Big ideas win, good ads don’t: Jean-Marie Dru

With the GoaFest 2009 officially opening, delegates got to hear the first speaker of the event – Jean-Marie Dru, Chairman, TBWA Worldwide. The session was attended by a full-house and Dru kept the audience engaged by speaking on some of the most exhilarating advertising that have been done in the last few years. Most of this work have been done by TBWA and awarded globally at numerous platforms. Laying the basic principle behind these ideas, Dru said, “Everything can be challenged, but when you challenge the present, you should know where you want to be – you should have the vision. And when the vision can be encapsulated in a few words, the direction ahead is clear.”

He cited peppered his presentation with numerous examples such as Apple and its tagline ‘Think Different’; Adidas and ‘Impossible is Nothing’; Pedigree’s ‘Dogs Rule’; and ‘In an Absolut World’ of Absolut Vodka. He also spoke about how Pepsi had recently brought back one of its earlier advertising ideas – The Pepsi Generation – but with a new meaning. Explaining further, Dru said, “‘Every generation refreshes the world’ and with that thought Pepsi went ahead with Pepsi refreshes every new generation.” Quoting Steve Jobs, he said, “There will be a lot of changes, but the core should not change.”

However, it is not just the ideas that keep Dru happy with his work; it is when these ideas become an integral part of the brand’s philosophy that really pleases him. He said, “That is advertising at its best. This is about how companies have strong commitment in their brand values and do anything for it. The advertising idea is a part of the CEO’s speech and you know that you have created something that has influenced and resonated very well with the brand that you have worked on.”

He cited further examples of P&G and T-Mobile that were non-TBWA works, but which had created a place for themselves in the world of communication.

Another point that he made here was that gone were the days when a client servicing guy spoke to a creative guy and then work happened at its pace. “Today, we have to work in real time to keep up with the brand and the consumer It is like being in a newsroom, only instead of reporting what is happening, you have to create news, create content,” Dru pointed out.

He also informed how TBWA had replaced strategic planning with media planning, and spoke about the relation between advertising and entertainment and its importance in the communication of the future. He concluded by saying, “There are many who would say that it is not creative if it does not sell – that is more of an excuse. It would not sell if it is not creative, and it is up to us to take the initiative on behalf of the clients.”