(Ad)mirable Creativity

I recently attended the District 4 American Advertising Federation (AAF) conference on behalf of my local Ad 2 Orlando chapter, during which the American Advertising Awards gala was held. For those who don't know, this is a 3-tier national competition. Winning on a local level advances you to the district level and winning on the district level advances you to the national competition, where you're up against the best of the best throughout the country. Think of the Emmy Awards, but for advertising. In this case, you win an ADDY instead of an Emmy.

The work is inspiring to say the least and reminds me I'm in the right industry. Here are a few tips on how to spark creativity including some examples from the competition that are sure to do so.

Great Minds Think Alike

One of the best things about attending AAF/Ad 2 conferences is meeting like minded people who do what you do. You may not have the same job title or work at the same company, but they understand what the day to day is like and what our industry is all about: ideas that sell. Before the gala, we heard from industry experts one of which stated,

"Our job isn't to put an ad out. Our job is to be curious." -Annette Diaz, Head of Marketing and Communications at Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings LTD, Joint Owner/Operator of Four Seasons Yachts.

Passion is what fuels great work. Putting an ad out is simply fulfilling an order, but when you tie in curiosity to your marketing, that's where the magic happens. Surround yourself with people who are curious and care about what they do. It'll never feel like work when you're in the right place.

Be Intentional

How you reach your audience, the channels you use and your messaging should be crafted with careful thought and intention. Advertising should never be a knee jerk reaction or produced "just because." Establish goals, tap into your personas and get creative with your media strategies. Understanding personas, their triggers and day to day environment can inspire ideas when trying to reach them. Do your research and be intentional in all that you do from start to finish on a project.

Tap Into What Inspires You

Clearly, I'm a bit of an advertising nerd. In addition to the conferences and competitions, I follow a lot of creative marketing channels on LinkedIn. Seeing inspirational work makes me want to challenge myself and do a better job than the rest of the competition. I recently watched AIR, a movie on Amazon Prime Video about Nike's Air Jordans and how they came to be. It gave me chills and was very relatable for those who understand first hand client push back on big ideas. I highly recommend the watch.

Over the past two years attending the American Advertising Awards galas, here are some of my favorite pieces:

2023 Publix Back to School

Click image to watch.

Publix understands the core elements of branding. You can pick out their work immediately among others and no matter the message or campaign, you're left feeling good and craving a home cooked meal. I love the idea of a young daughter using sarcasm right back at her father - relatable and accurate if you ask me.

2023 Lazy Mountain Brewing Company

Click image to watch.

There are a few videos for this campaign, all structured beautifully. While I don't live in Alaska, and perhaps I'm envious of the snow as someone residing in Orlando, even for someone who isn't necessarily the target audience, I find them entertaining and interesting. The messaging and voice over easily sticks with you and is the epitome of achieving brand recognition. If I'm ever in Alaska, I'll be sure to give them a try.

2023 Smokey Bones Meat Menu

Click image to watch.

The meat menu campaign has to be one of my all time favorites. This could be because at one point I was behind the scenes trying to win the Smokey Bones account, so I understand the brand identity crisis that was at play, but generally speaking, Dunn&Co. nailed it. (As they did with Lazy Mountain Brewing Company and Tampa Bay Lightning also mentioned in this blog post.)

Conducting research, the play on words, using creative elements you can eat... What's not to like about this campaign? They served ads without ANY branding - establishing that kind of trust with a client is a win in itself. I'm glad they didn't tell them to make the logo bigger.

2022 Vidi Global Culture Book

I seem to always come back to this video whenever I need something inspiring. This calls out every company with a vague mission statement who doesn't practice what they preach. The process, the book and the video are intense and you can see/feel the hard work that went into this. If you're looking for meaningful, wow creative work, Vidi is your agency.

2022 Tampa Bay Lightning Here Comes the Reign

Click image to watch.

There are few sports I'll tune in to watch, but hockey is a fun one. Understanding Florida's weather, this ad speaks volumes to understanding your audience/environment and using creativity to blow it out of the water. Get it? We all know I'm a huge fan of puns, so the play on "reign" makes me a happy pun queen. Take this as your sign to get into advertising.