Creative Media: Unconventional, Viral, Ambient

You are no longer the Creative Director, the Art Director, Writer, Designer or Suit.

You have a new hat. Baseball cap, actually. And advertising is just one of the tools you use.

Here's the deal. Clients come to you because they think they need advertising campaigns and websites. But what they really need are solutions ... creative solutions to problems like these:

- Sign-up more customers.

- Get a new product off to a great start.

- Polish the corporate brand, or put a shine on a tarnished reputation.

- Get more business from the customers they have.

So identify your client's "real problem". Then crack that problem with unconventional communications ideas. With creative media. With ambient concepts that interact with your audience in their world.

> See 100 Advertising Ideas

Some areas to explore:

Think of new ways for customers to experience the product or service.

- A stockbrokerage firm might open an Investment Cafe.

- A cosmetics company might modify a van into a product demonstration and sales vehicle. It could travel to malls, public fairs, even schools.

- A breath mint might include free samples with romantic video rentals.

Think of new channels of communication, new media, or ambient opportunities.

- Technological innovation is creating new communication opportunities at a dizzying pace. There are social media opportunities such as company pages and ads on Facebook. Small software application or widgets, such as Apple iPhone Apps. And who knows what's next.

- Hire people who will walk around town with your logo or sales message printed on their foreheads or T-Shirts. Or on their cars.

- And if that's to ba ba ba boring, how about custom labeling bottles of chili sauce for your sales force to give away, if you do in fact have a hot new product.

- How about joint promotions or ad campaigns with other companies? A company that sells bottled mango juice ran a promo with a large distributor of fresh mangos. They placed a small sticker on each mango sold through retail stores. "Bottled version available from Juicy Juices".

- Also in this neighborhood is the exploding field of affiliate marketing, where companies with similar audiences cross sell products or services. AdCracker, for example, has affiliate relationships several publishers with advertising and marketing websites and publications.

Think about sex.

- Very good.

- Now back to work.

> 100 Creative Advertising Ideas

Think of ways to use existing channels of communication.

Start by looking at all the ways the company currently interacts with customers and prospects: through their billing department, sales and customer service staff, as well as product packaging.

Then consider ways to use these existing channels to turn current customers into better customers. To get referrals from them. Or strengthen loyalty.

- Include inserts with the product. Or say you have a web site that sells prescription drugs. Is there a way to use drug bottles to promote the Web site? Consider a mailer, a plastic drug bottle that says "Inside: 3,406 drugs for less". Open it, and there's a brochure, along with a discount offer on the first purchase.

- Provide sales people with special promotions, literature, and mailers. Perhaps email letters and special offers they can send to prospects.

- Perhaps the billing department can promote a customer referral program with statement inserts, and the customer service department can do the same while talking to customers.

Think of events you could stage or co-sponsor.

- A marathon, golf or tennis tournament.

- Concert, rock or classical. Big or small.

- A party. Fiesta. Dance contest.

- Educational seminars or classes. Perhaps on the Internet. Featuring helpful "How To" information.

Think of different media.

- MP3 downloads, podcasts, web video.

- Create a set of collectibles, such as custom designed stamps or stuffed toys.

- Take a look at an advertising specialties catalog, for such things as customized umbrellas. "Talk to me about storm insurance."

Think of ways to link to the news.

- You can always link to a seasonal event such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, Ramadan, or back to school.

But do so in a fresh way. Avoid the tired old, "celebrate the new year" type of theme by giving your ad a twist, something of interest.

TVC visual track: Mr.Wong, smiling, answers the phone, just says, "Yes, we can take you," and hangs up. This happens time and time again, as the phone rings immediately after he hangs up.

TVC voice over: "Chinese New Year Won't Be The Same For The Wong Family This Year, Thanks To Their New Toyota Maxi Van".

Or look for an event that is more original. Like the rainy season. A blue moon. Or the anniversary of Neil Armstrongs first step on the moon.

Link your ad to a topic currently in the news, perhaps fringe news.

"We're here at the Star Trek Convention to demonstrate our advanced online banking services."

"Arabs and Jews both agree: our chocolate bars are the best. Whew!"

Link your ad to a person in the news.

Some years ago, a highly successful executive at one of the major automobile makers, John DeLorean, decided to launch his own car company.

Unfortunately, he ran low on cash and was caught selling a huge amount of cocaine. A week after his conviction, one of the companies selling this guy's car ran an ad headlined, "Buy a new DeLorean and get five pounds of coke free". The photo in the ad showed one of the shinny new cars next to several packs of Coca Cola.

Consider partners and affiliates.

Example, a woman's lingerie maker teamed up with a chain of hotels to offer a prize drawing. The headline read, "Put this bra on and you could be taking it off in one of New Zealand's best hotels". Which proves, once again, that clever offers can involve strange bedfellows.

Example: A fruit drink company put stickers on fresh mangos and papayas distributed to stores with the message, "Just as fresh as Annisa's Juice". So how about a distributor or manufacturer for a promo partner?

Take the product to the people, in an unexpected way.

Example: to demonstrate that its off-road SUV was waterproof, a car company placed a new model in a mall, and filled it with water and fish, turning it into an aquarium.

Creative tip: Suggest a product re-design or an improvement to the service.

Creative tip: Create a list of all media options, beyond traditional advertising, to solve the client's real problem. That might include social and ambient media.

> 100 Advertising Ideas