Why Advertisers Should Give Two Hoots, Or More, About Creativity. (Part Two)

This is the second part of a two-part series. Read the first part here.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Quick, what do they stand for? Machismo. Rebellion. Freedom. Right? But it hasn’t always been communicated with enough “slap” to assure bottom-line success.

In fact, in the 70’s and early 80’s, Harley was a company in turmoil. One flush away from the sewer, by their own admission. Not only had they drifted from (or de-emphasized) their core position, but their advertising was just plain vanilla.

Somebody at Harley had the vision to hire a Minneapolis ad agency named Carmichael Lynch in the mid-80’s. Soon thereafter, intelligent brand refurbishment clothed with thought-provoking, in-your-face advertising helped rescue the biking legend from the marketing cesspool in which they floundered.

A lucky coincidence? You tell me. Carmichael began a flagship magazine ad campaign for Harley-Davidson in 1985. It was masterfully written, exquisitely crafted, and carefully strategized to perfectly reflect the inherent values of the brand. Prestigious national ad awards began rolling in during 1986. One Show, CA, Clios, Kelly Awards, ADDYs and more. Every year. The 2000 national Grand Prize Effie Award signifying success at the most important location of all, the cash register, also arrived. Another impressive win: The 2001 Grand Prize Kelly Award for the best magazine campaign in the nation.

Harley sales in 2001 rose 18%, the 16th consecutive year of record revenue and income. 2001, minus 16, yields 1985 – the year Carmichael Lynch went to work on their behalf.

Similar stories abound. If you find advertising campaigns laden with awards, you generally find an advertiser in a market leadership position (or very near to it).

Altoids, FedEx, ABSOLUT Vodka, VW, IBM, Nike, Microsoft, The Economist, Timberland, L.L. Bean, Range Rover, Sports Illustrated, Burger King, Miller Lite, to name a few. All frequently found at the awards podium.

They all produce advertising that people like. Advertising that people believe. Advertising that people remember.

And, by the way, don’t discount that all-important likeability factor. It plays into both creativity and sales. Proof?

A study conducted by The Ogilvy Center for Research & Development revealed that people who liked a commercial “a lot” were twice as likely to be persuaded by it than people who simply felt neutral toward the advertising.

In addition, a study by the Advertising Research Foundation in New York concluded that likeability was the single best determinant of whether an ad would be successful.

The late Jay Chiat, founder and Chairman of Chiat/Day, the ad agency that created what Advertising Age called the best TV spot of the 20th century, was fond of reciting two advertising myths.

Myth #1: Creativity is nice, but moving the goods is what counts.

“Creativity is what moves the goods,” he boldly stated. “No one is going to buy your client’s product if they don’t watch your ads. And no one is going to watch the ads if they’re dull, irritating or insulting. The remote control will see to that. Even if it’s possible to boost sales with uninspired, workmanlike advertising, you can boost them a whole lot higher if your advertising is sharp and creative.”

Myth #2: Clients don’t really care about awards.

”The he– they don’t,” was his response. “Just look at the Clios – any year will do – and you’ll see a very clear correlation between the agencies winning gold Clios and the brands that turn out to be market share leaders. Clients know this, and they’re drawn to agencies that carry off the lion’s share of awards.”

Creativity and sales. They’re Siamese twins. Linked at the hip, heart and head. To paraphrase Prokofiev (from Part One, posted earlier), “New melody” is what ultimately and most effectively engages the masses.