It’s not as obvious as you may think, as these two vintage 30-second commercials demonstrate.
Artists pride themselves on being original — on doing things like producing original paintings or original music. They pride themselves on producing innovative cultural stimulus.
Advertising agencies often fall into the trap of confusing themselves with artists.
MODERN ALCHEMY
Just like the ancient alchemists who predated the emergence of the legitimate science of chemistry, misguided modern marketing wizards attempt to turn lead into gold. They take the product they are given to advertise and forget that an advertisement is an instrument of commerce, not a canvas intended to be stuffed with originality and hung in a museum.
In their attempted magic, they take the product and lose it in a campaign stuffed ripe with rich pictures, rousing videos, tawdry innuendo, and attempts at clever humor.
The person who views such an ad perhaps comes away with a sense of having just watched a fun short-film or a preview for an upcoming movie. But in doing so, he completely forgets the product and its benefit.
Watch this vintage ad for Zest soap. It’s a waste of money:
This is the kind of advertising you don’t want to waste your money on. This is the kind of “originality” that will sink your ad campaign and produce abysmal ROIs — otherwise known as “expenses.”
That ad suffers because there are no unique benefits about Zest soap that are conveyed in the video. And I don’t think anyone ever believed their shower would turn into a water slide just because they bought Zest soap.
Now, however, watch this one:
Can you see the difference? The second ad employs demonstration, a powerful advertising technique. It also illustrates a benefit: soap leaves a film on your body. Zest does not. In the ad, you can see this. If you were a person who hated the feeling that the soapy film always left behind, then this benefit would appeal to you. Compare this to the last ad, where this benefit isn’t even mentioned at all.
USING ORIGINALITY IN ADVERTISING CORRECTLY
The correct way to use “originality” in your advertising is when you are advertising a product that is, itself, original. Originality in advertising, correctly applied, shows the viewer or the reader just exactly how the product’s innovative designs or features will improve some area of their lives.
It may take creativity — originality — to actually demonstrate the product’s USP in use. It is original to focus an ad’s message on the benefits of the product itself (the second video), rather than substituting style for substance (the first video). The latter path is the path most advertising takes, of course. You don’t have to look very hard to notice that.
It can be challenging, for sure, to demonstrate why a product is unique from its competition, why its uniqueness is a benefit that people will want, and what specific benefit the consumer can expect to receive by taking a specific action in regards to that product.
If the product itself is not worthy of being purchased, then reconsider the product’s specifications. Consider changing it to make it more desirable. The alchemists never did achieve their ultimate goal of turning lead into gold, and they never will. To work with gold, you have to start with gold.
If you don’t have any gold to start with, then you must mine it.