09 February, 2012

Killing off creativity bugs one media attempt at a time


I've been trying out a series of strips for a campaign next month and this is one of them. The other two are a bit more specific so will post them later. I think most of the ads on TV these days are mind-bogglingly bad and some are just appalling. I mean, if people are going to censor kissing, swearing and drug references on TV, they should insist that several of the ads be censored for stupidity and exploitation. Every channel seems to run their ads at the same time and some of the ad slots are about ten minutes long and this is why watching TV shows online or getting the DVD is so much more appealing (if TV ever becomes obsolete, ads will be the cause). 
This message is something I'm quite passionate about because I've seen first-hand how companies contribute to and then exploit poor self-image. I've seen how it's not about values or being memorable. 
When making money becomes the driving force, then worrying about quality ideas and cultivating people's minds becomes obsolete (true for any sort of media). 

The worst part is that I hardly notice what the product or brand is anymore, which is usually the purpose of advertising. There's this new SUV vehicle ad - I forgot the company and model so had to google this (Mahindra XUV500). This is one of the worst ads ever - I mean, hasn't anyone sent out the memo that using women as savages around one man is and old and un-clever idea? Or is creativity no longer mandatory when it comes to advertising. Sadly people have commented that this is one of the best commercials ever and it reminded me of this quote I heard in one of Ravi Zacharias' speeches: 

"At first, art imitates life. Then life will imitate art.Then life will find its very existence from the arts" (Fyodor Dostoevsk). It's very true and it would be good if people were a bit aware of why they have certain opinions or passions or what's shaping them today.


ps - Yes, one of the "ads" I've shown is a dig at the awful Fast track ads. Making both boys and girls shallow and loose doesn't make it okay, you know? Most teenagers crave relationships - trying to convince them that one day stands are better will just mess up the dynamics of love, you fools.

pps - Watch out for the campaign ideas soon - would love to have you all contribute.

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