MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Breaking the status quo is akin to the moment when the first primate mastered fire or when someone boldly decided to try eating eggs for the first time. These breakthroughs arise from the “uncomfort zone,” a space where the unconventional, unexpected, and unusual are birthed.
At the 4th General Members Meeting on August 06, VML Manila’s Chief Creative Officer Joe Dy emphasized the importance of this “uncomfort zone” in creative work, stating, “It isn’t for everyone, but it is an important space in our line of work.” His words suggest that while human nature often gravitates toward familiar patterns, true innovation demands that creatives consistently push beyond the comfort of the known.
“The uncomfort zone is a place I’d like to describe where great ideas really happen. This is actually where the unusual is the usual. It’s where the crazy ones play.”
While relating that it entails ruffling feathers and stirring the pot, Joe chalked it up to these factors, explaining how to get out of the rut and not return to what’s predictable and, therefore, boring.
Subverting expectations
Turning off what you perceive as correct can help you frame your mind to subvert expectations. “By turning off this switch in our heads, it helps us unblock creative pathways and explore unfamiliar things,” Joe said, referencing Haagen Dazs and Philip Morris’ early campaigns as examples. These brands not only took bold steps but also successfully changed consumer behavior toward their products.
“Don’t do it in the way you’re expected to do.”
When everyone else was selling ice cream, Haagen Dazs sold sensuality. When Marlboro was the cigarette for women, Leo Burnett introduced the cowboy image to market it to male consumers.
“It’s all about subverting expectations; subverting expectations of the market, the category, the client, and the audience. And sometimes, even your own expectations.”
When wrong becomes interesting
“Sometimes, correct can be boring. It’s safe, it’s wallpaper, it’s stock, but when you get it wrong, wrong is actually interesting. Why are we always dismissing wrong all the time?”
Being category wrong, brand voice wrong, and market wrong, although a gamble, can pay off. “Every category works in their best practices,” he said but in the cases of Crest, and P&G, it proves otherwise.
“You can’t change the game if you keep playing by the rules,” Joe asserted. Drawing from his extensive career and experiences, he underscored that success doesn’t always come from following the conventional path. In recent years, several unconventional approaches—what some might call “wrongs”—have proven the validity of Joe’s advice, with the results speaking for themselves.
- GIGIL’s RC Cola viral spot that went absurdist in a formulaic category
- Burger King’s best-practice-defying Moldy Whopper
- McCann Worldgroup’s storytelling feat and internet record breaker Jollibee Kwentong Valentines
Challenge culture — invent it if you have to
Many of today’s cultural norms have emerged from challenging and reshaping traditions. Take Santa Claus, for instance. Before Coca-Cola’s iconic advertising campaigns, the jolly, red-suited figure we now associate with the holiday season lacked a consistent image.
Similarly, until De Beers Jewellers revolutionized the perception of engagement rings with copywriter Frances Gerety’s iconic tagline “A diamond is forever,” diamonds were not the default choice for symbolizing eternal love.
“Sometimes you have to invent a culture if the culture that you want to influence isn’t there,” Joe shared.
Question reality and indulge the impossible
In maintaining correctness, blinders prevent looking at things in a fresh light. The antidote? Dare to be stupid, ignore sanity, and go a little nuts.
“Logic is what everybody sees,” Joe prefaced, “Don’t let logic keep you from making magic.”
From smashing together what is bizarre to inter-species muppet pairing, there’s no denying what meshing things off-center can do.
“When the unusual succeeds, it becomes the usual.” In the instance of Leo Burnett UK’s 2001 campaign, an edible billboard showed that any food indeed tastes supreme with Heinz Salad Cream. This execution inspired many brands, including McDonald’s, Carlsberg, and Thornton Chocolates.
As one of his favorites, Joe played Samsung’s “Do What You Cant” campaign, which encapsulates his points.
Responsibility in pulling things off
It’s not about being reckless. It’s about gutting it out.
Ultimately, ruffling feathers and stirring the pot should not be self-serving. Staying grounded, he said that there are things that can’t be done for a reason, and it lies on the “dinosaurs in the room” (himself included) to have the wisdom to know when to push for the idea.
“You can’t just be different for difference’s sake. Otherwise, you can be self-indulgent, and that is the danger. It still has to be in the service of a business objective.”
“Braving that comfort zone can be scary, but it can be fun. It can be very, very rewarding not just in awards but also in financial benefits for our clients.”
Closing his talk and the members meeting, Joe posed the challenge: Isn’t it time we stop following best practices and return to creating best practices?
