Until it is not done, it is not an idea: John Hegarty

Sir John Hegarty’s session that began the last day of the GoaFest 2009 was one of the most awaited sessions, and needless to say, the hall was packed in full attendance. This is one of the best times in advertising and Sir John Hegarty had 10 reasons for the advertising industry to explain why.

He took the audience through some of the ways of approaching creativity and innovations that made advertising a sensible option in the current times.

One of the points he made in his address was about agencies innovating. Hegarty explained that the ability to innovate beyond the normal was liberating in its own way, and recession is as good a time as any to do that.

Another point that he spoke on was about agencies creating media opportunities. Hegarty cited the Audi channel example to illustrate more on branded content and how it was possible for advertising to replace convention media by creating their own media.

Hegarty spoke on the ability to create the viral impact in any campaign, and how that was simply another approach to make creativity brilliant. He cited an X-Box campaign that the company had created to illustrate how agencies can persuade clients to be brave.

Hegarty is passionate on advertising tackling growing social issues, and he spoke on how agencies could look at that kind of communication and make a difference. He spoke on how technology has always been a support to creativity. He said, “Whoever invented the paint brush allowed artists to do very delicate work. It is the same here too.” To elaborate on what he meant, he presented the Mentos Fresh Kiss On campaign that had taken interactivity to a new level.

He also spoke on integration in advertising solutions and how agencies can expand influence with clients via that route. An interesting point he made was of agencies inventing products too. He spoke of BBH’s Zag in this context and some of the initiatives that the company had undertaken here.

Hegarty concluding statement was “agencies can use recession to be more creative”.

The floor opened for questions following this, and replying to some of the younger and senior members of the advertising fraternity, Hegarty spoke more on the BBH way of working, which was about turning intelligence into magic. He added, “But we are right brained, since we just love great ideas.”

Another significant point that Hegarty made was that it was not an idea till it was executed. It is just a theory till then, and this is one reason why execution is an equally important part of the creative process.