The one ad campaign variable that receives the most attention is the creative – and why shouldn’t it? Creative gets people talking (or, if unsuccessful, doesn’t).
One advantage to having a strong creative track record is that the brand can feel confident and has the freedom to take risks. Olivier Francois, CMO of Fiat, is currently in that position and he’s taking full advantage of it. Ad Age reported on Francois’ recent decision to build Fiat’s new TV campaign completely around GIFs. What are those? Ann Friedman explains:
“More compelling than a static photo and more immediate than Web video, the animated GIF … is a uniquely digital mode of conveying ideas and emotion. Like the Twitter hashtag, which has transitioned from a functional way of sorting content to its own part of speech, the animated GIF has gone from a simple file type to its own mode of expression. GIFs have grown up, and they are everywhere right now.”
Needless to say, Fiat’s bold approach has people talking about the potential benefits of this economical execution strategy.
We admire innovative ideas that enhance the entertainment value of new creative options. But we also focus on how the brand uses creative to establish a consistent brand persona and build desire for the brand. When used properly, distinctive creative styles can increase brand linkage and overall ROI of a campaign. The Fiat itself is easily recognized, which gives Mr. Francois and his team more room to play with the content, relatively free from worry about whether consumers will be able to identify the brand.
Mr. Francois’ committed efforts to establish a stylish, irreverent, and fun brand image for Fiat are laudable. His stated dedication to a consistent brand voice suggests that the campaign has strong potential to build the brand personality. The decision to use GIFs as a creative format seems to reinforce the brand’s desire to be courageous and quirky.
One major caveat: The sheer proliferation of brands means that while an advertiser is trying to connect with the consumer by being surprising, unexpected, and quirky, being too ‘different’ and unpredictable can cause a damaging disconnect over time.
Mr. Francois doesn’t seem worried, saying: “If it doesn’t work, no big deal. We didn’t invest so much money.” Money, of course, is not the only thing on the line: the brand is, too. For Fiat’s sake, let’s hope this “nothing to lose” approach actually wins.
