BRIEFING: UK ADVERTISINGCI
UK ADVERTISING AIMS TO COMBINE CREATIVITY AND EFFECTIVENESS Advertising developed by British agencies continues to excel on the world stage, producing commercially creative campaigns that win over clients, awards juries and – most importantly – consumers.
Advertising agencies headquartered in London such as BBH, Lowe and Abbott Mead Vickers have a long history of taking brands onto a global stage. Campaigns for Diageo’s Johnnie Walker whiskey brand (“Keep Walking”) and HSBC banking group (“The World’s Local Bank”) originated in the UK. They subsequently spread over the globe and across a huge range of channels and devices. The discipline of planning and buying media is also well-‐established with agency networks such as PHD, Mindshare and MEC spreading from UK bases into every corner of the globe. As a result of its global reputation, the UK has become the lead choice for companies seeking to bring brands to the European market. That includes Dentsu, the Japanese agency holding group that merged with Aegis, the UK media agency network, as a path to greater expansion in the region. Increasingly, UK agencies are also used for their expertise in integrating new ways of reaching audiences via tablets and smartphones into the communications mix. So what are the distinguishing characteristics of UK advertising? It is impossible to do justice to a sector that stretches from big budget cinema and TV spots, across all forms of mainstream and niche media, and into areas such as design However, the breadth of UK advertising output is one of its strengths. The UK ad industry supports more than half a million jobs directly, and more indirectly by using advertising to promote goods and services. It has always drawn on related fields such as design, broadcasting and fashion and its well-‐established educational and industry schemes give the
• FORWARD LOOKING: More than 30% of UK advertising expenditure is in digital media, the highest figure in the world.
• INNOVATIVE: The UK and USA tied for most Innovation nominations in the 2013 Cannes Lions Awards.
• EFFECTIVE: The UK’s IPA Effectiveness Awards are the most rigorous worldwide, demanding entrants prove payback from campaigns.
KEY POINTS
Above: BBH’s “Keep Walking” ads revived Johnnie Walker’s brand.
country a world-‐beating reputation in creativity and strategy as well as specific disciplines such as media buying and planning, advertising post-‐production and campaign evaluation. The first is its effective use of wit and humour. The “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaig created by AMV BBDO for the Mars Snickers brand is a typical example of humour deployed strategically to underline a product’s need and drive sales. (The ads feature celebrities behaving badly because they’re hungry for a snack. This concept translates into diverse markets which feature their own locally known stars.) The second characteristic is a long-‐standing emphasis on creative effectiveness. When the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival – the ad industry’s Oscars – launched a new global award for Creative Effectiveness, the shortlist was dominated by UK agencies, and eventually won by a British contender: the “Sandwich” campaign created by Abbott Mead Vickers for PepsiCo’s brand, Walkers. This was no accident. Generations of UK advertising executives have been schooled in the importance of not just appreciating creativity, but proving how it can be used to deliver an effective piece of communications for a brand. This belief is a central part of the mission of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), the industry body which represents and supports UK advertising agencies. To reflect this commitment, the IPA’s Effectiveness Awards scheme is known as the most rigorous and challenging prize scheme in the world. To win, entrants have to prove the payback from their communications to two panels of judges – including one of experienced, senior clients. This approach is now being extended into measuring the effectiveness of communications using newer digital devices and screens. As such devices grow in popularity, this development can only make the UK advertising sector even more competitive on the global stage.
CONTACT DETAILS URL: www.creative-‐industries.co.uk SOURCE: www.creative-‐industries.co.uk/pdf/section/
GLOBAL POSITIONING
The UK is the world’s fifth largest advertising market. But it has been rated as the second most creative worldwide every year between 2007 and 2012 by the Gunn Report, an annual ranking of the most creatively awarded campaigns and agencies across the world.
TALENT CLUSTERS
• Central London area of Soho (creative agencies, production).
• Shoreditch in east London, and Brighton (digital marketing).
• Watford in Herts, Southampton, (university courses).
UK INNOVATION
The iHobo homeless charity app was an early iPhone use.
UK TO THE WORLDCI
“Advertising cares for only one thing: ideas. And have
you got any?”
Sir John Hegarty, worldwide creative director, BBH