Well-behaved brands rarely make history

If you can’t solve a problem, it’s because you’re playing by the rules," said Paul Arden in Its Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be. 

A legend in British advertising, Arden was notorious for agitating, for boundary-pushing, creative campaigns driving legendary brands like British Airways, Toyota and The Independent. And it's a piece of advice that remains true to our business today. 

History is driven by rebellion.

History is driven by rebellion. It has powered our fights for freedom, equality and civil rights. Not only that, but it also drives culture – be it art, music, film or comedy. Pushing boundaries forces progress and captures attention. 

Above: Beyoncé, Joan Rivers and Paul Arden all knew that conforming could lead to mediocracy.

Let’s consider some of the cultural icons we revere today. Beyoncé; the former girl band member who transcended traditional pop-star assumptions to deliver music and visuals that became global, cultural touchpoints. The great, late Joan Rivers pushed boundaries as a comedian. Her blunt and often controversial style led to her becoming the first woman to host a late-night network television talk show in 1986. Arden, Beyoncé and Rivers knew that to conform could lead to mediocracy. But cultural mutiny, combined with undeniable talent, elevated their work to iconic status. 

In a marketplace overrun with choice and – worse – convention, brands need to imitate these icons to breakthrough, so consumers are disinclined to ignore them.

Brands can and should do the same thing. In a marketplace overrun with choice and – worse – convention, brands need to imitate these icons to breakthrough, so consumers are disinclined to ignore them. Our industry, like many others, is often driven by a series of traditions, typically led by past examples and research. While these routes seem safe, they can lead to work that’s expected, orthodox, and – dare I say – boring.  

However, the creative work that our industry heralds – and most importantly, is discussed outside of the industry – often breaks these advertising conventions. These evolutions (or rebellions) can have massive effects on consumers and their connection to advertisers.  

Above: BloodNormal identified what wasn't working and disrupted the status quo to elevate the brand to modern legend status.

A recent example of brand rebellion is Essity’s Bodyform campaign. BloodNormal was the first UK advertisement to feature sanitary pads stained red, rather than the conventional, unrealistic, blue. By representing women realistically, the brand took a rebellious stand against some of the taboos around menstruation and its depiction in the media.

 It continues to fight these preconceptions – the 2022 campaign was the ASA’s most complained about advert of the year. I’m sure that, after seeing this daring work, many wondered why it had ever been different. It’s a campaign that has elevated Bodyform to a modern icon status. 

Identifying what isn’t working and disrupting the status quo is how brands can elevate themselves to modern legends.

Identifying what isn’t working and disrupting the status quo is how brands can elevate themselves to modern legends. IKEA has never played by the rules. In 1994, its American Dining Room Table advert was the first advertisement to feature a gay couple. Created with Deutsch New York, the advert featured gay men shopping for a dining table. Until then, only a few adverts had even acknowledged the LGBTQ+ lifestyle in marketing, and no one had run a gay focused mainstream TV commercial.  

While the LGBTQ+ community has come a long way in representation since the 1990s, at the time IKEA faced scrutiny for publicly recognising its gay consumers. Yet, the spot demonstrated that everybody was welcome at its stores, and it worked – it has continued to grow in the US and America remains its second largest market. IKEA has continued this legacy with its marketing in the decades since, breaking convention in the interest of appearing modern, human and memorable.