Does the industry really need more traditional advertising? YES (_) NO (☑️)

I’ve been working in advertising for over 30 years, across different countries, languages and cultures.

This journey has taught me to communicate brands and their messages in countless ways, from the most traditional approaches to the ones most connected with today’s possibilities. However, the biggest shift in my mindset happened when I was invited to globally lead Snapchat’s creative team while living in California.

This might be tough to admit, but it’s true; consumers aren’t interested in your brand’s message.

Most advertising agencies are held hostage by formats established by the industry, where the money behind traditional media speaks louder than the desire to explore new ways to connect with audiences.

And this might be tough to admit, but it’s true; consumers aren’t interested in your brand’s message. They especially don’t want to be interrupted by it on TV. Yet, the comfort of ready-made formats keeps agencies clinging to the same clichés.

Above: Snapchat's Giant's Footsteps campaign on Santa Monica beach created huge interest.

At Snapchat, I encountered a universe of possibilities, bringing brands to where they truly want to be via experiences, irreverence, via the magic of augmented reality, and in the unexpected ways products can integrate into people’s lives. Leading this creative and innovation team made me question the conventional approach even more.

Imagine walking along Santa Monica beach and seeing monumental footprints in the sand, footprints the size of a 100-meter giant. Beside them, a tiny sign reads, ‘Open your Snapchat’. That’s what we did, generating curiosity in thousands of people over the weekend.

Is this advertising? No! It’s bigger than that.

When users opened Snapchat, they saw a giant emerging from the ocean and walking toward Venice beach. A unique experience that became organic content for thousands of people and drove massive app downloads, allowing users to see the world through new eyes. 

Is this advertising? No! It’s bigger than that.

Above: Many great ideas have started with the word 'no', like the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas. 

By the way, ‘no’ has always been stigmatised. Since childhood, ‘yes’ represents a smile, and ‘no’ represents tears. It’s no different in the world of innovation. How many world-changing business models began with a question and a ‘no’ as the answer?

How many world-changing business models began with a question and a ‘no’ as the answer?

• Do I need to stay in a hotel when I travel? No! says Brian Chesky (Airbnb).
• Do I need to hail a taxi? No! says Garrett Camp (Uber).
• Do I need to rent a traditional office? No! says Adam Neumann (WeWork).
• Do screens have to be flat? No! says MSG (the Sphere in Las Vegas).

These ‘nos’ reinvented stagnant industries and economies. Why not apply the same principle to advertising

Above: When promoting Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, a TV spot wasn't necessarily the answer, but creating a conversation was. 

My second creative awakening came when I joined Amazon as VP Global Marketing for Prime Video and Amazon Studios, which has entertainment at its core. So, if our product is entertainment, our communication must be entertaining too. That’s when I realised that the billion-dollar budget I managed was often the greatest enemy of good ideas.

Agencies presented ideas shaped by the lucrative value of media formats, not by genuine, surprising narratives capable of sparking conversations and building a global entertainment brand. What was missing? Curiosity and courage in 99.9% of the presentations.

The billion-dollar budget I managed was often the greatest enemy of good ideas.

When we launched Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, the agency presented a beautiful, expensive TV commercial showing people happily watching football. But do I need to convince Americans to love football? No! I needed to show that what they already loved was now on Amazon.

So, alongside Atlantic New York, a great small agency, we created something unique that got the entire country talking: we reshaped the iconic football into the arrow from Amazon’s logo. We hired players to test it, sold the ball on Amazon.com, and sparked a national conversation.

In the end, we revealed that we weren’t changing the ball but rather the experience of watching games — with better resolution, more commentators, and advanced technology. The result? 45 million viewers for the first game, far exceeding the expected 10 million. A simple idea, outside conventional formats, with massive reach. Did we need a TV commercial for that? No!