We would just like a horse that goes a little faster...

In my particular track at the BRANDcenter thus far, I have been inundated with research methods and ways to test for an ad's potential. I've learned how to test ideas, concepts, comps, drafts, ads, campaigns and I've learned to do it in groups, with individuals, with friends, with just random people on the street. And always, after the results are in, opinions formed and decisions made- do our professors throw in the side note that we should be careful in the way we use research.

I rarely look at things in black and white (or deal in certainties) and am way too much of a novice at this point to conclude the professionals who are passing on vast amounts of knowledge to me are missing something- but I have begun to see more of the dangers of research.

Creativity, in itself, is newness. An idea, thought, concept no one (hopefully) has seen before- different. And what are most people afraid and wary of? Anything different.

So how does an industry based on creativity, go out of it's way to choose individuals who inherently fear change to decide on the merit of new thinking? Is it because deep down we want to keep things safe? So if test subjects like it, are we staying within some imaginary safety rope? I hope we (and I mean "we" as aspiring advertising professionals) plan on building an industry that doesn't continue to provide the same offerings in new packaging, but will innovate to the point where we scare ourselves...Then we'll start marketing.

My thought is this, and as Ad...excuse me Brandcenter students, we've all read this a million times, "If I'd asked the consumer what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse." Henry Ford.

Create without the fear of rejection by those who think they know more than they actually know. Because if the idea is directed towards the right group of people and the story told just right- whether the consumer knows it or not- it just became a "want".

To Illustrate my point: (Yes it's long but it really wraps my rant nicely)


This was Arnold's intro to the 2007 Hatch Show