NBC executives intially hated the script for the "Chinese Restaurant" episode in Season 2 of "Seinfeld." They didn't get that nothing was about to become something. Something big.
When Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David pitched what would become the definitive television series of its time to NBC programming executives they boldly declared that what was initially The Seinfeld Chronicles would be a “show about nothing.” In fact, it would become a show about everything – from dating protocol, to working out, wandering in a mall parking garage, or waiting for a table at a restaurant.
What does nothing have to do with the advertising creative process? Everything.
The essence of creativity is the ability to seize upon something that would be otherwise overlooked and shine a light on it. Millions of great ideas had humble beginnings. Legendary modern and contemporary art often had its genesis in the glorification of the ordinary, the mundane, even the banal.
Same goes for advertising. (Which, it should be noted, all too often ends up ordinary, mundane and banal.)
The greatest advertising creative is inspired by a simple notion that, except for a savvy copywriter/art director team and a risk-taking client, would be banished to oblivion. Great campaigns like Clairol’s “Does she or doesn’t she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure,” General Foods’ “There’s always room for Jello,” and Avis’ “We try harder” and were likely born of off-the-cuff comments or mindless scribbles in a creative brainstorming session. On its own, each is starkly simple, almost prosaic. Recast them in the bright lights of an ad campaign and they explode into the public consciousness.
In this instant classic spot for Snickers, creatives at BBDO New York started with nothing much of a premise: "Hey! I'm hungry!"
A current example: the Snickers TV campaign from BBDO New York. A deconstruction of the core idea leaves us with an ordinary observation: when we get hungry, we get ornery. Now, where can we go with that? We could come up with an execution where, say, a bear becomes a human after eating a Snickers bar. Yawn — too on the nose. What else? How about we swap out the bear for a diva? Well then, now we’ve got something, boy howdy.
The lesson here is, pay attention to everything. Give all those half-baked notions, inane scribbles and obscure observations a thorough airing. There could be gold in them there nothins.
For more about Bob Devol Communications: www.BobDevol.com
