Ad creative usually runs a gauntlet to get approved. Marketers often evaluate ads by ticking creative checklists to make sure ads are effective.
But those very checklists, while intended to motivate best practices, can lead ads to become formulaic. And formulaic ads aren’t memorable.
I spoke at a marketing conference in Nashville a couple weeks ago and heard the story of the first Apple iPod ad. The iPod ad that usually comes to mind is the famous one with the dancing silhouettes, but that one came later. The ad that actually introduced the iPod in 2001 was far more traditional.
It followed the typical advertising checklist: a unique selling proposition, an extended demo, and product close-ups. But it didn’t cut through. The ad we all remember is the dancing silhouettes that would never have passed the advertising checklist.
As we aim for more effective ads, we can’t forget the power of emotion and storytelling. Sometimes marketers have to think outside the checklist.