It is noteworthy that in this commercial aimed at the large American market, the casting is definitely Latino. Also, the musical way with which it tries to connect emotionally and a simple story told in a pleasant way, focused on connecting with the consumer that we always want to convert into a buyer. JC Penney, like many of our clients at Saatchi Saatchi agencies, has made the decision to connect with her for a lasting relationship.
We all know that loyalty is good business, and because of this, it makes good sense to move a brand from a place in the marketplace to the heart of a culture. Thus, Lovemarks is at the very core of our reason to exist as companies, for a creative ad can be made by anyone, while a powerful brand is only possible after years of navigating its personality, its values, its OneWordEquity. Of course, as long as its message is fresh, differentiated, consistent and relevant, without lines, or in other words, integrating what we used to call ATL and BTL, adding in 360 degrees everything that adds to the brand.
In our countries, agencies and clients have as much to learn, and clients will have to dare as much as creatives in the agencies. If I were a client, I would do whatever it takes to leverage every creative drop in an agency, making sure that the creative juices of a team are for my brand.
I would inspire the creative team to give me the best of their talent, and for all I’m worth, I would bet that the creative for my brand would translate into sustained, incremental business.
If you’re a client, are you getting the best out of your creative team? Are you doing what it takes to facilitate innovation and daring? Are you celebrating both what you approve and what you reject? Are you building a seductive, engaging, winning personality for your brand? Let’s look at one more example of how JC Penney does it with Saatchi in New York, with their winning commercial at last year’s Cannes Lions for Christmas 2007.
I guess you recognized John Lennon in the second commercial to use an original version of the great Liverpool Beatle, to add to the powerful story with his music and the emotional way to connect the brand with her, their loyal customer.
If I were a client, I would make the creative team at the agency my main ally, making sure that the account executive was as creative as the media executive, the graphic creative as the planner, the conceptual as the producer. If you are a client and you have reached this last paragraph, where are you in your relationship with the creative that sells and attracts the most for your brands?
In our creative revolution, strongly ignited by the stimulus we find in the awards of major festivals, we need the client as a partner. For they, in turn, the more they need us for their brands, the more powerful and relevant creativity becomes. It comes and goes in a win-win equation where we all win by betting on the creative, the bold, what stands out in the newspaper, on the street, in the store or the mall.
And as we have said and will continue to say, we win more if we all win.
