Influencers

Advertisers: how are you using your power?

Tell someone that you work in advertising and you’re likely to receive some judgement. We’re those immoral souls annoying you to buy the stuff you don’t need, right? We pop up before you watch videos, we’re taking over your magazines, and the radio barely plays music any more because of us. Although these examples may be hyperboles, there’s definitely no denying the power held by advertisers.

We reach thousands, sometimes millions with our messages. With this in mind, it becomes extremely important that we assess what content we are directing brands to share and what goals we’re achieving with our messages.

For those of you who think advertisers are malicious salespeople or for those of you who work in advertising, I urge you to take a look at the videos in this blog post. It’s a list of advertisements I would be so proud to have been a part of. These ads go beyond plainly covering off a list of product features and benefits; these ads share incredible stories, offer perspective, or take a stand. They share hope, remind people of the goodness in the world, and motivate them to overcome incredible feats.

Advertising for non-profits naturally leads to touching story lines or profound messages, however, all the brands in the ads below are major corporations. The agencies that developed these ads worked with their clients to offer the world something more thought provoking than just an ad.

Seeing ads like the ones below reminds me why I got into this industry. I want to share stories, emotions, perspective, wonder and inspiration. The power to achieve all of these objectives lives in the hands of advertisers. We possess the creativity and ability to use our talents and influence to create something magical.

These advertisers took the time to make sure they wouldn’t waste yours.

Company: Intel, Agency: Venables Bells & Partners

(This recent ad above is what inspired me to write this post. It touched me and reminded me of the good in my industry and the world.)

Company: Guinness,Agency: BBDO New York

Company: Monster.com, Agency: Mullen

Company: Pantene Chrysalis, Agency: Grey, Thailand

Company: Nike, Agency: Weiden + Kennedy

Obviously there are thousands more incredible ads and agencies out there working to create meaningful messages (feel free to share them with me), but unfortunately there are also millions more ads lacking careful thoughtfulness required to produce content worth celebrating.

Advertisers, you are influencers. Remind yourself daily of the power you hold with each message you create. Remind your clients what incredible objectives can be achieved and that there is no metric for blowing people’s minds. Remind people that ads can be good.

Go forth and inspire, my friends.