Tuesday 17 March 2009

Ad-Rule No.12 - The rule of Fascination


This is to follow up with my previous post about the sameness phenomenon.  This attitude is absolutely dangerous in creative advertising. When every product, every brand is selling the same message using the same strategy which once has been proved to be effective, chances are all ads will become homogenous.  Then what's the use of creative people?  Such kind of "me-too" strategies seldom work, because people cannot tell their differences.  In order words, they have no differentiation. Above are two examples of sameness.

The rule of Fascination tells us that in order to attract the audience, the ad must be "fascinating".  Meaning we need to differentiate the product/brand, so that it can be easily memorized and liked by the audience.  When differentiation works, likability works and so is the advertising.  Perhaps it's time to rethink about the role of advertising.  It's not about selling but it more about building a good relationship with the consumers in a clever, fascinating and likable way.  It's not about helping the sellers sell, it's about helping the buyers buy.
Watch these fascinating ads which achieved differentiation:

3 comments:

nounzz said...

then how can we creative the ad of make up product without fascinating only?
as i find that there is no creative of most of the make up product ads
but i have no idea of how to put creative into that kind of ads

briankong said...

i think that make up product is special case.
因為佢地已經有一班已有的users , 而呢班user已經係believe the brand。
SO make up brand 不用好需要creative咁去吸引others.

EX/chanel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8WhCmb4IIQ

Thomas Kan said...

There is no straight answer to your question Nounzz. As you pointed out, there is rarely differentiation in most cosmetic products. Beautiful faces and models are used quite often and because it works and the audience will think that they will look as pretty. That's the problem which I'd like to point out here. It's necessary to look at the problem from the perspective of the buyers. Why would they choose your product? Is it because that it looks just like the other brands? Then you are not offering them unique experience, or fasciation, so to speak. So how different experience can you offer then? Well, go back to the same question "How can we differentiate our product? or how to make our product different and stand out from others? The answer is in the word itself - "Fascination". It means "draw irresistibly the attention and interest of someone". From here, you will need to start thinking about the story you will give to your audience, a story that will touch their emotion and drive them into the experience you created. So that they could be fascinated.
And thank you Brian for your comment. I tend not to compromise with anything as is. For if we do, we shall take everything for granted and that is why most cosmetic ads looks alike.