Sometimes great advertising isn’t about overly complex, drawn out production schedules, or overcrowded client meetings aimed at engendering harmonious approval. Sometimes those are the very ingredients that poison relevant, inclusive and popular ideas. The kinds of ideas that bolster a brand’s image and bottom-line and ironically, help the very employees hell-bent on trotting down the same tried and true path (while seeking different results every time). Weiden + Kennedy’s Old Spice initiative in which “ruggedly handsome” spokesperson, Isaiah Mustafa responds directly to user questions posted on Twitter is the perfect vindication for any creative whose ever found themselves frustratingly asking “why can’t we get this done already?”True, even this initiative required the green light of an open-minded client, but given the timeliness of the idea, it’s fair to assume that these videos didn’t go through the same ol’ approval process and production schedule familiar to most ad videos—viral or otherwise. The videos are funny and feel personalized, even if not every user question was directly responded to. Those people that got responses, and even those who didn't, have Tweeted, Facebooked and otherwise shared links to the videos back out across their social networks. Over 180 videos were created in a matter of days, and as I write this blog entry, they’ve received 5.9 million views and 22,500 comments and counting.
Could these same results have been achieved without a client willing to take a chance, trust its agency creative and temporarily disregard agency/client protocol? Likely not. Run N Gun advertising is all about delivering something while it still matters. Clients would be well advised to consider whether a one-size-fits-all approach to creative procedure helps their brand or hurts it.
