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Every sector of marketing and advertising has its preferred field.
Insurance spots will show the worst-case scenario, vitamins and wellness will present a dull portrait of life followed by a colorful one, and sports commercials will have cheering fans and inspiring music similar to that of “Rocky.”
There’s nothing wrong with these formulas, when done well they’re exceptional, but when an agency takes the risk of subverting expectations, that’s something special.
Leo Burnett successfully subverts your expectations in his campaign work for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and Amazon Prime.
The work was recognized by Jess Wheeler of SICKDOGWOLFMAN as an incredible feat of risk and creativity.
LBB’s Casey Martin spoke to Jess about what makes this bizarre sports ad so special and how we should champion clients looking to break with convention.
LBB> First of all, why do you like this work in particular?
Jess> There are so many conventions broken here. Due to today’s obsession with “best practices” and repetition-driven media plans that prioritize quantity over quality, consumers are faced with short, aggressive, never-ending ads. Which, to be honest, is why skip buttons and ad blockers are so popular. I love how curious and intriguing this spot is. It’s a slow burn. You’re immediately drawn into this bizarre scenario and invested in seeing how it plays out. It sustains itself to captivate and entertain, then guide you to the outcome. It’s not a new concept, but it’s new in this day and age.
Then there are the category conventions. Sports adverts all tend to have a similar vibe. High-octane montages and screaming voices. Ironically, just like what’s on Usman’s TV at the end of the advert. This is possibly the strangest cricket advert ever made. I’m a huge Fallout fan and was watching the series when it first came out, so the 50s-style art direction of Uncanny Valley was a treat. The little details are brilliant. Every time you watch it, you spot something new. Which is another highlight, I found myself rewatching it four or five times looking for another little cricket-themed Easter egg. I didn’t even notice the stumps on the bins at first. How often do you say that about an advert? Even rewatching it as I was writing this, I noticed new details.
I will always champion clients and agencies that seek to break the rules, templates and conventions that are imposed. That’s what has always led to great work. Lemon. Cadbury Gorilla. Guinness Horses. Copying the same rules and formats as everyone else only leads to mediocrity. To do something great, you have to rush out to the parking lot and smash a window or two.
LBB> What do you think makes a job great?
Jess> We’re in a very privileged position. We can create things and put them out into the world for people to see. On their televisions, their phones, their radios, on giant billboards.
So we always have to be intentional about using that privilege to create something that is worthy of people’s time and attention. So for me, intention is important. We have to create work with the intention to entertain, to make people feel something, to make them smile, to make them want to share it, to leave them with a positive feeling about the brands that we work with.
We should try to contribute to the cultural landscape, not pollute it. That’s why I love the work of agencies like Mischief, Mother, Uncommon, Bear Meets Eagle. They are all sources of inspiration for us at SICKDOG.
As an industry, we shouldn’t be willing to interrupt and annoy people just to see a logo, which is unfortunately all too often the case.
LBB> When looking for inspiration, do you think it’s important to look outside your own agency?
Jess> I think this is the only place we look! I always found the biography of the writer David Thorne very funny.
“David Thorne is an Australian comedian, satirist and New York Times bestselling author. His work has been featured on Have I Got News For You, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
He has worked as a graphic designer, copywriter, brand consultant and creative director, and describes his work in the design industry as the least creative experience of his life.
You have to look for inspiration outside of agencies and advertising. Inspiration spends a lot of time being crushed in our profession.
Stephanie McCarty, a US-based marketing director, recently said that the first thing she does when working with a new agency is not ask to “see the work”, but to see the ideas that their other clients have rejected, because that’s where the real potential lies.
This is why inspiration cannot be solely internal. It must be drawn from infinite sources. I always encourage creatives not to just watch or create advertisements. Read books (not just advertising books), watch movies, play video games, go to galleries, observe people, listen to conversations, travel, laugh, cry. The best ideas come from human truths, ideas, and behaviors, and the only way to discover them is to go do human things. Inspiration does not reside in slide 93 of a slide show.