POST SUMMARY: There is nothing like a bunch of ad executives getting together at a French resort to pat each other on the back for advertising, even id the ads were ineffective in driving brand objectives. According to the “jury” the pharma category, although there was good work, and much of it included digital components, the jurors found that there was “a lot of utility but not so much beauty.” P L E A S E !!!
Those of us who have worked in marketing understand that “beautiful” ads don’t mean a damn thing if they fail to deliver on the objective of all advertising: conversion. When filling out a creative brief for a DTC campaign I have never seen or used the word “beautiful”. Can you imagine a DTC Director asking her agency to produce something beautiful?
DTC ads are made to do one thing; raise awareness of prescription medications in hopes that it leads to a conversion. They are not there to win awards for agencies or DTC managers, they are there as an integral part of a business strategy.
Some of you may remember an ad that Mean Joe Green Coke ad that won all kinds of awards and was talked about within ad circles for years. Unfortunately the evidence that it helped sell more Coke product is still missing. Then there was the Honda CRV ad featuring a remake of Ferris Bueller’s day off. Won a lot of awards and the agency people were patting themselves on the back, but it did not help sell any more CRV’s.
What went on at Cannes is a key reason why so many marketers are unhappy with ad agencies to the point that even Apple is bringing it’s advertising in house. It’s about selling product, not winning awards.
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