A good idea

In many ways advertising boils down to two things: having an idea and executing the idea (ideally well.)

There are a lot of adverts that have within them no idea, but that are well executed (lighting, photography, 3D graphics, augmented reality etc.) On the other hand, one sometimes sees adverts that have within them a very good idea, but which are badly executed, which sadly serves to diminish or even negate the power of the idea within them.

I won't talk too much here about execution. We all know a well executed ad when we see one. However I will say that there is a trend internationally, and amongst others who shall not be named, to harness the power of modern technology to produce 'smoke and mirrors' executions that essentially serve to disguise the poverty of the idea within them.

I feel that there is a lot of confusion in this my Nairobi about this word 'idea', which is often prefaced with the intimidating 'big'.

A layout, or design, or template, or particular spatial relationship between words and pictures is not an idea. A particular media or production technique is not an idea. A smiley face with money falling down from the sky is not an idea. A celebrity endorsement is not an idea. A made-up Kiswahili headline containing excessive vowels is not an idea. A jingle with a woman crooning a product name and an MC rapping in the middle for added street cred is not an idea.

So what is an idea?

To answer this it helps to understand the key defining characteristic of a good advertising idea, namely, sustainability.

It is the ability of an idea to sustain it's power across media and over time that makes an idea a true and good advertising idea. I like the ad referenced here because at it's core there is a sustainable idea - 'everything else can wait!' I can immediately see how one could develop multiple executions of this idea, not just in print but also on TV, on the radio, outdoor and in-store/POS. I further cannot see any reason why this idea could not continue working well into the future. Indeed, if anything, I would say that this idea is too good an idea for what is essentially a tactical piece of communication - the idea has the legs to run for much longer than I suspect the business shall wish to continue with the discount offer.

(N.B. please note that one of the great advantages of sustainable ideas is that they cost less over time...) 

I further like this particular idea, and find it to be more powerful, because it contains within it an implicit call to action - 'everything else can wait' is both a statement of the essential importance of DSTV to yuppie Nairobian life and a charming way of giving those same Nairobians an order with regard to the need to pay their bills on time. It is worth remembering that all ads are, at their core, orders - they are orders to consumers to pursue a particular course of action, which normally involves money.

Now the thing about the marketplace is that it is democratic, and consumers are not obliged to follow orders, but the thing about humans is that we will invariably follow orders as long as said orders are presented to us in such a manner as to give us absolutely no reason not to follow them.

Another way of putting it is this: people will follow your orders if you package your orders correctly. In other words, advertising is the packaging of orders. A good advertising idea is therefore a well packaged order.

P.S. I would wager money that when this ad was first presented 'everything else can wait' was the headline...