Creativity in Advertising

Creativity is at the heart and soul of advertising.It helps to transform strategic thinking into ideas that enable the advertiser and the ad agency to make ads that standout esp in the mind of the prospect.

Creativity is the ability to generate novel and innovative ideas that can be used as a solution to communication problems.

3 aspects are most accepted:

The creative process

The creative person and

The creative situation

The Creative process

1. Preparation

During the preparation step of the creative process model, an individual becomes curious after encountering a problem. Examples of problems can include an artistic challenge or an assignment to write a paper. During this stage, she may perform research, creates goals, organize thoughts and brainstorm as different ideas formulate. For example, a marketing professional may prepare for a marketing campaign by conducting market research and formulating different advertisement ideas.

2. Incubation

While the individual begins to process her ideas, she begins to synthesize them using her imagination and begins to construct a creation. During this step, the individual does not actively try a find a solution, but continues to mull over the idea in the back of the head.

3. Illumination

As ideas begin to mature, the individual has an epiphany regarding how to piece her thoughts together in a manner that makes sense. The moment of illumination can happen unexpectedly. For example, an individual with the task of putting together an office party may have an idea for a theme while driving home from work.

4. Evaluation

After a solution reveals itself in an epiphany, the individual then evaluates whether the insight is worth the pursuit. He may make changes to his solution so it is clearer. He may consult with peers or supervisors regarding his insights during this step before pursuing it further. If he works with clients, he may seek a client's input and approval before moving on to the next step.

5. Implementation

The implementation of an idea or solution in the creative process model is when an individual begins the process of transforming her thoughts into a final product. For example, during this step, a painter may begin outlining shapes on a canvas with charcoal before applying oil paints to the medium. An individual may begin this step more than once in order to reach the desired outcome. For example, a graphic designer may open a new digital canvas if he did not have the scale calculated correctly on a previous work, and he will continue to implement his ideas and make adjustments until he reaches a pleasing final product.

The Creative person

Some of the essential characteristics of a Creative Person are 1. The Ability to Visualise 2. Openness to New Experiences 3. Willingness to gather information!

1. The Ability to Visualise:

Most copywriters have a good visual imagination as well as excellent writing skills.

Writers as well as designers must be able to visualize. Good writers paint pictures with words. They describe what something looks like, sounds like, smells like, and tastes like. They use words to transmit these sensory impressions.

Most of the information we accumulate comes through sight, so the ability to manipulate visual images is crucial for good writers. In addition to seeing products, people, and scenes in his or her mind’s eye, a good writer is able to visualize a mental picture of the finished ad while it is still in the talking, or idea, state.

2. Openness to New Experiences:

One characteristic that identifies creative people is that they are open to new experiences. Sheri Broyles, professor at the University of North Texas, looked at people in advertising to test that idea. Agency creative directors must not only be creative themselves, but they must also be able to recognize and inspire creative work in their copywriters and art directors.

When given the Openness to Experience questionnaire. Broyles found that these creative directors were more open than most over people. A second study showed a similar pattern with students in a creative advertising class. A comparison between the two studies showed that the advertising students scored higher than established norms and the advertising professionals scored even higher than the students did.

According to Broyles, it is easy to see how someone who agrees with this last statement might develop innovative advertisements and commercials. Such fantasies lead to Michael Jordan and Larry Bird playing an outlandish game of horse and the award winning “Nothing but Net” spot for McDonald’s. Over the course of a lifetime, openness to experience may give you many more adventures from which to draw. Those experiences would, in turn, give a novelist more characters to write about, a painter more scenes to paint, and the creative team more angles from which to tackle an advertising problem.

3. Willingness to gather information:

The creative personnel must review the creative brief, including the marketing and advertising plan. They should be aware of the market, the product, and the competition. They may also seek additional information from the account executives and from the client company’s marketing, product, sales, or research departments to learn about the nature of the company, its products, its marketing history, its competitors and the competitor’s advertising styles. 

Four Rules of Creativity:

There are generally four basic rules to be kept in mind during the creativity process these are

mentioned below:

1. Make the product relevant to customer.

2. It should be promise to the customer.

3. Don't let it stand alone.

4. Always put product in the centre of the commercial.