Are you saying what everyone else is saying?

“In ThEsE PrEcEdEnTeD TiMeS” is a phrase we’ve learnt and memorized during the eve of summer 2020. Everyone took ownership of those words, tearing and stretching its syntax across mediums until pixelated beyond repair. Found on billboards, T.Vs, social media, and even in an art director’s dreams; nobody was safe. These words were so worn out that they began to lose their meaning. And like a magic cloak, its effectiveness wore off once the clock struck “I can smell the same stale message everywhere”-o’clock. And just like that brands across the world were left bare. You look around and start questioning your creative brief and copy. You look into yourself in the mirror, like a stock video from Shutterstock, and ask yourself, “Am I saying what everyone else is saying?”.

“What's the deal? In reality, many companies have found themselves short on cash, almost overnight. They needed to get a message out  - and quick. They asked their teams to throw something together. Since they can't film a new ad because of social distancing, they compiled old stock b-roll footage and found the most inoffensive royalty-free piano track they could find. This, combined with a decade of marketing trends dictated by focus groups and design-by-committee, released a tsunami of derivative, cliche ads all within a week of one another. It's not a conspiracy - but perhaps a sign that it's time to try something different than all other 2020 commercials.” -Puts “Microsoft Sam’”, the Youtuber who compiled the ads in the above video.

A big takeaway from his statement is that we live in an echo of voices that we have fallen into. As a result,  it prevents us from creating new voices. So what can we do?

Must you talk?

Firstly, you don’t always have to talk just because you have a mouth. Must it be by force? (Sorry if I come across as an archetypical aunty here, but it needs to be said haha)

It’s okay to be the quiet brand in the corner who takes the time to analyze the situation. It’s okay not to do what your competitors are doing ( this could probably be your strength). It’s also okay to try and focus your resources on keeping your brand and the lives behind it afloat; rather than sending a message (sometimes disingenuous) to an audience that have quickly lost meaning for the words you are about to tell them. Make actionable changes from within.

Look into your Brand

Take a good look into your brand and see what it stands for. Genuinely look into how you can connect those values with your audience. At the core, everyone is really different and so is your brand. If people are different then there must be a different story to tell or at least a different angle. Think Lion King or whichever generic Disney creation that got a remake. Everyone knows the story but they still sell tickets when a new one comes out. Same story, different perspective. 

Find out what the others aren’t saying

In a world of echos, be an original voice. To find out what others aren’t saying, just take a good look at what they are saying. It’s that simple. Now the hard part arises, what do you say now? What do you want to add that might eventually turn into echos?

The Little Things:

The little things make a world of a difference. Check out these ads about baby care products. The thought of baby + care creates a link to words like gentle, soft, clean, etc. “Gentle care for babies”, it says what needs to be said but just like many messages, it doesn’t say much more. 

In contrast to something like “Everyone sees how pretty your eyes are[To Baby taking a bath]. Only I see how you hardly blink.” These two sentences say a lot. 

Firstly, it speaks directly to the parent who is a crucial part of the baby’s care. The parent is not passive in this narration. The parent is the speaker. 

Secondly, it would only take a parent who has been tirelessly researching and reading up about their bundle on the way to know about the fact that “Newborn babies have slow blinking reflexes, making it impossible for them to blink away irritants.”. This, therefore, makes it easier for them to use Johnson’s no tears baby wash as it eliminates the danger of their newborn reacting too late. It says more than what everyone is saying, it says that we know what you care about and we care about it too. 

You Probably know this but…

Your audience has already read the story, he wants to see yours in 3D. He wants to see fresh stories. He wants to relate to what he reads. He wants to know that you are real. Because if you’re not, then you’re no different than a faulty car alarm that just makes noise. But you’ve learnt to ignore it because you keep procrastinating on getting it fixed... I don’t know where this analogy is going but you get my point. It’s tough but possible. So, will 2020 be the year we decide to stop bouncing off of echos?  

What do I know? These are just a bunch of desk thoughts.