the social importance and objectivity of academic research. One major issue concerns the social relevance of the advertising research conducted by academics, which Professor Boddewyn contends is largely neglected by the mass media. This neglect “renders main-line advertising scholars irrelevant.”     

Social Criticism of Advertising: On the Role of Literary Theory and the Use of Data

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of literary theory for the social criticism of advertising. In particular, it examines what types of claims can be made simply by analyzing an ad itself and what types of social criticism require extrinsic data about how other readers understand the ad or the historical context of its creation. The author advocates a “doubly integrated” approach to social criticism that combines literary analysis with use of extrinsic empirical data and also integrates the system by which ads are produced with the way they are comprehended. This approach provides a holistic view of the advertising process and a strong basis for critique. Discussion of a demonstration study shows how qualitative data collected from readers can be used to complement traditional literary interpretations of advertisements.     

Pigott,Stanley. OBM/A Celebration: One Hundred and Twenty-Five Years in Advertising. London: Ogilvy,Benson & Mather Limited, 1975

Abstract

This study reports the results of a survey of advertising managers and editors of weekly and daily newspapers and of selected consumer magazines concerning the issue of feature advertising. Feature advertising is defined as paid advertising space that looks like editorial copy in the form of a short feature article. It was posited that this type of advertising might offer a unique challenge to the process of advertising self-discipline among print media. Ad managers and editors differed on a number of points, but agreed that questions pertaining to feature ads should be addressed through media self-discipline.     

Development of a Yellow Pages Media Unit for a Promotion/Advertising Course

Abstract

The Yellow Pages are relegated to the “other media” discussion sections of traditional advertising and promotion management textbooks. The medium in total now represents approximately $10.5 billion in total sales through more than 6,000 directories which are published annually. Yellow Pages now meets the total volume of radio as a medium.

This paper develops an outline for suggested topics for either a promotion management or advertising course to investigate the Yellow Pages as a vital and necessary medium. Topics include background of the Yellow Pages, advantages and disadvantages of the medium, creative work, placement, research and future trends.

Students are generally not being exposed to the Yellow Pages in an effective manner either in textbooks or in the classroom. There exist manifold career opportunities in the field, for employment after graduation. Further, since most Yellow Pages advertising is local in scope, many graduates may find the need to work with the medium in their marketing careers.

The teaching unit, as presented, can be utilized in a skeleton format for a single class period. At the instructor's choice, the unit can also be presented in enough depth for a week of class sessions. The goal is to provide students with a working familiarity with the Yellow Pages, for career growth and educational development.     

Managerial Judgement in Model Development

Abstract

The following paper discusses the development of a media planning model that utilized econometric methods, academic theory and managerial judgement. Stautamoyer and Lindquist (1994) called for the inclusion of advertising “experts” in the model development process at earlier stages to facilitate model acceptance. Other authors (Stewart and Furse, 1984; Chakravarti, Mitchell and Staelin, 1981; Kover, 1995) have also discussed the lack of relevance of advertising models that have hurt acceptance. The paper outlines the role played by advertising managers and findings on the applicability of academic theory and research in developing a functional media model.     

Skin Tones in Magazine Advertising

Abstract

Although African Americans enjoy greater quantitative representation in American advertising than ever before, it is questionable if this representation is a true picture of African Americans. Because of the “what is beautiful is good” syndrome in advertising, advertisers have been criticized by some groups for using models who may present body images and facial features considered too idealistic. These unrealistic portrayals of attractiveness and beauty “likely reflect involuntary responses to subconscious cultural constraints” (Strutton and Lumpkin, 1993, p. 509). Thus a “myth of beauty” that generally favors Eurocentric features such as light-colored skin, narrow noses and thin lips is perpetuated. The exception to this rule, however, may be found in the use of Black athletes as spokespersons and models. To determine if there is a difference in the skin tones of models used in sports magazines and fashion magazines, this study is a content analysis of the models used in Sports Illustrated and Vogue. The results indicate that there were significant differences in the skin tones of the models used in these magazines.     

Women “in motion”: the kinaesthetic viewing experience in Chinese viral advertising films

ABSTRACT

Visual imagery provides aesthetic experiences for viewers, and viral advertising films address viewers’ experience of movement which has not been analysed. Developing visual analyses, this study uses phenomenological approaches and the concept of kinaesthetic empathy, defined as the ability of viewers to react to movements, also in film. It considers Chinese Wei movies (“microfilms” or viral advertising films) with reference to examples by Audi and Swarovski as representatives of China's post-socialist marketing culture. Women in these films are presented as “in motion,” yet still are often delimited by traditional gender stereotypes. These films are potentially ambivalent ideological carriers that encourage women to reinvent themselves through consumption within traditional gender roles but may also suggest the pursuit of different experiences as movement is abstract, transitory and cannot be commodified.