PHILIPPINES, DECEMBER 20, 2010 – adobo walked into the Publicis JimenezBasic’s receiving area only to see half of the night’s class – seven young creatives – seated on the couch. Perhaps it was the terrible Christmas traffic or the rain that got in the way of others to make it (on time). Maybe some were just really, really busy. Some might even be, well, lying on the floor with only three functional brain cells left. Blame it on the pitches the shops have been vying for the last couple of weeks, which we’re sure to hear a lot more of soon.
Since it was a small group, with more students trickling as the minutes passed, headmaster Lawin Bulatao gave the lecture in a more classroom-like manner than usual, complete with drawings on the board.
Before breaking out the champagne as we would know it, a shop should first be successful in breaking out the campaigns. This is the key to a thriving idea that may be transformed into different platforms. A campaign is a central idea expressed across a multitude of channels, all designed to achieve the same objective.
Bulatao stressed that because the ads look alike, this makes them a campaign. “It becomes a campaign when the share the same heart,” he adds. The advantage of campaigns is that it can outlast one-offs as long as you are faithful to the idea.
The session might have seemed to be short, but it sure was sweet. In this business of making people want things, creatives need to woo. Apart from having a relationship with the client, the agency has to work on keeping the relationship thriving. If you think you are in the business to sell, you might be in the wrong department.
